PLA2016 Archives | American Libraries Magazine

Making Progress with Digital Content

By Toby Greenwalt and Richard Kong | April 14, 2016

Carolyn Anthony, director of Skokie (Ill.) Public Library and cochair of American Library Association’s Digital Content Working Group (DCWG), kicked things off. She shared insights gained during meetings with major publishers in December 2015. For instance, publishers generally continue to show greater willingness to provide better pricing and more flexible licensing terms. Penguin Random House … Continue reading Making Progress with Digital Content →

Vailey Oehlke, PLA President (left) and Tig Notaro at PLA 2016 in Denver.

Tig Notaro: She’s Just a Person

By Laurie D. Borman | April 9, 2016

Though she says she is the “worst guest for librarians” because she flunked out of 7th grade and dropped out of school, she cleverly began her hilarious stand-up routine for the closing session of the Public Library Association 2016 conference with a story about Fluff, her kitten. Fluff and her night-night ribbon. The cat-loving librarians loved … Continue reading Tig Notaro: She’s Just a Person →

Felton Thomas, PLA president-elect, introduces Big Ideas speaker and New York Times columnist Anand Giridharadas.

What is a True American?

By Laurie D. Borman | April 9, 2016

In many ways, Giridharadas says, some of the darkest themes in his book have become even more prevalent since it was published in 2014. “Their story was the story of America fracturing,” he said to the crowd gathered for his Big Ideas talk at the Public Library Association 2016 conference in Denver today. Giridharadas is a New York … Continue reading What is a True American? →

Arianna Huffington addresses the crowd at the Adult Author Lunch during the Public Library Association 2016 conference in Denver.

Arianna Huffington Touts the Wonders of Sleep

By Laurie D. Borman | April 8, 2016

Huffington, the Adult Author Lunch speaker at today’s Public Library Association 2016 conference in Denver, took the fall as a literal wake-up call. She had been “running on empty” with just 4–5 hours of sleep a night. She learned new ways to calm herself before bed, and slowly worked her way back up to eight hours … Continue reading Arianna Huffington Touts the Wonders of Sleep →

Psychologist, author, and MIT professor Sherry Turkle encouraged attendees at the Public Library Association 2016 conference in Denver to put down their phones in favor of face-to-face conversation.

Time to Put Your Phone Away and Talk

By Laurie D. Borman | April 8, 2016

In speaking at the early morning Big Ideas session today at the Public Library Association 2016 conference in Denver, sponsored by Penguin Random House, Turkle drove home her point with numerous studies and anecdotes about people of all ages who find their phones have interfered with developing personal relationships. In the last 20 years, she … Continue reading Time to Put Your Phone Away and Talk →

Attendees learn CAD modeling in the COLab at the 2016 Public Library Association Conference in Denver.

How-To Lessons, Makerspaces, and Coding

By Laurie D. Borman | April 8, 2016

Colorado businesses and libraries partnered in COLab, where attendees could try out 3D printing with a printer made in Colorado, as well as other makerspace projects that are part of the partnership. At the Take Charge Lounge, spin bikes were set up with a phone charger attached to the flywheel, making it freewheeling charging. Programs … Continue reading How-To Lessons, Makerspaces, and Coding →

Entrepreneur, author, and cultural innovator Verna Myers was the featured BIG IDEAS speaker for the Public Library Association 2016 conference in Denver.

Big Ideas with Vernā Myers

By Laurie D. Borman | April 8, 2016

She told the story of her first visit to China, and found herself the object of stares. Everyone was looking at her, and it didn’t feel good. “Why are these people staring at me?” she thought. She asked a Chinese associate to explain what was happening, and he said it was common for Chinese people … Continue reading Big Ideas with Vernā Myers →

A drum line energizes the crowd and opens the exhibit hall at the Public Library Association Conference in Denver.

PLA2016 Opens with Anderson Cooper and a Drum Line

By Laurie D. Borman | April 7, 2016

In an open and nonpolitical conversation, Anderson Cooper, CNN anchor, talked about his mother, Gloria Vanderbilt, and their relationship, the focus of their new book, The Rainbow Comes and Goes (Harper Collins). Cooper, who experienced tremendous loss in his life with the death of his father at a very young age, and then the suicide of his … Continue reading PLA2016 Opens with Anderson Cooper and a Drum Line →

Author, podcast host, and motivational speaker Kari Chapin inspires the crowd at the Public Library Association Conference in Denver, April 6, 2016.

PLA2016: Making It Extraordinary

By Laurie D. Borman | April 6, 2016

Conference-goers received a “Little Guide for Your Big Ideas” created by Chapin, filled with tips and templates for pinpointing ideas and making plans, including a 30-day challenge to keep the conference flow going. The author of Grow Your Handmade Business: How to Envision, Develop, and Sustain a Successful Creative Business (Storey Publishing, 2012), Handmade Marketplace: How to … Continue reading PLA2016: Making It Extraordinary →

John Fuduric, owner of The Cleveland Brewery, who used library resources to print unique beer taps for his business.

Library Advocacy Video Premieres at PLA

By Laurie D. Borman | April 6, 2016

The video featured John Fuduric, owner of The Cleveland Brewery, who used the local library’s 3D printer to create custom keg tap handles, and helped demonstrate how libraries assist local entrepreneurs in unusual ways. “Policy makers, community decision makers, and funders do not always recognize the expanded roles and capabilities of libraries nor recognize the extent … Continue reading Library Advocacy Video Premieres at PLA →

Latest Library Links

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Tova Gaster writes: “Library Futures’s new research report, ‘Keeping an Open Mind: Awareness, Use, and Perspectives of OER in Public Libraries,’ takes a first look at how public librarians are using and perceiving open educational resources (OER). Library Futures surveyed public librarians about their use and awareness of OER via the Public Library Association mailing list from January–March 2024 and received 107 usable responses. Our flagship survey revealed that public librarians are very interested in OER, but many lack the resources, education, or support to bring interest into action.”

Library Futures, Nov. 22
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Jack Wallen writes: “Bluesky is a breath of fresh air. You’re not force-fed ads, nor are there algorithmic suggestions to clutter up your feed. Even better, there’s so much positivity. That alone is worth the time to migrate. But how do you get started? It took you years to collect those followers on Twitter. Will it take years to do the same on Bluesky? No. Bluesky’s starter packs are customized collections of accounts pre-loaded with users interested in different subjects.” Librarian Paul Jewell has created an information literacy starter pack.

ZDNet, Nov. 26; Information Literacy Weblog, Dec. 2
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A newly published research study from the American Association of School Librarians’ peer-reviewed online journal, School Library Research, investigates self-censorship of controversial topics in collection development. In “To Add or Not to Add: An Examination of Self‐Censoring Behaviors among School Librarians,” information science professors Jennifer Moore and Alissa Tudor use survey data to examine which controversial or frequently challenged topics school librarians chose not to collect. The research found that there were high amounts of self-censorship around books that dealt with sexual content, abortion, and self-harm.

American Association of School Librarians, Dec. 3; School Library Research, Volume 27
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Frank Strong writes: “Day one of pre-filing of bills for the 2025 Texas legislative session treated us with several attempts to further restrict reading rights for Texans. The headliner of those bills is House Bill 183, which would enable the State Board of Education to review and remove books from all public schools in the state, essentially creating a statewide banned books list. But it won’t be the only one. Below are six more antibook bills you should watch out for—and publicize, and speak out against, and fight—in the new year.”

Anger & Clarity, Nov. 29
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“In today’s society, libraries stand out as among the last truly public institutions. Providing access to resources without financial, social, or physical barriers, public libraries make a unique contribution to promoting individual and collective flourishing throughout the communities they serve. The New York Public Library’s Strategy and Public Impact team and the Humanities and Human Flourishing Project at the University of Pennsylvania’s Positive Psychology Center in Philadelphia have released a new report as part of an ongoing collaboration to study and advocate for the role of public libraries in the communities they serve.”

New York Public Library, Nov.
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ALA’s Games & Gaming Round Table announced the winners of its 2024 Platinum Play Hall of Fame Awards on December 2, representing the best games for library collections or programming released in the last two to 10 years. The “Platys” Class of 2024 includes longstanding favorites such as Splendor and Azul, approachable program-friendly titles like Just One and Exploding Kittens, the tournament-friendly Super Smash Bros. Melee, geolocation game Pokémon Go, and ‘80s throwback RPG Kids on Bikes.

ALA Games and Gaming Round Table, Dec. 2
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Samantha Kretschmer writes: “A staff survey conducted by administration at my library two years ago pointed to a general feeling of discontent amongst staff. The administration formed a Staff Advisory committee, which I was tasked with chairing. The point of this committee was to promote understanding and cooperation between the various branches and departments of the library; to promote productive cooperation between staff, management, and administration; to provide a place for a constructive exchange of ideas; to serve as a channel for staff questions, comments, and concerns; and to help create a community amongst staff.”

ALSC Blog, Nov. 28

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