Block said that by focusing on our abundances (gifts we have and contribute) rather than our deficits (what we lack), we could have a relationship based on “enoughness,” the idea that what we have is enough to sustain our relationship and reach our goals. Inspired by Block’s ideas, we committed to changing our relationship to … Continue reading Learning Together
“I started pitching it at the school, and my principal was absolutely against it,” Weibling tells American Libraries. The former 3rd-grade teacher, who was then working toward her master’s degree in library science, was eager to find new ways to get students excited about reading and comprehension. “Reading therapy dog programs weren’t common knowledge to … Continue reading Dog Therapy 101
Three-dimensional printers, apps, social networks. It’s easy to get caught in the trap of responding to the newest technology or educational stratagem when planning your program of service for youth and their families. Instead, start by thinking about the impact you want to have on children and teens and develop services that support those. For … Continue reading Outcomes-Based Futures
Rare book collections are not just limited to well-known libraries—they may be present in any size or type of library local history collection, or special collection surrounding an event of importance to the larger community. Sidney E. Berger’s Rare Books and Special Collections is a handbook to help an administrator understand the special aspects of … Continue reading The Convergence of LAMs
Information is an important tool in fighting the outbreak. Alison Blaine, a master’s student at the University of North Carolina School of Information and Library Science and a research assistant in the UNC Davis Library’s Research Hub, is part of an interdisciplinary team that developed ebolainliberia.org, a website that provides data and news about the … Continue reading Tracking Ebola in Liberia
Before study hall was over, the principal was dealing with the perpetrators. “We handled it all immediately,” Watson tells American Libraries. “That’s a key role of what librarians can do in schools to be a force against bullying. If the students know you’re there, and that you’re an advocate for them, they’ll come to you.” … Continue reading How Libraries Help Kids Stand Up to Bullying
Storytime Underground, an informal idea-sharing website where youth librarians can learn from each other, started with Guerrilla Storytime—gatherings of children’s librarians sharing ideas, brainstorming, and troubleshooting issues related to early childhood librarianship—at the 2013 ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago. Since then, Guerrilla Storytime has been held at conferences all over North America, creating … Continue reading Storytime Underground
Deadline: October 1, 2014 Penguin Young Readers Group Award Description: Up to four children’s librarians can receive a stipend to attend their first ALA Annual Conference. Award amount: $600 Requirement: Must be ALSC member Administered by: ALSC Sponsored by: Penguin Young Readers Group Deadline: December 1, 2014 Baker & Taylor Conference Grant Description: Two grants for … Continue reading Travel Grants for San Francisco
Sometimes, low tech trumps high tech. At Tuesday morning’s plenary session of IFLA’s World Library and Information Congress 2014 in Lyon, French journalist Florence Aubenas talked about her kidnapping and six-month imprisonment in Iraq in 2005 and the time since. “Very often, the countries at war create conditions that prevent us from using technology tools,” she … Continue reading High and Low Tech at World Library and Information Congress 2014 in Lyon, France
Keynote speaker and French philosopher Bernard Stiegler encouraged the crowd of thousands of librarians with his view that libraries will never die. Though digitization and proliferation of ebooks caused some to predict the demise of libraries, Stiegler noted that libraries are more important than ever. Outside the convention center, Libraries Without Borders, in partnership with … Continue reading World Library and Information Congress 2014 Opens
This article examines the rise of values-based diversity as the next evolutionary step in workplace diversity management and the implications of this new approach for librarianship. “Values-based diversity has a valid place in libraries’ strategic thinking,” says Robert C. Harris, human resources manager at Pennsylvania State University Libraries. “It’s an appreciation of diversity that’s not … Continue reading Eyeing the New Diversity
An excerpt from Making the Most of Your Library Career, edited by Lois Stickell and Bridgette Sanders (ALA Editions, 2014). Making your mark Many thoughts percolated in my brain the day I started a new library position. I considered the new technologies, theories, and trends that I had encountered in graduate school, in journal … Continue reading How to Make the Most of Your Library Career
