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The “Libraries Educate Today's Workforce for Tomorrow's Careers” panel held on August 9 in Cleveland. From left: Ryan Burgess, director of the Governor's Office of Workforce Transformation; Shontel Brown, Cuyahoga County Council representative for district 9; Mick Munoz, a former Marine and Ohio library patron; Denise Reading, CEO of GetWorkerFIT; and Jeff Patterson, CEO of Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority; and moderator Russ Mitchell, WKYC-TV anchor and managing editor.

How Libraries Bridge the Employment Gap

By Emily Wagner | August 14, 2018

The discussion—which focused on libraries as an essential component in creating, sustaining, and retaining a viable workforce—brought together leaders from all levels of government and community nonprofits. The program took place at Rakuten OverDrive headquarters in Cleveland and was cosponsored by Cleveland Public Library, Cuyahoga County Public Library, Ohio Library Council, and ALA. It is the … Continue reading How Libraries Bridge the Employment Gap →

A Conversation with Author Cindy Mediavilla

By Phil Morehart | August 3, 2018

What made you want to write this book? ALA Editions published the first version of the book, Creating the Full-Service Homework Center in Your Library, in 2001 after I went around the country researching public library homework centers—something that no one had done before. I thought once the original book came out, nobody would ever … Continue reading A Conversation with Author Cindy Mediavilla →

Gary Yamagiwa, a teacher with Chicago Public School’s Teacher in the Library program, works with a student at Chicago Public Library’s Austin-Irving branch. Photo: Chicago Public Library

Staffing Your Homework-Help Center

By Cindy Mediavilla | July 18, 2018

The challenge comes in maintaining a paid or volunteer workforce large enough to provide sufficient assistance to the multitude of students who use the library every day after school. Most libraries cannot afford to hire the number of part-time employees needed to provide necessary homework help. Nor are they prepared to recruit and train a … Continue reading Staffing Your Homework-Help Center →

Getting Blunt about Medical Marijuana

By Anne Ford | June 1, 2018

Hendzlik, a collection buyer for Anythink Libraries in Adams County, Colorado, helped lead a presentation on medical marijuana and libraries at the 2016 Public Library Association Conference in Denver. As part of the presentation, Hendzlik handed out rolling papers and oregano and taught attendees how to make their own joints—“just to take the fear out … Continue reading Getting Blunt about Medical Marijuana →

Drew Alvey (in red shirt), manager of Houston Public Library's Stimley–Blue Ridge branch, models interactive play for families. Photo: Houston Public Library

Bringing Libraries to WIC

By Terra Dankowski | June 1, 2018

It’s a question that Marisa Conner, manager of youth and family engagement at Baltimore County (Md.) Public Library (BCPL), says her staffers are often asked when doing outreach at Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) centers. She explains: Many WIC clients, particularly those originally from other countries, aren’t sure what a library is or whether it … Continue reading Bringing Libraries to WIC →

Organizational Barriers

By Linda W. Braun | June 1, 2018

I’ve thought a lot about this disconnect and realized that, at least in part, library staffers continue to stay inside because of systemic barriers. What are some of these barriers? Job descriptions. Think about how your work is defined. Do your responsibilities include regularly going outside of the building to build relationships with teens and … Continue reading Organizational Barriers →

Students play videogames during the grand opening of the Nest, the e-sports facility at University of North Texas in Denton. Photo: Photo: University of North Texas

Wide World of E-Sports

By Timothy Inklebarger | May 1, 2018

The biggest competitions in the world of e-sports—of which the most popular include League of Legends, Super Smash Bros., and Overwatch—fetch top players millions of dollars in prizes, and in 2017 the industry is estimated to have earned $696 million in revenue. Universities across the country have established e-sports teams, and some of the top … Continue reading Wide World of E-Sports →

Learning Spanish First

By Cathay Reta | May 1, 2018

In California, more than 565,000 Spanish-speaking adults cannot read or write in any language, according to the 2010–2012 American Community Survey. This affects their ability to learn English, to support their children’s education, and to advance in the workplace. It often leaves them feeling vulnerable and isolated. In 2015, the James Irvine Foundation funded an … Continue reading Learning Spanish First →

Helping Hands

By Abby Johnson | May 1, 2018

At the New Albany–Floyd County (Ind.) Public Library, where I work, we have a teen volunteer program that starts at age 11. We get a high volume of requests for volunteer hours because of a service requirement at a nearby middle school. We’re one of the only games in town for these kids, many of … Continue reading Helping Hands →

Panelists Mairghread Scott, Vera Brosgol, and Melanie Gillman respond to a question in the "Great Graphic Novels for Kids" session at Emerald City Comic Con in Seattle, March 1, 2018. Illustration by Melanie Gillman.

Comics, Education, and Advocacy

By Amie Wright | March 6, 2018

Creating a community of practice for librarians and educators around comics collection, education, and advocacy was a major theme of the program, which included sessions such as “Censored: The Comics They Don’t Want You to Read (and How to Keep ’Em Circulating),” “The Representation Bookshelf,” and “What Do I Say When?: Tough Questions about Comics and How to … Continue reading Comics, Education, and Advocacy →

Members of an African drum and dance ensemble lead patrons in a performance routine as part of Richland Library's day-long Black History Month Fair on January 28, 2017. Photo: Richland Library

Every Month Is Black History Month

By Quincy Pugh | March 1, 2018

Richland Library in Columbia, South Carolina, needed a better way to reach its African-American community. Quincy Pugh, film and sound manager, explains how the decision to celebrate black history year-round and start “I Have a Problem with That”—a series of panel discussions that address challenging social issues—has boosted program attendance and engagement among its target … Continue reading Every Month Is Black History Month →

Newsmaker: Emilio Estevez

By Phil Morehart | March 1, 2018

What was the inspiration behind The Public? I was inspired by a moving 2007 essay called “Written Off” by Chip Ward, now-retired assistant director of the Salt Lake City Public Library System, published in part in the Los Angeles Times (and in full at tomdispatch.com under the title, “What They Didn’t Teach Us in Library … Continue reading Newsmaker: Emilio Estevez →

Latest Library Links

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Emily Wagner writes: “A five-person panel of Ohio community leaders explored employment issues August 9 during ‘Libraries Educate Today’s Workforce for Tomorrow’s Careers,’ an event organized by four Ohio library partners and the American Library Association. The discussion—which focused on libraries as an essential component in creating, sustaining, and retaining a viable workforce—brought together leaders from all levels of government and community nonprofits.”

AL: The Scoop, Aug. 14
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Broward County (Fla.) Library System has stopped the use of its 3D printers over fears they could be used to print guns or other weapons. The decision was made August 13, a week after a man was shot outside its downtown Fort Lauderdale branch August 7. Broward County is also home to Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, where a gunman killed 17 people in February. ALA recently released resources for libraries to draft policies on 3D printer use and weapons.

AP, Aug. 13; AL: The Scoop, Aug. 9; Miami Herald, Aug. 7
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After last week’s news that a knot of four snakes was found in D.C. Public Library’s Georgetown branch, causing the building to be closed for two days to remove them, Erin Bartnett began investigating other nonhuman library lovers. She reports on the furred and feathered friends—from cats to bats to lemurs—who have found their way into libraries in recent years, some welcome and some decidedly not.

Electric Lit, Aug. 14; Washington Post, Aug. 7; Duke Today, June 7, 2010
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Jason B. Jones writes: “Digital projects often bring together many different members of an institution, or several institutions, and those members often have very different statuses: students (undergraduate or graduate), workers in precarious positions, those with permanent positions, etc. Understanding and properly valuing all of this work, and the disparate effects such work has on the different people who perform it, is an ongoing challenge. To help people begin to approach this problem, the Digital Library Federation’s Working Group on Labor in Digital Libraries has produced an invaluable Research Agenda: Valuing Labor in Digital Libraries.”

Chronicle of Higher Education, Aug. 13
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Ashley A. Smith writes: “A report released August 13 by Ithaka S+R examines what community college students say are their goals and challenges when navigating their institutions and how campus libraries may help them with their needs. The report, Amplifying Student Voices: The Community College Libraries and Academic Support for Student Success Project, found that two-year students see their institutions as accessible and affordable, but they face challenges when balancing work, finances, their classes, transportation to and from campus, and navigating the resources colleges offer.”

Inside Higher Ed, Aug. 13
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Tegan Beese writes: “We’ve all had it. Where you take a patron over to the YA area and no matter what you show them, nothing is catching their attention. Maybe they want something different, maybe they read everything you suggested, or maybe they just want to read adult fiction. Whatever the reason, there are lots of options and it’s always great to have these titles handy! Here are some adult titles from different genres that would appeal to teenagers.”

Teen Services Underground, Aug. 9
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Jon Brodkin writes: “A US appeals court has blocked the Federal Communications Commission’s attempt to take a broadband subsidy away from Tribal areas. The FCC decision, originally slated to take effect later this year, would have made it difficult or impossible for Tribal residents to obtain a $25-per-month Lifeline subsidy that reduces the cost of internet or phone service for poor people. But on August 10, a court stayed the FCC decision pending appeal, saying that Tribal organizations and small wireless carriers are likely to win their case against the commission.”

Ars Technica, Aug. 13, July 6

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