What started as an archive to document Washington, D.C.’s fabled punk music history evolved into wider support of the city’s current music scene, including hosting basement shows—a punk staple—in the library itself. Librarians Michele Casto, Bobbie Dougherty, and Margaret Gilmore of D.C. Public Library (DCPL) explain how this unconventional venture increased visibility not only for … Continue reading Punk at the Library
A rocky start In August 2013, the first satellite library in a public housing development opened at Estrada Courts in Los Angeles, a joint project between Los Angeles Public Library (LAPL), the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles (HACLA), and Kids Progress Inc., a nonprofit established in 2009 by HACLA. The program was … Continue reading Bringing the Library Home
At Novato, for example, one retired Air Force officer who volunteers at the library has become someone whom vets can not only get information from but can also communicate with, according to Kevin Graves, a Bay Area coordinator with the California Department of Veterans Affairs. “Vets come in every week just to speak to him, … Continue reading Bridging the Gap for Vets
1857 Year that Jane Wadden Turner was hired as a library clerk by the Smithsonian. She was the first woman to secure a paid position at the institution. 16 Number of years that the Amelia Bloomer List, a project of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Social Responsibilities Round Table Feminist Task Force, has been recommending … Continue reading By the Numbers: Women and Libraries
Todaro was joined by ALA President-Elect Jim Neal; Carolyn Anthony and Erika Linke, cochairs of ALA’s Digital Content Working Group; and Carrie Russell and Alan S. Inouye of ALA’s Office for Information Technology Policy. They met with leaders at Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group, the Book Industry Study Group, Metropolitan New York Library Council, … Continue reading Finding Common Ground in New York
The refugee crisis isn’t new. According to the US State Department, more than 3.3 million refugees—persons fleeing their home country to escape persecution, war, or violence—have resettled in the US since 1975. But the summit seemed timely, as the legality as to who should be welcomed within US borders is tested, and debate among the … Continue reading Resources for Resettlement
Alvarez is corporate communications specialist at Kohler Company. She formerly served as business liaison librarian for Barrington (Ill.) Area Library. She was awarded the Public Librarian Support Award from the Business Reference and Services Section/Morningstar in 2015. An excerpt from her book was published in the January/February 2017 issue of American Libraries. What made you want … Continue reading A Conversation with Barbara A. Alvarez
This year we took a closer look at the population density of the communities that placed library referenda before the voters. The Institute of Museum and Library Services groups the nation’s 17,566 library outlets into four geographic locales: cities, suburbs, towns, and rural areas. While all public libraries strive to transform communities through innovative programs … Continue reading Referenda Roundup 2016
The ultimate goal of the embedded business librarian is to become integrated in the business community as much as possible, and not be viewed strictly as “the library” or “the librarian.” This attitude and relationship will guide how librarians function in this position and will affect the activities they participate in, the committees that they … Continue reading Embedded Business Librarianship
Marcou is a corrections librarian with Hennepin County (Minn.) Library, and his patrons are the residents of Hennepin County Jail. He remembers the first time he saw one of his favorite patrons back in jail after being released just a few weeks earlier. “It was this very eyeopening moment,” says Marcou. “I thought, ‘I enjoy … Continue reading Keeping Inmates on the Outside
The city council voted to remove the popular kitty—who had lived in the library for nearly six years—after council members cited potential allergy issues. The story was picked up by ABC News, the Huffington Post, and the Associated Press; support poured in from as far away as Australia; and more than 5,000 people signed a … Continue reading Library Cats Leave Some Sneezing, Others Feline Fine
NJSL and other libraries nationwide have been joining forces with state agencies to improve their patrons’ access to assistive technology. Through a partnership with New Jersey Commission for the Blind and Visually Impaired (CBVI), TBBC has partnered with seven public libraries to provide accessibility programs for patrons with visual impairments. “Public libraries are learning centers … Continue reading Bringing Assistive Technology to Patrons
