You’ve talked about being a library kid long before you ever worked at the library. How did you start to see it as a career path? It took a lot of failure. It took a lot of mistakes, a lot of careers not panning out. My dream job was to be in the military. Even … Continue reading Newsmaker: Mychal Threets
A tweeted invitation from then-Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, teasing the world’s largest collection of a single instrument, did the trick. Lizzo’s scheduled tour turned into a three-hour visit as she sampled centuries-old flutes; the viral moment involved an impromptu performance with a crystal model made for James Madison in 1813. Then there was the … Continue reading Influencer Marketing Can Be Good as Hell
“Food connects us to someone we miss,” says Rosie Grant, digital librarian for American Jewish University in Los Angeles and outreach and communications manager at UCLA. “It connects all of our senses to that person or memory.” Grant, who is known as @ghostlyarchive on TikTok, went viral last year for trying recipes etched on gravestones … Continue reading Bookend: Recipe in Peace
Like this earlier period of our history, the rise in social media and the 24-hour news cycle has made our ability to distribute information or messages (including false or misleading ones) grow faster than we can manage socially or politically. My hope for our current era is that we quickly come up with ways to … Continue reading Literacy in a Post-Truth World
Marketing with Social Media: A LITA Guide, 2nd edition Edited by Beth C. Thomsett-Scott Updated and extensive, this guide offers useful information on the finer points of using social media to market services and build community. Readers at all stages of their careers and at any experience level will find solid advice on choosing the … Continue reading Tools of Engagement
“My heart sank,” Ryan says. She had learned about these encounters in 2020 and knew what they entailed. In First Amendment audits, individuals arm themselves with video cameras, proclaim themselves “auditors,” and enter public buildings, like police precincts and libraries, to record alleged Constitutional violations. “I know what these people do, so when I heard … Continue reading Uptick in First Amendment Audits
“My heart sank,” Ryan says. She had learned about these encounters in 2020 and knew what they entailed. In First Amendment audits, individuals arm themselves with video cameras, proclaim themselves “auditors,” and enter public buildings, like police precincts and libraries, to record alleged violations. “I know what these people do, so when I heard it … Continue reading Uptick in First Amendment Audits
“Social Media for Small and Rural Libraries,” a June 25 program sponsored by the Association for Small and Rural Libraries (ARSL) at the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2021 Annual Conference and Exhibition Virtual, offered easy ways for such libraries to engage patrons online without breaking the bank or overwhelming employees. Suzanne Macaulay, cochair of ARSL’s … Continue reading Social Media for Small Libraries
“In the wake of the murder of George Floyd, as a Black man, I realized I had to do something,” the Fox Sports analyst and former National Football League (NFL) linebacker told attendees at a Featured Speaker session of the American Library Association’s 2021 Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits Virtual on January 24. “It’s my job … Continue reading Uncomfortable Conversations
American Libraries caught up with Acho ahead of his January 24 appearance at the American Library Association’s 2021 Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits Virtual to discuss his series and book, as well as equity in professional sports and the power of libraries. Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man—the name of your YouTube series and book—is such … Continue reading Newsmaker: Emmanuel Acho
According to the Pew Research Center, more than 81% of US adults own a smartphone, up from 35% in 2011. That share is even higher for adults ages 18–29 at 96%, while just over half of people age 65 and older own one. Roughly one in five American adults are “smartphone-only” internet users, meaning they … Continue reading Wired for Wireless
Wishing Chair Productions draws on the legacy of the prolific puppeteer Tom Tichenor, who worked in the library in the 1930s. After his death in 1992, NPL established a program in his honor that grew from small, single-performer storytimes to full-blown productions staffed by a team of 10 professional puppeteers. With marionettes, juggling, magic tricks, … Continue reading Bookend: The World on a String
