sponsored post Archives | American Libraries Magazine

High offsite library shelving in vanishing perspective

High Bay Storage Solutions

November 4, 2024

Are you looking for a smart and efficient way to store your library’s growing collection of books, journals, and other materials? Do you want to optimize your offsite storage space and reduce operating costs? Spacesaver’s High-Bay Shelving Systems are the ultimate solution for offsite library storage. Spacesaver’s High-Bay Shelving Systems are designed to maximize vertical … Continue reading High Bay Storage Solutions →

Call Number Podcast: Check Out Your Library

September 26, 2024

In this bonus episode, sponsored by OverDrive, we learn more about Check Out Your Library and the campaign’s Fiction and Film Tour. American Libraries Managing Editor Terra Dankowski talks with Jen Leitman, chief marketing officer of OverDrive, about how the program is building public awareness and helping libraries fulfill their missions. For more information on … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Check Out Your Library →

Elevate Your Library Storage

September 25, 2024

Spacesaver’s High-Bay Shelving Systems are designed to maximize vertical space and minimize footprint. They can extend up to 35 feet high, allowing you to store more items in less floor area. These systems are also engineered to withstand the load and seismic requirements of your facility, ensuring the safety and security of your collection. High-Bay … Continue reading Elevate Your Library Storage →

Two library workers stand at a rounded desk in a modern-looking library

Dynamic Service Desks

By Paul White | September 10, 2024

Define the purpose of the service desks Start by pinpointing the core functions of your desks. Will they serve as a circulation counter, help pod, IT desk, welcome station, or perhaps a combination of these? Understanding their primary role will help you choose a desk design that seamlessly meets the demands of the day. Know … Continue reading Dynamic Service Desks →

Two people stand behind a transparent screen with charts and graphs, smiling

Unlock Your Potential with New Skills at No Cost

August 21, 2024

With any new venture, whether a new career path, a new job, or a new role, comes a need for new skills. Skill Forward, in partnership with Verizon and edX, is your go-to resource when it comes to new skills. With over 250 courses from leading institutions in areas such as artificial intelligence, business, communications, … Continue reading Unlock Your Potential with New Skills at No Cost →

Two children sit on the floor listening to audio while reading books

Transform Your Library into a Community Hub

August 21, 2024

Playaway Products, an innovator of the preloaded-library market, knows libraries play a vital role in communities. Originator of the acclaimed Wonderbook read-along and Playaway audiobook, Playaway Products offers more than 500 Spanish and bilingual stories to help meet the growing demand for Spanish-language content and language-learning materials. With no need for Wi-Fi or downloads, these … Continue reading Transform Your Library into a Community Hub →

Optimize Your Offsite Storage

August 12, 2024

Introducing Check Out Your Library!

August 2, 2024

Designed to encourage new and returning patrons to explore the amazing resources at your library, COYL is a multiyear program created to support and promote library services. With COYL, it’s never been easier to drive awareness and increase foot traffic using digital campaigns, events, social media, press and outreach, and more. We’re even hitting the … Continue reading Introducing Check Out Your Library! →

Two people look at figures on a transparent glass screen

Learn Skills for a New Career for Free with Skill Forward

July 16, 2024

Skill Forward, in partnership with Verizon and edX, is here to help answer that question. Skill Forward is designed to provide in-demand skills across a variety of industries, including business, communications, leadership, information technology, and artificial intelligence. With no prior work experience or college degree required, Skill Forward is a comprehensive and 100% free online … Continue reading Learn Skills for a New Career for Free with Skill Forward →

Lightening the Librarian’s Load

July 9, 2024

At OpenAthens, we’re all about connecting people to information. And we’re focused on supporting librarians, which is why the OpenAthens complete solution offers you a tool that provides your patrons with smooth access to high-quality digital content from trustworthy sources—regardless of where they start their search journey. It is a fully managed service that provides … Continue reading Lightening the Librarian’s Load →

Five Things Public Libraries Should Know about Open Access

1. OA helps combat social media misinformation and bias. Social media is the most popular news source for American millennials, with more than 43% of TikTok users reporting daily news consumption from that app alone. Thanks to social algorithms, information is easier to find than ever before, and it often comes with the bias and … Continue reading Five Things Public Libraries Should Know about Open Access →

Spring into Summer with Crafts

June 20, 2024

Craft & Hobby is dedicated to empowering individuals to discover the joy of making, and we believe that libraries are the perfect platform to inspire and support patrons on their creative journeys. With our diverse range of classes and resources, your library can become a hub of creativity where patrons of all ages can come … Continue reading Spring into Summer with Crafts →

Latest Library Links

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John Warner writes: “I understand what people mean when they invoke the term ‘institutional neutrality,’ but I don’t know how it’s workable in today’s world. Higher education institutions are built upon a foundation of actual values, values that are, by definition, not neutral. The Kalven report, the Rosetta Stone of institutional neutrality produced by a faculty committee at the University of Chicago in 1967, is not a call to make all work emanating from an institution ‘neutral,’ but is instead a call to make the atmosphere for scholarly inquiry and debate as free as possible.”

Inside Higher Ed, Nov. 15
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Angela Hursh writes: “Ever wondered how your library’s email performance compares to others? Benchmarks help you understand how well your emails perform in key areas and identify opportunities for improvement. They also allow you to compare your email marketing performance, set goals, and stay on top of trends. However, the lack of industry benchmarks for email marketing metrics specific to libraries has been bugging me. Metrics from similar industries don’t fully capture the unique aspects of promoting a library. To help libraries accurately measure their email effectiveness, we’ve created the first-ever library email benchmark report.”

NoveList, Oct. 22
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Rachel Hendrick writes: “Students and library vendors are pushing artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in higher education, but there are very few resources that help librarians and scholars separate the wheat from the chaff. Luckily, we here at Choice love a good assessment rubric. (In fact, we made a PDF of our assessment rubric.) Even the least tech-savvy of us can use a very simple AI literacy framework to think critically about whether an AI application is worth your time.”

Choice 360 LibTech Insights, Nov. 13
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Rowana Miller writes: “In my experience, many young library-goers identify as storytellers but not writers. These are the kids who draw Captain-Underpants-style cartoons, who craft meticulous Minecraft universes, and who plot elaborate Dungeons and Dragons campaigns, but who believe that ‘writing’ is limited to five-paragraph essays. But when children draw the connections between their natural storytelling proclivities and the written word, they can become self-motivated to develop the communication skills that will help them for the rest of their lives. Libraries, I believe, are uniquely positioned to help children make this connection.”

ALSC Blog, Nov. 15
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ALA has reopened its search for an executive director in partnership with executive search firm Isaacson, Miller. A committee of ALA member leaders will oversee the search. The selected candidate will succeed Interim Executive Director Leslie Burger, who was appointed in November 2023. “We are excited to embark on our search for a new executive director,” said ALA President Cindy Hohl. “This leadership position is critical as we navigate the years ahead. We seek candidates who have knowledge of the library community and the urgent issues we face.”

ALA Communications, Marketing, and Media Relations Office, Nov. 14
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Emily Weak writes: “Something I always hear from hiring managers is that they want to build a resilient, diverse workforce. Sometimes we say we want a resilient workforce, but what we mean is that we want staffers who are willing to go above and beyond, or to do more with less. These concepts are deeply entrenched in librarianship, but I think we’re beginning to see how they can cause problems. Instead of trying to hire people who will do more with less and who will thrive amid adversity, let’s think about resilience as an organizational feature.”

American Libraries column, Nov./Dec.
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Elisabeth B. White writes: “How can librarians ensure their instruction materials are as accessible as possible? One way is through Universal Design for Learning Guidelines, a set of best practices to improve teaching and learning and create inclusive and equitable educational experiences for all students. The guidelines include three principles that instructors must provide via multiple means: engagement (the ‘why’ of learning), representation (the ‘what’ of learning), and action and expression (the ‘how’ of learning). However, to create a truly equitable educational experience, school library workers need to consider accessibility principles as well.”

American Libraries feature, Nov./Dec.

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