sponsored post Archives | American Libraries Magazine

Call Number Podcast: Gale Presents Diplomas at the Public Library

May 23, 2022

On this bonus episode of Call Number with American Libraries, sponsored by Gale, Diana Panuncial, associate editor of American Libraries and podcast host, speaks with Michelle Mears, director of RHL. They’re joined by Brittany Smullin, a 30-year-old single mom who was the first public library graduate of the program this spring, and who took her … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Gale Presents Diplomas at the Public Library →

Boost Reading Challenge Participation with 6 Research-Backed Tips

March 16, 2022

1. Be mindful of what you track There are several different reading metrics, or log types, you can track during a challenge: minutes spent reading, days logged, pages read, or books completed. While it may seem arbitrary, how you track reading matters. Logging the number of books completed is great for young readers up to … Continue reading Boost Reading Challenge Participation with 6 Research-Backed Tips →

Call Number podcast: The Buzz on Scripps National Spelling Bee

December 16, 2021

On this bonus episode of Call Number with American Libraries, sponsored by the Scripps National Spelling Bee, Phil Morehart, communications manager for the American Library Association, talks with J. Michael Durnil, executive director of the Bee. They discuss how the Scripps National Spelling Bee has changed over time, the benefits of participating, how libraries can … Continue reading Call Number podcast: The Buzz on Scripps National Spelling Bee →

Free Resources for Job Seekers

December 8, 2021

Resources for people who’ve lost their job The Employment Recovery website is a one-stop shop for job seekers who’ve been laid off. Sudden job loss, especially during the current pandemic and changing job market, can easily overwhelm anyone. Offering specific resources to meet immediate needs can help job seekers regain a sense of control. Employment … Continue reading Free Resources for Job Seekers →

Same Mission, New Opportunities

By Anthony S. Chow | November 18, 2021

One of my areas of expertise is user-centered design. A main tenet of this systematic way of thinking is accepting that every user has different preferences, information needs, and ways of doing things. Although this can present challenges, the great news is that the digital and information age has created new opportunities to respond to … Continue reading Same Mission, New Opportunities →

Deciphering Colonial History

By Sallyann Price | June 26, 2021

“Settlement, Slavery, and Empire, 1624–1832” is the first of three modules and will be published this year. “Colonial Government and Abolition, 1833–1849” and “Economic Change and Indentured Labor, 1850–1870” are forthcoming over the next two years. “This digital initiative will allow users to explore and research the economic and social conditions across the islands and … Continue reading Deciphering Colonial History →

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Why Content Matters

By Amy Carlton | June 24, 2021

Reading Plus is a comprehensive online program that provides students in grades 3–12 with tools to enhance their reading skills. The program includes online adaptive assessments that offer a full diagnostic profile of each student’s ability. Kerry Mescallado, managing editor at Reading Plus, said the program increases vocabulary as well as interest in and motivation … Continue reading Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Why Content Matters →

Students build inventions around a shared table

Partnering for Success in the School Library

By Greg Landgraf | February 3, 2021

“We’re surrounded by so many wonderful people who care about our kids and our community,” says Jennifer Sutton, teacher librarian at Lake Park High School in Roselle, Illinois. Sutton organized LPC-2 with Mariela Siegert, former librarian at Westfield Middle in Bloomingdale and Sia Paganis, former librarian at Spring Woods Middle in Hanover Park. (Siegert is … Continue reading Partnering for Success in the School Library →

Julia Gelfand, Shannon Lichty, Sarah Sansbury, and Amber Seely

Meeting Digital Challenges

By Carrie Smith | January 23, 2021

Last year saw unprecedented increases in digital lending. Digital collections aren’t new to libraries, but coronavirus precautions have led many library users to try out ebooks, digital audiobooks, and other online offerings for the first time. Shannon Lichty, vice president of partner services for OverDrive, moderated a panel of academic, public, and school librarians in … Continue reading Meeting Digital Challenges →

Defining and Defying the “New Normal”

By Scott Livingston | December 4, 2020

Given concerns about entering library buildings, interacting face to face, and handling physical materials, libraries have found ways to meet changing community needs. With varying levels of success, many have tried some form of curbside pickup, in which physical materials are reserved and retrieved from the library parking lot or drive-through, or a table outside … Continue reading Defining and Defying the “New Normal” →

Promoting LGBTQ Resources

By Timothy Inklebarger | October 28, 2020

Her longstanding commitment to equal rights and making LGBTQ material more available to educators, students, and researchers led to Johnston herself becoming part of an archive a few years ago. She shared experiences about her involvement with the Rainbow Round Table with members of the ALA Emerging Leaders Program for their oral history of the … Continue reading Promoting LGBTQ Resources →

Libraries Connecting You to Coverage hero image

Health Tools for Library Workers, Patrons Facing Job Loss

By Leighann Wood | May 29, 2020

Library workers and patrons who have experienced job loss can lean on special enrollment coverage options as part of the ACA, check their eligibility for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and familiarize themselves with reliable health resources. Libraries can support their communities with promotional efforts to increase awareness of health insurance coverage … Continue reading Health Tools for Library Workers, Patrons Facing Job Loss →

Latest Library Links

5d

Melissa Baron writes: “Not every anti-chosen one on this list was able to fully turn away; after all, some reasons to answer the call are too compelling to ignore (the death and destruction of everything you love is a difficult one to shrug off), but it took a LOT OF CONVINCING to get you to agree, and by god you weren’t going to make it easy on them for upending your entire life when you did not ask for this, but fine, have it your way I guess.

Book Riot, June 17
5d

Alaina Yee writes: “Chrome may be the most used browser, but it isn’t necessarily the best one out there. Alternatives exist that could better meet your needs. One such option is Firefox. It’s a rare browser not based on Chromium. It’s also backed by a team with a long, storied history in browser development and a deep interest in online privacy.” PC World also has reasons for switching to Vivaldi and Microsoft Edge.

PC World, June 15
5d

34 signatories, including Adobe, Google, Meta, and Microsoft, have joined a revised European Code of Practice on Disinformation. First published in 2018, the code represents an agreement among online platforms, the advertising industry, fact-checkers, researchers, and civil society organizations on self-regulatory standards to fight disinformation. The revised code includes 128 measures on demonetizing purveyors of disinformation, transparency of political advertising, consistent fact-checking, and other factors. Signatories will have six months from June 16, the date of the signing, to implement agreed-upon measures.

European Commission, June 16
5d

Terra Dankowski writes: “If you find yourself in Portland, Maine, between May and October, Derek Meader will drive you around. In 2018, he started The Real Portland Tour, a sightseeing experience as authentic as they come. “You’re gonna get on a tour with a real local, born and raised,” says Meader, who is also reference librarian at Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) in South Portland. “The route literally goes by where I work [and] my high school.”

American Libraries column, June
6d

Danielle D. King and Megan R. McSpedon write: “Resilience, or the continued pursuit of goals despite adversity, is an important issue for organizations, because adversity is inevitable in people’s lives and careers. In the face of these challenges, resilience is essential. At the same time, current organizational attempts to improve employee resilience are largely ineffective. Organizational resilience efforts should not associate resilience with the absence of negative emotions during hard times. In fact, that association may be unrealistic and maladaptive.”

Harvard Business Review, June 17
6d

Peter M. Routhier writes: “Section 512 the Digital Millennium Copyright Act is the 1998 law that established the notice-and-takedown system that protects online platforms of all kinds—including, libraries, archives, and other nonprofits—from liability for the copyright infringement of others. Unfortunately, Section 512 has been under attack for some time. In addition to various legislative proposals, the United States Copyright Office has repeatedly been asked to conduct work on Section 512 that could threaten the safe harbor status of libraries and nonprofits and the communities of their patrons and users.

Internet Archive Blogs, June 13
6d

Amanda Bartlett writes: “Police are investigating an incident that occurred during a Drag Queen Story Hour at the San Lorenzo Library on Saturday afternoon after Panda Dulce, the San Francisco drag performer hosting the reading, said they were targeted by “a group of 8-10 Proud Boys” who stormed the room and shouted homophobic and transphobic threats at them, forcing them to leave the event with a security guard and hide in a back office.” The Alameda County Sheriff’s Office spoke to several of the Proud Boys members but filed no charges.

SF Gate, June 12; KGO-TV, June 16

View more Latest Library Links