technology

Responding to the Second Wave of the Digital Divide

By Corey Taylor | May 7, 2014

Progress has been made in closing the digital divide between computer-based tools and infrastructure, but an equally debilitating digital divide in internet literacy affects the American public, according to “Responding to the Second Wave of the Digital Divide,” a briefing of local government, public-policy, and library experts held May 6 at the National Press Club … Continue reading Responding to the Second Wave of the Digital Divide →

Going Beyond Google Again

By Jane Devine and Francine Egger-Sider | April 28, 2014

It seems unlikely that people will give up their reliance on general-purpose search engines or their practice of beginning a search using Google or one of its competitors. But people should be encouraged to use other research tools when needed, such as databases and more specialized search engines—otherwise known as the Invisible Web. What makes … Continue reading Going Beyond Google Again →

Meredith Farkas

Asking the Right Questions

By Meredith Farkas | April 23, 2014

Way back when, a library I worked at had a standard survey we gave to every student at the end of an instruction session. It included a bunch of Likert scale questions like “How satisfied were you with the session?” and “How useful was the session?” We dutifully collected the surveys and someone went through … Continue reading Asking the Right Questions →

Library Systems Report

Library Systems Report 2014

By | April 15, 2014

This phase of the industry offers many choices, including both proprietary and open source license options, some based on cloud technologies and others that continue to rely on local hardware. Though a new generation of library services platforms has entered a phase of early adoption, the integrated library system remains viable, especially when extended to … Continue reading Library Systems Report 2014 →

CPL Teen Program Expands and Replicates

By | April 9, 2014

CPL Commissioner Brian Bannon tells American Libraries that the program—already in place at the Harold Washington Library Center and other locations throughout the city—will expand to six new branches. A pop-up version will bring YOUmedia to 12 more neighborhoods, giving teens one- or two-day experiences with the latest technology, he says. “It’s all part of … Continue reading CPL Teen Program Expands and Replicates →

Job Hunting Goes Higher Tech

By | April 8, 2014

New York City–based app developer Apploi provided the library with a special tablet device kiosk in March 2014 through its Jobs4Five program—an initiative that aims to bring the job searching technology of the internet to those who can least afford it. “The internet is the primary channel now utilized for finding new job talent,” Apploi … Continue reading Job Hunting Goes Higher Tech →

Tick Tock, Book Boox

By James LaRue | April 4, 2014

A vendor somewhere had to try this approach: metered reading. And now someone has. Yoav Lorch is the engaging and insightful CEO of an Israeli company called Total Boox. I met with him at PLA in March, and got a guided tour of his product.  Total Boox is based on the premise that most of … Continue reading Tick Tock, Book Boox →

SXSW upon Reflection

By Mary Abler | March 17, 2014

Anyone who attends any of the many engaging library conferences understands the value of immersing oneself in our professional culture, attending inspiring and engaging presentations, and learning from those outside of one’s own library system. Yet, except for some of the keynotes, we don’t often hear from those outside our field. At SXSW on the … Continue reading SXSW upon Reflection →

One Product, Many Users

By John G. Dove | March 11, 2014

Terry Winograd, professor of computer science at Stanford University, is one of the top leaders in human-computer interaction. For a dozen years, he has collaborated with the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design (the D School) at Stanford University to present a course on the design of computer- and telecommunication-based applications. All of its courses are … Continue reading One Product, Many Users →

SXSW Day Two: Conversing in Lo-Fi

By Ann Awakuni | March 11, 2014

Sometimes the best way to think outside the box is to look inside other people’s boxes. So I participated in a session titled “Library Machines: A Lo-Fi Design Conversation,” with presenters Jeff Goldenson, a designer in Harvard Library’s Innovation Lab, and Sidsel Bech-Petersen of Aarhus Public Library in Denmark. A library machine is “a mechanically or … Continue reading SXSW Day Two: Conversing in Lo-Fi →