technology Archives | Page 24 of 33 | American Libraries Magazine

ALA Calls on Random House to Reconsider Major Ebook Price Increase

March 2, 2012

The following is a statement issued today by ALA President Molly Raphael: While I appreciate Random House’s engagement with libraries and its commitment to perpetual access, I am deeply disappointed in the severe escalation in ebook pricing reported today. Calling on our history together and our hope to satisfy mutual goals moving forward, the American … Continue reading ALA Calls on Random House to Reconsider Major Ebook Price Increase →

Is It Censorship If It’s Pizza?

February 29, 2012

I love reading Seth Godin’s work; his musings on marketing and business practices provide a wealth of ideas for libraries. Recently he launched a new project on transforming schools called “Stop Stealing Dreams” that includes a core manifesto on education. Godin is spreading the free manifesto far and wide, but ran into a bit of … Continue reading Is It Censorship If It’s Pizza? →

A Hazy Shade of (Mid)winter

By Joseph Janes | February 28, 2012

You know that feeling you get when you come home from a conference, and it’s all kind of a blur? That’s been my post-Midwinter experience. Of course, it came right after being housebound for several days during a rare Seattle snowstorm, so I was happy just to be somewhere sunny and warm, no matter how … Continue reading A Hazy Shade of (Mid)winter →

iBooks on your Kindle? Now Possible with DRM Removal

February 27, 2012

Setting aside for a second the legal and ethical questions, let me first focus on the news that Apple’s FairPlay digital rights management (DRM) system for iBooks has been cracked. Using the latest version of Requiem, a FairPlay cracking tool that has offered DRM removal for music and movies for a number of years, it … Continue reading iBooks on your Kindle? Now Possible with DRM Removal →

Continuing the Conversation with Penguin

February 10, 2012

Yesterday, Penguin Group USA called to alert us that they will no longer offer any ebooks or audiobooks to libraries through OverDrive. While libraries are expected to have continued access to Penguin ebooks already included in their catalogs, the effect today is that readers will have less access to Penguin titles through their local libraries. … Continue reading Continuing the Conversation with Penguin →

ALA’s Digital Content Efforts Receive International Attention

February 9, 2012

As co-chair of the Digital Content and Libraries Working Group, I was very disappointed to miss the meetings with publishers in New York. But in the end I had the best of both worlds. I read the great report from ALA President Molly Raphael and know that our subgroups are energized to continue the discussion … Continue reading ALA’s Digital Content Efforts Receive International Attention →

ALA Goes to New York, Things Don’t Get Violent

February 3, 2012

This week, ALA leadership met with senior management from Penguin, Macmillan, Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Perseus publishing houses to discuss ebooks and libraries. ALA went in with a strong mission statement from ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels: “Dialog begins with saying you need to deal with libraries and you need to do … Continue reading ALA Goes to New York, Things Don’t Get Violent →

Providing the Tools

By Meredith Farkas | January 31, 2012

In the 1990s, libraries were pioneers in providing access to the internet in their communities. Even today, libraries are the only place some community members can get online. Over the past few years, libraries have begun positioning themselves as the go-to place for digital creation technologies, providing hardware and software that most people wouldn’t have … Continue reading Providing the Tools →

From the Floor: Gale Goes 19th Century

January 24, 2012

Though the Gale booth at Midwinter had all the trappings of the 21st century, their new products are going old school with a 19th-century focus. The Nineteenth Century Collection offers a broad look at everything from the 1800s, including newspapers, books, maps, and more. This period of history saw an incredible growth of publications as … Continue reading From the Floor: Gale Goes 19th Century →

Code Year Librarians Geek Out

January 23, 2012

One of the quickly organized conversations at Midwinter this year was the Code Year Meetup, which took place Monday morning in the Networking Uncommons. Code Year is a free online Javascript course offered by Codeacademy. Andromeda Yelton formed a group in ALA Connect so participants can support each other as they progress through the course. … Continue reading Code Year Librarians Geek Out →

Inside DCWG: The First Meeting

January 22, 2012

This E-Content blog is your exclusive, inside source to the workings of the new ALA Digital Content and Libraries Working Group (DCWG). In addition to general updates I will be writing as a member of the DCWG, other section/division representatives will share their takes on the many issues surrounding digital content. This theme of sharing … Continue reading Inside DCWG: The First Meeting →

Why Librarians Don’t Share Code

January 21, 2012

Many librarians love to use open-source software, but are reluctant to contribute their code back to the community. At LITA’s Drupal4Lib Interest Group discussion, Chair Nina McHale presented the results of a survey of librarians that tried to find out why. Only 15% of respondents said they had contributed code back to open-source communities. Nearly … Continue reading Why Librarians Don’t Share Code →

Latest Library Links

5h

Steph Campbell writes: “From a combination of hype from Stranger Things, captivating performances on Critical Role, acceptance of ‘nerd culture,’ and so many other reasons, TTRPGs have greatly increased in popularity over the past few years, and youth activities are reflecting this. Running games is often seen as the core for facilitating this interest, but you can connect your library’s book collection to this too. By displaying books that focus on themes from your library’s game sessions, you can help players find other stories that they relate to.”

ALA Games & Gaming Round Table, July 11
10h

Share innovative strategies and resources with your peers by submitting an education program proposal for the 2025 LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience, taking place January 24–27, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona. The submission site is open now through August 12. The programmatic theme of LibLearnX 2025 is Reimagine, Refocus, Reset: Charting a Path for the Future. The LibLearnX Program Submission Guide provides detailed explanations of the learning formats and step-by-step instructions for submitting a proposal. Consult the Program Proposal Rubric for evaluation criteria and scoring and view a video on using the submission site to create and submit your proposal.

ALA Conference Services, July 15
12h

Summer is in full swing. This means getting outside, soaking up some sunshine, and listening to our favorite tunes—from oldies-but-goodies to today’s hits. In Episode 97, Call Number covers music. This episode includes conversations with librarians who have organized programs for local patrons who love Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and K-Pop, as well as librarian and Grammy Award–winning French horn player Joy Worland. Attendees of ALA’s 2024 Annual Conference and Exhibition in San Diego also share memories of the first concert they attended.

AL: The Scoop, July 15
1d

Sheila Craft-Morgan writes: “Citations are a key measure of the impact of a researcher’s work. However, research in a variety of disciplines has found that women are less likely to be cited than men; citations contain geographic bias; and the Matthew effect—in which those who begin with advantage continue to gain advantage—leads to more citations for prominent scholars in a specific discipline. These findings contribute to the notion that scholarly knowledge comes from a homogenous group of researchers, thereby overlooking the contributions of other groups.”

American Libraries column, June
1d

Mel Baldwin writes: “Regardless of why someone comes into a library, every patron should be free to interact with staff, browse materials, and use the internet without fear of harassment or worse. That freedom depends on libraries upholding patron privacy. With nearly 400 active anti-trans bills pending in state legislatures as of April 2024, it is a dangerous time in the US to be gender nonconforming, someone whose gender expression does not align with the traditional male or female binary. And for trans people of color, studies show the risk of discrimination and violence is higher.”

American Libraries column, June
2d

Greg Landgraf writes: “On a school morning last September, small groups of 5th-graders crowded around tools connected to scientific research—a microscope, a robotic camera, and even a snake named Morgan Freeman—clipboards and pencils in hand. They were at the Melrose branch of Roanoke (Va.) Public Libraries (RPL), judging graduate students from Virginia Tech in Blacksburg on their research. The event was RPL’s second Flip the Fair, introduced in 2022 to help graduate students develop skills to effectively communicate their research while engaging local elementary students with STEM topics and the library.”

American Libraries Trend, June
4d

Aaryn Bierly writes: “Disability Pride Month is traditionally celebrated in July to celebrate the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) in 1990. The ADA regulates laws regarding service animals, requires employers to accommodate their employees’ physical and medical needs, stipulates the number and placement of accessible parking spaces and restrooms, and more. One in five Americans has some type of disability that makes working more difficult, and the ADA has made working conditions easier for a significant number of Americans. We’ve got several great lists of books for kids and teens of different ages featuring characters with a range of disabilities.”

Herrick District Library (Holland, Mich.), July 1

View more Latest Library Links