tough economy Archives | Page 3 of 9 | American Libraries Magazine

Council I Supports Whistleblower Edward Snowden

By Laurie D. Borman | June 30, 2013

Update: On Tuesday of Annual Conference, Council III substituted the resolution on Snowden mentioned below for another resolution on the need for reforms for the intelligence community to support privacy, open government, government transparency, and accountability. See the Council III report. A special video presentation by President Barack Obama encouraging librarians to help disseminate information … Continue reading Council I Supports Whistleblower Edward Snowden →

Rethinking, Reinventing

By Keith Michael Fiels | June 1, 2013

In late April, the ALA Executive Board and the Budget Analysis and Review Committee met to review the status of the current 2013 ALA budget and to approve a preliminary budget for the 2014 fiscal year that begins September 1, 2013. The continuing impact of the recession on libraries and projected revenues this year and … Continue reading Rethinking, Reinventing →

Steve Jobs, in the E-Library, with the Dollar Sign?

By Christopher Harris | May 17, 2013

A recently released email from Steve Jobs to James Murdoch of News Corporation, which owns HarperCollins, shows just how involved the late Apple executive was in developing the agency model and increasing ebook prices. Interpretation of the email varies widely, however. The March 15 New York Times said the Jobs email “reads as if one … Continue reading Steve Jobs, in the E-Library, with the Dollar Sign? →

Update on ALA 2013 and 2014 Budgets

By Maureen Sullivan, Keith Michael Fiels, and James Neal | May 2, 2013

A message from Maureen Sullivan, ALA President; Keith Michael Fiels, Executive Director; and James Neal, ALA Treasurer: Over the last two weeks, the ALA Executive Board and BARC have met to review the status of the Fiscal Year 2013 ALA budget and to approve a preliminary budget for the 2014 fiscal year that begins on … Continue reading Update on ALA 2013 and 2014 Budgets →

Investing at the Library

By Jordan Brandes | April 1, 2013

The demise of many manufacturing jobs during the recent recession and the continued downturn of Michigan’s economy left Jackson County suffering. Estimates showed that one in four children in the county lived below the poverty line. It was clear something needed to be done and the staff of Jackson (Mich.) District Library felt it could … Continue reading Investing at the Library →

Toughing It Out in a Tight Job Market

By Janice Arenofsky | December 10, 2012

But don’t despair, said David Connolly, who compiles ALA’s JobLIST, a resource for career advice and job search information. The market is back to pre-2008, he said. “We may be treading water, but at least, it’s not getting worse.” In fact, according to Connolly, experienced librarians can anticipate a relatively strong job market because the … Continue reading Toughing It Out in a Tight Job Market →

Right-Pricing Digital Content

December 7, 2012

I love living and working in rural Western New York, but the schools and libraries in my geographic area are facing daunting challenges in the shift to digital content. E-content is often priced on a site-based basis, and that means our small school libraries end up paying an inequitably high price. The 22 school districts … Continue reading Right-Pricing Digital Content →

American Dental Association Library May Be Set to Close

By Maria R. Traska | December 5, 2012

Specialized health care libraries have been taking it on the chin. The American Hospital Association library budget has been repeatedly cut over the past few years. The American Medical Association’s library quietly closed in March. In July, the American Dental Association’s library budget was slashed, and eight of 13 library staffers expect to lose their … Continue reading American Dental Association Library May Be Set to Close →

Min-Maxing Digital Library Lending

November 20, 2012

I am a gamer. One of the games I spend quite a bit of time playing is World of Warcraft, which might best be described as a really pretty, 3D graphical user interface to a series of amazingly complicated spreadsheets. At the highest level of play, every step is theory-crafted using log files of past … Continue reading Min-Maxing Digital Library Lending →

Creating a New Tradition

By Daria D’Arienzo | November 20, 2012

Half a dozen tweens are crowded around several large tables stacked with odds and ends in the windows of the Meekins Library in the center of the small town of Williamsburg, Massachusetts (population 2,500). Two girls kneeling on the floor are pulling things out from under an old oak table that has been part of … Continue reading Creating a New Tradition →

Libraries Fare Well Overall at the Ballot Box

By Beverly Goldberg and Jordan Brandes | November 14, 2012

Voters showed their library love at the polls November 6 by supporting a series of millages and bond issues for operations and construction around the nation, although there were also some notable disappointments. What follows is a quick snapshot of library-related election results. Colorado: Thanks to the passage of Measure 2A in Denver, which enables … Continue reading Libraries Fare Well Overall at the Ballot Box →

Remember Back When . . . HarperCollins Edition (Brought to You by Penguin)

By Christopher Harris | November 12, 2012

Remember back when we as a profession pretty much lost it over the decision by HarperCollins to have ebooks expire after 26 loans? Ah, we were so young, so naive. If we had any clue about the limitations yet to come, we would have been a lot more welcoming of what now seems like not … Continue reading Remember Back When . . . HarperCollins Edition (Brought to You by Penguin) →

Latest Library Links

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Nik Altenberg writes: “About 100 librarians and their supporters rallied outside San Francisco Public Library’s Main Library on April 9 to demand the city hire security guards for every branch. Workers decried a lack of security at most of the city’s branches and said they are often forced to de-escalate volatile situations and step into the role of providing security themselves. The rally is the latest in a series of union actions [from 10 unions representing more than 25,000 city workers across city departments] seeking to draw attention to what they say is a pervasive understaffing crisis.”

KQED-TV (San Francisco), Apr. 9
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“Two years after Brooklyn Public Libraries’ (BPL) launch of Books Unbanned, an initiative to protect the freedom to read for young people, In Their Own Words: Youth Voices on Books Unbanned gives new insight into the impact of censorship on teen and young adults across the US and how restrictions and other barriers to access build upon and reinforce each other. The new report, published April 11 by BPL and Seattle Public Library, analyzes 855 stories shared by young people who signed up for a free Books Unbanned ecard from April 2022 through December 2023.”

Seattle Public Library, Apr. 11
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Samantha Guss, Sojourna Cunningham, and Jennifer Stout write: “Recruitment and retention are both critical to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in academic libraries, and failing to improve retention has and will continue to derail these initiatives. Research that addresses retention tends to focus on proposed strategies, such as stay interviews (structured interviews aimed at strengthening employee and employer relationships) and mentorship programs. But there is no agreed-upon definition of retention that would allow us to assess these strategies. We should recognize that involuntary staying can be just as negative an outcome for the individual and the organization as leaving, setting the stage for legacy toxicity.”

In The Library With The Lead Pipe, Apr. 10
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Jackie Edwards writes: “As spring rolls around, seasonal allergies can flare up among library workers, resulting in symptoms like sneezing; runny or stuffy nose; itchy eyes, ears, and nose; coughing; and asthma. Not only are these symptoms detrimental to well-being and productivity, but they can also mean you’re less able to provide excellent customer service to library users. Fortunately, by purifying the air, preventing mold, and keeping your work area clean, you can improve indoor air quality and combat allergies in your library.”

Library Worklife, Apr.
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In Episode 94, Call Number celebrates Preservation Week, to be held this year April 28–May 4. The week’s events aim to raise awareness of the role libraries and cultural institutions play in protecting historic and culturally significant collections. Segments include Traci Sorell, honorary chair of this year’s Preservation Week, discussing the role of preservation through storytelling; Kathleen Monahan, special collections public services supervisor at Boston Public Library, addressing the importance of security in preservation; and Rosie Grayburn and Melissa Tedone, cofounders of the Poison Book Project, talking about their research on potentially toxic bookbinding materials from the 19th century.

AL: The Scoop, Apr. 15
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Leigh Kunkel writes: “The legalization of marijuana in many states and municipalities in recent years has created a newly legal industry and budding entrepreneurs who can benefit from the expertise of business librarians. As soon as Washington state introduced an initiative to legalize recreational cannabis use in 2012, Seattle Public Library librarian Jay Lyman started fielding questions from potential entrepreneurs. Since then, 24 states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational cannabis use, and 14 more have legalized medical use of cannabis. This cultural shift brings a new opportunity for libraries to step in with support services.”

American Libraries Trend, Mar./Apr.
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ALA launched its “Reader. Voter. Ready.” campaign April 10, calling on advocates to sign a pledge to be registered, informed, and ready to vote in all local, state, and federal elections in 2024. Available resources include a 2024 voter engagement guide for libraries, a tip sheet to share with community leaders and partners, highlighting the ways libraries support voter participation and education, and a one-pager, “Voters Count on Libraries: The Numbers,” illustrating the role libraries play as centers of civic lift and patron engagement with library services. ALA is collaborating with partners to provide nonpartisan resources and learning opportunities for librarians.

ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, Apr. 10

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