User data Archives | American Libraries Magazine

Your Library’s Story

By Meredith Farkas | January 2, 2020

The idea that the library data we all collect and share could be used against us is troubling, and it has left me thinking about how important it is that library workers find ways to control the narrative about our own value. In an era of shrinking budgets, libraries must find ways to tell our … Continue reading Your Library’s Story →

Data Collection and Privacy

By Greg Landgraf | September 4, 2018

It’s an example of learning analytics, the use of data to understand and optimize learning and learning environments. The general concept isn’t new—the university’s announcement noted that student retention has been studied for more than 30 years—but the amount of data that is easy to generate with card swipes has exploded in recent years. And … Continue reading Data Collection and Privacy →

The Future of Data Privacy

By George M. Eberhart | February 10, 2018

Some corporations, Ayala said, are laboriously setting up two different privacy systems, one for Europe and another for the US. However, the major players are unifying their rules to comply with the GDPR, “which is an indicator that European trends are starting to become global trends. Facebook and Google just rolled out new privacy centers … Continue reading The Future of Data Privacy →

Improve Your Analytics Data

By Tabatha Farney | November 1, 2016

Reduce junk traffic Traffic generated by spambots and junk referral websites is a nasty issue that all web analytics tools face. Spam traffic generates sessions and pageviews by nonhuman visitors and clutters up your data by making it difficult to identify usage by your website’s real users. It also tends to inflate such negative metrics … Continue reading Improve Your Analytics Data →

Tess Mayer, Daniel Tilton, Mark Andersen, Diana Plunkett

By the Numbers

By Krystal Corbray | June 29, 2015

In the library world, data drives almost everything we do. It is at the core of cataloging, it’s essential to collection development, and it is the demographics that we collect and analyze in order to learn more about our patrons and our communities. But while many librarians are expert data gatherers, it can be a … Continue reading By the Numbers →

Latest Library Links

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Philadelphia leaders and innovators will share their visions for the future at three Libraries Transform sessions during the Symposium on the Future of Libraries at the 2020 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia. Libraries Transform: Civic Innovation, on January 25, considers the future of place. Libraries Transform: Social Innovation, on January 26, explores the societal changes required to create more just and equitable communities. Libraries Transform: Education Innovation, on January 27, explores the future of education access.
Center for the Future of Libraries, Jan. 20
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Concepción de León writes: “As is often the case with those who die young, Martin Luther King Jr. has become more symbol than man: pacifist, beacon of nonviolent racial reform. But over the last 50 years since his assassination, that view has been complicated. His ‘I Have a Dream’ speech, taught in schools and exalted for its vision of a racial utopia, has been reexamined, showing how King’s views evolved in his final years, recognizing how much work remained to be done to achieve true equality. These seven books paint a complete picture of King, including biographies, novels, and King’s final written work.”
New York Times, Jan. 20
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French design practice Serero Architectes Urbanistes has recently completed the new Bayeux Media Library, a light-filled cultural institution that connects the northwestern French commune’s historical roots to its future development zones. Inspired by the famous Bayeux Tapestry, the building includes an “embroidered filtering skin” along its north side comprising a series of multicolored tubes hanging behind the glazed façade to help filter views and light while mitigating unwanted solar gain. Energy usage is reduced thanks to an abundance of glazing outfitted with solar shades as well as an insulating green roof.
Inhabitat, Jan. 20
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Anna Gooding-Call writes: “When you think of a librarian, what comes to mind? Are they married? How do they dress? If you automatically pictured a sour older woman in a cardigan covered with cat hair, then congratulations! You have internalized the same librarian stereotypes that pop culture has been pushing since the days of black and white movies. Granted, modern depictions of librarians are a good deal more generous than those old chestnuts. But for everyone who hasn’t visited their awesome, hip, savvy librarian recently, here’s what’s not true about the librarian stereotypes you thought were true.”
Book Riot, Jan. 20
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It’s a Friday night, and teens of all ages make their way to a place to hang out for the night. No, it’s not the local arcade, grocery store parking lot, or even a friend’s basement. They’re going to the library for a night filled with root beer floats, prizes, and a pop culture showdown presented by a local artist. This event and many others are part of Payson City (Utah) Library’s growing initiative to reinvent the public library. And according to children’s librarian Molly Baker, it’s what many libraries around the country are doing to continue to offer a place of learning to the community.
Provo (Utah) Daily Herald, Jan. 19
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Willoughby-Eastlake (Ohio) Public Library did its part to start patrons off on the right path in 2020. The library hosted its first “New Year, New You, Health and Wellness Fair” on January 18. “With the new year, so many of us seek to start or restart better habits for our physical or emotional selves,” Assistant Library Manager Travis Fortney said. “Our full day of programming includes topics such as goal-setting, decluttering, healthy eating, and fitness.” One popular session was a hands-on class on cardio drumming, involving a bucket, an exercise ball, drumsticks, lots of movement, and music with a good beat.
Willoughby (Ohio) News-Herald, Jan. 18
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Masha Gessen writes: “On January 17, the Washington Post reported that the National Archives had altered the signs on a photograph from the 2017 Women’s March on Washington. On the photograph in question, the word ‘Trump’ was blurred on a sign that originally read ‘God Hates Trump.’ In other signs in the same picture, the words ‘vagina’ and ‘pussy’ disappeared. In response to the Post’s initial inquiry, NARA offered two arguments and one excuse. On January 18, within 24 hours of the publication of the Post story, the Archives removed the display photograph and posted a note of apology, which began, ‘We made a mistake.’”
New Yorker, Jan. 19

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