AL Direct masthead
Contents

American Libraries Online | ALA News | Booklist Online
Division News | Awards & Grants | Seen Online
Tech Talk | E-Content | Books & Reading | Actions & Answers
Great Libraries of the World | Digital Library of the Week | Calendar

The e-newsletter of the American Library Association | February 29, 2012

Northern Kentucky ad

Emerald ad

AL Buyers Guide

American Libraries Online

Screenshot from The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris LessmoreMorris Lessmore wins an Oscar
If you haven’t yet watched William Joyce and Brandon Oldenburg’s The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore, the Academy Award winner for Best Animated Short Film, go here now (15:07). A wordless film whose most inspiring scenes take place in a fanciful library full of living books, Morris Lessmore was produced by start-up Moonbot Studios in Shreveport, Louisiana. Joyce has also written a yet-to-be-published children’s book of the same name and developed an iPad app....
American Libraries news, Feb. 29; YouTube, Jan. 24; Co.Design

Designed by Chilean-born architect Sophia Hayden when she was just 21 years old, the Woman’s Building at the 1893 Columbian Exposition was a marvel of intricacy and grace that featured a library of books by women on the second floorWomen in the White City
Susan Searing writes: “Next year will be the 120th anniversary of the World’s Columbian Exposition, more commonly known as the Chicago World’s Fair—a grand event that lasted six months and attracted 27 million visitors. Librarians participated in many aspects of the 1893 fair. In Right Here I See My Own Books: The Woman’s Building Library at the World’s Columbian Exposition (University of Massachusetts, 2012), Sarah Wadsworth and Wayne Wiegand chronicle the unprecedented collection of works by ‘women in all ages and all countries’ that was housed in the fair’s Woman’s Building (above).”...
American Libraries feature

Librarians in Asheville, North Carolina, in 1907Library history and women’s history
Sarah M. Pritchard writes: “The convergence of women’s history and library history at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition heralded the beginnings of a tradition of advocacy that would shape our profession for the next 100 years and beyond. As American women entered librarianship in the late 19th century, they focused on issues of professional equity, on services to women among the general public, and on the importance of preserving the history and writings of women themselves.”...
American Libraries feature

Internet Librarian: A hazy shade of (Mid)winter
Joseph Janes writes: “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. I was so taken with the level of sophistication, depth, passion, creativity, community, collaboration, and downright chutzpah on display throughout, particularly in such a time of profound change and, often, retrenchment. It made me even prouder to be a librarian.”...
American Libraries column, Mar./Apr.

Cover of the American Libraries Online Learning Digital Supplement, Mar./Apr.AL Online Learning Digital Supplement
ALA provides continuing education in a variety of venues and formats for librarians, support staff, and trustees. Check out the opportunities in the American Libraries Online Learning Digital Supplement from 11 divisions and the ALA Publishing Department. Also read Char Booth’s article, “Reflective Teaching for Librarians.”...
American Libraries Digital Supplement, Mar./Apr.

Go back to the Top


2012 ALA election

ALA News

William KamkwambaThree teens to tell inspiring stories at Anaheim
Three courageous and creative young adults who have already changed things for the better within their communities, cultures, and societies make for a unique Auditorium Speaker session at the 2012 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim on June 23. William Kamkwamba (right) brought electricity, light, and the promise of a better life to his village in Malawi. Talia Leman has orchestrated the philanthropic efforts of 12 million children on four continents. Gaby Rodriguez reveals how she was able to fake her own pregnancy and what she learned from the experience....
Conference Services, Feb. 28

National Bookmobile Day 2012 bannerTell us why you love your bookmobile
As libraries gear up to celebrate the third National Bookmobile Day on April 11, they can now share what makes their bookmobile special through the “Why We Love Our Bookmobile” YouTube video celebration. Libraries are invited to submit videos on the National Bookmobile Day YouTube channel that highlight the essential library services that bookmobiles and their dedicated staff provide. On April 11, three videos will be selected at random to receive $50 gift certificates from ALA Graphics....
Office for Literacy and Outreach Services, Feb. 23

ALA supports FCC Digital Literacy Initiative
The Federal Communications Commission released a February 6 public notice (PDF file) seeking comments on who or what organizations should be involved in implementing a nationwide Digital Literacy program. Libraries are a critical part of the digital literacy picture, as the FCC’s public notice readily acknowledges. The ALA Washington Office is now reviewing the public notice and will submit formal comments once the review is completed....
District Dispatch, Feb. 29

National Library Week promotional ideas
Librarians submitted programming ideas at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Dallas and through an online form for a chance to win a set of National Library Week promotional materials from ALA Graphics. Alexis Caudell of the Mitchell (Ind.) Community Public Library was selected as the winner. To read Caudell’s winning idea and other promotional ideas submitted by public, school, academic, and special librarians visit the National Library Week promotional ideas page....
Campaign for America’s Libraries, Feb. 28

Free webinar on LSSC
The Library Support Staff Certification Program, a national certification program that allows library support staff to demonstrate competencies and be certified by ALA, will offer an hourlong informational webinar on March 6. Register online....
ALA–Allied Professional Association, Feb. 28

Cover of A Book Sale How-To GuideLibrary book sales: A how-to guide
A tried-and-true method to raise funds while engaging the community, library book sales can be a win-win situation—if done correctly. Published by ALA Editions, A Book Sale How-To Guide: More Money, Less Stress shows readers how to do just that, using case histories from three successful ongoing programs. Authors and book sale veterans Pat Ditzler and JoAnn Dumas point out specific ways to run a sale to ensure maximum financial benefit....
ALA Editions, Feb. 28

Cover of What's Black and White and Reid All Over?Rob Reid shows how to make kids laugh
Best-selling children’s author Rob Reid knows a thing or two about getting kids’ attention and holding it. In What’s Black and White and Reid All Over? Something Hilarious Happened at the Library, published by ALA Editions, Reid focuses squarely on the preschool and elementary school crowd. He highlights dozens of programming and title suggestions that are surefire ways to banish young ones’ yawns permanently....
ALA Editions, Feb. 23

Go back to the Top

Booklist Online banner

Booklist Online logo

Cover of Life in the OceanFeatured review: Science for youth
Nivola, Claire. Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle. Mar. 2012. 32p. Farrar/Frances Foster, hardcover (978-0-374-38068-7).
This stunning picture-book biography from the creator of Planting the Trees of Kenya (2008) invites young explorers to connect Sylvia Earle’s early life as a child “investigator” to her career as a world-renowned marine scientist and advocate. When Earle was 12, her family moved to Florida and, swimming in the Gulf of Mexico, “she lost her heart to the water.” Many years later, in 1970, Earle plunged 50 feet below the surface and lived for two weeks at the deep-sea station Tektite II; nine years later, she walked in a “Jim suit” among the coral reefs, 1,250 feet down, on the ocean floor off Hawaii. Nivola’s lyrical text portrays Earle’s passion for and commitment to the ocean....

Top 10 environment books for youthTop 10 books on the environment for youth
Ian Chipman writes: “Two topics jump out from this list of the best environmental books reviewed in Booklist over the past year—the life of Jane Goodall and the 2010 oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. All of these titles, though, explore ecological themes in fascinating ways.”...

@ Visit Booklist Online for other reviews and much more....

Go back to the Top


Division News

LITA and transparency issues
Andromeda Yelton writes: “I just had the pleasure of spending an hour listening in on a streamed LITA board meeting. I have somehow, and entirely to my shock, become a diehard LITA politics junkie. I think the more LITA makes its meetings available (streamed or amply reported and well-advertised), the more the members will participate, and that’s good for everyone. So, hats off to everyone who made that happen. I was troubled, though, by part of the discussion.”...
Andromeda Yelton, Feb. 24

Geek Out TTW logoGeek Out @ your library
As web-enabled tools such as Facebook, texting, and smartphone apps become a staple of teen culture, school and public libraries from coast to coast will throw open their physical and virtual doors to teens and showcase technological resources available @ your library during Teen Tech Week, March 4–10. Teens will improve their digital literacy skills as they take advantage of free library social networking and digital media workshops, ebooks, databases, online homework help, and gaming tournaments....
YALSA, Feb. 27

Carmen Agra DeedyCarmen Agra Deedy featured at AASL Awards Luncheon
Bestselling author Carmen Agra Deedy (right) will speak at the annual AASL Awards Luncheon, held June 25 during the ALA 2012 Annual Conference in Anaheim. The awards luncheon highlights the best of the best in the school library field and gives members a chance to celebrate the accomplishments of their colleagues. Register online....
AASL, Feb. 28

School Libraries Count!School Libraries Count! reports available
Personalized reports are now available for participants in the AASL School Libraries Count! longitudinal survey. The reports complement AASL’s suite of advocacy tools. By using the School Libraries Count! personalized report in tandem with the results generated, school librarians will be able to present a more complete case when advocating for their school library programs and community needs....
AASL, Feb. 28

YALSA a finalist in Lifelong Learning Competition
YALSA is a finalist in the 2012 HASTAC/MacArthur Foundation Badges for Lifelong Learning Competition. The division has been paired with a winning badge design and technology team to work collaboratively on developing a badge system to be judged February 28–29 at the California Academy of Sciences in San Francisco. Winners will be announced on March 1....
YALSA, Feb. 27

Liz MooreLiz Moore added to PLA Virtual Conference
On March 15, author Liz Moore (right) will join the Virtual Conference held in conjunction with the 2012 PLA Conference, March 13–17, in Philadelphia. Moore is the author of Heft, which tells the story of the transformative connection between a reclusive, 550-pound professor and a disadvantaged boy dreaming of becoming a baseball star....
PLA, Feb. 28

Bring civility back into your community
On March 28, PLA will host a live, hourlong webinar, “Implementing ‘Choose Civility,’ a Community-Wide Campaign,” as part of its “Public Libraries at Work” monthly webinar series. Join presenter Valerie Gross, CEO of the Howard County (Md.) Library System, to hear how the library has been at the center of a community campaign to enhance respect, empathy, consideration, and tolerance....
PLA, Feb. 28

Día logoDía publicity tools available
As libraries throughout the country expand their collections for diverse communities, thousands will celebrate El día de los niños / El día de los libros (Children’s Day / Book Day), also known as Día, on April 30. Libraries from coast to coast will host celebrations with family programs, including bilingual story hours, book giveaways, and other literacy events. ALSC is offering some free publicity tools....
ALSC, Feb. 27

YALSA book awards and middle school readers
The middle school librarian faces the unique challenge of building a collection that is appropriate for both teens and tweens. Join Megan Fink for “Finding a Place on the Shelf: YALSA Book Awards and the Middle School Library,” a discussion of the YALSA award winners and honorees for middle school readers on March 22 at 2 p.m. Eastern time. Register for the webinar online....
YALSA, Feb. 24

Friends group survey
ALTAFF is conducting a survey of Friends of the Library groups. The simple 10-question survey can be completed in five minutes or less. Survey responses will help ALTAFF develop resources for members and will be published on the division’s website and in an upcoming edition of its member newsletter, The Voice. Responses will be collected through March 1....
ALTAFF

ALTAFF at PLA
ALTAFF will present the program “With Friends Like These” on March 16, 2–3:15 p.m., at the Pennsylvania Convention Center during the PLA Conference in Philadelphia. A panel of librarians and a successful Friends group leader will discuss how to raise money and advocate for better funding....
ALTAFF

AASL eAcademy lineup
Register now for one or more of the AASL eAcademy courses scheduled through the end of summer. The four-week, self-paced courses are designed to give participants 12 hours of learning led by experts in the school library field. Registration and course information are available online....
AASL, Feb. 28

ASCLA preconferences
ASCLA will host three half-day workshops on June 22 at the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim covering library marketing and development, public library services to the visually and physically impaired, and public library partnerships with jails and prisons. These preconferences are an opportunity for other members of the library community to benefit from the division’s knowledge and experience....
ASCLA, Feb. 28

Go back to the Top

Awards & Grants

Winston TabbWinston Tabb wins Patterson Copyright Award
Winston Tabb (right), dean of libraries and museums at Johns Hopkins University, is the 2012 recipient of the L. Ray Patterson Copyright Award. Tabb was cited for his decades-long support for balanced copyright law, advancement of library and user copyright exceptions worldwide, and commitment to an international copyright law to support the information needs of people with print disabilities. The award recognizes contributions that support the constitutional purpose of US Copyright Law, fair use, and the public domain....
Office for Information Technology Policy, Feb. 23

Mary Wagner2012 Beta Phi Mu Award
Mary M. Wagner (right), LIS professor at St. Catherine University in St. Paul, Minnesota, has been selected as the recipient of the 2012 Beta Phi Mu Award. This annual award, donated by the Beta Phi Mu International Library Science Honorary Society, is presented to a library school faculty member or to an individual who demonstrates distinguished service to education in librarianship. Wagner was selected for her contributions to library education and librarianship both locally and internationally....
Office of ALA Governance, Feb. 28

Lenore England2012 Coutts Award for Innovation
The ALCTS Collection Management Section has awarded Lenore England (right), digital resources librarian at University of Maryland University College, its Coutts Award for Innovation in Electronic Resources Management. The award recognizes significant and innovative contributions to electronic collections management and development practice. England was cited for her work with the state Electronic Collections Task Group....
ALCTS, Feb. 27

Valerie Bross2012 Ulrich’s Serials Librarianship Award
ALCTS has named Valerie Bross (right) the 2012 recipient of its Ulrich’s Serials Librarianship Award. This award for distinguished contributions to serials is presented by the ALCTS Continuing Resources Section and consists of a $1,500 donated by ProQuest. Bross, head of the continuing resources cataloging section at the UCLA Library Cataloging and Metadata Center, was named for innumerable significant achievements....
ALCTS, Feb. 28

2012 ACRL Innovation Award
Joshua Vossler, information literacy and reference librarian at Coastal Carolina University, and John Watts, instruction and liaison services librarian at Webster University, have been selected to receive the 2012 ACRL Instruction Section Innovation Award for their work on a series of five videos. The videos were designed to introduce first-year students to fundamental information literacy concepts....
ACRL, Feb. 27

Adrienne Lai, Adam Rogers, and Anne BurkeProQuest Innovation in College Librarianship Award
Adrienne Lai, Adam Rogers, and Anne Burke (right), all of North Carolina State University Libraries, have been named the 2012 recipients of the ACRL College Libraries Section’s ProQuest Innovation in College Librarianship Award for their work on the NCSU Libraries Mobile Scavenger Hunt. The annual $3,000 award honors an ALA member who has demonstrated a capacity for innovation in their work with undergraduates, instructors, or the library community....
ACRL, Feb. 28

Mary Ann LaunEBSCO Community College Leadership Award
Mary Ann Laun (right), dean of library services at Pasadena (Calif.) City College, has been chosen to receive the 2012 ACRL Community and Junior College Libraries Section EBSCO Community College Learning Resources Leadership Award. The award cited her service as cofounder and chair of the first California Community College consortium....
ACRL, Feb. 24

EBSCO Community College Program Achievement Award
Sheila Afnan-Manns (Scottsdale Community College), and Kandice Mickelsen and Reyes Medrano (Paradise Valley Community College) have been chosen to receive the 2012 ACRL Community and Junior College Libraries Section EBSCO Community College Learning Resources Program Achievement Award for their work on the Medrano Project. The Medrano Project provides a model for effective librarian and classroom instructor collaboration....
ACRL, Feb. 24

Char Booth2012 Ilene F. Rockman Publication of the Year Award
Char Booth (right), instruction services manager and e-learning librarian at Claremont Colleges, has won the ACRL Instruction Section’s Ilene F. Rockman Publication of the Year Award for her book Reflective Teaching, Effective Learning: Instructional Literacy for Library Educators, published in 2011 by ALA Editions. The award recognizes an outstanding publication related to library instruction published in the past two years....
ACRL, Feb. 27

Cover of The Atlas of New Librarianship2012 Best Book in Library Literature
The Atlas of New Librarianship by R. David Lankes has been named the winner of the 2012 ABC-CLIO/Greenwood Award for the Best Book in Library Literature. The book, which articulates a new purpose for librarianship, was copublished by ACRL and MIT Press. The award committee praised the book for its unique visual map of ideas and their relationships to theory and practice....
Office of ALA Governance, Feb. 28

Helen BaileyFirst Merrill-Oldham Grant recipient named
Helen Bailey (right), preservation specialist at Dartmouth College Library, has been awarded the first Jan Merrill-Oldham Professional Development Grant. The grant is sponsored by the ALCTS Preservation and Reformatting Section to support travel to the ALA Annual Conference by a preservation librarian who is new to the field....
ALCTS, Feb. 28

Nicholas SpilliosNorman Horrocks–Scarecrow Press grant
The ALA Retired Members Round Table has chosen Nicholas Spillios (right) as the first RMRT member to receive the first Norman Horrocks–Scarecrow Press Annual Conference Award. The $1,000 grant will help RMRT members to defray the costs of attending an ALA Conference. Spillios was chosen for his work with ALTAFF, PIO, and RMRT....
Retired Members Round Table, Feb. 28

2012 BWI Summer Reading Program Grant
ALSC has awarded the 2012 BWI Summer Reading Program Grant to the Wichita Falls (Tex.) Public Library. The $3,000 grant is designed to encourage outstanding summer reading programs by providing financial assistance, while recognizing ALSC members for outstanding program development....
ALSC, Feb. 28

Apply for a Conable Conference Scholarship
The Freedom to Read Foundation has opened applications for the 2012 Gordon M. Conable Conference Scholarship, which will enable a library school student or new professional to attend the 2012 ALA Annual Conference, held June 21–26 in Anaheim, California. Submit an application by April 6....
Office for Intellectual Freedom, Feb. 22

LexisNexis Outstanding Friend Conference Grant
LexisNexis will fund an annual grant to enable a Friends of the Library member to attend ALA Annual Conference. The LexisNexis Outstanding Friend Conference Grant will provide a person who is active in a Friends of the Library group with $850 and conference registration. The winner will be required to write an article chronicling the experience at the conference for The Voice. Apply for this year’s grant by April 15....
ALTAFF, Feb. 27

Cover of Wasted, by Nicola MorganScottish Children’s Book Awards
The winners of the Scottish Children’s Book Awards were announced at a ceremony at the Lyceum Theatre in Edinburgh on February 23. The awards, sponsored by the Scottish Book Trust, were made in three age categories: Dear Vampa by Ross Collins won the Bookbug Readers’ category (0–7 years); Zac and the Dream Pirates by Ross MacKenzie won the Younger Readers’ category (8–11 years); and the award for the Older Readers’ category (12–16 years) went to Nicola Morgan’s Wasted. The three winners received a prize of £3,000 ($4,750 US) each....
Scottish Book Trust

Go back to the Top

Seen Online

The Research Works Act is dead
Science-publishing giant Elsevier pulled its support from the controversial Research Works Act, hours before the bill’s cosponsors in the US House of Representatives declared the legislation dead. HR 3699 would have prevented agencies of the federal government from requiring public access to federally subsidized research. In a statement released February 27, Elsevier reiterated its opposition to government mandates even as it backed away from the bill. Cosponsoring Reps. Darrell Issa (R-Calif.) and Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) said they would not push for action on the bill after all. Library Loon has some insight on the Elsevier withdrawal....
Chronicle of Higher Education, Feb. 27; Gavia Libraria, Feb. 28

Six ways that Congress could fix copyright, now
Matthew Lasar writes: “The fight against copyright maximalism has largely been negative. To offer something more positive, Public Knowledge has released an Internet Blueprint—six bills that the group says could ‘help make the internet a better place for everyone’ and that ‘Congress could pass today.’ We are not expecting Congress to pass them today (or tomorrow), but they’re at least an intriguing starting point for debate.”...
Ars Technica, Feb. 29; Public Knowledge, Feb. 28

Sonoma State University library's Automated Retrieval SystemMore academic libraries rely on retrieval systems
San Francisco State University has been renovating its library since 2008, and now the overhauled building is finally finished and partly open to students. But only 25% of its collection will be available for browsing. More than a dozen universities, including at least five in California, have installed robotic retrieval systems. “More libraries are doing this because people are really looking for group interactive space,” said ACRL President Joyce Ogburn. Sonoma State University library has one of the most advanced systems out today (above)....
San Francisco Bay Citizen, Feb. 25; Santa Rosa (Calif.) Press Democrat, Feb. 25

Mary Virginia Meeks explains the Marsh Middle School makeoverMiddle school students take back their library
In the past few years, Dallas Independent School District has sliced library funding by about 20%. But with the encouragement of librarian Mary Virginia Meeks (right), Marsh Middle School students cleaned, painted, and held a read-a-thon that paid for comfy couches and chairs. Corporate sponsor Fidelity Investments constructed a new bar in the center of the library called the Tech Café. The makeover caught the attention of Nickelodeon producers, who included Marsh in a Nick News with Linda Ellerbee segment on students taking action to help improve their schools. Watch the video (3:03)....
Preston Hollow (Tex.) Advocate, Feb. 24

Even busts get dressed up for parties at the Providence AthenaeumThe quirky Providence Athenaeum
Jacki Lyden writes: “With a bit of reverence, librarians carefully wind an antique library clock near the circulation desk in a temple of learning called the Providence Athenaeum. This is one of the oldest libraries in the United States, a 19th-century library with the soul of a 21st-century rave party. In fact, the Rhode Island institution has been called a national model for civic engagement. After see-sawing through the recession, membership has rebounded, to about a thousand members and growing.”...
NPR: Weekend Edition, Feb. 25

Galaxy Press book club promoHow Scientology drives librarians nuts
Tony Ortega writes: “We’ve been hearing pretty regularly from librarians near and far who have had it with the aggressive tactics of Scientology. Scientology is like an octopus that wants to get its tentacles into as many places as possible through front groups and supposedly secular entities. Librarians tell us how Scientologists never take no for an answer and insist on sending them books they don’t want. Recently we heard from a Detroit-area librarian, Alan Naldrett, and felt compelled to share his story with you.”...
Village Voice, Feb. 28

Warhol’s assailant left a mark—on a library book
James Barron writes: “If ordinary people were caught doing what Valerie Solanas did, they would probably have their library cards taken away. But Valerie Solanas—mainly remembered for shooting Andy Warhol—was not an ordinary library patron. She marked up a book’s cover and several pages inside. And because the book had been hers in the first place—she was listed as the author, after all—her annotations, said Thomas Lannon, NYPL’s assistant curator of manuscripts, were more like copyediting by a very angry author.”...
New York Times: City Room, Feb. 22

Woman admits to stealing books from libraries
A woman accused of stealing thousands of books from libraries around San Diego County pleaded guilty to a felony burglary charge February 21. An investigation reportedly started last year when Maria Nater tried to leave the Carlsbad (Calif.) Library with books that had not been checked out, using a rolling cart she had brought with her. Library workers had previously noticed an unusual loss of certain books on cooking, crafts, gardening, and oversized books. Police seized approximately 2,000 books and numerous DVDs from Nater’s Vista, California, home....
San Diego (Calif.) Union-Tribune, Feb. 23; San Diego Reader, Feb. 22

GE Foundation a major victim in embezzlement
In December, federal prosecutors charged Linda E. Duffy, a former Saugus (Mass.) Public Library worker, with stealing more than $800,000 in library funds from 2004 to 2011. The GE Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the corporation, was the largest victim in the alleged embezzlement because much of the missing money came from its matching grant program to benefit the library. Prosecutors allege that Duffy withdrew charitable donations, along with fees from overdue books and videos, from a library bank account, deposited the funds into her own account, and then used the money to pay personal expenses. ...
Boston Globe, Feb. 12, 23

Library arson in San Francisco
A man set fire to a stack of pamphlets in San Francisco’s main library branch February 26, damaging cassette tapes, chairs, and computers. The fire was set in the Library for the Blind and Print Disabled room on the second floor, library spokeswoman Michelle Jeffers said, which is typically closed on Sundays. Although the whole building was evacuated, no injuries were reported....
San Francisco Examiner, Feb. 27

The Traverwood Library in Ann Arbor, MichiganTop 10 public libraries of the 21st century
Adel Zakout writes: “In the age of the internet and rapid media consumption, the library has inevitably lost its granted presence within people’s lives. According to the BBC, 12.8% of the adult population in England visited a library in 2010, falling from 16.4% in 2005, and there are plans to close many there. So what can we do, from an architectural point of view, to keep libraries alive and most importantly, meaningful?”...
Huffington Post, Feb. 22

Toronto Public Library is looking for ad opportunities
At its February 27 meeting, the Toronto Public Library board approved a proposal to create an advertising policy for the city libraries (PDF file). The idea would be to start slowly, by hiring a contractor to sell ads that would be printed on the backs of date-due slips. With that accomplished, the library would hire a consultant to look for other advertising-sales opportunities that would maximize revenue....
Torontoist, Feb. 27

Toni SamekAlberta SLIS prof eschews meekness
Early on, Professor Toni Samek (right) asks her students this question: Is homelessness a library issue? Students entering the MLIS program at the University of Alberta’s School of Library and Information Studies arrive not knowing what to expect. But after the homelessness question, students forget their stereotypes about meek librarians. Samek is anything but meek. In fact, she sees herself as an activist in a radical profession....
Macleans OnCampus, Feb. 28

Go back to the Top

Tech Talk

Windows 8 home screenFirst look at what’s new in Windows 8
Whitson Gordon writes: “Microsoft released its Windows 8 Consumer Preview February 29, complete with a new tablet interface and some enhancements to the traditional mouse-and-keyboard desktop. Here’s what it looks like. No matter what device you’re on, you can switch between the simple Metro interface and the traditional Windows desktop to fit whatever your needs are at that given moment.” PC Magazine has a more detailed review....
Lifehacker, Feb. 29; PC Magazine, Feb. 29

How to remove your Google web data history
Eva Galperin writes: “On March 1, Google will implement its new, unified privacy policy, which will affect data Google has collected on you prior to March 1 as well as data it collects on you in the future. Until now, your Google Web History (your searches and sites visited) was cordoned off from Google’s other products, such as YouTube or Google+. Here is how you can remove all items from your Web History and stop it from being recorded in the future.”...
Electronic Frontier Foundation, Feb. 21; Official Google Blog, Jan. 24

3G vs. 4G: What’s the difference?
Sascha Segan writes: “For average consumers, ‘3G’ and ‘4G’ are two of the most mysterious terms in the mobile technology dictionary, but they’re used relentlessly to sell phones and tablets. If you’re shopping for a new phone, the answer isn’t clear-cut, and you shouldn’t always go for the higher number. Our primer will help explain which technology to pick.”...
PC Magazine, Feb. 24

Card sorting in progressCard sorting, A–Z
Ellyssa Kroski writes: “Card sorting is a method or technique for discovering how website users categorize information so that you can design your information structure in a way that is navigable and findable by your users. The method involves asking participants to sort sets of cards that have items, names, pages, or sections of your website printed on them into groups that make sense to them, and sometimes to assign labels to those groups.”...
iLibrarian, Feb. 28

NoScript disables active elements of a web page21 ways to buff up your browser
Patrick Miller writes: “Whether you are at home, work, or school, odds are you spend a lot of time staring at your web browser. So why does it look and run like everyone else’s? This collection of our favorite browser secrets and extensions can make your browser safer and more efficient than ever—and help you figure out what’s wrong when things don’t work as you expect.”...
PC World, Feb. 27

Go back to the Top

E-Content

Pizza Hut logo on an iPadIs it censorship if it’s pizza?
Christopher Harris writes: “I love reading Seth Godin’s work; his musings on marketing and business practices provide a wealth of ideas for libraries. As he noted in a blog post on the Domino Project: ‘I just found out that Apple is rejecting my new manifesto Stop Stealing Dreams and won’t carry it in their store because inside the manifesto are links to buy the books I mention in the bibliography.’ Sure seems wrong, but what is the whole story?”...
AL: E-Content, Feb. 29; The Domino Project, Feb. 28

iBooks on your Kindle: Possible, but is it legal?
Christopher Harris writes: “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 is now be possible to read your iBookstore purchases on a Kindle or other device. Not necessarily legal or ethical, but possible.”...
AL: E-Content, Feb. 27

Storybundle logoStorybundle
Jason Griffey writes: “Way back on February 1, I posted a short blog entry about Storybundle, a new ebook distribution model spearheaded by Jason Chen (formerly of Gizmodo and Lifehacker). Over the next couple of weeks we traded a few emails, resulting in the following interview about his thoughts on how Storybundle will work and whether or not it might be something that libraries should watch. Here’s the interview.”...
ALA TechSource blog, Feb. 27

Harry Potter logoHarry Potter ebooks coming to schools, libraries
Opening up the Harry Potter books for a new generation of readers, OverDrive announced February 27 that it has worked out a deal with J. K. Rowling’s Pottermore to bring the series to e-readers in school and public libraries. The books will be available on Kindle readers, any e-reader that uses the ePub format, and OverDrive apps for Android, iOS, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone....
Washington Post, Feb. 27; OverDrive, Feb. 27

E-textbook vendor sues publisher
A licensing agreement between the publisher Cengage Learning and the e-textbook vendor Kno has gone sour. Details recently surfaced of a legal battle between the two companies over the publisher’s effort to terminate a contract to digitize its printed textbooks. Cengage accused Kno of copyright infringement, and now the start-up is suing the publisher for damages and the right to continue selling its partner’s e-textbooks....
Chronicle of Higher Education: Wired Campus, Feb. 22

Bones of the book . . . and ebook
Robert Moor writes: “I recently bought a book about the future of books. It’s called The Late American Novel: Writers on the Future of Books and features 26 authors describing what they think might become of literature. Given the collection’s prophetic subtitle, and that I was reading it on my new, still-extraterrestrial-seeming iPad, I was surprised to find that very few of the authors mention ebooks.”...
n+1, Feb. 27

A guide to publishers in the library ebook market
Michael Kelley writes: “The ebook library lending policies of the Big Six publishers garner most of the attention, because public libraries regard access to best-selling titles as a critical service. The following list is meant to be a helpful, not comprehensive, resource. The focus is whether or not publishers are in the library ebook marketplace.”...
Library Journal: The Digital Shift, Feb. 24

GoodReads pinboard10 Pinterest boards for ebook fans
Dianna Dilworth writes: “The new social networking site Pinterest can be used as a resource for free ebooks. The site, which lets users create virtual pinboards by pinning images of their favorite things, has a host of pages dedicated to books, including a number of pages dedicated to free ebooks. To help you get started, we’ve put together a list of 10 Pinterest boards for ebook fans.”...
eBookNewser, Feb. 24

Go back to the Top

ALA 2012 Annual Conference in Anaheim logo

David Weinberger

Celebrated internet philosopher and coauthor of The Cluetrain Manifesto David Weinberger appears at 2012 ALA Annual Conference, on Saturday, June 23. His most recent book, Too Big to Know, provides a compelling vision of the future of knowledge in a connected world.


Midwest Tape ad


Cover of What's Black and White and Reid All Over?

Bestselling children’s author Rob Reid knows a thing or two about getting kids’ attention and holding it. His advice? Cut out the blah-blah-blah and make ’em laugh. In What’s Black and White and Reid All Over?, aimed squarely at the preschool / elementary school crowd, he highlights dozens of programming and title suggestions that are surefire ways to banish young ones’ yawns permanently. NEW! From ALA Editions.

Solutions and Services column

Great Libraries of the World

A view of the Salone Monumentale, Biblioteca Casanatense

Biblioteca Casanatense, Rome, Italy. The Dominicans of the Monastery of Santa Maria sopra Minerva in Rome opened this library to the general public in 1701 after the death of Cardinal Girolamo Casanata, who had bequeathed his collection of rare volumes. Now managed by the Ministry of Culture, many of the library’s books are housed in the Salone Monumentale, a fine example of early modern library architecture. Included are many musical libretti and scores, among them unpublished works by Niccolò Paganini.

The elaborate walnut door leading into the columned interior, Biblioteca Malatestiana

Biblioteca Malatestiana, Cesena, Italy. Established by the condottiero of Cesena, Malatesta Novello, in 1447 for the use of Franciscan monks, the library is considered the first public library in Italy. Upon his death in 1465, Malatesta entrusted the library’s management to the city. The architect Matteo Nuti da Fano designed the well-preserved interior in the style of a basilica, with three aisles separated by two rows of columns. The entrance portal, created by sculptor Agostino di Duccio, is topped by a pediment with the figure of an Indian elephant, and the elaborate walnut door was carved by Cristoforo da San Giovanni in Persiceto, who subdivided it into 48 small panels decorated with the Malatesta family coat of arms.

This AL Direct feature showcases 250 libraries around the world that are notable for their exquisite architecture, historic collections, and innovative services. If you find yourself on vacation near one of them, be sure to stop by for a visit. The entire list will be available in The Whole Library Handbook 5, edited by George M. Eberhart, which is scheduled for publication in 2013 by ALA Editions.

JobLIST Direct ad

Career Leads from
JobLIST logo

Teen Librarian, New Albany–Floyd County (Ind.) Public Library. We are a thriving library serving a community of 75,000 people, only minutes away from Louisville, Kentucky. We are looking for a person who is passionate about advocating for teens; an avid reader of teen literature; comfortable with technology and social media; confident in approaching and partnering with local schools and community organizations; and bursting with teen program ideas. The teen area has a healthy budget for programming and books and an eager community of teens who are already enthusiastically participating in our Teen Advisory Board, Anime Club, Summer Reading Club, and other programs. Our library has gotten teen services off to a great start, and now we are looking for a librarian to take teen services to the next level....

Find JobLIST on Facebook

Follow JobLIST on Twitter

@ More jobs...


Digital Library of the Week

Mosaic details on a tomb at the San Domenico Church in Italy

In keeping with the theme of the March/April American Libraries’ architectural issue, we present the Thomas MacLaren Collection of Architectural Drawings from the University of Colorado System and Auraria Higher Education Center. The collection of original pencil sketches and watercolors by Thomas MacLaren (born in Scotland, 1863; died Colorado Springs, 1928) illustrating the architecture of England, Italy, Scotland, and Switzerland predominantly between 1880 and 1891. The collection also includes some landscapes, student exercises, and miscellany.

Do you know of a digital library collection that we can mention in this AL Direct feature? Tell us about it. Browse previous Digital Libraries of the Week at the I Love Libraries site.


Public Perception
How the World
Sees Us

Another major incident was the mice. I had been warned that the library was one of their favorite playgrounds. I was rather surprised at the calm manner in which this news had been announced, and I was worried about this unfortunate presence. But, like everything else, that was how it had always been. I adopted a cat, but he preferred running around on the roofs of the Haute Ville with the other cats from the area; it’s easy to see why.”

—Marie Lebert, reminiscing about her job with the city library of Granville, France, in “L for Library,” Ebooks, Feb.

@ More quotes...


Enjoy our latest content

Libraries Provide a Lifeline for Homeowners Facing Foreclosure

Monopoly houses with foreclosure signs

Lyric Opera of Chicago Produces Thrilling Version of 'Show Boat'

Dead Sea Scrolls Exhibit in New York, Philadelphia Showcases 500 Priceless Artifacts

Black History Month: Tuskegee Airmen and Red Tail, Part Two

How to Get a Great Job: Customize Your Resume

Brandon Sanderson: 'We need good literacy professionals, librarians and teachers.'

Dr. Seuss Birthday Sweepstakes: Win an 'I read banned books' Tote Bag

Join Us on Facebook Join Us on Facebook

Subscribe to our
Newsletter

at your library logo

Calendar

Mar. 1:
World Book Day.

Mar. 2:
NEA’s Read Across America.

Mar. 4–10:
Teen Tech Week.

Mar. 7:
World Read Aloud Day.

Mar. 13–17:
Public Library Association, National Conference, Philadelphia.

Mar. 21–23:
Tennessee Library Association, Annual Conference, Marriott Knoxville. “Libraries Transform.”

Mar. 21–23:
Louisiana Library Association, Annual Conference, Shreveport Convention Center. “Puzzled? Louisiana Libraries Have the Answers!”

Mar. 29–30:
National Latino Children's Literature Conference, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa. “Connecting Cultures and Celebrating Cuentos.”

Apr. 8–14:
National Library Week.

Apr. 10:
National Library Workers Day.

Apr. 11:
National Bookmobile Day.

Apr. 11–13:
Kansas Library Association, Annual Conference, Hyatt Hotel and Conference Center, Wichita. “I Geek Kansas Libraries!”

Apr. 11–13:
Librarians’ Information Literacy Annual Conference,
Glasgow Caledonian University, Scotland.

Apr. 14:
Support Teen Literature Day.

Apr. 20–22:
A Celebration of the Picture Book, Whitney Humanities Center, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.

Apr. 21–28:
Money Smart Week @ your library.

Apr. 22–28:
Preservation Week.

Apr. 23:
World Book Night USA.

Apr. 23–24:
National Library Legislative Day, Liaison Hotel, Washington, D.C.

Apr. 30:
El día de los niños / El día de los libros (Children’s Day / Book Day).

May 1–7:
Choose Privacy Week.

May 23–25:
Workshop for Instruction in Library Use,
Grant MacEwan University, City Centre Campus, Edmonton, Alberta. “Vigour, Thrift, and Resourcefulness.”

June 11–14:
24th Polar Libraries Colloquy,
ATLAS Building, University of Colorado, Boulder. “Cold Regions: Pivot Points, Focal Points.”

@ More...


Contact Us
American Libraries Direct

ALA logo

AL Direct is a free electronic newsletter emailed every Wednesday to personal members of the American Library Association and subscribers.

George M. Eberhart
George M. Eberhart,
Editor:
geberhart@ala.org

Beverly Goldberg
Beverly Goldberg,
Senior Editor:
bgoldberg@ala.org

Greg Landgraf
Greg Landgraf,
Associate Editor:
glandgraf@ala.org

Sanhita SinhaRoy
Sanhita SinhaRoy,
Associate Editor:
ssinharoy@ala.org

Laurie D. Borman
Laurie D. Borman,
Editor and Publisher,
American Libraries:
lborman@ala.org

Jennifer Henderson,
Contributing Researcher

To advertise in American Libraries Direct, contact:

Doug Lewis
Doug Lewis:
dglewis@ala.org

Katie Bane
Katie Bane:
kbane@ala.org

Send feedback:
aldirect@ala.org

AL Direct FAQ:
americanlibrariesmagazine
.org/aldirect

All links outside the ALA website are provided for informational purposes only. Questions about the content of any external site should be addressed to the administrator of that site.

Sign up to receive AL Direct every Wednesday here.

American Libraries
50 E. Huron St.
Chicago, IL 60611
800-545-2433,
ext. 4216

ISSN 1559-369X

Books & Reading

Rex Libris, "I, Librarian" issueRex Libris to be adapted for the screen
Walden Media is moving ahead on development of Rex Libris, tapping Ben Zazove to adapt the humorous sci-fi graphic novel written by James Turner. Walden acquired feature rights in 2011 to Rex, which follows the zombie-slaying adventures of librarian Rex Libris as he protects the books of the Middleton Public Library and guards the world’s literary treasures from a host of supernatural foes....
Variety, Feb. 23

Mad Men, Season 2, episode 11, Jet Set, featuring Faulkner's The Sound and the FuryThe Mad Men reading list
Billy Parrott writes: “In preparation for the long-awaited return of Mad Men, I’d like to present the revised Mad Men reading list, which will be updated as books appear in new episodes. Details on literary references will continue in the comments field. As mentioned in my original blog post, some of the books on the list are featured more prominently in the series than others but all are a great way to gain insight into the episodes and the social and cultural times in which the series is set.”...
NYPL Blogs, Feb. 27

An Armenian gospel dating from 1331 with an illumination of St. Matthew showing the artist himself, Sargiz Pitzak,  kneeling at the feet of the evangelistHow books saved Armenian culture
Armenian civilization is one of the most ancient of those surviving in the Middle East, but for large parts of its history Armenia has been a nation without a country. This has given the spoken and written word, the primary means through which Armenian identity has been preserved, enormous prominence in its people’s culture. Over the centuries this emphasis has fostered a particular regard for books and the means of producing them....
New York Times, Feb. 24

Cover of The Marriage Plot, by Jeffrey EugenidesFantastic novels with disappointing endings
Judy Berman writes: “They can’t all end with “yes I said yes I will Yes,” but is there anything less satisfying than turning the final page of a book you’ve loved and being thoroughly dissatisfied with its conclusion? This only happens to us rarely, and while a weak ending usually won’t completely ruin a great novel, it can certainly leave us feeling frustrated. We have rounded up 10 books both classic and contemporary that have had us hooked all the way through, only to leave us wanting more (and not in a good way).”...
Flavorwire, Feb. 27

Go back to the Top

Actions & Answers

Image from Search Engine JournalGoogle to include “Do Not Track” browser button
Google will allow a “Do Not Track” button to be embedded in its web browser, letting users restrict the amount of data that can be collected about them. Google is getting into the initiative as the Obama administration unveiled plans (PDF file) to provide consumers with more control over their personal information online. In early February, Google acknowledged it had been circumventing the privacy settings of people using Apple’s web-browsing software on their iPhones, iPads, and computers. The Chrome browser is expected to embed this new functionality by the end of 2012. But Do Not Track will not completely stop all data collection on consumers....
Wall Street Journal, Feb. 17, 23; Search Engine Journal, Feb. 24; New York Times, Feb. 26

Test-drive a Mazda to help school librariesSchool libraries to receive money for Mazda test-drives
Mazda, Universal Studios, the National Education Association’s Read Across America, and the NEA Foundation have created a program to benefit public school libraries nationwide. For each test-drive of a Mazda vehicle between February 21 and April 2, Mazda will donate $25 toward public school libraries nationwide, up to $1 million. To participate, consumers must obtain this certificate and take it to any Mazda dealer in the US....
National Education Association, Feb. 21

School library self-censorship
If they are honest, school librarians face selection dilemmas. At the AASL Conference in Minneapolis in October 2011, five current and former public and private school librarians presented a session on self-censorship. After the session, Michelle Bayuk, director of marketing at Albert Whitman & Co., wondered what can publishers do to help librarians put a controversial book on the shelves. The AASL Intellectual Freedom Committee asked her and two of her colleagues their advice on how school librarians can face challenges....
AASL Blog, Feb. 27

Are you the next Librarian Superhero?Calling all superhero librarians
Gale, part of Cengage Learning, has launched the second annual “Are You a Librarian Superhero?” contest to recognize the efforts put forth by librarians around the country. Looking to build on the success of last year’s contest, during which more than 800 nominations were received, Gale is again calling on fellow librarians, library patrons, students, and school administrators to nominate a superhero librarian who is making a real difference for their library and community....
Cengage Learning, Feb. 27

Escondido (Calif.) PL's LibraryYou logoMake your library a local publisher
Nate Hill writes: “Public libraries will have tremendous value and support in their communities if they strategically position themselves as community publishers. This might mean assisting in the scanning and publishing of photographs from a patron’s basement, offering basic recording facilities for local teens interested in making music, or producing and distributing a local author’s novel. Here are the two components of a system that would truly reposition the public library as a local publisher.” It turns out that Escondido (Calif.) Public Library has been doing this already with its LibraryYOU project....
PLA Blog, Feb. 24, 29

A decorative snowflake made from recycled book coversRenewable library resources
Collins Memorial Library at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, is transitioning to an online environment and withdrawing many physical resources from the collection. In the spirit of preserving a sustainable planet, the library has found creative uses for its discarded resources. The staff has created a website that offers ideas for repurposing materials by showcasing projects where books, parts of books, printouts, and even microfiche are transformed into useful or decorative objects....
Collins Memorial Library

PDA: The bookstore in the library
Joseph Esposito writes: “One way to think about patron-driven acquisitions (PDA) is that it sets up a bookstore in the library. It’s not what we usually think of as a bookstore—there are no dusty shelves or a chic coffee bar. Nor is this what we have come to expect from online bookselling, where Amazon sets the standard. The library bookstore is a new phenomenon, but there is a chance that it will become more widespread, perhaps even ubiquitous in the coming years.”...
The Scholarly Kitchen, Feb. 28

The Great Library Roadshow logoTraveling on a library roadtrip
Josh Hadro writes: “Two of my esteemed librarian colleagues and friends—Lisa Carlucci Thomas and Patrick ‘PC’ Sweeney—and I will be traveling from Charlotte, North Carolina, to Philadelphia, blogging, vlogging, and tweeting our way to as many libraries as we can handle (see ‘Follow the Roadshow’ for a running list of ways to track our progress). At the end of the trip, we’ll be rolling into the PLA Conference that begins March 14.”...
Library Journal: The Digital Shift, Feb. 28

The skills you don’t learn in school
Annie Pho writes: “Librarianship is a profession that’s all about helping people, which means we need to be able to work with them. Even if you don’t work with patrons, you’ll still have to work with coworkers that run the gamut. There are a lot of things library school can’t teach you, people skills being one of them.”...
Hack Library School, Feb. 28

Here is an image with embedded metadata. Some viewers allow you to see the metadata without opening the file once downloaded. If you download this image and view its properties, depending on your operating system, you should be able to see the photographer (author), the subject (caption) and other information. See end of the blog to find out if you found the right information. On the Mac, open the file in Preview and select Show Inspector. 2008-5708_WhaleMove.jpgThree cheers for embedded metadata
Lynda Schmitz Fuhrig writes: “I love metadata because it makes my professional life as a digital archivist, as well as my personal life, easier. Of course, creating and embedding it also requires time and effort. As a case in point, Mike Ashenfelder from the Library of Congress has written about how challenging the process of adding metadata to digital photos can be. Files from only a few years ago can become forgotten or obsolete, and image information is often lost as many digital items end up having multiple lives.”...
The Bigger Picture, Feb. 28; The Signal: Digital Preservation, Oct. 11, 2011

LC announces RDA implementation date
Beacher Wiggins writes: “Because the Library of Congress has such a large contingent of staff to be trained to apply RDA, we have determined that we will need sufficient lead time to get everyone trained. To set the training plan in motion, we needed to determine a target RDA Implementation Day One. As will be seen in the attached plan (PDF file), we have determined that date to be March 31, 2013.”...
Library of Congress, Feb. 27

Notes on RDA workflows
James Hennelly writes: “RDA Toolkit’s workflow feature is intended to be used for creating workflows, obviously, but also for creating and storing any type of in-house work document. A workflow document might actually be a cheat sheet, a set of instruction interpretations or guidelines, or training materials. The workflow editor is really a blank sheet and can be used to serve any purpose you can imagine for it.”...
RDA Toolkit blog, Feb. 27

Most Helpful Student certificate from Certificate Street24 sites for certificates, awards, and coupons
Julie Greller writes: “We all love to be recognized. After all, who doesn’t like being told they are wonderful? Students respond to the reward system, and with so many templates and online creation tools, you should have no problem finding the perfect coupon or certificate.”...
A Media Specialist’s Guide to the Internet, Feb. 24

Kwiqpoll logo11 web-based survey tools
Richard Byrne writes: “On February 27, I wrote a short post about Kwiqpoll. After that post was published I got a few requests for suggestions about other web-based polling and survey tools. Here are 11 other ways you can conduct polls and surveys online.”...
Free Technology for Teachers, Feb. 27–28

TRAC logoNew terrorism research resource
The Beacham Group has created Terrorism Research and Analysis Consortium (TRAC), a comprehensive research resource for faculty, scholars, students, government and defense professionals, and the general public. TRAC provides researchers in the fields of terrorism studies, political science, international relations, sociology, criminal justice, philosophy, and history with content that enables intellectual clarity on a highly complex topic....
Terrorism Research and Analysis Consortium, Feb. 27

Easy-to-read drug information
Barbara Bibel writes: “Those of us who work in public libraries sometimes deal with substance abuse issues among patrons. The issues unfortunately often go hand-in-hand with literacy problems. For those who need information at a lower reading level, the National Institute of Drug Abuse has launched a new website called Easy-to-Read Drug Facts. It offers information about drugs, drug abuse and addiction, rehabilitation, the effects of drugs, and drug abuse prevention.”...
Booklist Online: Points of Reference, Feb. 28

An 1862 Japanese print of an actor in the role of warrior Asahina Kobayashi of the Kamakura period (late 12th to early 14th century). From the World Digital LibraryOne-stop site for cultural treasures
Stacie Moats writes: “Imagine giving your students free, unlimited access to treasures from cultural institutions from around the world. Perhaps your students would examine an ancient manuscript up close for small but important details. Afterward, they might learn more about its significance from an expert. Such experiences are now available through the World Digital Library. Primary sources are provided in their original languages, while information about them is available in seven languages.”...
Library of Congress: Teaching with the Library of Congress, Feb. 23

Wolfram Alpha search box10 amazing uses for Wolfram Alpha
Chris Hoffman writes: “You may have heard of Wolfram Alpha, a ‘computational knowledge engine.’ That makes it sound a bit scary, but it’s a great tool once you can wrap your head around it. Apple’s Siri uses Wolfram Alpha for 25% of its searches. You can leverage that magic and put Wolfram Alpha to work for you—the empty search box on its homepage holds endless possibilities.”...
How-To Geek, Feb. 29

Endangered Species Day logoEndangered Species Day, May 18
Endangered Species Day, created by the US Senate in 2006, is an opportunity for everyone to learn about the importance of protecting endangered species and steps people can take to help protect our nation’s disappearing wildlife. Held the third Friday in May, libraries can celebrate by making a reading list, creating an exhibit, or hosting a book reading. The Endangered Species Coalition has a toolkit available....
Endangered Species Coalition

Peter Rotsaert and Vico De Vocht examine a digital version of a silent film at the Brussels CinematekThe challenges of film preservation, analog and digital
David Bordwell writes: “In 1978, builders discovered a cache of 507 reels of early films in Dawson City, Yukon. Whatever the merits of these films, discoveries like these are signs of hope. Who knows how much more of our film heritage remains to be rediscovered? But today such a task is much harder. Soon most of the films we make and show will not exist on photochemical stock. They’ll be digital files, and they need to be kept securely. It seems likely that digital projection has, in unintended and unexpected ways, put the history of film in jeopardy.”...
Observations on Film Art, Feb. 13

The Librarian Song from the Red Green ShowThe Librarian Song from The Red Green Show
Harold (Patrick McKenna) and Red (Steve Smith) sing a campfire song (0:44) about librarians on Season 7 (1997) of the Canadian Red Green Show. “Love is hard to read, and librarians are often fickle / I returned her home 10 minutes late: She had the nerve to fine me a nickel.”...
YouTube, Oct. 18, 2011

Go back to the Top

ALA Publishing Logo


Sign up to receive AL Direct every Wednesday here.
American Libraries Magazine, 50 East Huron Street, Chicago, IL 60611