Daily life for librarians in Iraq
Leonard Kniffel writes: “Although it’s almost a year since the war officially ended, the struggle has just begun to rebuild Iraq’s cultural and educational institutions. Located across the road from the main headquarters of the Iraqi army, the Iraq National Library and Archives and its 490 employees have been particularly vulnerable to insurgent attacks, which have increased steadily in 2012. ‘We forgot a long time ago what situation constitutes normal and what situation does not,’ said Director Saad Eskander, who maintains that the library is the only national institution that is always willing to assist, unconditionally, other educational or cultural organizations.”...
American Libraries feature

New Americans and the digital literacy gap
While major urban centers have always drawn new immigrants, there are many pockets of new Americans now living in mid-size US cities due to job opportunities and proximity to families and former neighbors. Some come to the US without significant digital literacy skills, and local libraries take up the challenge to help them meet their online needs. Here are two library systems, one in Idaho and one in Minnesota, that have found innovative ways to provide resources to these unique groups....
American Libraries feature

Dispatches from the Field: Social media?
David Lee King writes: “Are efforts to use social media worth it? Indeed, they are. I see many reasons for libraries (or practically any other organization) to use these tools. Using social media tools through the acts of friending and following gives your organization direct access to customers. This is huge. If people choose to follow you, it’s because they like your organization and want to stay updated. Your library needs to follow through by providing interesting information.”...
American Libraries column, Nov./Dec.

Patrons design library cards for San Francisco Public Library
San Francisco Public Library announced the five winners of its Library Card Design Contest on November 8. Between September 4 and October 5, the library received more than 3,500 submissions, which were then winnowed down by a panel of guest judges on October 12. The five winning designs will be featured on new San Francisco library cards issued in 2013....
American Libraries photoessay

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ALA releases Ebook Media and Communications Toolkit
Across the country, libraries find themselves unable to provide the reading and educational materials demanded by their patrons as several large publishers continue to deny libraries access to their ebooks. To assist libraries in informing the public about ebook lending practices, ALA has released the ALA Ebook Media and Communications Toolkit, a set of materials that will support librarians in taking action in their communities. The toolkit was developed by the ALA Digital Content and Libraries Working Group....
Office for Information Technology Policy, Nov. 27; Transforming Libraries

Caroline Kennedy joins the conversation at Midwinter
Bestselling author Caroline Kennedy (right), vice chair of the New York City Fund for Public Schools from 2002 to 2012, will engage in conversation with ALA President-elect Barbara Stripling on January 27, during the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle. Renowned for continuing the strong Kennedy family tradition of public service, she is a serious advocate for reading, literacy, and libraries, as shown by her upcoming participation as 2013 Honorary Chair of National Library Week, to be celebrated April 14–20....
Conference Services, Nov. 26

Midwinter explores the promise of community engagement
For libraries of all types, innovation in engaging their communities is a compelling and critical strand of conversation right now. The 2013 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle offers four in-depth, facilitated sessions on community engagement to move the conversation forward by examining the issues, processing the implications, and considering practical steps and strategies. They include sessions with Rich Harwood and Peggy Holman (above), and will offer new tools and ideas that are ready to implement....
Conference Services, Nov. 21

Maker Monday to make Midwinter
Maker Monday debuts on January 28 at the 2013 ALA Midwinter Meeting, offering a day of events and activities to help you get informed and involved in the latest from the makerspace movement and providing a venue for successful programs to share their stories. For more information, search for “Maker Monday” in the Conference Scheduler....
Conference Services, Nov. 27

Résumé review service at Midwinter
The New Members Round Table’s Résumé Review Service Committee is gearing up for its booth at the ALA 2012 Midwinter Meeting in Seattle. It is currently scheduling appointments for individuals to have their résumés reviewed and is also looking for booth greeters and résumé reviewers. To volunteer, fill out either the résumé reviewer form or the booth greeter volunteer form. NMRT hopes to have at least two greeters and four résumé reviewers per shift....
NMRT Notes, Nov. 20

Do you work in a small or rural library?
The Association for Rural and Small Libraries is engaged in an effort to more fully understand the important work of small and rural libraries and learn from people who work in these libraries about their concerns and needs. Take this 15-minute survey to give ARSL some useful feedback....
Association for Rural and Small Libraries

Library Journal envelope, 1880s
Larry Nix writes: “Library Journal began publication in 1876. It was one of several major library history events that occurred in that year, including the establishment of ALA. It was not until 1907 that ALA began publishing its own journal, the ALA Bulletin (now American Libraries). I recently acquired an early envelope mailed by Library Journal (above). Based on the return address and the stamp, it was mailed in the 1880s.”...
Library History Buff Blog, Nov. 28

New edition of keystone reference services text
Designed to complement every introductory library reference course, the new third edition of Reference and Information Services: An Introduction, by Kay Ann Cassell and Uma Hiremath, teaches fail-safe methods for identifying important materials by matching specific types of questions to the best available sources, regardless of format. New material includes chapters on ethics, readers’ advisory, and reference services for children and young adults; website development and maintenance; RSS feeds; social networking; and delivering reference services across multiple platforms....
ALA Neal-Schuman, Nov. 27

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Hendrix Hits London
The EMP Museum (formerly known as Experience Music Project and Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame), located at 325 5th Avenue N at Seattle Center, has opened a new exhibit on Jimi Hendrix, “Hear My Train a Comin’: Hendrix Hits London.” Featuring handwritten lyrics, personal instruments, original photographs, outrageous outfits, and rare concert footage, the exhibit celebrates Hendrix’s 70th birthday. Other exhibits include the Rolling Stones, black leather jackets, and icons of science fiction. EMP is housed in a 140,000-square-foot building designed by Frank O. Gehry....
EMP Museum

Tour the Seattle Public Library
The Seattle Central Library is such an architectural wonder that it is one of the city’s highlights. When the building opened in 2004, its design created a rift among many locals, who either loved it or hated it. Indeed, there wasn’t much of a middle ground with this giant glass cube and its diamond-patterned steel girders and strange angles. Regardless of your reaction to architect Rem Koolhaas’s design, you can’t help but notice that this library abounds with natural light. The library offers group tours and self-guided cellphone tours....
Frommer’s; Seattle Public Library

Books set in Seattle
Goodreads offers a list of novels and other books set in the Emerald City. At the top of the list is the ubiquitous Fifty Shades of Grey by British author E. L. James, who visited Seattle for the first time only in September. But there are 166 other books reviewed, among them Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet (Ballantine, 2009) by Jamie Ford, who writes about the Japanese artifacts found in an old, boarded-up hotel....
Goodreads; Seattle Times, Sept. 16

Seattle’s best sandwich joints
Hanna Raskin writes: “Across Seattle, there are a number of restaurants dishing up satisfying versions of meat and cheese on bread. Here is a guide to our 10 favorite local sandwich spots. Salumi and Paseo both made the list: We don’t deduct points for popularity. Still, we’re just as excited about the other eight restaurants, including our first-place finisher, Matt Lewis’s roving food truck, Where Ya At Matt?”...
Seattle Weekly, July 16

Academic libraries and research data services
ACRL has released a new research report, Academic Libraries and Research Data Services: Current Practices and Plans for the Future by Carol Tenopir, Ben Birch, and Suzie Allard, to provide a baseline assessment of the current state of and future plans for research data services in academic libraries. The full report (PDF file) is freely available in the publications section of the ACRL website....
ACRL Insider, Nov. 26

Learn how to lead, publish, and teach with ALCTS
Do you really know what opportunities there are to be involved in your association? Ever thought about publishing some of your ideas or how to be a webinar presenter? Find out at the ALCTS Forum on January 28 during the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle. Contact ALCTS Publications Committee Chair M. Dina Giambi for more information....
ALCTS, Nov. 26

Enhanced, interactive Public Libraries Online launches
PLA has completely revamped Public Libraries Online, the digital companion to the bimonthly print publication Public Libraries. With a lineup of more than 30 contributors, the site features selections from the print magazine as well as unique content such as op-ed pieces, ebook reviews, and author interviews. It also allows online interaction through comments and social media sharing....
PLA, Nov. 21

Stay tuned for the gift of Nancy Pearl
The third annual PLA webinar, “Nancy Pearl Presents: Books That Make Great Gifts,” offered exclusively for PLA members, will take place December 5. It will feature readers’ advisory ideas that you can use and share with patrons. Pearl will offer her recommendations of books for adults with some teen reads included and provide a downloadable handout for easy sharing with patrons. Register for this free webinar by December 3....
PLA, Nov. 21

Take a survey to advance digital literacy efforts
PLA seeks insight and feedback from library professionals and community educators through a brief survey to identify teaching practices and top resources for digital literacy learning. Responses will help inform the development of the division’s Digital Learning Center, an online collection of digital literacy resources for libraries, patrons, and community-based organizations. The beta version will launch at the 2013 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle. The initiative is sponsored by a grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services....
PLA, Nov. 21

Presenters sought for ACRL workshop
Applications are being accepted from prospective new presenters for the April 10 workshop, “Planning, Assessing, and Communicating Library Impact: Putting the Standards for Libraries in Higher Education into Action,” which will precede the ACRL National Conference, April 10–13, in Indianapolis. ACRL seeks to expand its pool of presenters by recruiting experienced individuals in academic and research librarianship. Apply by December 14....
ACRL, Nov. 27

Make the most of professional learning communities
The new Knowledge Quest webinar, “Making the Most of Professional Learning Communities,” hosted by AASL, will examine the variety of roles school librarians play as members of professional learning communities. Registration for the December 12 webinar is open to AASL members and eCOLLAB subscribers....
AASL, Nov. 27

Experience “The Power of Data”
The archive of the recent webinar, “The Power of Data,” is now available as a part of AASL’s professional development repository, eCOLLAB. Presenter Sandra Andrews (right) explores the types of data available to school librarians and how it can help in making decisions at the school level. She also explores how to use local, state, and national datasets to support advocacy and communicate your program’s needs and successes. Register to access the archive....
AASL, Nov. 27

Learn how to reach reluctant readers
Reaching those who don’t have an interest in reading is a challenge for any library staffer. Join Heather Gruenthal, librarian at Western High School in Huntington, California, and past member of YALSA’s Quick Picks for Reluctant Readers committee, on December 13 for a webinar discussion on “Reaching Reluctant Readers.” Registration is open....
YALSA, Nov. 27

What does a YA librarian do?
Do you work in teen library services? Show everyone what you do by adding a pin to YALSA’s Pinterest board. For example: “YA Librarians bring people together to talk about great books. Teens can join book clubs in person or electronically and share their love for reading with other like-minded folk.”...
YALSA

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Hold a mock election
Dan Rude writes: “Why not celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Caldecott Medal with a mock election program? Mock elections can help foster a child’s appreciation of fine art and heighten awareness of past Caldecott Medalists and their works. Right now, ALSC is offering a free archived webinar on the nuts and bolts of mock election programming to anyone who purchases the Newbery and Caldecott Mock Elections Tool Kit digital download.”...
ALSC Blog, Nov. 26

Hawaiian libraries receive technology award
The Electronic Services Support Section of the Hawaii State Public Library System has earned the first State of Hawaii Excellence in Technology Award in the category of improving state operations. The honor was bestowed on HSPLS Chief Technology Officer Paola Saibene and her ESSS staff for their contributions to the libraries and the people of Hawaii....
Hawaii State Public Library System, Nov. 19

William Hill Sports Book of the Year
An explosive exposé of the hidden world of the Tour de France has won the William Hill Sports Book of the Year award for 2012. The Secret Race, by former US Olympic gold medalist Tyler Hamilton and ghostwriter Daniel Coyle, is an indictment of the doping, double-dealing, and cover-ups surrounding cyclist Lance Armstrong, Tyler’s one-time teammate on the US Postal Service cycling crew. Hamilton and Coyle were awarded the £24,000 ($38,465 US) prize in London on November 26....
Foyles, Nov. 27

2012 Irish Book Awards
The winners of this year’s Irish Book Awards were announced at a grand ceremony at the Royal Dublin Society on November 22. The Eason Irish Novel of the Year Award went to Ancient Light (Viking) by John Banville. Eoin Colfer’s Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian (Puffin) was selected for the Specsavers Irish Children’s Book of the Year for seniors; for juniors, the winner was Oliver Jeffers’s This Moose Belongs to Me (HarperCollins)....
Bord Gáis Energy Irish Book Awards, Nov. 23

2012 Royal Society Winton Prize
James Gleick’s The Information (Fourth Estate) has been named the winner of the 2012 Royal Society Winton Prize for Science Books. The £10,000 ($16,045 US) prize, now in its 25th year, is the world’s leading award for popular science books. The Information tells the story of information and how humanity uses, transmits, and stores it. The announcement was made at the headquarters of the Royal Society in London on November 26....
Royal Society, Nov. 26

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Despite ruin, Queens library offers books, community
Vivian Yee writes: “The Rockaways still look like ghost towns. But the community libraries are there—if only in the form of a bus, parked in front of the gutted, muddy Peninsula branch. Days after Superstorm Sandy laid waste to four Queens Borough (N.Y.) Public Library branches in the Rockaways, a colorful mobile library bus has hummed just outside its former location on Rockaway Beach Boulevard, offering warmth, power outlets, emergency information, and books.” For Sandy relief efforts, visit: New York Library Association, New Jersey Library Association, Urban Librarians Unite, Suffolk Cooperative Library System, KidLit Cares, and the Greater Sayville Chamber of Commerce....
New York Times, Nov. 25

Five Brooklyn branches still closed, post-Sandy
Five Brooklyn libraries severely damaged by Sandy are still shuttered nearly a month after the storm and will cost an estimated $10 million to get back up and running. That includes massive structural repairs and replacing 75,852 books, magazines, and DVDs that were ruined by flood waters. The most seriously affected branches are Gerritsen Beach and Coney Island (above), which will likely remain closed for months and will need new electrical systems, doors, chairs, shelves, and computers....
New York Daily News, Nov. 26

New Jersey State Library and EBSCO offer help with Sandy repairs
New Jersey residents and businesses affected by Hurricane Sandy can now access EBSCO Publishing’s Home Improvement Reference Center, a resource providing detailed, user-friendly “how-to” information about home improvements and repairs. This valuable online resource will be available for use in libraries, or remotely using a library card, to assist home and business owners as they rebuild. It will ensure that those making their own repairs or who are faced with clean-up or do-it-yourself renovations have the knowledge to handle these tasks....
New Jersey State Library, Nov. 28

Library’s “Beat It” parody removed from YouTube
Local teens who frequent Lansdowne (Pa.) Public Library were hoping to inspire other young people to hit the books, both printed and electronic, when they produced “Read It,” a light-hearted parody of a Michael Jackson tune. But on November 19, three days after the video debuted at the dedication of the library’s Ronnie Hawkins Resource Room, they found their three-minute takeoff on Jackson’s 1983 hit “Beat It” had been blocked by Sony/ATV Music Publishing from appearing on YouTube. (It is still viewable through the library’s website.) Watch the response, “Just UN Ban It” (1:33)....
Lansdale (Pa.) Reporter, Nov. 27; YouTube, Nov. 21

Racine director donates Rolling Stones collection
Racine (Wis.) Public Library Director Jessica MacPhail (right) has been collecting materials relating to the Rolling Stones since she was 11 years old. This year, as the iconic British rock band celebrates 50 years of recording and touring, MacPhail paid tribute to them by donating her extensive collection to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame archives in Cleveland. She made the road trip to Cleveland on November 16, toting 46 boxes of print materials, including books, newspapers, magazines, clippings, and photocopies....
Racine (Wis.) Journal Times, Nov. 23

Detroit debates renewing director’s contract
One day after the FBI raided their offices, some Detroit Public Library officials want to extend their director’s contract. Commissioners emerged from a two-hour closed session November 21 and read a statement saying they are cooperating with federal investigators looking into allegations the system’s chief administrative officer, Tim Cromer, accepted kickbacks from contractors. However, the motion to approve a new one-year contract with Executive Director Jo Anne Mondowney failed by a 3–3 vote, with one absence....
Detroit News, Nov. 22; Detroit Free Press, Nov. 22

KU showcases historic black photography
The University of Kansas is making a historic collection of images showcasing African-American life available online. The collection, compiled from the work of African-American photographer Leon K. Hughes, is called “African-American Life in Wichita, Kansas” and features photos of the city’s black community life from the late 1940s to the 1970s. Hughes and his wife Rose (above) began a home-based photography business in 1946 for which he captured photos for the next three decades....
theGrio, Nov. 21

Indianapolis library partners with the Colts
The Indianapolis Colts have partnered with the Indianapolis Public Library to help promote library card use. The “Coltstrong, Librarystrong” campaign seeks to increase awareness about the many ways a library card can be used to take advantage of the free resources of the public library. Colts quarterback Andrew Luck and tight end Dwayne Allen are spokesmen for the campaign....
Indianapolis Public Library, Nov. 25

Rochester library appears on Ghost Hunters
Cameras at the Central Library in downtown Rochester, New York, have caught an auditorium door opening and closing repeatedly with no mechanical explanation. Staff have reported elevators moving on their own and “creepy figures” playing hide-and-seek. A crew from the Syfy channel’s Ghost Hunters came to investigate, and their report, “Due Date with Death,” airs the evening of November 28. Watch the preview (1:51)....
Rochester (N.Y.) Democrat and Chronicle, Nov. 22

Auckland librarian sheds light on mystery Pacific island
The mystery of a disappearing island in the South Pacific may have been solved by a curious librarian at the Auckland (N.Z.) Museum. Until November, Sandy Island was believed to sit between Australia and New Caledonia in the South Pacific, plotted on Google Earth and world maps. But when a team of Australian scientists sailed past the island’s location on a research trip, the island was nowhere to be seen. Intrigued by the mystery, the museum’s pictorial librarian Shaun Higgins found a 1908 chart that shows the island....
Stuff.co.nz, Nov. 22, 26; Auckland Museum Blog, Nov. 23

Nicaragua’s first lending library
The San Juan del Sur Biblioteca, Nicaragua’s first lending library, celebrated its 11th anniversary on November 17. All 18 board members of ANIBIPA (the Nicaraguan Library Association) attended the anniversary event. The Hester J. Hodgdon Libraries for All Program, a US nonprofit organization, funds the library and related programs, including a Library in a Box program to help other communities start lending libraries....
Nicaragua Dispatch, Nov. 14, 22

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ALA Midwinter Meeting, Seattle, January 25–29. Don’t miss early bird rates, ending at midnight on Sunday, December 2. Register and look forward to thought leaders and authors like Caroline Kennedy and Steven Johnson, 350+ exhibitors, the latest on policy and technology, the ALA Masters series of speakers, Maker Monday, Youth Media Awards, 200+ discussion groups, and myriad opportunities to connect.

Eye on the Prize: Montgomery Bus Boycott Changes History Public Libraries Tackle Drug Prevention Great Albums: Paul Simon's Controversial 'Graceland' Introduces the West to South African Music Wendelin Van Draanen: 'It opens up this whole world to you that you weren't expecting' (video) Race to the Middle: U.S. 'C' Students When Compared to Rest of World Join Us on Facebook Subscribe to our Newsletter

What should children read?
Sara Mosle writes: “The Common Core State Standards, a set of national benchmarks, won’t take effect until 2014, but many public school systems have begun adjusting their curricula to satisfy the new mandates. The now contentious guidelines prescribe a strong dose of nonfiction, specifying that by 4th grade, students devote half of their reading time in class to historical documents, scientific tracts, maps, and other informational texts—like recipes and train schedules. Alarmed English teachers worry that we are about to toss Shakespeare.”...
New York Times: Opinionator, Nov. 22

Former OED editor quietly deleted thousands of words
An eminent former editor of the Oxford English Dictionary covertly deleted thousands of words because of their foreign origins and bizarrely blamed previous editors. The claims appear in a book, Words of the World, written by Sarah Ogilvie, a linguist, lexicographer, and former editor for the OED, who uncovered Robert Burchfield’s (right) efforts to rewrite the dictionary. The OED is now reevaluating words expunged by Burchfield, who died in 2004, aged 81....
The Guardian (UK), Nov. 26

Picture book covers
Leonard S. Marcus writes: “A recent conversation about the current state of the picture book soon came around to the subject of book jackets. A senior art director in the group noted mournfully that as jacket designs have increasingly become the province of sales and marketing teams, covers have grown less representative of the books they trumpet. The disconnect can take different forms.”...
The Horn Book, Nov. 28

Encyclopedia of Fantasy goes online
Annalee Newitz writes: “Whether you’ve got a question about the literary history of the fantasy genre, or just want to know when a particular Godzilla movie was released, The Encyclopedia of Fantasy will be there for you. Written by John Clute and John Grant, it’s a compendium of information far more detailed and knowledgeable than what you’ll often find on Wikipedia. Plus, it’s free and searchable online, joining its companion volume, The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction by John Clute and Peter Nicholls.”...
io9, Nov. 26

All I learned about surviving Sandy was from post-apocalyptic novels
Sarah Debraski writes: “On October 29 Hurricane Sandy blew through my state, New Jersey, wreaking havoc as she went. The days that followed were so strange that I found myself saying many times to my husband, ‘Thank goodness I read all those post-apocalyptic novels: I know just what to do!’ And so here you have my survival guide to our post-hurricane days, as learned from post-apocalyptic YA fiction.”...
YALSA The Hub, Nov. 21

Good reads for holiday shoppers
Kate McNair provides some reading suggestions for those who are waiting in line to buy new gadgets, but these books could also make useful second gifts to accompany that electronic must-have for young Jane or Johnny. Here are her recommendations for readers who want a new camera, the newest video game, a new laptop, the best phone, or a bigger television....
YALSA The Hub, Nov. 23

Book vending machines
Nate Pedersen writes: “Earlier in November, the Monkey’s Paw antiquarian bookshop in Toronto unveiled the Biblio-Mat, a gorgeous vending machine containing antiquarian books. Watch the video (1:35). While it’s nice to see a book vending machine in action again, some readers may recall that book vending machines have been around since the 1940s. Here is an excellent photograph from Life magazine in 1949 (above) depicting the Book-o-Mat. Check out this great Pinterest board by Suzi Holler for more images of book vending machines, some in use by libraries.”...
Fine Books Blog, Nov. 26; Vimeo, Nov. 18

Legends of the Library Ninjas
Sheila Webber writes: “Heidi Blackburn, undergraduate services librarian at Kansas State University–Salina; Kate Wise, associate librarian at Kansas Wesleyan University; and KSU–Salina student Greg Charland have produced an open-access short graphic novel, Legends of the Library Ninjas: A Quest for Knowledge. It shows a couple of students being helped by the ninjas to find their way around the library and get information. A more straightforward reference section (with information on Dewey, Boolean, etc.) appears at the end.”...
Information Literacy Weblog, Nov. 22

USC’s giant origami fractal
A three-dimensional, modular origami fractal has taken form at the University of Southern California Libraries in Los Angeles. Led by the libraries’ Discovery Fellow Margaret Wertheim, USC students, faculty, staff, students from nearby middle schools, and other volunteers built the level-three Mosely Snowflake Fractal out of 49,000 folded business cards. The final object measures roughly six cubic feet, weighs more than 120 pounds, and resembles—at some angles—a giant snowflake....
Boing Boing, Nov. 20

It’s tenure and promotion season
Melissa Bowles-Terry writes: “At many colleges and universities it’s tenure and promotion season, when major decisions are made about continuing employment and promotions for faculty members. Academic libraries contribute to faculty teaching and research, two of the major categories on which faculty are generally evaluated for decisions about tenure and promotion. How can libraries and librarians support the review process and thus demonstrate library value?”...
ACRL Value of Academic Libraries, Nov. 26

Managing high-potential employees in libraries
Stephen Abram writes: “Some libraries are challenged with managing high-profile or high-potential employees. Usually, the library system garners praise for their efforts: successful, leading, innovative initiatives that the employees communicate broadly. These people are the canary in the mine of the library future. Sadly, in the last year, many of our best and brightest have been unable to achieve success with their current employer, usually because they’ve had their wings clipped for all the wrong reasons.”...
Stephen’s Lighthouse, Nov. 28

Interviews with music legends on LC website
Record-label president Joe Smith (right) interviewed more than 225 celebrated singers, musicians, and industry leaders in 1986–1988 in an effort to document the oral history of popular music. In June, Smith donated his recordings to the Library of Congress—a tremendous assembly of primary-source oral histories. LC is making a series of these revealing, unedited recordings available for listening free to the public on its website. These include interviews with Tony Bennett, Paul McCartney, Yoko Ono, Ray Charles, B. B. King, Bo Diddley, and Linda Ronstadt....
Library of Congress, Nov. 28

QSView: Instant Google Street View
Phil Bradley writes: “If you want to see a location quickly and don’t want to spend ages finding it using the Google map function, try out QSView - Instant Google Street View, which does the job for you. Simply start typing in the address and the street view will pop up fairly quickly. You can then view the location as per Google street view. Nothing particularly exciting about it, but it may save you some time, which is always a good thing.”...
Phil Bradley’s Weblog, Nov. 22

Teacher’s guide to creating personal learning networks
Med Kharbach writes: “As social media becomes more and more predominant as platforms of connection and collaboration, the need to create and maintain a PLN (personal / professional learning network) becomes more pressing. As educators we are expected to be on top of the latest trends, and to know the web tools that our students use and the new ones we can use with them in the future. It is at times like these that you can call upon your PLN.”...
Educational Technology and Mobile Learning, Nov.

200+ free video lessons, apps, and ebooks for K–12
Richard Byrne writes: “The Open Culture blog has launched a new collection of more than 200 free video lessons, apps, ebooks, and websites for K–12 students and teachers. The collection includes some of the usual suspects like Khan Academy, the Library of Congress, and NASA. It also includes some items that were new to me like this Shakespeare app and this Google Earth for science teachers resource.”...
Free Technology for Teachers, Nov. 26

What do you want from your Facebook Page?
David Lee King writes: “Why try to get more Facebook fans in the first place? Another way to ask that is, what exactly do you want from a Facebook Page? Here’s a list of five things libraries might want out of a Facebook Page. They are a happy convergence of stuff Facebook is good at and stuff that libraries (and other organizations) might find useful, too. See what you think.”...
David Lee King, Nov. 28

Dos and don’ts of Instagram
Meredith Popolo writes: “While there are no steadfast rules about using Instagram, there are some dos and don’ts that will make you a more effective and less annoying Instagrammer. If you’re trying to amass a strong following or even just get along with other IGers, though, you’ll want to read through these unofficial guidelines governing Instagram etiquette.”...
PC Magazine, Nov. 27

10 ways to market your library with Foursquare
Ellyssa Kroski writes: “Brian Honigman at the Social Media Examiner offers an excellent list of ‘10 Ways to Market Your Business with Foursquare,’ all of which could be easily adapted to libraries. I can see the tip about enhancing your events being especially effective for libraries, which could create locations for their special events that everyone could check into.”...
iLibrarian, Nov. 24; Social Media Examiner, Nov. 8

When biology and woodblocks collide
Katherine Harmon writes: “S. Blair Hedges, professor of biology at Penn State, found himself in the unlikely world of centuries-old European woodblock print art. There, he discovered that many of the small imperfections in the prints could be identified and traced back to specific species of insects that had burrowed through the surface of the original woodblock before the print was made. By matching the hole dimensions to the time and locations in which these prints were made, Hedges assembled a historic record of wood-boring beetle distribution across Europe.”...
Huffington Post, Nov. 23; Biology Letters 9, no. 1 (Feb. 23, 2013)

Top 10 guidelines for digital citizenship
Doug Johnson writes: “A librarian from Hawaii has been charged by her administration to create a post of the Top 10 Guidelines for Digital Citizenship. Since I am sucker for both top 10 lists and a long-time crusader for teaching kids digital citizenship, I couldn’t resist.”...
Blue Skunk Blog, Nov. 27; Doug Johnson, July 13, 2007

Josh Hanagarne, the World’s Strongest Librarian
A new book tells the story of how a Mormon kid with Tourette’s found salvation in books and weight-lifting. Josh Hanagarne (right) couldn’t be invisible if he tried. By the time he was 20, he had reached his towering adult height of 6' 7" when his Tourette’s tics escalated to nightmarish levels. Today, Josh is a librarian in the main branch of Salt Lake City’s public library and founder of a popular blog about books and weightlifting. His book, The World’s Strongest Librarian (Gotham Books), illuminates the mysteries of this little-understood disorder. Watch the book trailer (3:23)....
YouTube, Nov. 21

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