Public library users want both books and technology
A new report by the Pew Research Center indicates that free access to technology in public libraries is as important to Americans as printed books and reference services. “Library Services in the Digital Age” (PDF file), released January 22 by the center’s Pew Internet and American Life Project, showed that 80% of the 2,252 interviewees said borrowing books and consulting reference librarians were “very important” library services, while 77% gave free access to computers and the internet the same rating. ALA President Maureen Sullivan welcomed the report’s findings....
American Libraries news, Jan. 22; Public Information Office, Jan. 22

University app provides tour of black history
Megan Cottrell writes: “Student Tova Williams (right) can hold history in her hands, thanks to an app developed by North Carolina State University Libraries in Raleigh. The Red, White, and Black app allows Williams to tour campus with an eye on the history of African Americans at NCSU. Where she used to see just another building, she now sees the struggles and victories of those who have come before.”...
American Libraries feature

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Sullivan appointed interim dean at Simmons
ALA President Maureen Sullivan has been named interim dean of the Simmons College Graduate School for Library and Information Science, effective January 2. Sullivan has been a professor of practice in the GSLIS doctoral program since 2006. As interim dean, Sullivan will be responsible for managing the school’s budget, suggesting faculty appointments, and recommending and implementing curriculum offerings....
Simmons GSLIS News, Jan. 17

What’s happening: A pre-Midwinter update (PDF file)
A handy guide to hot topics, locations, phone numbers, socials, participatory learning, member initiative groups, the placement center, exhibits, upcoming events, and getting around Seattle....
ALA Connect, Jan. 18

Interact in the Networking Uncommons
Make the connections you want in the Networking Uncommons space at the 2013 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle. It’s a dedicated area where you can gather in small groups to have a quick meeting, hold impromptu sessions, or polish your presentation. New this year are interactive spaces that include a graffiti wall, a storytelling wall, an idea exchange, and secret level-up missions tailor-made to level you up personally and professionally. The Uncommons is in the Convention Center and runs January 25–28....
Networking Uncommons, Jan. 17

Sweater Vest Sunday
The hundreds of challenges to library materials reported to the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom represent only a small fraction of the total number of challenges made every year. As part of its campaign to encourage the reporting of challenges to library materials, OIF has designated January 27 as “Sweater Vest Sunday.” In Seattle, you can stop by the ALA Membership Pavilion to pick up a campaign sticker and pose for a group photo. Those attending virtually can join the Sweater Vest Sunday Facebook event or spread the word on Twitter....
Librarian Wardrobe, Jan. 16; OIF Blog, Jan. 16

Choice Reviews Online, version 3
For almost 50 years, Choice has been the premier source of academic book reviews in higher education. Now, Choice presents the latest version of its acclaimed electronic platform, Choice Reviews Online: CRO3. Current CRO2 subscribers will have full access to CRO3 in February and will be receiving instructions on making the switch. CRO3 introduces many new features, including a state-of-the-art HighWire Press platform and many major updates and improvements....
ACRL, Jan. 22

A nitty-gritty guide to social media
The vast array of social media options presents a challenge: It’s tough to keep current, let alone formulate a plan for using these tools effectively. Laura Solomon, a librarian with extensive experience in web development, design, and technology, cuts to the chase with The Librarian’s Nitty-Gritty Guide to Social Media, published by ALA Editions. Her guide lays out a straightforward and pragmatic approach to using social media in any kind of library....
ALA Editions, Jan. 17

The future of academic and public libraries
Academic and public libraries are much different today than they were even 15 years ago. With even bigger changes on the horizon, what lies in store? Reflecting on the Future of Academic and Public Libraries, published by ALA Editions, offers ideas to academic and public librarians about the future of library services. Editors Peter Hernon and Joseph R. Matthews invite a raft of contributors to step back and envision the type of future library that will generate excitement and enthusiasm among users and stakeholders....
ALA Editions, Jan. 18

Web service APIs and libraries
Application Programming Interfaces are software tools that help different programs work together. Web Service APIs and Libraries, published by ALA Editions, shows how to enhance an institution’s presence on the web using a variety of handy, popular programs. Focusing on widely adopted tools that all have immediate, useful applications, User Experience Librarian Jason Paul Michel demonstrates how to integrate APIs into existing library websites as well as use them to launch new kinds of services....
ALA Editions, Jan. 18

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Greening your trip
Beth Filar Williams writes: “Heading to Seattle for ALA Midwinter this week? The Seattle Convention Center is actually LEED certified silver. Of course, by traveling to the conference you and I are already being unsustainable. But what else can be done to be greener or more sustainable to and from and while in Seattle? Here are some tips.”...
Going Green @ your library, Jan. 23

Pioneer Square
Pioneer Square, Seattle’s historic district, is at the southern end of downtown Seattle. Some 20 square blocks that make up Pioneer Square boast beautifully restored buildings designed in the Second Renaissance Revival, Beaux-Arts classical, and Richardsonian Romanesque styles. Highlights include admiring the century-old pergola (right) in Pioneer Square Park, catching views of Puget Sound and the Olympic Mountains from the Washington Street Boat Landing, challenging a friend to a game of bocce in Occidental Park, or enjoying a peaceful lunch at the UPS Waterfall Garden Park....
Seattle Convention and Visitor’s Bureau

Wing Luke Museum
The Wing Luke Museum of the Asian Pacific American Experience at 719 South King Street is dedicated to immersing visitors in uniquely American stories of survival, success, struggle, conflict, compassion, and hope. The museum is in the heart of the vibrant Chinatown-International District, and includes the very hotel where countless immigrants first found a home, a meal, and refuge. Current exhibitions include Asian-American fashion designers and homelessness in the Asian-American community....
Wing Luke Museum

Seattle’s new showrooms
Catherine M. Allchin writes: “A century ago, Seattle’s original Auto Row was home to chandeliered showrooms, which became all but forgotten after car dealers moved to the suburbs. In the last decade, preservation-minded developers transformed many of those automotive buildings into offices, apartments, and shops, restoring original windows, old-growth beams, and wood floors. Today the Pike-Pine Corridor is the epicenter of the popular Capitol Hill neighborhood, claiming some of the best restaurants, nightclubs, and vinyl record stores in the city.”...
New York Times, Jan. 20

Top 10 wine bars
Voracious writes: “Wine bars have a bad reputation. Wine should be drunk with food, not scholastically swirled, sniffed, and sipped. But there is a spate of contradicting evidence in Seattle. The following bars aren’t kitschy or stuffy or boring: They are actually pretty good venues in which to enjoy wine. As always, the finalists are presented in no particular order.”...
Seattle Weekly, Jan. 21

10 best Vietnamese restaurants
Hanna Raskin writes: “There is so much more to Vietnamese cuisine than beef broth and noodles, as a meal at any of our 10 favorite Vietnamese restaurants makes clear. Although many of these excellent restaurants serve pho, a number of them are equally skilled at spring rolls, grilled meats, bun and crepes, among other non-pho offerings worth putting down your spoon for.” The Tamarind Tree, 1036 South Jackson Street, Suite A, was voted the number 1 spot....
Seattle Weekly, July 2

Restaurant picks from Tasting Table
Seattle knows how to make a quiet impression, despite it too often being overshadowed by its hip neighbor city to the south (Portland). These four new spots prove that this Pacific Northwestern hub knows from good dining and drinking. For example, Dot’s Delicatessen (right), 4262 Fremont Avenue North, where the real draw is the sandwich menu: Grab a smoked-pork sandwich, hooded with melting Gruyère, pickles, and red onions....
Tasting Table: Traveling Table, Sept. 4

Walkable eats at Midwinter
Do you consider yourself a foodie? Then you probably will want to skip the Cheesecake Factory and try out some of these unique Seattle spots for enjoyable conference eats. For example, Blue C Sushi at 1510 7th Avenue is quick, yummy, and close to the convention center....
YALSA Blog, Jan. 21

Try a “No Starbucks” café crawl
Annalisa Pesek writes: “I recommend a 10-minute walk to a few of Seattle’s superlative and nearby-the-Convention-Center cafés, located along the East Pine / East Pike Street corridor in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. Wake up your mind and rejuvenate your ideas with a new colleague on a neighborhood café crawl. Seattle won’t disappoint you with its special brew, and the people have a way of sitting still and looking charmed in their local cafés that you won’t see again after you leave.”...
Library Journal: In the Bookroom, Jan. 21

Sad because you can’t make it to Seattle?
Tweet about it using the hashtag #alaleftbehind....

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Divisions, LC collaborate on personal digital archiving campaign
PLA, ALCTS, and the Library of Congress have joined forces to spread information about personal digital archiving, using public libraries as information resources for local communities. PLA Executive Director Barbara A. Macikas (right) said it will help fulfill the mission of the IMLS-funded Digital Learning Resource project to develop a collection of digital literacy resources that will be accessible to libraries, patrons, and other community-based organizations....
The Signal: Digital Preservation, Jan. 17

Submit your ACRL story video
ACRL is looking for videos about what the association means to its members. To enter the contest, submit a video of no more than one-minute in length that tells how ACRL played a role in your career, your contributions to campus, or your connections. Selected videos will receive one year of free ACRL membership and an invitation to the ACRL 2013 Chair’s Reception held April 11 at the Eiteljorg Museum in Indianapolis. The deadline is February 28....
ACRL, Jan. 18

Assessment in Action
ACRL is seeking applications from all types of higher education institutions for 75 teams to participate in the first cohort of “Assessment in Action: Academic Libraries and Student Success,” made possible by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Librarians will each lead a campus team in developing and implementing an action learning project that examines the impact of the library on student success and contributes to assessment activities on campus. The AiA program, part of ACRL’s Value of Academic Libraries initiative, runs from April 2013 to June 2014. The deadline is March 8....
ACRL, Jan. 18

ACRL e-Learning in 2013
ACRL is offering a wide variety of online learning opportunities in winter 2013 to meet the demands of your schedule and budget. Full details and registration information are available on the ACRL website. Registration for all online courses and webcasts qualifies for the ACRL Frequent Learner Program. Register for three ACRL e-Learning events and receive one free registration. ACRL online courses provide asynchronous, multiweek content delivered through Moodle....
ACRL, Jan. 17

ALSC seeks editor for advocacy website, newsletter
ALSC seeks a member content editor for its upcoming advocacy website and accompanying newsletter. The mission of the new site is to educate youth-services librarians on the importance of advocacy and to provide them with tools to assist in articulating their own value within the library profession and community. Applications are due February 1....
ALSC, Jan. 22

24 librarians chosen for PLA Leadership Academy
Following a review of more than 160 applications, members of the PLA Leadership Development Committee and PLA President Eva Poole chose 24 exceptional PLA Leadership Fellows to attend the upcoming “PLA Leadership Academy: Navigating Change, Building Community,” March 4–8, in Chicago....
PLA, Jan. 18

PLA at Midwinter
At the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, PLA will be hosting several meeting and updates valuable for public library professionals. Some of the highlights include a PLA update, a PLAmetrics user demo, and a Public Libraries Online demonstration session....
PLA, Jan. 18

AASL preconferences at Annual Conference
Preconferences offered by AASL prior to the ALA 2013 Annual Conference are designed to empower school librarians as education leaders in their schools. These half-day workshops will be offered June 28 in Chicago. For more information, visit the AASL website....
AASL, Jan. 22

Explore transliteracy in the school library program
During “Transliteracy and the School Library Program,” the AASL 2012 Fall Forum, school librarians from all over the country met to discuss transliteracy: the ability to read, write, and interact across a range of platforms, tools, and media. Select recordings from this day-and-a-half-long institute are now available in AASL’s professional development repository, eCOLLAB....
AASL, Jan. 22

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Iannuzzi named Academic/Research Librarian of 2013
Patricia Iannuzzi (right), dean of university libraries at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, is the ACRL 2013 Academic/Research Librarian of the Year. The award, sponsored by YBP Library Services, recognizes an outstanding member of the library profession who has made a significant national or international contribution to academic or research librarianship and library development. Iannuzzi will receive the $5,000 award on April 10 during the ACRL 2013 conference in Indianapolis....
ACRL, Jan. 22

Unlimited access to virtual Youth Media Awards
Good news for those who plan to watch the presentation of the ALA Youth Media Awards by streaming video at 8 a.m. Pacific time on January 28, during the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle. There will be no limit on the number of online viewers....
AL: Inside Scoop, Jan. 18

How to host a YMA viewing party
Emily Calkins writes: “With less than a week to go until the Youth Media Awards are announced, it’s time to get serious about your plans for the morning of January 28. If you’re lucky enough to be at Midwinter, you can skip this. If, like me, you can’t make it to Midwinter, don’t worry. You can still celebrate the biggest day of the year in children’s and YA literature. I’ve got you covered. Here are the basic ingredients.”...
YALSA The Hub, Jan. 22

Five libraries honored for cutting-edge services
The ALA Office for Information Technology Policy and LITA have recognized five libraries for offering cutting-edge technologies in library services. Those honored are Boston College High School’s Corcoran Library; Goethe-Institut New York Library with Pratt Institute SILS in New York City; University of Arizona Libraries in Tucson; Orange County (Fla.) Library System in Orlando; and Genesee Valley Educational Partnership School Library System in Le Roy, New York....
Office for Information Technology Policy, Jan. 22

Nominations open for L. Ray Patterson Award
The nomination period is open for the L. Ray Patterson Award, an ALA-sponsored honor that recognizes particular individuals or groups who “embody the spirit of the US Copyright law as voiced by the framers of our Constitution: ‘to advance the knowledge of science and useful arts.’” Send nominations to Carrie Russell; the deadline is February 15....
District Dispatch, Jan. 23

Ex Libris Student Writing Award
LITA is offering an award for the best unpublished manuscript submitted by a student or students enrolled in an ALA-accredited LIS graduate program. Sponsored by LITA and Ex Libris, the award consists of $1,000, publication in LITA’s refereed journal Information Technology and Libraries, and a certificate. The deadline is February 28....
LITA, Jan. 18

2013 Sydney Taylor Book Awards
Linda Glaser and Adam Gustavson, author and illustrator of Hannah’s Way; Louise Borden, author of His Name Was Raoul Wallenberg; and Deborah Heiligman, author of Intentions, are the 2013 winners of the Sydney Taylor Book Awards. The awards were announced at the Mid-Winter Meeting of the School, Synagogue, and Community Center Division of the Association of Jewish Libraries. The award honors new books for children and teens that exemplify the highest literary standards while authentically portraying the Jewish experience....
Association of Jewish Libraries, Jan. 21

2013 Talk Story grants
The American Indian Library Association and the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association will provide another year of minigrants for their “Talk Story: Sharing Stories, Sharing Culture” program. Talk Story is a literacy program that reaches out to Asian Pacific American and American Indian/Alaska Native children and their families through books, oral tradition, and art. The deadline to apply is February 15....
Talk Story, Dec. 14

Apply for Ezra Jack Keats Foundation minigrants
The Ezra Jack Keats Foundation is celebrating the 25th year of its minigrant program with a call for proposals. Approximately 70 grants of $500 each will be awarded to qualifying teachers and librarians at public schools and libraries across the United States. The deadline for grant submissions is March 15, and decisions will be emailed to all applicants beginning May 15, allowing educators to plan for the next academic year accordingly....
Ezra Jack Keats Foundation, Jan. 15

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Lance Armstrong library joke goes viral
Jack Dee, a part-time library assistant in the public library at Manly, New South Wales, Australia, placed a tongue-in-cheek sign in the library on January 19 saying that all of disgraced cyclist Lance Armstrong’s nonfiction books “will soon be moved to the fiction section.” After a patron tweeted a photo of the sign, Dee removed it immediately and apologized to Manly Council. Acting Library Manager Wendy Ford said that Dee had not meant the prank to be offensive, but that the council would review the incident....
Sydney (N.S.W.) Morning Herald, Jan. 21; Manly (N.S.W.) Daily, Jan. 21

Controversial painting on display again in Newark
A painting that caused a ruckus at the Newark (N.J.) Public Library when it was hung in November is now uncovered again, viewable by all, and the controversy around it gone. The huge drawing was done by Kara Walker, a renowned African-American artist whose themes deal with race, gender, sexuality, and violence. The piece shows the horrors of reconstruction, 20th-century Jim Crowism, hooded figures of the Ku Klux Klan, and a sexual assault. Library Director Wilma Grey covered the painting up for more than a month after a few library staffers complained....
Newark (N.J.) Star-Ledger, Jan. 20

UIUC library volunteer finds unknown Sandburg poem
With the debate over gun control heating up, a retired volunteer at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign library made a timely find. Ernie Gullerud, a retired professor of social work at the university, came upon a previously unpublished poem by Carl Sandburg (1878–1967) titled “A Revolver,” which addresses the issue of guns and violence. Gullerud has volunteered at the Rare Book and Manuscript Library every Thursday for more than seven years....
Chicago Tribune, Jan. 21

Cornell and Columbia to combine technical services
The libraries at Columbia University and Cornell University are taking an unprecedented new step in their 2CUL partnership—integrating a major part of their operations. Thanks to a three-year, $350,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the two libraries will integrate their technical services departments. For library users, the 2CUL integration will mean better and faster access to more materials, including licensed journal articles, foreign materials, and other content....
Cornell University Library News, Jan. 16

Ford Library appoints Wikipedian in residence
Wikipedia didn’t exist when President Gerald R. Ford served in the White House. The Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library has appointed a Wikipedian in residence (as an intern) to help the Ford Library in Ann Arbor and the Ford Museum in Grand Rapids make its collection of documents, photos, and other materials available to the world online. Michael Barera (right), a student in the University of Michigan School of Information, is the first Wikipedian in residence at any of the 13 US presidential libraries....
Grand Rapids (Mich.) Press, Jan. 17

West Virginia Supreme Court to rule on library funding
For more than a decade, the Kanawha County (W.Va.) board of education and the county public library have been wrapped in a legal battle over the constitutionality of funding legislation originally passed in the 1950s. Now, the case is being heard by the state Supreme Court of Appeals and its decision could affect the funding of public libraries in eight other counties in the state. Legal counsel presented appeals to four of the five justices of the court, hoping to explain succinctly what more than 10 years of litigation boil down to....
West Virginia Public Broadcasting, Jan. 17

Topeka library board hears shooter response plan
The Topeka and Shawnee County (Kans.) Public Library is adding a scenario to its disaster preparedness plan: how to respond to an active shooter in the building. But one member of the library board believes the board should also reconsider its policy prohibiting concealed firearms within library walls. Quentin Martin, a former reserve deputy sheriff, expressed concern that he has to leave his weapon locked in his vehicle every time he wants to enter the library....
Topeka (Kans.) Capital-Journal, Jan. 18

Man damages Russian books at Seattle Public Library
Trouble at the Seattle Central Library went international when officers notified the Mongolian Consulate that a library patron was caught allegedly stealing and destroying more than $200 worth of rare Russian books and periodicals. The man, a Mongolian national, was caught as he tried to smuggle a bag of the materials out of the library January 16. A staff member told police the man damaged many of the books beyond repair before trying to sneak them out....
KOMO-TV, Seattle, Jan. 22

LAC acquires first Bible printed in Canada
Library and Archives Canada is now home to the first complete and authorized version of the Bible to be printed in Canada. This Bible consists of two volumes and was published around 1832 by John Henry White in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. LAC held no copies of this item before, and only five copies are known to exist in library collections: three in Canada and the other two in the United States....
Library and Archives Canada, Jan. 17

William Blake engravings found at Rylands Library
Staff at John Rylands Library at the University of Manchester, England, have found 350 engraved plates designed by poet and artist William Blake (1757–1827) in the pages of old books. Librarians had long suspected that Blake illustrations might be hidden in its collection. A team of students, working alongside lecturer and Blake expert Colin Trodd, spent two years searching and found hundreds of items, including two copies of Robert Blair’s “The Grave” with Blake’s designs, a copy of Virgil’s Pastorals containing Blake’s enchanting miniature illustrations (above), an exquisitely hand-colored copy of Edward Young’s Night-Thoughts, and a copy of Blake’s masterpiece The Book of Job....
The Telegraph (UK), Jan. 21; John Rylands Library Special Collections Blog, Jan. 14

Love Your Library with a pole-dancing class
Council officials in Midlothian, Scotland, are staging a free pole-dancing class in a library in an attempt to persuade more people to borrow books. It will run the session, taught by pole-dance instructor Nikki Clark (right), at Mayfield library in Dalkeith on February 2, which is Love Your Library Day in the UK. Another activity in the council’s library promotion is “booky table tennis,” in which players use books instead of paddles. Other libraries in Midlothian are offering Scottish country dancing, head massages, and an Xbox challenge for both children and their parents....
The Scotsman (UK), Jan. 18

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ALA Midwinter Meeting, Seattle, January 25–29. Keep up in real time and after with what’s going on at Midwinter, whether you’re in Seattle or not. Choose your channels: American Libraries coverage, Twitter: @alamw and #alamw13, Facebook, YouTube, Pinterest, Cognotes.

Sue Kowalski, 2012 Winner of the I Love My Librarian Award: 'It's all about the children' The History of Peanut Butter 'Beasts of Southern Wild' Wins Best Picture Nomination Nearly 30 Million People in World Considered Slaves Cigars Represent Mixed Feelings American Leaders Have Regarding Cuba The Entrepreneur's Starter Kit: When Is a Business a Failure? Join Us on Facebook Subscribe to our Newsletter

The rise of new book forms
Mathew Ingram writes: “The meaning of the term ‘book’ has become pretty fluid, thanks to the ebook revolution. It’s not just the Kindle, but new offerings like Byliner and Atavist, which blur the lines between books and magazines, and even new variations on an old format like serialized fiction. So do physical books really matter anymore? Is there something special about them, or are they just a historical artifact whose time has come and gone?”...
paidContent, Sept. 18, 2012; Jan. 18

Get to know Goodreads
Travis Jonker writes: “Scores of dedicated readers log on to Goodreads and share their opinions about books with the world. Imagine Facebook and your public library having a baby (on second thought...) and you get the gist of the social network that millions have come to know, use, and depend on. You may not have heard much about Goodreads, and the public at large hardly knows it exists, but this site has a devoted following among book lovers. It can also be a valuable professional tool to share with your students and colleagues.”...
Library Journal: The Digital Shift, Jan. 16

The modern book club meets in a bar
Leah L. White writes: “Starting a library-sponsored book club in a bar can be a wonderful experience. You connect to your community in ways you just can’t replicate in a library setting. I currently run Books on Tap (right) for the Northbrook (Ill.) Public Library, and before that, I helped run LitLounge, a cosponsored book club between the Morton Grove and Skokie (Ill.) Public Libraries. Here are a few things that I learned.”...
Letters to a Young Librarian, Jan. 17

The curious rise of bibliographics
Suzy Staubach writes: “What does the proliferation of sites, books, and blogs celebrating images of books say about our relationship with the printed word? A fetish of book images has emerged in the US and in Europe, manifesting itself both online and in print books themselves. It has permeated Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, and beyond. I admit that I’ve been pulled in, fascinated, looking, posting, but I still wonder what it signifies. Let’s take a quick tour.”...
The College Store, Jan./Feb.

10 novels to solve all of your problems
Emily Temple writes: “There’s no denying it—the self-help book business is booming. But why relegate yourself to cheesy self-help books proper when you could clear up your paranoia, codependency, or narcissism with a good novel? A novel, you say? Which novel? We prescribe (though take our comments with a grain of salt; we’re nerds, not doctors) a few books to cure whatever ails you.”...
Flavorwire, Jan. 17

Happiness is a dusty book
Renee Grassi writes: “Maybe it’s just at my library, but many of our kids head straight for the new shelves. They just can’t help themselves. Plus they want to check the one all their friends are reading. Even now, Wonder by R. J. Palacio is one of those books for us. Okay. But what if all your copies are checked out? Here are my suggestions for good books with characters that are special in their own way.”...
ALSC Blog, Jan. 22

Dragons in books
Beth Carswell writes: “Is there a creature more fantastical than the dragon? From fierce, fire-breathing serpents to wise telepathic companions, literature has told tales of these mythical beasts for generations. Some of the best fantasy, science fiction, and myth revolve around them. Fierce or friendly, wise or goofy, winged and scaly, literature is full of remarkable dragons to explore. This one was a lot of fun to research, since the dragons in books often differ widely from one another.”...
AbeBooks’ Reading Copy, Jan. 22

Handley celebrates a centennial
In January, the Handley Regional Library in Winchester, Virginia, published an illustrated, 220-page volume to celebrate its centennial and describe the sometimes quirky history of the library system. For instance, why did Scranton, Pennsylvania, resident Judge John Handley leave his fortune to Winchester? Why did it take 18 years after his death in 1895 to open the fabulous Beaux-Arts library that is named for him? How did a linden tree become the impetus for the formation of the Friends?...
Handley Regional Library

EveryLibrary / Hack Library School internship
The EveryLibrary / Hack Library School internship will provide a current LIS student with the opportunity to apply specialized knowledge and skills to public policy and voter advocacy issues confronting independent library districts. One selected student will work 10–12 weeks during the summer in collaboration with EveryLibrary to produce original research or a white paper–length policy brief. Students should apply by March 15....
Hack Library School, Jan. 21

11 signs your library needs social media training
Heather Mansfield writes: “Many nonprofits need social media training; they just don’t know it. Social media best practices are constantly in flux as tool sets change and algorithms are modified. Unless you study Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google+, etc., on a regular basis, you may not realize that the best practices that worked six months ago have evolved. If you are making only a couple of the following mistakes or none at all, congrats! More than that? Please be open to the idea that you may need social media training.”...
Nonprofit Tech 2.0, Jan. 22

Managing Google+ circles: The basics
Tina Sieber writes: “Google+ isn’t dead. In fact, it’s been growing. Some people even think Google+ will prevail big time in 2013, and they have solid arguments. Circles is the part of Google+ that lets you organize people you know. Here are the things you must know to create better Circles faster and use them to your benefit.”...
MakeUseOf, Jan. 22

Information New Wave established
Information New Wave, an international charity, launched in January to enhance the education of communities, library users, students, and information professionals from minority groups in the United States and developing countries. “Information New Wave seeks to bridge access to information for multilingual populations anywhere at any time,” said the group’s president, Loida Garcia-Febo. The charity will appear at the Seattle Public Library on January 26 to sponsor Reforma’s Noche de Cuentos (A Night of Stories)....
Information New Wave, Jan. 16

New website explains Common Core standards
Scholastic has launched a new website, “Common Sense for the Common Core,” that aims to help teachers, school leaders, and parents understand the standards, and provides instructional programs to implement them. Built in consultation with Common Core experts, the website answers questions about the standards and points parents and teachers toward resources to help them understand what is changing and what is not....
eSchool News, Jan. 23

Healthy living @ your library
January 20–26 is Healthy Weight Week, a celebration of healthy, diet-free living habits focusing on the prevention of eating and weight problems. Once learned, these habits can be cultivated throughout life. Here are a few examples of what libraries across the country are doing during this Healthy Weight Week and throughout the year. Manhasset (N.Y.) Public Library offers Exercise @ your library, a series of eight exercise classes for $15 and a proof of a library card....
Campaign for America’s Libraries, Jan. 22

Stealth library jobs
Holly writes: “Diving into the thick of job hunting now that I have my MLIS, I’ve been noticing just how many jobs out there are stealth library jobs. Stealth library jobs are ones where employers don’t say they want a librarian, but everything else in the job description screams We need librarians. This is important to recognize, especially since these stealth jobs won’t show up if you search for ‘library’ on job boards.”...
Holly the Librarian, Jan. 19

The adventures of an ambulance-riding librarian
Kacy Allgood (right) writes: “What’s a librarian doing on an ambulance? A Fellowship from the Grace and Harold Sewell Memorial Fund provides an opportunity for me to learn about prehospital and in-hospital emergency medical services, mass casualty incidents, and disaster preparedness. I ride out with Indianapolis EMS, the largest 911 ambulance service in Indiana. In return, for four agencies I provide content curation, mobile app reviews, literature searches, bibliographic management, and other special services.”...
Adventures of an Ambulance Riding Librarian, Jan. 14

Tips for weeding your reference collection
Anna Mickelsen writes: “If you are responsible for collection development in just about any size or kind of library, the chances are good that there has been a recent push to reduce the size of your print reference collection. Print reference materials are, to use a regional expression, wicked expensive. Here at my library, we are reducing our reference collection by 50%. So where do you start when you are lucky enough to get the assignment to chop chop chop?”...
Collection Reflection, Jan. 15

Video games and libraries are a good mix
Rob LeFebvre writes: “Video games are yet another way for kids and adults to learn and interact socially. ‘Gaming in libraries, whether it’s sitting at a computer playing a video game online or playing a board game with friends, is a sociable experience, especially for kids,’ said Emily Reeve, a librarian based in Denver. Modern libraries, she added, are becoming more about public space than just about books.”...
VentureBeat: GamesBeat, Jan. 18

Best free language-learning apps
Jill Duffy writes: “Professional and polished interactive software for learning a new language, like Rosetta Stone and Fluenz, cost hundreds of dollars. Are there any programs or apps that help you learn or practice a new language that are free? The answer is a not-so-straightforward ‘yes.’ Here are several free resources for language-learning that offer content in multiple languages.”...
PC Magazine, Jan. 18

LOLcats of the Middle Ages
Nicole Eddy writes: “The internet is considered by many to be a delivery-system for pictures of cats, but the enmity between the cat and the mouse was well-established in the medieval imagination. Cats were often shown in manuscript illumination with the mice they have caught, and we even find a Tom-and-Jerry style depiction of a mouse caught by a cat, caught in turn by a dog (above). The relationship between mice and cats, and the prospect of an organized mouse insurrection against the oppressor, was actively explored as a metaphor for human society.”...
British Library: Medieval and Earlier Manuscripts Blog, Jan. 21

Take the library to the people
Kathy Dempsey writes: “You need to take the library to the people instead of waiting for the people to come to the library. If you haven’t been moving toward that goal, then you’re behind the times. Bookmobiles have been doing it for decades. And your website or virtual branch does it, in a way. But you’ll increase your usage and visibility if you do something new or unexpected to physically deliver information or books to the public at points of need.”...
The ‘M’ Word: Marketing Libraries, Jan. 17

10 fictional libraries I’d like to visit
Ellyssa Kroski writes: “Number 3 is The Breakfast Club library (right). This iconic movie library is actually a beautiful space with a central circular reading room lit around the center by bluish Tron-like lights from under the balcony. The second floor has group work rooms and a media lab. This wasn’t an actual library, but a complete set created and filmed in the gymnasium of Maine North High School in suburban Chicago where John Hughes also filmed Ferris Bueller’s Day Off.”...
iLibrarian, Jan. 18

YouTube videos showcase Montana libraries
In preparation for Library Legislative Day in Montana on January 17, public libraries in Montana worked with a crew from the state library last fall to film videos that highlight the impact of libraries on ordinary Montanans. The three-part video series features stories from patrons who use their local libraries to learn how to run their home-based business using technology, look for employment, complement their home-school curriculum, learn how to use technology resources, and manage their businesses in the oil fields of northeastern Montana....
Ravalli (Mont.) Republic, Jan. 16; Montana State Library YouTube channel

Internet users demand less interactivity (satire)
Tired of being bombarded with constant requests to share content on social media, bestow ratings, leave comments, and generally “join in on the discussion,” the nation’s internet users demanded substantially less interactivity this week. “All I want is to go to a website, enjoy it for the time I’ve decided to spend there, and then move on with my life,” said San Diego office manager Keith Boscone. “Is that so much to ask?”...
The Onion, Jan. 16

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