The e-newsletter of the American Library Association | July 17, 2013

How libraries are using social media
Terra Dankowski writes: “Google Hangouts is just one of many public-facing platforms New York Public Library has taken into the fold of a marketing arsenal that produces results. NYPL was able to leverage a 30-day Twitter campaign featuring celebrity quotes that offered effusive praise for libraries into a 35% increase in average monthly library card sign-ups last September. With more than 80 Facebook pages and 60 Twitter accounts representing 90 branches, it’s fair to say that the library has been a frequent adopter, if not high-profile leader, in the social media space.”...
American Libraries feature

Disaster relief, with books
Leonard Kniffel writes: “When a disaster occurs, aid workers, organizations, and governments naturally focus on emergency assistance to victims. They set up medical outposts in conflict zones, drop food supplies from helicopters, and hand out shoes and clothing in disaster areas. The activists behind Libraries Without Borders (Bibliothèques Sans Frontières) understand that priority must be given to food, water, shelter, and medicine. They also recognize that little attention is paid to another basic human necessity: the knowledge resources needed to cope with catastrophe.”...
American Libraries feature

Librarian’s Library: Technology in the Library
Karen Muller writes: “With this collection of books, we’re looking at ways technology—old and new—contributes to the management of libraries. In some cases, such as the card catalog, it answers a need and creates its own uses. In other cases, such as the cellphone, the technology was created for a different purpose, but its adaptations transform library services in ways we are only beginning to harness.”...
American Libraries column, May

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ALA Liberty launches
ALA has created a new website containing tools that libraries can use to host educational sessions and public forums to help Americans understand their First and Fourth Amendment rights. The launch of ALA Liberty comes as a response to revelations that the US government obtained vast amounts of big data on the activities of millions of innocent Americans. ALA President Barbara Stripling (right) issued an open letter on the subject....
ALA Washington Office, July 11; AL: The Scoop, July 11

Libraries and the Affordable Care Act
ALA President Barbara Stripling issued a statement on the upcoming date for open enrollment in the Health Insurance Marketplace: “The American Library Association anticipates that many Americans will turn to libraries for help in accessing enrollment information when open enrollment for the Health Insurance Marketplace component of the Affordable Care Act begins on October 1, 2013.”...
ALA Washington Office, July 12

ALA Virtual Conference
Described by last year’s attendees as a fresh and engaging event offering many ideas for innovation, ALA’s 2013 Virtual Conference (July 24–25) includes sessions that offer starting points for discussion as well as practical ideas for moving forward and trying something new, with presenters highlighting how new services are transforming both their libraries and their communities....
Conference Services, July 10

25 greatest takeaways from #ala2013
Kathy Dempsey writes: “The ALA Annual Conference took place between June 27 and July 2. Each summer, tens of thousands of library people take over a host city for days of committee meetings, continuing education sessions, and exhibits. They fill hotels. They descend upon the bars and restaurants. They discuss the latest technologies. They bestow awards. They install their new ALA president. They learn hard and they party hard. I brought home 25 quotes, tidbits, and ideas so I could share the experience with you.”...
LibraryScienceList.com, July 11

US ahead of UK in library advocacy
Sara Wingate-Gray writes: “I think what’s most interesting to note about some of the main differences between public libraries in the US and UK is the professional level of advocacy and support given to US public librarians and libraries, through, for example, the clout of the ALA. It’s a strong organization with a strong brand, and it is unafraid to speak its mind on matters of import to its members. A case in point is the clearly worded riposte (issued in September 2012) by immediate Past President Maureen Sullivan to publishers seeking to limit access to ebooks in public libraries.”...
Public Libraries News, July 10

People to People library tour to Costa Rica
For 50 years, People to People’s Citizen Ambassador Delegations have been providing rewarding professional opportunities by taking careers out of the office and into the world. People to People, in collaboration with ALA, is now offering a custom-designed library and information services delegation to Costa Rica, November 30–December 7, led by former ALA president Camila Alire. Apply by September 1....
International Relations Office, June 3

ALA TechSource workshops
Upcoming ALA TechSource workshops include Bohyun Kim on “Improving Your Library’s Mobile Services” on September 12; “Creating Subject Guides for the 21st Century Library” with Buffy Hamilton on October 30; “Patron-Driven Acquisition: Turning Theory into Practice” with Ben Hunter on October 16 and 23; and “A More Effective Social Media Presence: Strategic Planning and Project Management” with Sarah Steiner and Cliff Landis on October 2 and 9. Registration is available from the ALA Store....
ALA TechSource, July 11, 15

ALA Editions eCourses
ALA Editions is hosting sessions of four-week facilitated eCourses on “Web Design Basics for Librarians” with Diane Kovacs as instructor; “Using Drupal to Build Library Websites” with Ken Varnum; and “Engaging Teens with Digital Media: Creating Stories and Games” with Kelly Czarnecki. All begin October 7 and are available through the ALA Store....
ALA Editions, July 12, 15

Leadership guide for school librarians
The new third edition of Enhancing Teaching and Learning: A Leadership Guide for School Librarians by Jean Donham shows how to take a proactive role in shaping instruction by learning how to develop and implement a library media program and integrate it into the total educational experience. The guide covers all aspects of the school system: students, curriculum and instruction, principals, district administration, and the community....
ALA Neal-Schuman, July 11

Teen craft projects for hipster librarians
From Tina Coleman and Peggie Llanes comes an all-new selection of innovative craft ideas, featuring numerous projects easy enough to be assembled in the library either by groups or someone working alone. The projects in The Hipster Librarian’s Guide to Teen Craft Projects 2, published by ALA Editions, have been chosen especially to engage tweens and teens....
ALA Editions, July 11

Every Child Ready for School
Reflecting the combined expertise of a reading specialist, an outreach librarian, and an early literacy trainer, Every Child Ready for School: Helping Adults Inspire Young Children to Learn, published by ALA Editions, keeps libraries at the forefront of early literacy and school readiness information delivery. Authors Dorothy Stoltz, Elaine M. Czarnecki, and Connie Wilson focus on training the caregiver, presenting models that can be easily adapted to state-mandated school-readiness requirements....
ALA Editions, July 15

RDA implementation strategies
In RDA: Strategies for Implementation, published by ALA Editions, noted cataloging authority Magda El-Sherbini tackles key questions about how the new cataloging standard will be implemented by cataloging professionals, offering an orientation in the conceptual background and the structure of RDA: Resource Description and Access from a practical and technical perspective, including a detailed comparison with AACR2....
ALA Editions, July 16

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Agosto named JRLYA editor
YALSA has appointed Denise E. Agosto (right), associate professor in the College of Information Science and Technology at Drexel University, editor of the Journal of Research on Libraries and Young Adults. Agosto currently sits on the journal’s editorial advisory board and is the chair of the 2013–2014 Teen Tech Week Evaluation Taskforce....
YALSA, July 16

NEA to support AASL with advocacy effort
Delegates at the 2013 National Education Association annual meeting and representative assembly adopted without debate a new business item that called on the association to support AASL in its advocacy efforts with regard to the Strengthening America’s Schools Act (PDF file). This act includes dedicated funding for staffing of all school libraries with state-certified or licensed school librarians....
AASL, July 15

PLA is accepting program proposals
PLA is now accepting preconference and program proposals showcasing public library practices and innovations for the 2014 ALA Annual Conference, to be held June 26–July 1 in Las Vegas. Proposals will be accepted online through September 1....
PLA, July 12

How to perform community assessments
The one-hour webinar “Is Community Assessment a High Hurdle? Get Over It!”, hosted by PLA on August 14, will give attendees a running start towards conducting a community assessment—a vital element in library advocacy, branding, and fundraising efforts. Presenters Nancy H. Davis and Pam Fitzgerald will review who does what in a community assessment, how long it will take and what you can and cannot omit along the way. Register by August 12....
PLA, July 11

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ALA Student Chapter of the Year
The ALA student chapter at the University of Rhode Island Graduate School of Library and Information Studies has been selected as the 2013 Chapter of the Year by the New Members Round Table. The chapter was one of 60 library schools in the United States to be considered for the award. Students Sarah Naomi Campbell, Katherine Boden, and Stefanie Metko (above) created an interactive website that served as their application for the award and encompassed the five criteria that each school is judged on....
University of Rhode Island, July 16

Retired Arizona librarian wins Pioneer Award
Retired Northern Arizona University Special Collections Librarian Richard Quartaroli (right) was recently selected as the winner of the Grand Canyon Historical Society’s 2013 Pioneer Award. The honor will be presented to Quartaroli at the society’s annual picnic July 20. Quartaroli has been a professional Grand Canyon river guide since 1975, has done exhaustive research on many facets of river history, and serves on the board of directors of the Grand Canyon River Heritage Museum Coalition....
Flagstaff Arizona Daily Sun, July 14

2013 Sparks! Ignition Grants
The Institute of Museum and Library Services on July 16 announced 21 recipients of awards totaling $496,978 matched with $408,150 of nonfederal funds for Sparks! Ignition Grants, small grants that encourage libraries and museums to test and evaluate innovations in the ways they operate and the services they provide. Thirteen libraries received grants, and ALA’s RUSA was awarded $25,000 to create National Guidelines and Best Practices for Financial Literacy Education in libraries nationwide....
Institute of Museum and Library Services, July 16

2013 International Thriller Awards
The International Thriller Writers met in New York City for ThrillerFest VIII and announced the Thriller Awards at their July 13 banquet. The awards celebrate the best in mystery and suspense fiction. Brian Freeman’s Spilled Blood (SilverOak) won in the hardcover novel category; Dan Krokos’s False Memory (Hyperion) was selected as the best YA novel; and Matthew Quirk’s The 500 (Reagan Arthur Books) was chosen best first novel....
The Big Thrill, July 15

2013 Branford Boase Award
The Branford Boase Award for the most outstanding debut novel for children age 7 and over has gone to author Dave Shelton, together with his editor David Fickling, for the humorous and imaginative A Boy and a Bear in a Boat (David Fickling Books). The book tells the story of a boy and a bear who go to sea in a boat called Harriet, accompanied by a suitcase and a ukelele. The £1,000 ($1,510 US) award is unique in that it also recognizes the author’s editor and his or her role in nurturing new talent....
The Bookseller, July 12

2013 Mythopoeic Awards
The Mythopoeic Society announced the winners of its 2013 Mythopoeic Awards at Mythcon 44 on July 14 in East Lansing, Michigan. The awards are presented to authors of outstanding works in the fields of myth, fantasy, and the scholarly study of these areas. The Fantasy Award for Adult Literature went to Ursula Vernon for volumes 1–6 of Digger (Seawolf), originally a webcomic featuring an anthropomorphic wombat. The Fantasy Award for Children’s Literature went to Sarah Beth Durst for Vessel (Margaret K. McElderry)....
Locus Online, July 15

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22 Miami-Dade branches could close
With County Mayor Carlos Gimenez changing his mind on a tax increase, it’s looking more and more likely that 22 of the Miami–Dade (Fla.) Public Library System’s 49 branches will shutter next year. The list is here. After a week of opposition to his proposed property tax increases, Gimenez recommended to county commissioners July 16 that no increase be made, a move that could lead to 251 library staff layoffs, plus 149 firefighters getting the axe. Commissioners still have to approve the cuts and are likely to fight to protect libraries and firefighters in their districts. Elsewhere in the state, major funding cuts for the Jacksonville Public Library could also portend closures....
Miami New Times, July 16; Miami Herald, July 16; I <3 JPL, July 16

Community vows to rebuild Lac-Mégantic library
The fatal train disaster that obliterated much of Lac-Mégantic, Quebec, on July 9 also destroyed its library, including irreplaceable items outlining the history of the town and the surrounding area. Nothing but ash is left of the building, which bordered the railway tracks, and some 60,000 books and other materials are gone. The lost library archives were personal—more than two dozen families had donated various documents, items, and heirlooms since the library opened in 1991....
Canadian Press, July 14

Palm Harbor Library offers interactive toys
The Palm Harbor (Fla.) Library lends interactive toys meant especially for children with developmental issues. The library calls them “Toys and Tools to Go,” and they come from an adaptive toy collection that can only be found in two public libraries in Florida. Assistant Director Lois Eannel said the collection includes adaptive toys, communication devices, capability switches, and games for children with special needs. She brought the concept of adaptive toys with her from New York when she moved to Florida in 1999....
Palm Harbor (Fla.) Beacon, July 11

County commissioner wants to scale back library improvements
In June, voters in Weber County, Utah, approved a $45 million bond to upgrade and expand the county’s public libraries. Library Director Lynnda Wangsgard said bond supporters bought into the vision of libraries as community spaces where people of all ages can gather, gain new insights, and connect with one another. However, at least one of the county’s three commissioners hopes to scale back the scope and cost of the plan that Wangsgard said has been three years in the making....
Salt Lake Tribune, July 13

Library trustee resigns over non-Christian material
A Southeast Steuben County (N.Y.) Library trustee has stepped down from the position after criticizing the library for promoting objectionable material. Ann Balch said her Christian beliefs do not allow her to support the viewing of pornography on library computers, the promotion of homosexuality, the promotion of witchcraft, or the promotion of the Muslim religion without also promoting Christianity as an alternative. Library Director Pauline Emery said the children’s computers are filtered for adult content....
Corning (N.Y.) Leader, July 13

400 more UK libraries could close by 2016
Library campaigners accuse the UK government of hiding the scale of budget cuts that they predict will force the closure of 400 more libraries by 2016, bringing the total of library closures since 2009 to more than 1,000. According to the Library Campaign, which has aggregated local newspaper reports to come up with national figures, a drop of almost 25% since 2009 has been camouflaged by the piecemeal nature of the cuts....
The Guardian (UK), July 12

Four Magna Cartas, together after 800 years
The four surviving original copies of the Magna Carta—a critical document in the history of constitutional law—will be brought together for the first time in 2015, the 800th anniversary of the issue of the charter by England’s King John in 1215. The unification, which will be held at the British Library in collaboration with Lincoln Cathedral and Salisbury Cathedral, will take place over three days in early 2015 and kick off a year of celebrations across the UK and the world....
British Library, July 14; Medieval Manuscripts Blog, July 15

Ancient Coptic monastery library gets new building
One of the world’s earliest libraries finally has its first dedicated building. The Syrian Monastery (Deir al-Surian), a Coptic Orthodox monastery in the Egyptian desert, was established in the 6th century A.D.; some of its manuscripts were collected by its abbot during a trip to Baghdad in 927. The new building opened in May and includes a reading room, a small display area, conservation facilities, and a basement store, all of which are secure and maintain proper environmental conditions....
The Art Newspaper, July 17

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Senate e-rate hearing features Maine state librarian
Maine State Librarian Linda Lord (right) was the voice of libraries to the US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on July 17 when it held a hearing on strengthening the e-rate program and expanding access to the latest digital technology and learning tools in our libraries and schools. The hearing is timed to coincide with the July 19 Open Meeting of the Federal Communications Commission, at which commissioners will consider an E-rate Notice of Proposed Rule Making....
District Dispatch, July 15

Where does ESEA stand in the House?
Alyson Klein writes: “The big question of the day: Is a rewrite of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act headed to the floor of the US House of Representatives this week? There’s been talk about conservative opposition, but so far it appears that the initial whip count (vote count) looks pretty positive for the bill’s chances, advocates say. No official word from GOP leaders, but right now the bill is likely headed to the floor on July 18.”...
Education Week: Politics K–12, July 17

Book challenges in Alabama schools
Anniston Star reporters and University of Alabama journalism students conducted a months-long, statewide effort to find out which books are challenged by parents—and which are ultimately banned from libraries—in Alabama’s 132 public school districts. Nine districts reported challenges, a few of which predated the five-year span of the Star’s records request. Seventy-seven districts reported no challenges in the past five years; 46 districts didn’t provide any information at all....
Anniston (Ala.) Star, July 14

EFF lawsuit presents broad challenge to NSA
Joe Mullin writes: “The Electronic Frontier Foundation and other groups have been litigating against government surveillance for years to no avail. Now, armed with information made public by recent National Security Agency leaks and a wide array of clients worried about widespread surveillance, the group hopes its latest attempt will have better luck. In a complaint (PDF file) filed July 16, the EFF challenges the government’s collection of telephone call information, saying the practice violates the First, Fourth, and Fifth Amendments of the Constitution.” Testimony now indicates the NSA data snooping is much broader than the agency will officially admit....
Ars Technica, July 16; Electronic Frontier Foundation, July 16; The Atlantic Wire, July 17

The PEN Declaration on Digital Freedom
The Declaration on Digital Freedom is a concise statement of PEN International’s views on free expression in the digital age. It was approved by the Assembly of Delegates—representing 20,000 writers—at the PEN International Congress in Gyeongju, Korea, in September 2012. The declaration is a framework and advocacy tool to help 104 PEN centers around the world respond to threats targeting individuals, surveillance, and censorship....
PEN International

Collaboration between libraries and university presses
Joseph Esposito writes: “It’s taken for granted that publishers, at least academic ones, and libraries have a great deal in common, and that putting them together organizationally will yield multiple benefits—cost savings, say, or new products and services, or even an entirely new business model. The question I have is what exactly are such collaborations supposed to accomplish and whether cooperation between a library and a press is the best way to achieve that goal.”...
The Scholarly Kitchen, July 16

Who ruined the humanities?
Lee Siegel writes: “You’ve probably heard the baleful reports. The number of college students majoring in the humanities is plummeting. But the bright side is this: No more will literature, as part of an academic curriculum, extinguish the incandescence of literature. No longer will the reading of, say, King Lear or D. H. Lawrence’s Women in Love result in the flattening of these transfiguring encounters into the onerous stuff of multiple-choice quizzes, exam essays, and homework assignments.”...
Wall Street Journal, July 12

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3D printers and liquid metal
Andrew Liszewski writes: “If 3D printing is truly going to revolutionize how we produce everything from cars to computers and weapons, it must move past the current limitations of plastic. And what better place to start than a next-generation 3D printer that extrudes liquid metal? Researchers at North Carolina State University have developed a flexible metal, an alloy of gallium and indium. Many tiny dots of this material could be placed together to create larger, bendable sheets of metal, and it could be the next big leap in 3D printing technology.” Watch the video (2:45)....
Gizmodo, July 9; Advanced Materials, July 4; New York Times: Bits, July 10; YouTube, July 8

High-tech eyeglasses, not made by Google
David Pogue writes: “If someone mentions the phrase ‘high-tech glasses,’ you probably assume that person is talking about Google Glass, the smartphone-on-a-headband that Google hopes to offer for sale next year. The truth is, 2013 has been the Year of the High-Tech Glasses in other, quieter ways. At least three new eyeglass technologies have arrived. They’re not intended to bring the internet to your eyeball. They have a more traditional goal: improving your vision.”...
New York Times: Personal Tech, July 10

17 reasons smartwatches won’t work (yet)
Brian Barrett writes: “The cascade of smartwatch rumors—iWatch, Surface, or others—increases daily. By this point, smartwatches of every shape and stripe seem inevitable. But there are so, so many reasons why they shouldn’t happen. Not any time soon, at least. Here are just a few reasons why.”...
Gizmodo, Mar. 4, July 15; Quartz, July 5

How to transfer files between two smartphones
Chris Hoffman writes: “Transferring photos and other files between nearby smartphones should be simple, but it’s not. There are a variety of different ways you can do this, and which one is best depends on the types of smartphone you are using. This is particularly complicated because so many of these methods aren’t interoperable. Android, iPhone, and Windows Phone all have their own ways to send files, and they don’t like talking to each other.”...
How-To Geek, July 13

You say you want a resolution
Mark Ashenfelder writes: “Shouldn’t we save our digital photos at the highest resolution possible, just in case? In our Library of Congress digital preservation resources, we recommend 300 dpi/ppi for 4×8, 5×7, and 8×10 photos. But why not 1,000 dpi/ppi, 2,000 dpi/ppi, or 10,000 dpi/ppi? Is there a threshold beyond which the pixel density is of little or no additional value to us? Isn’t ‘more’ better?”...
The Signal: Digital Preservation, July 16

The best Blu-ray player
Chris Heinonen writes: “The best Blu-ray player for 2013 is the $115 Sony BDP-S5100. It supports 3D, offers a large selection of online content, and bests the competition with its 802.11n Wi-Fi’s signal quality and speed in daily use. It has none of the flaws of the competition, and, having tested all of them, it’s the one I’d pick myself.”...
The Wirecutter, July 11

Do I really have to unplug my cable modem for 10 seconds?
Jason Fitzpatrick writes: “You’ve heard it time and time again from tech support staff: ‘All right, let’s unplug your (router / modem / time machine) for X number of seconds, and then plug it back in.’ But why exactly are you doing it, and does it matter if you do it for 10, 20, or 30 seconds (or does it matter at all)?”...
How-To Geek, July 16

How to remove the Ask.com toolbar
Fahmida Y. Rashid writes: “Chances are, you’ve had this experience: You weren’t really paying attention to all the little checkboxes and fine print when you were installing a software application, and the next time you opened up your web browser, you found out that you had accidentally installed the Ask.com search toolbar. The Ask toolbar is referred to as a browser hijacker because it takes control of your browser and does things you may not want. Here’s how you can get rid of it.”...
PC Magazine, July 17

Still talking about old technology?
David Lee King writes: “I’m guessing that your organization is still talking about how to implement old technology. You are holding meetings, creating working groups, forming committees. All based around implementing something that still seems new to you, but in reality is pretty darn old. Here’s a short list of technology that gets discussed in libraries right now, with origin, founding, or first-appeared dates.”...
David Lee King, July 16

Ebooks for school librarians
Christopher Harris writes: “The School Library System of the Genesee Valley (N.Y.) Educational Partnership has launched Here be Fiction, a comprehensive ‘summer reading style’ program where registered school librarians can read and review fiction ebooks. The site will remain open to all visitors to help even more schools and libraries with book selection using a wish-list feature. Looking ahead, Here Be Fiction will again allow librarian reviewers to access books for free during future school vacation times.”...
AL: E-Content, July 12

Book covers must adapt to the digital age
Mercy Pilkington writes: “As publishing adapts to changes in the technology of books, one area that still remains to adapt is the all-important cover art. Two unrelated articles highlight the serious considerations that authors and publishers need to make when designing the face that will ultimately help or hinder consumer purchases. Interestingly, as more authors begin to exert control over their work by turning to self-publishing, cover design remains one of the areas where traditionally published authors often have little or no input.”...
Good E-Reader, July 17; The New Yorker: Page-Turner, July 16; The Bookseller, July 17

The “other” ebook pricing problem
Art Brodsky writes: “While the ebook world takes a minute to digest the court ruling that Apple had conspired with book publishers to jack up the price of ebooks to consumers, it’s worth noting that there is another ebook pricing battle going on. Consumers are the ultimate victims here, but those most directly affected are public libraries. Connecticut appears to be the first state to go on record as recognizing the problem.”...
The Huffington Post, July 17

New directions for digital content
Publishers Weekly columnist Peter Brantley and ALA Digital Content and Libraries Working Group Cochair Robert Wolven will discuss “New Directions for Libraries and Digital Content” on July 24 as part of the ALA Virtual Conference. The session builds on and continues the ALA Annual Conference program, “ALA, Ebooks, and Digital Content: What’s Next.” Individual and group registration rates are available for the two-day conference....
Office for Information Technology Policy, July 15

Simultaneous-use titles
Justin Noszek writes: “Here’s the situation: You have a roomful of users, and you want to teach them how to use their e-reader devices or the OverDrive app on a tablet or smartphone. Perhaps your first instinct is to search your collection for the latest bestseller, only to find that there’s a mile-long waiting list for that book. What can you do? Your best bet is to check your library’s OverDrive-powered site for the ‘Additional eBooks Always Available’ link.”...
Digital Library Blog, July 11

Streaming video developments
Matt Enis writes: “Since the beginning of 2013, four major library vendors have announced the launch of new or expanded streaming services that will enable patrons to view movies and television shows at their library or at home using computers, tablets, smart TVs, or any device equipped with a web browser. Most recently, Library Ideas debuted its new Freegal Movies and Television service at the 2013 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago.”...
Library Journal: The Digital Shift, July 12

Join the ALA Virtual Conference, July 24–25. Where else can you cover such a wide range of topics and interact so easily with so many colleagues in just a few hours, without leaving your office or home? (And hear top-notch authors into the bargain.)

How comics help kids love to read
The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has released Raising a Reader! How Comics and Graphic Novels Can Help Your Kids Love To Read! (PDF file), a new resource for parents and educators about the learning benefits of comics. Written by Meryl Jaffe, with an introduction by Jennifer L. Holm and art by Raina Telgemeier and Matthew Holm. the booklet describes the skills comics teach children and the resources available for using graphic novels in education....
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, July 15

J. K. Rowling unmasked as mystery author
Sarah Lyall writes: “The Cuckoo’s Calling, a debut detective novel by a former UK military police investigator writing under the pseudonym Robert Galbraith, was not a huge commercial success, but it got great reviews. Readers said the book seemed almost too assured and sophisticated to be a first novel. As it happens, they were right. The Cuckoo’s Calling turns out to have been written by Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling. Rowling was unmasked by the Sunday Times, which, after acting on an anonymous tip, embarked on a sleuthing mission of its own.”...
New York Times, July 14

Amish teen romance
Dena Little writes: “The growing popularity of Amish romance fiction for teens piqued my curiosity. Are English (non-Amish) readers interested in learning more about the Amish community? Is the Amish-English romance a bit risqué, akin to the doomed teen romance between a human and a supernatural being? Or are teens (and their parents) simply interested in a ‘cleaner’ read? However, looking over a few of these picks I realized that maybe I shouldn’t be so quick to assume.”...
YALSA The Hub, July 11

Star Wars books are thriving
There’s been a frenzy of excitement since Disney Lucasfilm, creator of the Star Wars franchise, announced it would make more Star Wars movies. Fans are eagerly awaiting hints of what might happen next, and one way the franchise keeps fans interested is through a plethora of Star Wars books, the latest of which is Troy Denning’s Star Wars: Crucible. Alexandra Alter says the novelizations have become much more popular than anyone thought they would....
NPR: Morning Edition, July 16

Too many trilogies
Hannah Gómez writes: “Because of the increased attention given to YA, I feel extra bad about a trend that I think tends to lower the literary quality of so many potentially wonderful books. There are just too many trilogies (or duologies, or quartets) in YA. It’s not that I’m against all sequels. It’s just that it seems a requirement these days, not a thing you do when a story demands it.”...
YALSA The Hub, July 12

Monday was National Dork Day
James Barron writes: “Even before the celebration at the Great Kills branch of the New York Public Library on July 15, someone had thought up a word to describe it: ‘Adorkable.’ What was being celebrated, according to Information Assistant Paula Amore, was National Dork Day. Amore said Dork Day—named in honor of the Dork Diaries series for tweens by Rachel Renée Russell that has sold more than 10 million copies in less than four years—was about self-confidence and self-esteem, about celebrating one’s shortcomings, about not being ashamed of one’s imperfections.”...
New York Times: City Room, July 15

Reading around the world
Scott Laming writes: “A Year of Reading the World is an interesting project by Ann Morgan, a blogger who wanted to read a book from every country in the world. This admittedly is a fairly difficult project, not only because it involves reading more than 190 books, but also because even the choice of what to include as a country can cause massive debate. This list of reading recommendations by country is simply amazing. Want a book by an author from Djibouti? Try In the United States of Africa by Abdourahman Waberi.”...
AbeBooks’ Reading Copy, July 16

50 places every literary fan should visit
Jason Diamond writes: “If you’re like us, and you hear that you’re in an area that is home to a place with a bit of literary historical significance, you have to go and visit it. We’ve compiled this list of literary places all over the world that you should visit if you happen to be in the neighborhood.” Included is the Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum (right) in Hannibal, Missouri....
Flavorwire, July 15

Digital tools and student writing
The Pew Research Center released a study July 15 that determined the pros and cons of using digital technology in classrooms. According to the survey (PDF file), the majority of middle- and high-school teachers believe digital tools increase student collaboration with apps like Google Docs and help them share their work through social media. At the same time, these teachers give their students modest marks for formal writing and low marks in “navigating issues of fair use and copyright in composition” and “reading and digesting long or complicated texts.”...
TechCrunch, July 15; Pew Research Center, July 16

A search engine for privacy lovers
Adam Clark Estes writes: “Do you like privacy? Do you shun surveillance and eschew spam? Do you like simplicity? If you answered yes to any of those questions, you’ll love DuckDuckGo, the only search engine that promises not to track its users and even offers them complete anonymity. Its search results are pretty good, too. Suddenly, millions of people are taking the issue of online privacy seriously, and the search site was fielding 3 million search queries a day in July.”...
Gizmodo, July 11

Qwant: A one-page, multilingual search aggregator
Joyce Valenza writes: “Among my recent discoveries in the world of search is Qwant. Launched in January by a French company, the multilingual meta-search reaches into news, web, video, image, and social content sources and allows (optionally) logged-in users to add and share bookmarks, respond to social posts directly from the interface, and maintain topic-specific notebooks. Qwant searches in 15 languages and can focus on the websites of 30 countries or geographical areas.”...
School Library Journal: NeverEndingSearch, July 15

Academic librarians of color
Are you a librarian of color? Do you work in an academic library in the United States? If so, please add your voice by filling out this questionnaire for a study on the self-perceptions of professional and racial identity of academic librarians of color....
University of Illinois at Chicago

Building your e-résumé
Joanna June writes: “Do you have an e-résumé yet? The e-résumé can be either as simple as your online résumé, or more complicated with pages or links of work examples showing your competencies. Basically, an e-résumé is an effective way to give potential employers access to your most up-to-date CV and credentials almost anywhere because it is web-based.”...
Hack Library School, July 12

So you want to be a director
Sarah Houghton writes: “This post is a summary of my presentation at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago titled ‘So You Want to be a Director: Fleas, Death Threats, Budget Cuts, and Prison Wardens.’ Several people asked me to write up my thoughts article-style, so here you go. One ginormous caveat: I am figuring out this whole Director thing as I go along, but that was rather the point of this presentation and this post.”...
Librarian in Black, July 12

Joint school/public libraries: A cautionary tale
Maren Williams writes: “Located inside Morristown Junior-Senior High School, a branch of the Shelby County (Ind.) Public Library serves both the students of the school and the small community of Morristown, Indiana. Such cooperative endeavors are not uncommon, but the Morristown branch has turned out to be a cautionary tale of how not to go about it. Only a year after its grand opening in 2012, Principal Mike Brown wants the library out of his building, citing concerns over security and the library materials that students can access.”...
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, July 12; Shelbyville (Ind.) News, June 28, 2012

Authors added to National Book Festival lineup
Graphic novelists Lynda Barry and Fred Chao; authors Linda Ronstadt, Christopher Buckley, Stuart Eizenstat, Hoda Kotb, Thomas Keneally, Giada De Laurentiis, and George Weigel; and author/photographer William Wegman will be among more than 100 writers, poets, and illustrators speaking at the 13th annual Library of Congress National Book Festival, September 21–22, between 9th and 14th streets on the National Mall. The festival’s theme is “Books That Shaped the World.”...
Library of Congress, July 16

Winners of National STEM video game challenge
The Joan Ganz Cooney Center at Sesame Workshop and E-Line Media announced the names of 16 middle- and high-school student winners of the 2013 National STEM Video Game Challenge. The competition seeks to motivate interest in science, technology, engineering, and math among students in grades 5–12 by tapping into their enthusiasm for playing and making video games. The top original video games and game design concepts were selected in 14 categories from nearly 4,000 entries....
Institute of Museum and Library Services, July 11

The meandering library table
The Netherlands-based architectural firm MAKS, in cooperation with Pang Architects, has designed a 150-meter-long table for the library at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. To cater to students’ different ways of studying and interaction, the table has varying heights and widths—and offers a space for such activities as meetings, individual studying, and reading....
Taxi, July 9

Construction workers vs. librarians
Will Manley writes: “This past year my life has centered around all the construction workers who worked on my house project. Obviously I had a lot of money invested in them, but more than that I invested a lot of hope in them. I wanted my new house to be a quality creation, built just exactly as the architect designed it. Working with construction workers was, to say the least, quite different from working with librarians, yet there were some similarities. Here are the differences.”...
Will Unwound, July 16

Five awesome librarian business cards
Ellyssa Kroski writes: “I’ve been using Moo cards for years because I love the slender, slick business cards that they generate from my photos. But I’m always on the lookout for new and interesting ways to display information on them as well as design inspiration. I was very pleased to come across these five superbly designed librarian business cards.”...
iLibrarian, July 16

44 fictional character names revealed
Bestselling YA author John Green reveals (7:16) the full names of 44 popular fictional characters, such as the Pillsbury Doughboy, Mr. Snuffleupagus, and Comic Book Guy. The Quaker Oats guy has a name? The cop on the Monopoly board? The Twitter bird? You already knew the names of some of these characters, but you probably don’t know all of them....
Mental Floss, July 17; YouTube, July 17

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