The e-newsletter of the American Library Association | June 26, 2013

The library as publisher
James LaRue writes: “I’d like to suggest a new role for public libraries. I believe that 100 years from now, we will consider this role just as necessary, just as indispensable to the mission and functioning of the modern public library, as children’s departments are now. It’s time for the library to step up as the nurturer of content creation. There are several reasons public libraries might want to move in this direction. The first is pure opportunity. Another is the disappearance of local newspapers, and the possibility of the library as an alternative news outlet.”...
American Libraries feature

On My Mind: Retired, but embedded
Evie Wilson-Lingbloom writes: “As librarians, our skills are as embedded in our personal lives as in our work, and they do not desert us when we leave our positions. After retiring in 2009, I began volunteering at Hedgebrook, a writing residency program for women on Whidbey Island in northwest Washington State. Inspired by its founder, Nancy Skinner Nordhoff, the program is committed to nurturing the voices and work of emerging women writers. Here are some of the benefits for libraries from this type of volunteer relationship.”...
American Libraries column, May

Editor’s Letter: Chicago, my kind of town
Laurie D. Borman writes: “One of the best perks of working at ALA is picking up ‘gently used’ advance reading copies (or ARCs, as they’re known) of yet-to-be-published books. Every few weeks, Booklist editors share with the ALA staff piles of bound galleys and ARCs that have been considered for review by the magazine. When these books arrive in the lunchroom for perusing, it’s a book lover’s dream. No wonder, then, that ALA staffers jumped at the chance to share their love of books with others through World Book Night on April 23.”...
American Libraries column, June

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Letter: Bringing libraries back to communities
ALA President Maureen Sullivan and Richard Harwood write: “Chicago, home to the American Library Association, will host the organization’s 137th annual conference June 27 to July 2. ALA has been the driving force behind ensuring that libraries not only maintain their relevance but become laboratories for exciting new ventures that benefit communities. Libraries, by their nature, are ready-made to host members of the community when they come together to address their needs, challenges, and hopes for the future.”...
Chicago Tribune, June 25

Blackhawks victory parade, June 28
Be ready for crowds in downtown Chicago on Friday morning during the Blackhawks victory parade to celebrate their winning the Stanley Cup. The parade will run from the United Center to Grant Park, although details on an exact route and time have not yet been confirmed. The route of the parade is close to some of the conference locations, and ALA is working with the city to determine the best way to get around. Get updates on Twitter by following #ala2013, via the Conference Scheduler (and mobile app), and by following the Conference Facebook Event....
Chicago Tribune, June 26

What’s Happening at Annual Conference
ALA Senior Associate Executive Director Mary Ghikas has compiled a handy, informal guide (PDF file) to the most important tips, facts, events, and activities at ALA Annual Conference in Chicago....
ALA Connect, June 24

USCIS director to make announcement at Washington Office Update
US Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Alejandro Mayorkas (right) and IMLS Director Susan Hildreth will open the June 29 Washington Office Update at ALA Annual Conference with an announcement. Hildreth and Mayorkas plan to announce a new partnership that provides tools and activities for libraries to better assist new immigrants....
District Dispatch, June 24

2013 Diversity and Outreach Fair
The Office for Literacy and Outreach Services has selected 27 presentations for its Diversity and Outreach Fair on June 29 during the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. The presentations will highlight innovative and successful library outreach initiatives and programs during a poster session open to all attendees. The theme of this year’s fair is “Removing Barriers to Service for All: Creating Meaningful and Integrated Library Experiences for People with Disabilities.”...
Office for Literacy and Outreach Services, June 25

Everybody’s free (to wear comfortable shoes)
Eti Berland writes: “Whether you are a newbie or a veteran of ALA Annual Conference, there’s always something new to learn and explore. In the spirit of this call for advice, I thought I would share my own ideas, in my own style. You may remember the 1990s classic video from Great Gatsby director, Baz Luhrmann, Everybody’s Free (to Wear Sunscreen), based on Mary Schmich’s Chicago Tribune article. Think of the following as an ALA-centric parody of this tribute to advice with my own set of irreverent tips for attendees.”...
In the Key of Books, June 24

HRDR celebrates 40 years
The ALA Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment (previously known as the Office for Library Personnel Resources) will celebrate its 40th anniversary at ALA Annual Conference from noon to 1:30 p.m. on June 29 in the ALA JobLIST Placement Center. All are welcome to join them as they celebrate this milestone....
Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment, June 25

Register at the Placement Center to win a free Virtual Career Library
Do your library patrons need job search and career exploration support? If so, head over to the ALA JobLIST Placement Center or the ALA Membership Pavilion at the Annual Conference in Chicago to register your library to win a free one-year subscription ($950 value) to the Virtual Career Library. The drawing will take place at noon on July 1 in the Membership Pavilion....
Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment, June 25

2013 ALA Virtual Conference program
Continuing last year’s theme of “Mapping Transformation,” the 2013 ALA Virtual Conference program (July 24–25) is now finalized and includes high-profile authors for lunchtime conversations. Sessions offer starting points for discussion, as well as practical ideas for moving forward and trying something new. Register and get more information about the speakers, topics, authors, and overall program online....
Conference Services, June 21

Traveling exhibition on the Dust Bowl
The Public Programs Office, in partnership with the Oklahoma State University Library and the Mount Holyoke College Library, invites applications from public, academic, and special libraries for “Dust, Drought, and Dreams Gone Dry: A Traveling Exhibition and Public Programs for Libraries about the Dust Bowl.” The project is made possible in part by the National Endowment for the Humanities. Applications are due by September 30....
Public Programs Office, June 25

CALA celebrates its 40th anniversary
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the Chinese American Librarians Association, an ALA affiliate. On June 30, during the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, CALA will present a special awards banquet to celebrate its 40th birthday at Cai Fine Dining and Banquet, 2100 South Archer Avenue....
Chinese American Librarians Association

RDA and serials cataloging
RDA and Serials Cataloging, published by ALA Editions, eases occasional serials catalogers and specialists alike through the transition to RDA: Resource Description and Access. By showing the continuity with past practice, serials cataloging expert Ed Jones frames the practice within the structure of the FRBR and FRAD conceptual models on which RDA is based....
ALA Editions, June 20

Developing literacy through storytimes
Storytimes for Everyone! Developing Young Children’s Language and Literacy, published by ALA Editions, builds on the concepts introduced in the second edition of the Every Child Ready to Read initiative to offer practical suggestions for incorporating early literacy information and strategies into the storytime setting. Early literacy experts Saroj Nadkarni Ghoting and Pamela Martin-Díaz demonstrate how parents, children, and the storytime presenter can come together to create a storytime that is informative and fun....
ALA Editions, June 21

Burke’s technology companion
The fourth edition of John Burke’s Neal-Schuman Library Technology Companion: A Basic Guide for Library Staff, newly revised and updated, is a perfect primer for LIS students and should be at the top of the list for any current or future library professional looking to stay at the forefront of technological advancement. This all-in-one guide helps readers contribute to improving institutional performance, boost productivity, and stay connected to the latest library technology topics and tools....
ALA Neal-Schuman, June 21

How to embed librarianship in learning management systems
Information literacy instruction is best when it is integrated into actual research, and in higher education that means embedding librarianship into the learning management system (LMS). Embedding Librarianship in Learning Management Systems: A How-To-Do-It Manual for Librarians, by Beth E. Tumbleson and John J. Burke, is geared toward academic librarians already working with classes in an LMS as well as those considering how to begin a pilot....
ALA Neal-Schuman, June 25

ALA’s 1903 Conference in Niagara Falls
Larry Nix writes: “In 1903, ALA held its 25th annual meeting in Niagara Falls, New York, with an evening reception at the Cataract House hotel (right). Most of the sessions took place June 22–27 in Cataract House. The printed program consisted of just eight pages. The most substantive session was a survey by the ALA Library Training Committee, chaired by Mary W. Plummer (who was ALA president in 1915–1916), on all library training programs in 1902.”...
Library History Buff Blog, June 22

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The Clarke House Museum
Built for Henry B. Clarke in 1836 (the same year as the Battle of the Alamo), the Clarke House Museum is Chicago’s oldest house. Located at 1827 South Indiana Avenue, the Greek Revival house shows what life was like for a family in Chicago during the city’s formative years before the Civil War. Its fascinating history began at a time when Chicago received its city charter, and much of the area was still undeveloped prairie. Tours are offered Wednesday through Sunday at noon and 2 p.m....
City of Chicago; Wikipedia

“The Screen” debuts in Millennium Park
Because of its proximity to The Bean, they are calling it “The Screen.” Unveiled June 17, it’s a video display unit that, at 900 square feet, or 40-by-22.5 feet, is likely bigger than all the big screens at a typical Best Buy put together. The LED device is bright enough to be viewed in full daylight from all 4,000 seats in Millennium Park’s Pritzker Pavilion concert venue. It will be screening films in the new, free Millennium Park Film Series, every Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. this summer. You can catch Yankee Doodle Dandy on July 2....
Chicago Tribune, May 23, June 18

Tour the Harold Washington Library Center
The Harold Washington Library Center is the central facility for the Chicago Public Library system. Named after Mayor Harold Washington (in office 1983–1987), it is located in the South Loop at 400 South State Street. Ornamental Barn Owls (right), perched in the foliage at the four corners at the top of the building, and the Great Horned Owl over the State Street entrance were all designed by Raymond Kaskey and represent knowledge. The owl has been incorporated into the program design for most Chicago-based ALA Annual Conferences since the building opened in 1991....
Chicago Public Library

Chicago kayaking
Paddle the architectural canyons of the Chicago River with Kayak Chicago, an outdoor-instruction outfitter. Kayak through looming skyscrapers, learning the history of the river, the reason why Chicago was built here, Al Capone’s hideout, and where the first settlers lived. No kayaking experience is necessary on this three-hour tour, but the company also offers lessons and provides rentals....
Kayak Chicago

Boat tours: The options
One of the best ways to see Chicago is by boat. All of the boat tours in Chicago have much to offer, so the hardest part is choosing the one that’s right for you. This page provides a brief comparison of various Chicago boat tours and cruises. Be sure to check with the cruise company directly to verify cruise types, pricing, and hours and dates of operation....
Chicago Traveler

Restaurants with great views
Nick Kindelsperger writes: “Ever feel like the quality of a restaurant is inversely related to the picturesque view it offers? I’m the first to admit that I’m an absolute sucker for a good Chicago skyline view. You’d think I’d get over seeing the towers of downtown after six years of living here. Is it possible to reconcile my child-like love of the view with my totally reasonable desire to never eat terrible food? Fortunately, there are far more options than I realized.”...
Serious Eats: Chicago, June 19

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Handbook of academic writing for librarians
ACRL has published a Handbook of Academic Writing for Librarians, the most complete reference source available for librarians who need or desire to publish in the professional literature. Written by Christopher V. Hollister, University at Buffalo, the handbook addresses issues and requirements of scholarly writing and publishing in a start-to-finish manner....
ACRL, June 24

New C&RL social media editor
Sarah Steiner (right), honors, nursing, and virtual services librarian at Georgia State University, has been appointed social media editor for College and Research Libraries, a new position created to take advantage of the opportunities to disseminate scholarly work published in the journal, now that it has moved to an open-access publishing model. Steiner will serve a three-year term as social media editor beginning July 1....
ACRL, June 21

Visit YALSA’s Teen Summer Reading website
Summer is in full bloom, and YALSA is celebrating by providing an archived webinar called “Demonstrating Impact through Teen Summer Reading.” The 60-minute webinar took place on June 4 and was facilitated by Kelly Czarnecki and Catherine Haydon. It is available on YALSA’s Teen Summer Reading website under Resources....
YALSA, June 25

Apply for the Teens’ Top Ten Book Giveaway
YALSA is encouraging libraries to apply for the Teens’ Top Ten Book Giveaway. Through funding from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, 20 sets of the final 2013 Teens’ Top Ten titles will be given away to libraries in need. Individual library branches within a larger system are welcome to apply. Libraries can now apply for the giveaway through September 1. To be eligible for the giveaway, a library must be located within 20 miles of a Dollar General store....
YALSA, June 24

Mark Edwards to speak at AASL President’s Program
Mark Edwards (right), recent host to President Obama during the announcement of the White House’s ConnectED initiative, will speak at the AASL President’s Program on June 29. Called the leader of a “digital revolution,” the Mooresville (N.C.) Graded School District superintendent will speak on the fundamental rethinking of teaching and learning....
AASL, June 21

Two new articles in School Library Research
Two new research articles are now available as part of AASL’s peer-reviewed online journal, School Library Research (SLR). One study examines how important school librarians are in science instruction, while the other study examines how educators of school librarians and teachers view teaching their students about collaboration and 21st-century skills....
AASL, June 24

Leadership Moments essay contest winner
ACRL and LLAMA have announced that Melissa Cardenas-Dow, outreach and behavioral sciences librarian at the University of Redlands, California, has been selected as the winner of the Leadership Moments essay contest, held in conjunction with the divisions’ joint Presidents’ Program. Her winning essay is available online (PDF file)....
ACRL, June 24

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ALA awards 51 Spectrum Scholarships for 2013–2014
The ALA Office for Diversity has awarded Spectrum Scholarships to 51 exceptional students who are pursuing graduate degrees in library and information studies. In the 2013 application cycle, the program received three times as many applications as there were available scholarships. The scholarships go to American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander students to assist them with obtaining a graduate degree....
Office for Diversity, June 25

2013 ALA Scholarship recipients
The ALA Scholarship program has named scholarship recipients for 2013–2014. Nine individuals were selected in the following categories: general, support staff, and specialty or practice area (children’s services, new media, and federal librarianship)....
Office for Human Resource Development and Recruitment, June 25

Beyond Words disaster relief grants awarded to two schools
Herald Whitaker Middle School in Salyersville, Kentucky, and Joplin (Mo.) High School (right) are the recipients of the first catastrophic disaster relief grants offered as part of the AASL Beyond Words Grant funded by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. In 2012, Dollar General renewed its commitment to school libraries by increasing grant amounts and introducing two $50,000 catastrophic disaster relief grants....
AASL, June 25

2013 Pritzker Military Award
Tim O’Brien has won the 2013 Pritzker Military Library Literature Award for Lifetime Achievement in Military Writing. The $100,000 prize will be presented on November 16. The selection of O’Brien, a novelist and short story writer, marks the first time the award has been given to a fiction writer. His works include If I Die in a Combat Zone, Box Me Up and Ship Me Home, The Things They Carried, and Going After Cacciato....
Pritzker Military Library, June 25

2013 CILIP Carnegie and Greenaway Medals
Dyslexic author Sally Gardner won this year’s prestigious CILIP Carnegie Medal with Maggot Moon (Hot Key Books). The original and acclaimed dystopian tale also won this year’s Costa Children’s Book Award. Gardner was joined at the June 19 CILIP awards ceremony by emerging illustrator Levi Pinfold, who claimed the Kate Greenaway Medal, which recognizes excellence in illustration, for his second picture book, Black Dog (Templar Publishing)....
Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, June 19

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NYPL’s Rocky Balboa
Rosalind Gutierrez, a home health aide, has become legend among New York Public Library officials for her obsessive approach to collecting pledges of support during the system’s annual advocacy campaign in May and June to avert proposed budget cuts for the coming fiscal year. She estimates that over the years she has brought in about 40,000 signed advocacy letters, which the library then uses to urge city elected officials to avoid cuts that it says would force the system into layoffs and branch closings....
New York Times, June 21

Changes at McGill’s medical library
As of September 1, the majority of the collection at McGill University’s Life Sciences Library—two floors with hundreds of thousands of books—will be transferred to the Schulich Library of Science and Engineering across the campus in Montreal. Dean of Libraries Colleen Cook said that student study space is more important than storing the books, and that a service point would remain offering reserve books, librarian consultation, and inter-branch loan service. The medical library was the first of its kind in Canada, dating from 1823 as the library of the Montreal Medical Institution....
Montreal Gazette, June 26

Oregon State adopts open-access policy
Oregon State University has adopted an open access policy requiring faculty members to make their scholarly articles available for free through its digital repository. The policy applies to all future scholarly articles authored or coauthored by faculty members at OSU. OSU is the first university, public or private, in the Pacific Northwest to adopt a universitywide open access policy....
Albany (Oreg.) Tribune, June 25

Summer reading, with zoo animals
A summer reading program at the Kansas City (Mo.) Public Library called Zoo to You is designed to help more students visit the library. Every week in June and July, Kansas City Zoo curators and docents are visiting a different library branch and bringing in an animal—such as a barred tiger salamander (the state amphibian of Kansas), a sugar glider (a tiny Australian marsupial), or Inca, the screaming hairy armadillo (above)—for children to visit. Librarian April Roy said the program has been very successful so far....
KSHB-TV, Kansas City, Mo., June 25

Topeka grapples with new concealed-carry law
The Topeka and Shawnee County (Kans.) Public Library on June 20 joined the throngs of municipalities seeking a six-month extension to the new Kansas concealed-carry law. The law, which will allow concealed-carry permit holders to bring weapons into public buildings, goes into effect July 1. The board will assess its security plans to determine whether it will apply for a four-year extension or allow people to carry guns on the premises....
Topeka (Kans.) Citizen-Journal, June 20

Reference lives on
Christopher Borelli writes: “Last month alone, the reference desk at the Skokie (Ill.) Public Library received 4,500 questions. And I wondered: What could I ask a reference librarian that my cellphone doesn’t already know? So I embedded myself for several hours in mid-June at the Mount Prospect (Ill.) Public Library reference desk (right), which in 2011 received more than 200,000 questions. If you’re one of the people who called or walked up to this desk with an inquiry, there’s a good chance you spoke with Dale Heath, head of research services.”...
Chicago Tribune, June 22

Cuyahoga Falls fiscal officer charged with embezzlement
A former deputy fiscal officer of the Cuyahoga Falls (Ohio) Library stands accused of embezzling nearly $350,000. Theresa M. Karm made an initial appearance June 24 before Stow Municipal Court Judge Kim Hoover on one count each of theft and theft in office. Both are third-degree felonies. Police said the charges are the culmination of a three-month investigation that began when financial discrepancies were found during an audit....
Akron (Ohio) Beacon-Journal, June 24

LAC purchases War of 1812 memorabilia
The cash-strapped Library and Archives Canada has dug deeply into its coffers and acquired a unique treasure trove of Canadian history at a British auction of rare books and manuscripts. On June 19 it purchased the Sir John Coape Sherbrooke collection, a 200-year-old archive of letters, maps, and other artifacts for about $690,000 at Bonhams, the UK-based auction house. The collection is described as the largest and most complete collection of War of 1812 documentation ever, which has been in the Sherbrooke family exclusively for the last 200 years....
Postmedia News, June 19

Librarian corrects misattributed William Blake poem
A British school librarian has discovered that a poem widely attributed to William Blake was not really written by the famous poet. Thomas Pitchford, librarian at the Hitchin Boys’ School in Hertfordshire, revealed that “Two Sunflowers Move into the Yellow Room” was actually written in the United States by Nancy Willard and published in 1981 in an anthology titled A Visit to William Blake’s Inn. Pitchford’s blog, The Library Spider, has dozens of examples of how the poem has slipped into classrooms as a genuine Blake poem....
BBC News, June 19; The Library Spider, May 23

Kabul’s new Laura Bush Library
On May 25, the American University of Afghanistan dedicated the International Center for Afghan Women’s Economic Development in Kabul. Funded through a $5 million grant from the US Department of Defense Task Force for Business and Stability Operations, the center includes the Laura Bush Library and Resource Center, where university students, women’s organization leaders, and business owners can gather to research, study, and plan....
George W. Bush Institute, June 5

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Miracle in Marrakesh
Catherine Saez writes: “The mood was one of celebration at the meeting of the World Intellectual Property Organization in Marrakesh, Morocco, June 25 as negotiators drafted a historic treaty, the Treaty to Facilitate Access to Published Works by Visually Impaired and Persons with Print Disabilities (PDF file). Maryanne Diamond, immediate past president of the World Blind Union, said that all issues that mattered for blind people had been addressed. In a rare occurrence, all delegations celebrated in unison (10:15) a treaty characterized as serving human rights.” Libraries will be considered “authorized agencies” that can make accessible copies without the prior permission of the rights holder. Representatives from ALA and IFLA participated in the debates in Morocco....
Intellectual Property Watch, June 26; YouTube, June 25; ALA Office for Information Technology Policy, June 26; District Dispatch, June 26

ALA to Senate: Protect privacy and civil liberties
On June 25, ALA joined 38 other companies and civil liberties organizations to urge the Senate to protect Americans’ privacy when drafting new cybersecurity legislation. The coalition letter (PDF file) asks that new cybersecurity information-sharing legislation maintains the privacy protections from the Cybersecurity Act of 2012 (S. 3414)....
ALA Office of Government Relations, June 25

Reed adds library amendment to Immigration Bill
Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.) is offering a library amendment to the immigration bill that the Senate is considering this week. Amendment 1223 would make public libraries eligible for funding for English-language instruction and civics education, and would also add Susan Hildreth, director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, to the Task Force on New Americans. Among the criteria for registered provisional immigrant (RPI) status are English-language skills, which makes Reed’s amendment particularly relevant....
Library Journal, June 19

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Microsoft reverses Xbox One DRM policy
After much pressure, Microsoft on June 19 revised its previously announced DRM, preowned game usage, and online check-in policies for Xbox One. It’s a huge reversal and changes the dynamic of the next-gen console race with Sony and Nintendo....
Gamasutra, June 19

Top free RSS readers
Eric Griffith writes: “When we talk about free RSS news readers, we’re usually talking about Google Reader. Or at least we used to be. Because on July 1, Google is shuttering Google Reader forever. What’s a faithful feed reader to do? Most reader options are web apps, providing access anywhere. All the better to compete with (and now take over for) Google Reader.”...
PC Magazine, June 25

What to do if your laptop freezes
Brian Westover writes: “The frustration of a frozen laptop is one of those headache-inducing, teeth-gnashing, pulling-out-your-own-hair sort of things that we have to deal with from time to time. But what causes a laptop to freeze, and what do you do when it happens? Sit back, relax, and let us explain how get through it.”...
PC Magazine, June 25

Instagram Video vs. Vine
Jordan Crook writes: “Instagram just launched video functionality. Glorious, 15-second, editable video functionality. Complete with image stabilization. So what does this mean for Vine? In the end, the competition should give users plenty to be excited about, whether you’re a Vine loyalist or an Instagrammaholic. And both apps will likely continue to thrive. But let’s go ahead and take a hard look at how these platforms are different.”...
TechCrunch, June 20; ABC News, June 20

A user-friendly technical dictionary
David Pogue writes: “The Computer Desktop Encyclopedia was an online dictionary of 25,000 computer and consumer electronics terms, written for over 30 years by Alan Freedman, his wife, Irma Morrison, and occasional part-timers. Until about eight years ago, the CDE served as the built-in computer dictionary for 20 technology-related websites. Freedman has now made the CDE free online to all. And he challenged me to compare his definitions with its rivals.”...
New York Times: Pogue’s Posts, June 20

New technologies that will change the world
Laura Devaney writes: “Technology is constantly evolving, and ed-tech advocates know that what may sound like far-fetched predictions now could be popular digital learning tools down the road. During an ISTE 2013 session on future technologies that will affect schools, presenter Howie DiBlasi, an Arizona educator and digital technology supporter, told attendees that some technologies, including a mind-reading shopping cart (above) and a space elevator (although maybe not), are either in the beginning stages of development or not as far off as some think.”...
eSchool News, June 25; io9, Feb. 15

The peril of “free” downloads
Conor Myhrvold writes: “In the past decade, search giants Google, Microsoft, and Yahoo have deployed significant resources to prevent adware and malware compromising their web browsers, email services, and websites. Unwanted downloads can’t be that bad in 2013, right? After a little research, I decided to search for free games, music, e-cards, a wallpaper, and a screensaver for my new computer. This is what happened.”...
Ars Technica, June 25

Time to pool our resources
Maureen Sullivan, Keith Michael Fiels, and Alan S. Inouye write: “The only certainty in the library community is that we live in uncertain times. Buffeted by technological turbulence, the very roles and functions of libraries are up for reexamination and reinvention. But the truly fundamental change is a shift in foundational relationships. Significant aspects of the decision-making that library managers control have moved into the hands of the executives of publishing houses, distributor companies, and other organizations outside of the library community.”...
American Libraries feature

Faustian ebook bargains
Clifford A. Lynch writes: “Sadly, ebooks have not only failed to deliver on much of their promise, they have become a vast lost opportunity. They are becoming a weapon capable of considerable social damage; a Faustian technology that seduces with convenience, particularly for those who consume a great many books, but offers little else while extracting a corrosive toll on our social institutions and norms. The failure here is not primarily one of technology but of the way that rights holders have chosen to apply the technology.”...
American Libraries feature

Snow Fall: The unpackaged book
Peter Brantley writes: “After several years of hypothetical discussion about the possibilities of transmedia, it took a sportswriter working for a newspaper to demonstrate the power of internet-based publishing. In a single blow, the New York Times reset the bar for interactive online narratives. Snow Fall: The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek is a gripping story of a mountain disaster in the northwestern United States that claimed the lives of several experienced skiers.”...
American Libraries feature

Podcast on DCL’s ebook-lending program
Rochelle Logan, Douglas County (Colo.) Libraries, and Mary Minow, Califa, stopped by the studio to discuss their innovative ebook lending program and explain why publishers should consider selling their ebooks directly to libraries, in this Bookbliss podcast (8:35)....
Bookbliss, June 13

Nook tablets to linger through 2013
Matt Burns writes: “The Nook is on life support. Device sales are down. Digital content sales are down. Revenue is down. The company’s year-end report looks bleak, but Barnes & Noble plans to keep its current crop of tablets around at least through 2013. However, things are about to change dramatically with the Nook brand. B&N is teaming up with a yet-to-be announced third party that will manufacture and co-brand the Nook Simple Touch and Nook Glowlight devices.”...
TechCrunch, June 25; Barnes & Noble, June 25

10 resources for community digital archives
Bill LeFurgy writes: “We write frequently about the value of personal digital archiving, but there is a related role for public libraries and allied organizations: facilitating the development of community digital archives. A community collection could consist of born-digital and digitized images, audio, text, or other cultural heritage materials that document local history. Here, in no special order, are 10 resources that provide useful insight into developing, managing, and accessing community digital archives.”...
The Signal: Digital Preservation, June 25

BookReader for developers
Doug Reside writes: “In 2005, the Internet Archive released the first version of its BookReader, a web widget that allows a user to flip through images of book pages with an animation that suggests the turning of physical paper. The code is open source and written in JavaScript, so it’s easy to install the widget on any webpage. As a result, many libraries and archives have used versions of the code on their own websites. Here’s how.”...
New York Public Library Blogs, June 25

ALA Annual Conference, Chicago, June 27–July 2. We’re looking forward to welcoming you to Chicago this week. Stay in touch and get updates: alaannual.org, Cognotes previews, Twitter: #ala2013, the Conference Scheduler and mobile app, the Facebook Event, the Pinterest page, and the conference Tumblr. Have a wonderful conference!

The Taksim Square Book Club
After weeks of violent clashes between police and protesters across Turkey, a new form of resistance has emerged: the “Standing Man.” Taking their lead from Turkish performance artist Erdem Gunduz who stood silently in Taksim Square for eight hours, thousands of people are standing silently, for minutes or hours, in locations across Turkey. Many protesters are choosing to read controversial books, such as Orwell’s 1984, in enough numbers to be labeled “The Taksim Square Book Club.”...
Al Jazeera, June 24

What makes a good “bad” book?
Elissa Gershowitz writes: “Trashy books: They’re the ones that cause young patrons to avert their eyes from a librarian (or, better yet, use the self-scan) and hide the dust jackets from their parents. They almost always contain steamy stuff and, often, controlled substances. Some, however, take on lives of their own, continuing to circulate among readers over the years or even the decades. What are the traits that allow these selections to stand apart?”...
The Horn Book, June 20

And the next YA craze is . . .
Teen blogger Cory writes: “It shouldn’t surprise us that dystopian fiction is going the way of paranormal romance. The million-dollar question is this: What is the next big thing for YA literature? Yes, it’s possible that we could go awhile without having a big thing, allowing the shelves to be filled with more variety. As a young adult and potential consumer of YA lit, here are a few things that I think, either seriously or jokingly, may be the new trend, as well as a few things I would love to see take flight.”...
YALSA: The Hub, June 20

Urban fantasy for teens
Colleen Seisser writes: “An urban fantasy is a subgenre in which fantastical elements are in play in a real-world urban setting. Urban fantasies can occur in the present day or can go back in time to around the start of the Victorian Era. Urban fantasy found its footing with teens when fairies and vampires were all the rage about five years ago. An interesting trend to watch is that of angels and creatures from classical myths coming into play.”...
YALSA: The Hub, June 25

Guess these books by their catalog cards
Jeff O’Neal writes: “This one goes out to all the library lurkers out there. The Library of Congress subject classification descriptors for books can be either accurate and helpful or vague and incomplete. So, your challenge today is to guess novels based on their official Library of Congress subjects. Highlight the text next to the answer prompt to see the titles.”...
Book Riot, June 23

A medieval comic book
Damien Kempf writes: “This a page from the Bible of Stephen Harding, a manuscript produced in the early 12th century (Dijon, Bibliothèque municipale, MS 14). These scenes, which recount the life of biblical King David, read like a contemporary comic book: from top to bottom and left to right, with captions on top of each image (and sometimes within the images). It is one of the earliest, and most striking, examples of comic-like medieval pages.” The full manuscript is viewable on the French Enluminures website. It predates by 700 years the Glasgow Looking Glass from the 1820s, considered an early example....
Damien Kempf, June 15; Glasgow School of Art Library, June 25

Beautiful cover art of the past
Beth Carswell writes: “What constituted a beautiful book a century ago? We’ve found 30 books that tell the story well. Highly decorated cloth, ornate scrollwork, symmetrical and floral patterns, gilt, embossing, and debossing: These covers make us want to touch them, own them, and display them. This selection spans the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Most are surprisingly affordable, and all are an absolute pleasure to behold.”...
AbeBooks’ Reading Copy, June 21

Pew study: Younger Americans’ library habits
Younger Americans (those ages 16–29) exhibit a fascinating mix of habits and preferences when it comes to reading, libraries, and technology. According to a June 25 Pew Research Center report (PDF file), 75% of them say they have read at least one book in print in the past year, compared with 64% of adults ages 30 and older. Younger patrons are also significantly more likely than older library visitors to use the library as a space to sit and read, study, or consume media—some 60% of younger library patrons have done that in the past 12 months, compared with 45% of those ages 30 and older....
Pew Research Center, June 25

Introducing Bing for schools
Darrell Etherington writes: “Bing is taking a step to help make its products more appealing for school-age children, with Bing For Schools, an opt-in program launching later in 2013 that targets K–12 institutions. The program is a context-specific version of Microsoft’s Bing search engine that gets rid of all ads from search results, and offers some bolstered privacy protections and more rigorous SafeSearch filtering of adult content.”...
TechCrunch, June 24

LC transitions to free, online-only cataloging publications
The Library of Congress has moved to online-only publication of its cataloging documentation. As titles that are in production are released, the library’s Cataloging Distribution Service will no longer print new editions of its subject headings, classification schedules, and other cataloging publications but will provide free, downloadable PDF versions beginning July 1. LC’s two web-based subscription services, Cataloger’s Desktop and Classification Web, will continue as products from CDS....
Library of Congress, June 21

The best sites for finding freely usable images
Ned Potter writes: “Creative Commons licenses allow people to freely and legally reuse artistic works, as long as they credit the creator. This can apply to any media, but it’s most often associated with pictures, and there are hundreds of millions of images online of very high quality that we can use in posters, brochures, presentations, websites, handbooks, or blog posts, as long as we abide by the conditions of the CC license under which they are made available. So where do you find these fantastic pictures?”...
The Library Marketing Toolkit, June 21

Scholars Trust to serve libraries in Southeast and Mid-Atlantic (PDF file)
The Association of Southeastern Research Libraries and the Washington Research Library Consortium have signed an agreement to create a Scholars Trust that will combine their print journal collections under a single retention and access agreement. The combined title list exceeds 8,000 journal titles, making the effort one of the largest shared print journal repositories in the United States. WRLC and ASERL libraries have agreed to extend reciprocal priority interlibrary loan services across the group....
Association of Southeastern Research Libraries, June 21

Research your location with mapFAST Mobile
OCLC’s new mapFAST Mobile lets you search WorldCat from your smartphone or mobile browser for materials related to any location and find them in the nearest library. Available on the web and now as an Android app, mapFAST is a Google Maps mashup that allows users to identify a point of interest, then jump to WorldCat to find specific items and the nearest holding library....
OCLC Research, June 25

Notes on an iPad: iA Writer or Byword?
David Lee King writes: “#ala2013 is coming up in a few days, and I want all you iPad note-takers to be prepared. For the last year or so, when I take notes on my iPad, I’ve been using iA Writer, and it works great. But I’m not really fond of the font, so I tried another app, Byword, to be exact. Here’s what I found.”...
David Lee King, June 25

Map your own literary landmarks
A new website called Placing Literature combines maps with scenes from novels to place literary landmarks in real Google Maps locations. You can click on the map, zoom in and out, and pick out locations for a variety of novels. You can also add to the growing map database by logging into your Google account. Crowdsourcing is key to the project, and the site is currently developing partnerships with libraries and educators. The team plans to offer a way for users to upload photos of the locations....
AppsRange, June 23

A look at librarians and Tumblr
Molly McArdle writes: “Tumblr is both a social media network and a blogging platform. It is often called a microblog, but there is nothing micro about it. Tumblr is large, and as a blogging platform it is user friendly. What makes library Tumblrs different from your run-of-the-mill library blogs is that they can take advantage of a built-in community with built-in readers. Librarians on Tumblr use the tags #libraries, #librarians, and #Tumblarians to talk to each other.”...
Library Journal: In the Bookroom, June 25

How past odd jobs could help you now
Sarah Houghton writes: “For 99.9% of us, working in a library was not our first job. I worked an extremely odd assortment of jobs between high school and finishing my MLIS, each and every one of which has continued to help me in some small way with the work I do today. Even jobs that are seemingly completely unrelated have yielded some practical skill, knowledge, or experience. Here are some of the jobs I worked and what each of them taught me that I still use today.”...
Librarian in Black, June 26

Don’t judge a librarian by its cover
Dimity Flanagan writes: “A patron is approaching the information desk. I am available, as are my colleagues. Who will the person choose? In the slow times of exam periods or late shifts, I often stand wondering why a patron didn’t approach me. I was definitely sporting the mandatory ‘I am the happiest person in the world’ smile, so really, they should have picked me. But they didn’t. So how do I cope with such rejection? I can either push my colleagues out of the way, or I can solve my problem like a true librarian. So off I went to do some research.”...
ALIA Sydney, June 25

Library usability study, stage 1
Paige Alfonzo writes: “We are currently conducting a usability study at my library on our Libguides. We had noticed a steep drop in clicks from the Libguide homepage to subsequent pages. Something about the way the guides were laid out was causing users to navigate away from the page. So with the help of our systems librarian, we set up a usability study to discover the reason. We have only gone through two tests so far, but we came across some interesting findings.”...
Librarian Enumerations, June 19

Why zombies are good for libraries
Matt Finch writes: “You get a lot of zombies in libraries. In 2013, even LIS grads must battle their way through a horde of the undead just to get to their desk shift on time. In the zombie events I’ve run, kids and teens find themselves drawn into the world of a zombie uprising. This opens the door to a richer library experience that acknowledges performance, gaming, and immersion in story as aspects of 21st-century literacy. So why are zombies so good for libraries?” Jesse Ingoglia has an interesting zombiography....
School Library Journal: Connect the Pop, June 21; New York Public Library Blogs, June 25

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