The e-newsletter of the American Library Association | April 23, 2014

Vermont librarians win standards battle
School librarians in Vermont won a standards victory early in April when the Secretary of State’s Office approved Education Quality Standards (PDF file) that emphasize the essential role of school librarians and libraries in student success. The effective date, April 5, couldn’t have been better timed, since April is School Library Month. The standards now specify that every school “develop, maintain, and expand as needed a collection of print, digital, and technology resources, administered by a certified library media specialist.”...
AL: The Scoop, Apr. 23

In Practice: Meaningful assessment
Meredith Farkas writes: “These days, more people understand that assessment data can be used to improve library services and that it’s a critical tool in the effort to remain a vital part of our communities. In this era of accountability and accreditation, it’s easy to lose sight of why we collect data and do assessment. Keeping the focus on learning and improvement is the key to doing meaningful assessment that will make your library better.”...
American Libraries column, Mar./Apr.

Spreading the joy of reading on World Book Night
While celebrating William Shakespeare’s 450th birthday, libraries, bookstores, and readers around the world (PDF file) will also take part in World Book Day and World Book Night on April 23. Held in the United States, the United Kingdom, and the Republic of Ireland, the World Book Night initiative aims at promoting the value of reading, printed books, bookstores, and libraries to everyone year round. For this year’s World Book Night, 1,055 libraries are participating in distributing a total of 38 adult and YA books. To get information about joining future World Book Night celebrations, email Danielle Alderson....
AL: The Scoop, Apr. 23; International Publishers Association, Apr. 23; Member Programs and Services, Apr. 17; World Book Night; YALSA The Hub, Apr. 23

Will’s World: Fired up for retirement
Will Manley writes: “Every library director with a standard seven-member board of trustees knows one fact of life: the rule of four. It takes only four votes to get you fired. If you’re unlucky, your board has only five members. Things can get very dicey when it takes only three votes to get you fired. So if you really want to be a library director, look for a nine-member board of trustees. It takes real talent to alienate five people; so if you do get fired in that scenario, you probably deserve it.”...
American Libraries column, Mar./Apr.

Keeping kids in stitches
Lorain, Ohio, youngsters learn how to navigate a sewing machine courtesy of the Cleveland Public Library branch’s “Sew Lorain Kids” program. Debuting in fall 2013, the low-tech drop-in maker class has students producing finger puppets, lunch napkins, and hand warmers. The kids are also experimenting with upcycling older garments....
American Libraries feature, Apr. 22

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10 libraries selected for Public Innovators Cohort
On April 22, ALA selected 10 public libraries to participate in an intensive 18-month, community-engagement training program as part of the Libraries Transforming Communities Public Innovators Cohort. The cohort is part of ALA’s LTC initiative, a national plan to help librarians strengthen their role as core community leaders and change agents. In addition to the training, each library will receive an $8,000 cash grant to help cover the cost of their new community-engagement work....
AL: The Scoop, Apr. 22

IFLA to meet in Columbus, Ohio, in 2016
The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions has notified Columbus, Ohio, that it has been selected as the site for its 2016 World Library and Information Congress. The event will be held August 11–18, 2016, at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. More than 4,000 attendees from 120 countries are expected to fill more than 11,000 hotel rooms and generate an estimated $11 million in economic impact....
International Relations Office, Apr. 23

Library broadband takes center stage at IMLS hearing
On April 17, the Institute for Library and Museum Services held a public hearing to discuss the importance of high-speed connectivity in libraries and outline strategies for helping libraries expand bandwidth to accommodate growing network use. The hearing convened three expert panels, each of which discussed a different dimension of library connectivity. Watch C-SPAN coverage of the hearing....
District Dispatch, Apr. 18; New York Times, Apr. 17; C-SPAN, Apr. 17

ALA election closes April 25
The 2014 ALA election will close at 11:59 p.m. Central time on Friday, April 25. If you have not yet cast your vote, please do so now. If you have parked your ballot (started but not yet completed), return to complete the process. In the event you cannot locate the email with your voting credentials, the ALA Member and Customer Service Department can help you. Contact them at (800) 545-2433, option 5....
Office of ALA Governance, Apr. 17

Apply for the ALA Leadership Institute
If you haven’t submitted your application for the 2014 “Leading to the Future” ALA Leadership Institute (August 10–14 at the Eaglewood Resort in Itasca, Illinois), you have until April 25. Building on the success of the 2013 inaugural ALA Leadership Institute, and with support from Innovative Interfaces, the immersive leadership development program for 40 mid-career librarians will be led again by ALA Past-President Maureen Sullivan and ACRL Content Strategist Kathryn Deiss....
Office of ALA Governance, Apr. 17

Libraries, community engagement, and learning
Paul Signorelli writes: “Having been tremendously inspired by interactions with librarians who are community leaders in various parts of the country over the past few months, I’m not at all surprised to see that the 2014 edition of The State of America’s Libraries report has a wonderful new section: Libraries and Community Engagement. At the heart of this section are the stories.”...
Building Creative Bridges, Apr. 15

It’s Right to E-Read Day in Europe
The European Bureau of Library, Information, and Documentation Associations launched the “Right to E-read” campaign on April 23, an initiative advocating for copyright law that enables libraries to fulfill their enduring mission to make information available to the communities they serve. In response, ALA President Barbara Stripling congratulated EBLIDA for developing the ebook advocacy campaign....
Office for Information Technology Policy, Apr. 23

Advocate for libraries on Virtual Library Legislative Day
Virtual Library Legislative Day is part of National Library Legislative Day on May 5–6, when hundreds of library advocates will be on Capitol Hill to meet with members of Congress and their staffs. Library advocates who cannot make it to Capitol Hill for the event can still be a part of the effort by calling or emailing their elected officials on May 6, or anytime the week of May 5–9. Talking points, links, and more resources are available online....
United for Libraries, Apr. 22

Florida LIS students in Tallahassee for Library Day
Every spring, the Florida Library Association hosts a Library Day at the Legislature in Tallahassee. Library leaders from around the state gather at the State Capitol to meet with lawmakers to advocate for libraries. This year on March 25, students from the University of South Florida School of Information in Tampa were paired with county library delegations. They shared some of their stories....
Librarians-in-Training, Mar. 31

Preservation Week begins April 27
Celebrate the fifth annual Preservation Week, April 27–May 3. This national awareness campaign, sponsored by ALCTS, was developed to promote the understanding and importance of care for personal and community cultural heritage collections, whether they are books, documents, photographs, textiles, paintings, sculptures, furniture, decorative arts, or any collectibles. Libraries are the perfect place to share preservation information. Here are some suggestions on how to plan a last-minute event....
ALCTS, Apr. 22; Programming Librarian, Apr. 11

“Defense Against the Digital Dark Arts” webinar
Registration is now open for “Defense Against the Digital Dark Arts” the 2014 Choose Privacy Week webinar, on May 5. Presenter Eric Stroshane, field services librarian at North Dakota State Library, will discuss how online surveillance works, give practical tips on improving privacy on public computers, and provide a better understanding of current legal threats to digital privacy and online anonymity....
Office for Intellectual Freedom, Apr. 22

First Sharjah Book Fair/ALA Library Conference
The first Sharjah International Book Fair/ALA Library Conference is set to take place November 11–13 at the Expo Centre in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, during the 33rd Sharjah International Book Fair. The two-day library conference will offer free concurrent programs on a wide range of topics for librarians from public, academic, school, government, and special libraries. There is no fee for librarians to attend but registration is required....
International Relations Office, Apr. 22

Evaluation in the accreditation review process
Laura Dare writes: “Here we take a look at how the ALA Office for Accreditation uses evaluation to improve the accreditation process. The office depends on candid evaluations from those actively engaged in the comprehensive review: the program and the External Review Panelists. From early in the review process until six months after the decision is made, the office gathers feedback through questionnaires that include statements with Likert-scale responses as well as prompts for open-ended responses.”...
Prism 22, no. 1 (Spring)

Create effective videos and screencasts
Do you want to harness the power of video for achieving learning objectives? The Learning Round Table is hosting an all-day boot camp preconference, “Creating Effective Videos and Screencasts,” on June 27 prior to the ALA Annual Conference in Las Vegas. Facilitator Royce Kitts of Washburn University will guide you through the process of creating effective video learning content. Add Event Code LRT1 to your registration....
Learning Round Table, Apr. 18

Supporting digital scholarship
In the “Supporting Digital Scholarship” workshop on June 19, Karen Calhoun (author of Exploring Digital Libraries: Foundations, Practice, Prospects) and Aaron Brenner will present a community-centered model of success factors for creating thriving digital library services. You will learn how your team of digital library managers and subject liaisons can create value in scholarly research, communication, and practice....
ALA TechSource, Apr. 22

Gadgets in the library
From the iPad to e-readers, gadgets are everywhere. As these personal electronic devices become ubiquitous, it’s essential that libraries are fluent in their language. Whether your library wants to use them in its services or purchase them to circulate to patrons, the two-part workshop, “Gadgets in the Library: A Practical Guide to Personal Electronics for Librarians” with Jason Griffey on July 23–24, will provide the foundation for bringing your library into the future through gadgets....
ALA TechSource, Apr. 22

Putting the “pop” in information literacy
Dawn Stahura and Erin Milanese offer two tools that can make it easy to enliven your instructional sessions—popular culture and assessment. In this facilitated eCourse, “Putting the ‘Pop’ in Information Literacy,” you will learn how to include pop culture in your instruction. Through weekly assignments, you’ll build a fully defined, one-shot instructional session using a popular-culture theme....
ALA Editions, Apr. 22

Using Drupal to build library websites
Drupal is an open source content management tool that allows users to build complex websites without extensive programming, making it perfect for library websites. In the introductory eCourse “Using Drupal to Build Library Websites,” librarian, consultant, and Drupal expert Ken Varnum will guide participants in building an attractive, functional library website using Drupal 7, while highlighting what is still applicable to Drupal 6....
ALA Editions, Apr. 22

Bugs, bogs, bats, and books
In Bugs, Bogs, Bats, and Books: Sharing Nature with Children through Reading, teacher and librarian Kathleen T. Isaacs spotlights recent titles appropriate for children ages up to 10 that will encourage children’s wonder and enthusiasm for nature. Themed chapters identify picture books on nature-related subjects that kids love. Isaacs also offers supplemental science activities that adults and children can do together....
Huron Street Press, Apr. 17

Exploring environmental science
In Exploring Environmental Science with Children and Teens, published by ALA Editions, Eileen G. Harrington offers a selection of unique programming ideas that not only entertain, but also arm children and teens with information about environmental issues. There is no need to have a particular background in science to use this all-in-one resource, which includes ways to introduce environmental science themes into existing library programs....
ALA Editions, Apr. 21

Innovations in university libraries
Using the results of a year-long study, The New University Library: Four Case Studies, published by ALA Editions, profiles four academic libraries that are transforming themselves with extraordinary ingenuity and diligence. Matthew Conner examines topics such as reference, personnel, technology, collections, buildings, campus roles, and library culture—and how they’re changing in response to current trends—at UIUC, UC Merced, UH Manoa, and UC Davis....
ALA Editions, Apr. 22

Library service to prisoners, 1936–1939
Lydia Tang writes: “In the mid-1930s, ALA formed a Committee on the Libraries of the American Prison Association. Found in Record Series 23/40/5, this collection contains the Committee’s surveys from 1936 to 1938 of prison libraries, reports on prison librarianship, correspondence, and some prison newsletters. The most touching aspects of this collection are the letters and poems by prisoners who benefited from the library and literacy services during their incarceration.”...
ALA Archives Blog, Apr. 21

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So you want to do a poster session?
Fallon Bleich writes: “This is why poster sessions are so fantastic: They give you a great reason to go to a conference, they can sometimes cover some costs (really depends on the conference), and they’re a great way to network with other library professionals. Plus, they look fantastic on your résumé and you can use them to go to smaller conferences you might not have thought about before. So, what goes on during a poster session?”...
INALJ, Apr. 22

Celebrity chefs on the Vegas strip
The latest roster of culinary masters opening restaurants in Vegas would make any Top Chef contestant swoon. From Giada de Laurentiis to Guy Fieri to Daniel Boulud to José Andrés, celebrity chefs are adding star power to a dining scene that was once dominated by all-you-can-eat buffets. Las Vegas now has one of the most comprehensive collections of celebrity chefs and more Master Sommeliers than most other US destinations....
USA Today, Apr. 16; Eater Vegas, Apr. 8, 18, 21, 23

10 things you didn’t know about Las Vegas
Lissa Townsend Rodgers writes: “Not many cities evoke as many instant associations as Las Vegas. It’s a town whose story has been told thousands of times, in books such as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, movies such as Casino and television shows from Vega$ to Vegas. But there’s much about Vegas you might not know—and we don’t just mean magic tricks, personal secrets, or those holes in the desert you see in gangster movies.”...
CNN Travel, Apr. 17

Jogging routes in Las Vegas
Pauline Frommer writes: “There are two terrific websites created specifically to help runners plan the best routes. They are MapMyRun and USA Track & Field (for runs in the US only). The first is more helpful, though it does require registration. You are given the choice of choosing pretested runs that other joggers in your destination have put together; or creating a sensible plan of your own. With the USATF website, runners are asked how far they hope to run. Then they’re given access to maps that fit their specifications, created by other runners.”...
Frommer’s, Mar. 23

Get buzzed at Bolt Barbers
Bolt Barbers at 707 East Fremont Street, Box Car and Caboose #1140, Container Park, is an old-school barbershop staffed only with barbers. They specialize in tapered haircuts, fades, high and tight military haircuts, mohawks, recon haircuts, college contour cuts, or whatever haircut or shave you can think up. With any service and Bolt’s Hairy Beast Card, you can enjoy a mug of draft root beer, a game or two of bowling on a vintage 1959 16-foot United Big Ball Bowler, or a few games of sit-down Donkey Kong in the “living room” at the Monkey House....
Bolt Barbers

Las Vegas and water
John M. Glionna writes: “An ongoing drought and the Colorado River’s stunted flow have shrunk Lake Mead to its lowest level in generations. The reservoir, which supplies 90% of Las Vegas’ water, is ebbing as though a plug had been pulled from a bathtub drain (right). By mid-April, Lake Mead’s water level measured just 48 feet above the system’s topmost intake straw. But water use—and how to curtail it—poses a complex puzzle, officials say.”...
Los Angeles Times, Apr. 20

Hunting for the best carry-on bag
Seth Kugel writes: “How do you know when it’s time to replace your carry-on bag? My boxy black Samsonite, circa 2003, was reaching the end of its road. I’m obviously not the kind of traveler who cares deeply about luggage. So I started from the beginning: What’s the least I can pay for a bag that looks decent and can take some serious abuse? Hard, soft, or duffel? What pockets are right for me? And do I need spinner wheels?”...
New York Times: Frugal Traveler, Apr. 16; Overstock.com

Putting the US in RUSA (PDF file)
M. Kathleen Kern writes: “The R in RUSA often overshadows the US. I’m not being cute here and talking about us (although we are important). The US in RUSA that is missed by many librarians, particularly those not involved in RUSA, is User Services. RUSA has a lot going on in user services, just as most libraries have many user services that they provide. User services are everywhere, yet they can be a little difficult to call out and to find.”...
RUSQ 53, no. 3 (Spring): 209–212

Visit the Teen Read Week website
YALSA has launched its 2014 Teen Read Week website as part of Celebrate Teen Literature Day, April 17. Online community members now have full access to a variety of resources to help them plan their Teen Read Week activities, October 12–18. Individuals who are not online community members yet are encouraged to join for free to gain full access to resources, perks, and monthly updates....
YALSA, Apr. 17

2014 Teens’ Top Ten nominees
YALSA officially announced the 2014 Teens’ Top Ten Nominees on April 17 in honor of Celebrate Teen Literature Day. A list of the nominees with annotations can be found on the Teens’ Top Ten website. Teens are encouraged to read the 25 nominees before the national Teens’ Top Ten vote, which will take place August 15 through Teen Read Week....
YALSA, Apr. 17

Rise of the introverts
Is the rise of the quiet influencer the future face of business? International speaker and executive coach Jennifer Kahnweiler (right) says yes. Hear more from her at the ALCTS President’s Program on June 30 during the ALA Annual Conference in Las Vegas, where she will describe the six strengths introverts can use to their advantage....
ALCTS, Apr. 22

Fundamentals of collection assessment
Modeled on the popular six-week online course, ALCTS will present a “Fundamentals of Collection Assessment” preconference on June 26–27 before the 2014 ALA Annual Conference in Las Vegas. This day-and-a-half session will introduce the fundamental aspects of collection assessment in libraries. Add Event Code ALC1 to your registration....
ALCTS, Apr. 22

ALCTS virtual preconference
ALCTS will present a three-day (June 10–12) virtual preconference designed to inform and inspire attendees to develop or expand scholarly communication programs on their own campuses and to identify content recruitment opportunities for library-supported publishing and institutional repositories. Register online....
ALCTS, Apr. 22

United for Libraries at BEA
United for Libraries and Algonquin Books will present “Journey of a Book: From Writer to Reader” on May 30 at Book Expo America in New York City. Join Lin Enger (right), author of the forthcoming historical novel The High Divide, editor Kathy Pories, and agent P. J. Mark as they discuss the path a book takes—in this case, a work of historical fiction—from the writer’s inspiration to the final step of getting it into the reader’s hands....
United for Libraries, Apr. 22

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National School Library Program of the Year Award
Eaglecrest High School (right) in Centennial, Colorado, is the 2014 National School Library Program of the Year Award recipient. Sponsored by the Follett Corporation, the NSLPY award recognizes a school library program that meets the needs of the changing school and library environment and is fully integrated into the school’s curriculum. The recipient receives $10,000 toward its school library program....
AASL, Apr. 22

Michael Buckland wins Kilgour Award
Michael Buckland (right), professor emeritus in the School of Information at the University of California, Berkeley, is the 2014 winner of the $2,000 Frederick G. Kilgour Award for Research in Library and Information Technology. The award, which is jointly sponsored by LITA and OCLC, is given for research relevant to the development of information technologies....
LITA, Apr. 21

2014 Library Hi Tech Award
Victoria Reich and David S. H. Rosenthal (right) have been named the winners of the 2014 Library Hi Tech Award for Outstanding Communication in Library and Information Technology sponsored by LITA and Emerald Group Publishing. Reich and Rosenthal are being recognized for their collaboration to ensure the preservation of digital content through their creation and development of the LOCKSS program that launched in 1999....
LITA, Apr. 21

2014 Ex Libris Student Writing Award
Brighid Mooney Gonzales (right), MLIS student at San José State University School of Library and Information Science, has been named the winner of the 2014 LITA/Ex Libris Student Writing Award, sponsored by LITA and Ex Libris Group. Her paper, “Linking Libraries to the Web: Linked Data and the Future of the Bibliographic Record,” describes the potential use of linked data to make library catalogs and online resources interoperable with other data across the web....
LITA, Apr. 21

2014 WHCLIS Award
Mary Lynn Collins (right), a library trustee from Frankfort, Kentucky, is the winner of the 2014 White House Conference on Library and Information Services Award, which is given to a nonlibrarian participating in National Library Legislative Day. It covers hotel fees in addition to a $300 stipend to reduce the cost of attending the event, held this year on May 5–6....
Office of Government Relations, Apr. 22

2014 Library of the Future Award
ALA has named the “Enriching the Lives of a Challenged Community by Lending Tablets” project at the Queens (N.Y.) Library the 2014 winner of the ALA Information Today Library of the Future Award. The award recognizes the library for its distribution of tablets with library-curated content to help the communities served by seven Hurricane Sandy–affected libraries rebuild....
Office of ALA Governance, Apr. 22

AASL awards
AASL has announced the recipients of its 2014 awards and grants, which recognize excellence and showcase best practices in the school library field in categories that include collaboration, leadership, and innovation....
AASL, Apr. 22

Apply for a Friends of ALSC Institute Scholarship
In an effort to support ALSC’s goal of continuing education for children’s librarians, the Friends of ALSC are offering two scholarships to the ALSC National Institute in Oakland, California, September 18–20. Scholarship recipients must be ALSC members who work directly with children in a library setting. The scholarships will include institute registration (at the early bird rate) and a $1,000 travel stipend to cover airfare and hotel lodging. Apply by May 30....
ALSC, Apr. 22

Library Box wins a Knight Prototype Fund grant
On April 22 the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation announced funding for 17 new projects through the Knight Prototype Fund, which helps people explore early-stage media and information ideas with $35,000 in funding. One of the projects funded was LibraryBox, designed by University of Tennessee at Chattanooga Chief Technology Strategist Jason Griffey. LibraryBox is a device that provides access to digital information in areas with poor or no internet connectivity....
Knight Foundation, Apr. 22

2014 Primary Source Awards
The Center for Research Libraries created the CRL Primary Source Awards in 2009 to recognize innovative uses of primary materials by faculty, librarians and library staff, students, and other researchers. The categories are in access, research, and teaching. This year’s winner in the teaching category was the National Humanities Center for the Lessons section of its America in Class website....
Center for Research Libraries, Apr. 22

2014 Jackson Poetry Prize
Claudia Rankine (right) has been awarded the 2014 Jackson Poetry Prize by the nonprofit organization Poets and Writers. The prize, which comes with $50,000, is awarded annually to an American poet of “exceptional talent who deserves wider recognition.” Rankine is the author of the collections Don’t Let Me be Lonely, Plot, and (forthcoming) Citizen: An American Lyric....
Publishers Weekly, Apr. 21

2014 Indies Choice Awards
The winners of the 2014 Indies Choice Book Awards and the E.B. White Read-Aloud Awards, as voted by independent booksellers nationwide, were announced April 15 by the American Booksellers Association. The winner of the Adult Fiction Book of the Year was Life After Life: A Novel by Kate Atkinson (Reagan Arthur Books), and the winner of the Adult Nonfiction Book of the Year was The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics by Daniel James Brown (Viking)....
Bookselling This Week, Apr. 15

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Burned Albuquerque branch reopens
The North Valley branch of the Albuquerque Bernalillo County (N.Mex.) Public Library reopened April 15, more than nine months after it closed due to an arson fire in the children’s section. The fire caused extensive smoke damage and destroyed 80% of the 50,000 book collection. Crews had to gut the 14,000-square-foot, 20-year-old building. Library Director Dean Smith said the building now has fewer but more efficient light fixtures, a new heating and cooling system, a fresh paint job, new carpet, and extra power....
Albuquerque Journal, Apr. 19

Dallas Friends group appeals to city council
The Friends of the Dallas Public Library made its semiannual pilgrimage to City Hall to plead for more money. Their case is a simple one. The main downtown library is open a mere 40 hours per week. The city fares poorly when measured by library funding, both as a percentage of its annual budget and per capita. To remedy this, author and DPL Friend Karen Blumenthal (right) offered a rather bold proposal....
Dallas Observer, Apr. 22

Alec Baldwin to raise funds for Central Falls library
Actor Alec Baldwin will be holding a fundraiser on June 7 aimed at raising money for the Adams Memorial Library in Central Falls, Rhode Island. The money will help finance the construction of a media lab at the library, which the library cannot afford to do on its own. Ticket holders can enter a raffle for a chance to read a dialogue on stage with Baldwin, who has been supporting the library and Central Falls High School since 2011....
WPRI-TV, Providence, R.I., Apr. 19

Milwaukee considers loaning The Bookworm
The Milwaukee Public Library board decided April 22 that it will consider the long-term loan of one of its treasures: The Bookworm (right), an 1850 painting by German romantic painter Carl Spitzweg that was donated to the library in 1972. The board received an offer from an unidentified person for the artwork, valued at $400,000, and went into a closed session during the public meeting to consider the possibility of a sale or loan....
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Apr. 21–22

School library staffing in Pennsylvania
Things may be looking up for school libraries in Pennsylvania. Researchers say school libraries across the state are still lacking the proper resources, but staffing levels may be increasing in the next school year. A big drop happened around 2011 with state budget cuts, when about 100 school librarian positions were eliminated. An increased number of school librarian positions are expected to be funded in 2015–2016....
WITF-FM, Harrisburg, Pa., Apr. 17

11 states can close low-performing charter schools
Eleven states have passed laws that require charter school authorizers to shut down the schools (PDF file) if they do not reach certain benchmarks. The states are California, Florida, Indiana, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Nevada, North Carolina, Ohio, Texas, and Washington. Such laws have been growing in popularity over the past several years....
Education Week: Charters and Choice, Apr. 21

Alberta school phases out books, keeps librarians
The library shelves at St. Mary School (right) in Westlock, Alberta, are now nearly empty as the school moves toward a different educational philosophy including a kindergarten program and more online research. The librarians will take on a more active role within classrooms, serving as technology experts and research assistants. The change runs parallel to a shift taking place across the province, with Alberta Education moving away from traditional teaching methods in favor of a discovery-based approach....
Westlock (Alberta) News, Apr. 22

New head of Library and Archives Canada
More than a year after his predecessor abruptly quit, the new head of Library and Archives Canada will arrive in June at an institution facing huge challenges over digitizing Canada’s history in an era of federal budget cuts. Guy Berthiaume (right), president of the Bibliothèque et Archives Nationales du Quebec since 2009, will take over its federal counterpart June 23. Former Archives head Daniel Caron resigned in May 2013 after harsh criticism of his expenses, which included billing taxpayers nearly $4,500 for personal Spanish lessons....
Postmedia News, Apr. 18

Pakistan madrassa library named after Osama bin Laden
An Islamic seminary for women in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad has renamed its library after Osama bin Laden, the former al-Qaeda chief. The Jamia Hafsa Madrassa is linked to the Red Mosque, known for its alleged links with militants. Its 2,000 books are all Islamic texts. A paper sign on one of the doors proclaims Bin Laden a “Shahid” (martyr). There are no chairs or any table in the library; just two computers on the floor....
BBC News, Apr. 18

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The myth of the Digital Native
Megan O’Neil writes: “Northwestern University teachers Eszter Hargittai (right) and Brayden King say that the familiar narrative about tech-smart young people is false. Their course grew out of years of research conducted by Hargittai on the online skills of millennials. The findings paint a picture not of an army of app-building, HTML-typing 20-somethings, but of a stratified landscape in which some, mostly privileged, young people use their skills constructively, while others lack even basic internet knowledge.”...
Chronicle of Higher Education, Apr. 21

How libraries will evolve
Michael Agresta writes: “Like so many other time-honored institutions of intellectual and cultural life—publishing, journalism, and the university—the library finds itself on a precipice at the dawn of a digital era. What are libraries for, if not storing and circulating books? With their hearts cut out, how can they survive? Across the United States, librarians have been experimenting with ways of expanding on a newly elaborated mission.”...
Slate: Design, Apr. 22

Brazil passes an internet Bill of Rights
Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff laid the foundations April 23 of a vision for the future of the global internet, which includes respect for fundamental principles such as freedom of expression, individual privacy, and human rights. These are the main guiding elements of the bill passed in the Senate April 22, creating Brazil’s first bill of online rights, known as the Marco Civil. The announcement was made at the opening ceremony of the NETMundial Global Multistakeholder Meeting on the Future of Internet Governance in São Paulo....
Investor Ideas, Apr. 23; Associated Press, Apr. 23; Reuters, Apr. 24

Case studies on the impact of broadband
In 2010, the National Telecommunications and Information Administration awarded more than $200 million in matching grants to establish or upgrade public computer centers throughout the US, more than 2,000 of which are operated by public libraries. These grants complement $3.4 billion in infrastructure investments that have connected more than 1,300 libraries nationally with ultra-fast broadband. What impact are these expanded libraries having in their communities? Here are the first three of 15 case studies....
National Telecommunications and Information Administration, Apr. 17

Information literacy: A battle won and lost (PDF file)
Susanna M. Cowan writes: “Information literacy is alive and well. And should be. But perhaps not by that name, and perhaps not in the hands—at least not mostly in the hands—of librarians. Information literacy must, like so many other library services, enter the educational commons, in the sense of a collaborative network of pedagogies and practices that crosses internal and external institutional boundaries.”...
portal: Libraries and the Academy 14, no. 1 (2014): 23–32

Why do we need a public domain?
Kevin Smith writes: “The public domain is a source of annoyance and bewilderment to many creators. Their creations often seem like their children, and the expiration of copyright is like snatching those children away. But the public domain is not free at all; it is purchased at the price of the copyright monopoly. The two things are different sides of the same coin. Were it not for the state-granted exclusive rights in copyright, there would be no need for the public domain.”...
Scholarly Communication @ Duke, Apr. 22

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The messy world of discovery tools
Marc Parry writes: “A major change is underway in how libraries organize information. The rise of discovery tools, which mine giant indexes of aggregated content, is generating new tensions. Because some companies that make the search tools are also in the content business, selling article databases and other material to libraries, one fear is that firms could favor their own content in results. Another is that discovery software, by sluicing content together, could deluge users with less-appropriate resources.”...
Chronicle of Higher Education, Apr. 21

A revamped Gmail could take encryption mainstream
Klint Finley writes: “Encryption is the best way to protect your online communications from the prying eyes of the National Security Agency. So says NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden. The rub is that email encryption systems like PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) are a real pain for people to use, especially if they’re not steeped in the minutiae of computing. That means few people use PGP, and those who do are in danger of using it incorrectly. But it looks like Google is trying to change that.”...
Wired: Enterprise, Apr. 23

Scan PDFs with your smartphone
Whether you’re saving notes or receipts, or just want a shot of the whiteboard before your class or meeting ends, Scanbot takes high-quality snapshots with your phone’s camera. Then the app saves them to your preferred web service, including Google Drive, Evernote, and Dropbox. Simply point your camera at a document and it will scan it as a JPG or PDF, and do some automatic perspective correction....
Lifehacker, Apr. 3, 18

The five best text editors
Alan Henry writes: “Whether you’re a developer or a writer, a good text editor is a must-have on any computer, in any operating system. The humble text editor is great for managing code, writing down quick notes, or just as a distraction-free writing tool. This week, we’re looking at five of the best.”...
Lifehacker, Apr. 20

The best photo organizing app?
Molly Wood writes: “I have about 2,500 photos stored on my smartphone, and who knows how many more on previous phones and other devices I use. I need an organizing principle, stat. Luckily, there are many apps that let you organize, categorize, and view your photos on a mobile device with varying degrees of difficulty. I had high hopes for one of the newest entrants, a mobile gallery replacement called Carousel.” Watch the video (2:09)....
New York Times: Personal Tech, Apr. 16

How to buy an LCD monitor
John R. Delaney writes: “The monitor you’re using right now probably came bundled with your desktop PC, or maybe you bought it back when 1,240 by 1,024 was considered high resolution. Since you spend a huge part of every day looking at it, however, it pays to be picky when picking a LCD monitor. Price ranges vary widely, as do the quality of the panels. So how can you make an informed choice? That’s where we come in.” Read this if you are looking to do graphic design. Here are the 10 top-rated monitors and the 10 best high-resolution monitors....
PC Magazine, Apr. 9, 16

Why people don’t like Google Glass
Will Butler writes: “Many have tried to pin down exactly why Glass has not assimilated as smoothly as, say, the iPhone. As a blind man, I think I’ve figured it out. I don’t think our society’s rejection of Glass is necessarily rooted in stated concerns about privacy, exclusivity, class dynamics, or disconnection from the world. I believe the resistance to Glass is about our fear of assistive technology.”...
The Atlantic, Apr. 20

DPLA to add millions of records
The Digital Public Library of America marked its one-year anniversary on April 18. To celebrate the occasion, the nonprofit library network announced six new partnerships with major archives: the US Government Printing Office, the J. Paul Getty Trust, the California Digital Library, the Connecticut Digital Archive, Indiana Memory, and the Montana Memory Project. The New York Public Library also agreed to expand access to its digital collections through DPLA in the coming year....
Ars Technica, Apr. 18

Digital Library of Georgia to provide digital training
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and the Digital Public Library of America is giving $100,000 to the Digital Library of Georgia, based at the University of Georgia. The grant will be used to provide training sessions to get more public librarians to put their special collections online....
University of Georgia Red and Black, Apr. 18

Connecticut takes aim at ebook prices
The Connecticut House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill on April 16 that aims to lower the price of electronic books for public libraries over time by having the State Library Board set up a statewide platform for ebooks. The hope is that publishers will give better prices to the State Library Board, which would be representing all public libraries, compared to an individual library....
The Day, New London, Conn., Apr. 17

Publishing ebooks is hard
Nate Hoffelder writes: “An article in The Economist details the problems one creator experienced while trying to produce a paper book and an ebook for a Kickstarter campaign, and it’s well worth a read (beware the paywall). While the article is written from frustration with the process of producing an ebook, it is actually a cautionary tale in how not to produce ebooks. All of the problems grew out of a single mistake that the creator still doesn’t realize he made.”...
The Digital Reader, Apr. 17; The Economist, Apr. 15

The library ebook situation is appalling
Michael Kozlowski writes: “Publishers have been heavily resistant about selling their catalog of ebooks to libraries in the US and Canada. It took years of lobbying from the ALA and companies such as 3M and OverDrive to finally sway them over. Now, in one way or another, every major publisher has a pilot project or distributes select titles to libraries. But many people still don’t think it’s enough.”...
Good e-Reader, Apr. 21

Samsung offers free ebooks through Galaxy Kindle app
Samsung has officially announced Kindle for Samsung, a Galaxy-only app, and Samsung Book Deals, a service that provides up to 12 free ebooks to download per year. Samsung Book Deals (through the Kindle for Samsung app) will be available to anyone with a Galaxy smartphone or tablet. Owners will be entitled to download 12 free books per year, taken from a choice of four offered up each month. The books on offer will be “prominent,” so expect an Amazon-curated list of well-known novels from which to choose....
Digital Trends, Apr. 18; Samsung Tomorrow, Apr. 17

Is the Kindle Direct program legal?
Eric Hellman writes: “If you sell an ebook through Amazon’s Kindle Direct program, Amazon doesn’t want you to offer it for less somewhere else. It’s easy to understand why; if you’re a consumer, you hate to pay $10 for an ebook on Amazon and then find that you can get it direct from the author for $5. But is it legal for Amazon to enjoin a publisher from offering better prices in other channels? In other words, is Amazon allowed to insist on a Most Favored Nation provision?”...
Go to Hellman, Apr. 17

2014 Annual Conference and Exhibition, Las Vegas, June 26–July 1. Get tools and immediately applicable, practical knowledge from the four “Turning Outward to Lead Change in Your Community” sessions (ALA’s Libraries Transforming Communities initiative) on Saturday and Sunday.

25 essential graphic novels
Brie Hiramine writes: “The world of the graphic novel is one that spans a wide range of authors, artists, styles, and subject matter, and this primer covers all the bases. While the distinction between graphic novels and comic books gets dicey (the term ‘graphic novel’ was only introduced in the late 1970s), for the purposes of this list, they are lengthier, meatier book-like works—and they are all brilliant for both their literary and visual merit.”...
Flavorwire, Apr. 18

Introducing parents to Caldecott titles
Ariel Cummins writes: “One of my favorite roles is introducing parents to new picture books they might not have otherwise discovered. Many parents don’t know what the Caldecott is and never venture over into the awards section to explore them. I thought taking a day to explore the award and honor books would be fun. We started out with me talking to the parents about what the Caldecott is and letting them know that the librarians are always happy to help them find award-winning books that are fun to read for their kids.”...
Hushlander, Apr. 21

Conveying disability through verse
Carli Spina writes: “In honor of National Poetry Month, Geri Diorio wrote about novels in verse with some great recommendations for stories that are told entirely through poetry. Her post gave me some books to add to my to-be-read list and, as someone with an interest in characters with disabilities, inspired me to think about novels in verse that center around these characters. Here are some great options for verse novels that convey the experience of disability.”...
YALSA The Hub, Apr. 3, 21

Unexpected perks of Poetry Month
Cathy Jo Nelson writes: “As we are midway through April with our Poetry Month celebrations, I am pleasantly surprised at the participation and response from our students. I’m also reflecting over some of the benefits I have seen. Let me share some surprising perks from our Spine Poetry Activity. Perk 1: A growing stock of student-created spine poems for display.”...
Cathy Jo Nelson’s Professional Thoughts, Apr. 19

It’s also National Humor Month
Jennifer Schultz writes: “We all know that April is National Poetry Month, but did you know that April is also National Humor Month? Books that tickle young readers’ and listeners’ funny bones are ideal for many reasons. Of course, humor is very subjective. What’s amusing to one person is deadly dull to another. With that in mind, here are some of my favorite funny picture books.”...
ALSC Blog, Apr. 23

Remembering Gabriel García Márquez
Donna Seaman writes: “The world responded instantly to the news of the death of Gabriel García Márquez (right), a Nobel laureate and a writer read and cherished by millions of readers everywhere. High praise for the artistry and humanity of his 15 novels and short story collections, from his masterpiece, One Hundred Years of Solitude (1970) to Memories of My Melancholy Whores (2005) can be found in newspapers, on the radio, and all over the web.”...
Booklist Online: Likely Stories, Apr. 18

Dealing with tragedy and terrorism
Anna Tschetter writes: “Last Patriot’s Day—a state holiday observed predominantly in Massachusetts—was a strange and hard day for many of us in the Bay State. There was the perennially inspiring promise of the Boston Marathon. Then the bombs went off. Since then, I’ve thought how about the marathon bombings might affect teens and especially those who may have been on lockdown in their homes. One year later, I’ve looked to YA literature to see if anything can help those teens near a disaster to deal with it.”...
YALSA The Hub, Apr. 21

Addressing bullying through outreach
Lizz Zitron writes: “Life isn’t the same when someone fears being bullied. Books can be wonderful for helping children and teens feel both not alone and empowered to deal with their situations. Using EBSCOhost’s Primary Search database, typing in the term ‘bullying’ garners 163 full-text magazine articles from 2009 to now that are written on an elementary school level. Here are some suggestions for a range of ages.”...
The Outreach Librarian, Apr. 23

Top women writers of World War I
Jerry White writes: “The Home Front in London during the First World War was defended mostly by women. It was women who stepped into the breach when men left government offices, banks, shops, and restaurants, and who labored in giant factories making the munitions of war. And it was women who left some of the most memorable Great War writing. A diary of nursing life is also at the heart of Vera Brittain’s Testament of Youth (1933), a timeless saga of love and loss.”...
The Telegraph (UK), Apr. 22

The next OED will probably be online-only
The Oxford English Dictionary may be disappearing from bookshelves forever. Publishers fear the third edition (not due until 2034) will never appear in print form because its vast size means only an online version will be feasible. Michael Proffitt, the OED’s first new chief editor in 20 years, said the mammoth masterpiece is facing delays because “information overload” from the internet is slowing his compilers....
The Telegraph (UK), Apr. 20

Training the 21st-century library leader
The Educopia Institute has published a white paper on Training the 21st Century Library Leader: A Review of Library Leadership Training, 1998–2013 (PDF file), by Katherine Skinner and Nick Krabbenhoeft, which documents the models and features, geographic locations, sectors and audiences, funding and costs, founders and hosts, and evaluation methodologies deployed by more than 70 library leadership training programs. It comes with a dataset that documents the offerings for academic, public, special, and archival libraries....
Educopia Institute, Apr. 8

Closing the confidence gap
Justine Hyde writes: “Are librarians being held back in their careers by a lack of self-confidence? I recently ran some professional development workshops with groups of librarians. As one of the exercises, I asked participants to identify a fear they would like to overcome in preparing to lead the library of the future. Most of their fears related to a lack of confidence around interpersonal communication, public speaking and presentations, leadership, and decision-making.”...
Hub and Spoke, Feb. 8, Apr. 22

LIS journals: A scholarly communication analysis
Micah Vandegrift and Chealsye Bowley write: “This article presents an analysis of 111 Library and Information Science journals based on measurements of openness that include copyright policies, open access self-archiving policies, and open access publishing options. We propose a new metric to rank journals, the J.O.I. Factor (Journal Openness Index), based on measures of openness rather than perceived rank or citation impact.”...
In the Library with the Lead Pipe, Apr. 23

Fake research journals are scamming the science community
Tom Spears writes: “I have just written the world’s worst science research paper: More than incompetent, it’s a mess of plagiarism and meaningless garble. Now science publishers around the world are clamoring to publish it. They will distribute it globally and pretend it is real research, for a fee. It’s untrue? And parts are plagiarized? They’re fine with that. Even veteran scientists and universities are unaware of how deep the problem runs.”...
Ottawa (Ont.) Citizen, Apr. 21

The Louisville Underground Music Archive
Erin Kane writes: “Who knew that those old concert flyers you’ve been holding onto since high school could be important? At the University of Louisville’s Ekstrom Library, the archives and special collections librarians are cataloging and preserving mementos from the bygone indie rock scene into the Louisville Underground Music Archive, a scholarly repository of local music history. It started when the library accepted a donation of two vintage sets of local zines, Burt the Cat and Hard Times.”...
WFPL-FM, Louisville. Ky., Apr. 21

Google Trends offers email subscriptions
Google Trends, the resource that shows you what’s currently popular around the web right now and in the recent past, now offers email subscriptions, Google announced April 18. The new feature allows you to subscribe to any search topic, plus Hot Searches for any country or any US monthly Top Chart. However, the subscription feature is not always a real-time alerting service....
TechCrunch, Apr. 18; Google Inside Search, Apr. 18

A news app for students
Sue Polanka writes: “Press4Kids (P4K), a publisher of daily news applications for young readers, released an interesting new educational app for school students in March, News-O-Matic. Geared toward students in elementary and middle schools (ages 7–11), the app is described as the students’ ‘first daily newspaper’ (with five new stories added each day) and it has a lot going for it.”...
No Shelf Required, Apr. 18

21 social media tips
Mike Spohr writes: “You’ll wish you’d known these tricks about Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Foursquare sooner.”...
BuzzFeed, Apr. 22

Five reasons to love Minecraft
Dan Tynan writes: “Calling Minecraft a game doesn’t do it justice; it’s more like a movement. Available on nearly every device where games can be played, from computers and consoles to smartphones, Minecraft boasts more than 100 million registered players, many of them barely out of kindergarten. Is this due to its stunning 3D graphics, sophisticated plot, and adrenaline-pumping gameplay? No, it is not. What’s most remarkable about Minecraft is how utterly consuming it is.”...
Yahoo! Tech, Apr. 21

Games that teach empathy and social skills
Tanner Higgin writes: “Video games have been an aberration in the history of play and games. Many of them have been solitary experiences. That’s changing, though. We’re in the midst of a multiplayer video game renaissance that’s bringing people together. Equally exciting is the trend toward video games that build social skills and encourage players to reflect on themselves and their relationships. Here are a few games that do just that.”...
Mind/Shift, Apr. 18

Your curriculum is not about 3D printers (or zombies)
Troy Swanson writes: “While at the Texas Library Association Conference last week, I had the opportunity to talk with Justin Hoenke. We discussed his work at the Chattanooga (Tenn.) Public Library and specifically about the use of its 3D printer. Listening to him talk, it really struck me that at the basic level Justin does not really care about the 3D printer. The thing that he is really after is the learning, the creativity, that the printer enables.”...
Tame the Web, Apr. 17

Evolving an early literacy area
Marge Loch-Wouters writes: “It is great fun to launch an initiative: the planning, the grant-writing and funding, the gathering of material, the publicity, the roll-out, and then the public’s happy (we hope) reactions. This was definitely the feeling when, three years ago, La Crosse (Wis.) Public Library debuted its Early Literacy Area: Play Learn Read. Here is a glimpse into our process of change.”...
Tiny Tips for Library Fun, Apr. 21; Mar. 3, 2011

Wireless emergency tips
Whether it’s an impending storm, an unforeseen natural disaster, or some other type of emergency situation, planning ahead can save you a lot of trouble, worry, and maybe even your life. Wireless communication is an invaluable tool during an emergency and you can make sure you are prepared by taking a few of these simple precautions....
Your Wireless Life, Nov. 2013

NYPL Performing Arts library acquires Mielziner collection
The New York Public Library for the Performing Arts has acquired Jules Fisher’s personal collection of scenic renderings by Jo Mielziner (right), making the biggest private collection of the theatrical designer’s work available to the public for the first time. The Jules Fisher Collection of Jo Mielziner Designs significantly expands and enhances the current holdings of Mielziner materials within the library’s Billy Rose Theatre Division....
Broadway World, Apr. 21

The Nican Mopohua and Our Lady of Guadalupe
Thomas Lannon writes: “This blog post focuses on a 16th-century document, the Nican Mopohua, written in the Nahuatl language. It recounts the series of apparitions of a beloved maiden (Our Lady of Guadalupe) to Juan Diego, a devout native of Cuautitlán, Mexico, around 1531. Scholars contend that the New York Public Library’s copy may be the earliest written version of the account of Juan Diego and the occurrences on the hill of Tepeyac near Mexico City.”...
New York Public Library blogs, Apr. 17

The missing Borges
Graciela Mochkofsky writes: “The world of rare books and manuscripts is full of intrigues, betrayals, and frauds. Alberto Casares has lived in this world for decades; as the president of the Antiquarian Booksellers Association of Buenos Aires, he’s an expert on the subject. One morning in late 1999, a book collector brought him a copy of the first edition of Fervor de Buenos Aires, Jorge Luis Borges’s first published book. But it was apparently the one stolen from the National Library in Buenos Aires.”...
Paris Review, Apr. 16

Timelines can help genealogists
Karin Hadden writes: “Timelines can help you visualize your ancestor’s life. You can set them up to include personal as well as historic events. I used Family Tree Maker’s Timeline Report and OurTimeLines.com, but there are many more. Here are some of the discoveries you might uncover when you use a timeline. I used my grandmother, Jennie Williams Cutler (1892–1955) as an example.”...
The Art of Genealogy, Apr. 19

Editing Wikipedia in library school
Michael Rodriguez writes: “Are you a Wikibrarian? I recently became one—a librarian who edits Wikipedia—and I have found the experience rewarding in the extreme. I have even stumbled into a role as an embedded consultant, helping faculty teach undergrads how to write Wikipedia articles on gender history, on which improvements are urgently needed. So what are the benefits to becoming a Wikibrarian while in library school?”...
Hack Library School, Apr. 17

Enough with the sexy librarian thing already
Rita Meade writes: “Can I vent for a second? Man oh man, I am so sick of the ‘sexy librarian’ trope, I could scream. I know, this perception of librarians has been around and talked about for approximately *checks calendar* forever. But lately I feel like we’ve been bombarded by this weird fetishization and sexualization of the profession more than usual. Here are some examples.”...
Book Riot, Apr. 21

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