The e-newsletter of the American Library Association | March 12, 2014

When library workers expand their horizons
Megan Hodge writes: “A superior way to innovate is to gather a varied mix of people to think about problems and solutions in much the same way that variety enhances a species gene pool. But getting everyone from frontline staff up to administrators on board and actively innovating is time-consuming and could disrupt the daily functions of a library. This time must be managed somehow, and indeed there is a way.”...
American Libraries feature

Dispatches from the Field: One product, many users
John G. Dove writes: “In creating reference products for libraries, a publisher must consider the design, usability, and appeal of the product for students and patrons, as well as its ease of administration by the library staff. So a deciding factor in how well a product’s design will do in both large and small academic libraries is its ease of use and ability to integrate with other library resources. Two e-resources that stand out in this regard are Birds of North America and The Encyclopedia of Life.”...
American Libraries column, Mar./Apr.

Maker meetup at SXSW
Ann Awakuni writes: “On the eve of SXSW, a group of librarians and I attended a maker meetup hosted by the Austin Mini Maker Faire at the Thinkery, an Austin children’s museum. Adults of all ages engaged in crafts, water exhibits, shadow art, and oversized Lite Brite–like designs before listening to a brief address by Dale Dougherty, founder of Maker Media (Make magazine).” More photos of SXSW fun can be found here....
AL: The Scoop, Mar. 10

SXSW Day One
Mary Abler writes: “Librarians from all over the country have landed in Austin, Texas, for SXSW Interactive, a five-day conference of tech professionals and venture capitalists, startups and entrepreneurs, gamers and makers, and everything in between. My day started March 7 at the Library #IDEAdrop House, a project of Bonnie and Sandy Tijerina of ER&L (Electronic Resources and Libraries), who rented a house with the goal of bringing some of the conversations happening at SXSW to a library-themed living-room space.”...
AL: The Scoop, Mar. 10

SXSW: Conversing in Lo-Fi
Ann Awakuni writes: “Sometimes the best way to think outside the box is to look inside other people’s boxes. So I participated in a session titled ‘Library Machines: A Lo-Fi Design Conversation,’ with presenters (right) Jeff Goldenson, a designer in Harvard Library’s Innovation Lab, and Sidsel Bech-Petersen of Aarhus Public Library in Denmark. A library machine is ‘a mechanically or electronically operated device for performing library functions. It may be an experience, instrument, application, or efficiency.’”...
AL: The Scoop, Mar. 11

SXSW: Days Two through Four
Mary Abler writes: “For those that have never been to SXSW Interactive, the first thing to know is that it is massive. There are more than 15 conference locations, 500 sessions, and 30,000 attendees. And that doesn’t take into account the unofficial events, the lounges, and the parties. Basically, it’s a conference on steroids. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and easy to find a connection, new idea, or free drink around every corner. What is hard is trying to boil my experiences and interactions down into a few blog posts, but I will try.”...
AL: The Scoop, Mar. 12

AL Live: The present and future of ebooks
Sue Polanka, ebook expert and coeditor of the new journal eContent Quarterly, will lead “The Present and Future of Ebooks,” an interactive discussion featuring an all-star panel that includes Jamie LaRue, Troy Juliar, Jeff Metz, and Yoav Lorch. Tune in at 2 p.m. Eastern time on March 13 for this free, streaming video broadcast....
American Libraries, Feb. 24

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Guide to the 2014 ALA elections
As ALA gears up for its 2014 elections, an electronic election guide is once again available to help inform members about the candidates and the election process. Your Guide to the 2014 ALA Elections (in flip book or PDF format) contains general information about the ALA presidency, recent ALA presidential initiatives, and biographical information about the two presidential candidates. Information about the ALA Council, recent Council actions, and links to information about this year’s 72 Council candidates is also provided....
Office of ALA Governance, Mar. 7

Slate for 2014 FTRF trustee election
The Freedom to Read Foundation Nominating Committee has slated 11 candidates for the 2014 FTRF board of trustees election. Five trustees will be elected to two-year terms in this spring’s election. Ballots will be mailed April 1 to all current FTRF members....
Freedom to Read Foundation, Mar. 11

Free webinar on partnerships
“Strategic Library Partnerships” focuses on successful partnerships between library types and local government, business communities, and community groups. Learn how successful partnerships help libraries of all types further their mission, expand their reach, increase their impact, and meet their goals. Speakers include Tammy Westergard, Sue Kowalski, and Rebekkah Smith Aldrich. Registration is mandatory for this free March 24 webinar and limited to the first 100 participants who arrive in the virtual room....
Office for Library Advocacy, Mar. 11

Vote for the Annual Conference talks you want
Public voting is now open through March 31 to determine which 40 talks in two formats will be added to this year’s ALA Annual Conference program from the 95 submissions received. Conversation Starter talks are fast-paced 45-minute sessions; you can vote for them here. Ignite sessions give presenters exactly five minutes to share what they’re most passionate about in the library world; vote for them here. The public votes will be weighted for 30% of the selection process....
Conference Services, Mar. 5

Outstanding conference opportunities in June
Next Library brings its mission of driving innovation to the US for the first time June 20–25 in Chicago (right before the 2014 ALA Annual Conference in Las Vegas, allowing attendees the chance to catch both events). “Next Library 2014: Accelerate Learning” will reflect the reality that learning in the 21st century is a means of individual empowerment, community well-being, and social change. Continuing the focus on transformation and innovation, topics high on the agenda at the ALA Annual Conference, June 26–July 1, include ebooks, digital content, participatory community engagement, leadership, emerging trends, makerspaces, and library-led content creation....
Next Library

ALA supports civil liberties in amicus brief
On March 11, ALA and the Internet Archive filed an amicus brief (PDF file) in David Leon Riley v. State of California and United States v. Brima Wurie, two Supreme Court cases examining the constitutionality of cell phone searches after police arrests. In the amicus brief, both nonprofit organizations argue that warrantless cell phone searches violate privacy principles protected by the Fourth Amendment....
ALA Office for Information Technology Policy, Mar. 11

Showcase your bookmobile
As libraries gear up to celebrate the fifth National Bookmobile Day on April 16, they can now share what makes their bookmobile special through the “Why We Love Our Bookmobile” YouTube video celebration. Libraries across the country are invited to submit videos on the National Bookmobile Day YouTube channel that highlight the essential library services that bookmobiles and their dedicated staff provide every day, in communities large and small. Find submission guidelines and instructions here....
Office for Literacy and Outreach Services, Mar. 11

2014 Diversity and Outreach Fair
The Office for Literacy and Outreach Services invites library professionals from all types of institutions to submit proposals to participate in the 2014 Diversity and Outreach Fair, to be held at the ALA Annual Conference in Las Vegas on June 28. The fair is an opportunity to share successful diversity and outreach initiatives with conference attendees, celebrate diversity in America’s libraries, and exhibit ideas on “diversity in action.” Applications will be accepted through May 15....
Office for Literacy and Outreach Services, Mar. 11

Sarah Ostman joins public programs staff
Sarah Ostman (right) has joined the staff of the Public Programs Office as communications manager. Among Ostman’s responsibilities are managing and editing The Programming Librarian website and newsletter, managing social media, and handling media and communications needs for PPO grant projects, including the Libraries Transforming Communities initiative....
Public Programs Office, Mar. 11

RDA for music
ALA Editions, in partnership with the Music Library Association, will host a 90-minute workshop, “RDA for Music: Popular Music, Jazz, and World Music Audio Recordings” with Tracey Snyder and Kevin Kishimoto on April 17. The presenters will teach the basics of cataloging popular music, jazz, and world music audio recordings using RDA. Registration for this workshop is available on the ALA Store....
ALA Editions, Mar. 10

New edition of Reference Sources
Focusing on new reference sources published since 2008 and reference titles that have retained their relevance, the new eighth edition of Reference Sources for Small and Medium-Sized Libraries, published by ALA Editions, brings this complete and authoritative guide fully up to date. Containing sources selected and annotated by a team of public and academic librarians led by editor Jack O’Gorman, the works included have been chosen for value and expertise in specific subject areas....
ALA Editions, Mar. 12

Baby storytime magic
The first five years of life are key for brain development and early literacy, and though many public libraries have instituted baby and toddler programs, finding exciting materials that go beyond nursery rhymes can be a challenge. Written by bestselling authors Kathy MacMillan and Christine Kirker, Baby Storytime Magic: Active Early Literacy Through Bounces, Rhymes, Tickles, and More, published by ALA Editions, is a treasure trove of new and exciting ideas for programs....
ALA Editions, Mar. 12

The 1894 ALA Annual Conference in Lake Placid
Larry Nix writes: “Following its extremely successful annual conference in 1893 at the Chicago World’s Fair, ALA met in 1894 at Lake Placid, New York. Melvil Dewey had pushed to hold the conference in this resort community located in the lake country of the Adirondack Mountains. He had an ulterior motive. Dewey and his wife, Annie, had purchased land in the area with the intent of creating a private retreat for librarians and other professionals. The ALA conference was a perfect opportunity for showcasing the beauty of the area.”...
Library History Buff Blog, Mar. 11; Apr. 10, 2013

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Las Vegas on a budget
Lucy Dodsworth writes: “Las Vegas probably isn’t most people’s idea of a budget destination. You could easily spend a fortune in the city’s five-star hotels, A-list nightclubs, Michelin-starred restaurants, and designer boutiques. But you don’t need to rob a casino (Ocean’s Eleven–style) to enjoy a trip to Las Vegas. Sin City is still doable if you’re on a budget. I spent 10 days in the city last spring and maximized the fun without spending too much. Here are my top tips for saving money on everything from entertainment and transport to food and nightlife.”...
On the Luce, Mar. 10

UNLV library open house
The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, University Libraries invite you to an Open House on June 27 where you can explore the facilities and chat with faculty and staff during ALA Annual Conference. Highlights include in-depth building tours, concentrating on space enhancement projects and new learning environments, as well as information on the libraries’ educational role on campus. The Special Collections division will also be open for visits in the morning. Round-trip transportation will be provided. Register to ensure a spot....
University of Nevada, Las Vegas

Tornado water ride
If you are bringing kids to Annual Conference, help them beat the Las Vegas summer heat at the city’s new Tornado water ride at Wet ’n’ Wild Las Vegas, 7055 South Fort Apache Road, which will open on Memorial Day. The new ride is described as a “natural storm experience,” except this involves churning water, not Midwest plains. Visitors spin through a 110-foot tunnel before being thrust into the storm where they’ll be swirled and slammed about....
Los Angeles Times: Deals & News, Mar. 10

Día Family Book Club Curriculum
ALSC has announced the release of the Día Family Book Club Curriculum. As an extension of El día de los niños / El día de los libros (Children’s Day / Book Day), the book club is a reading program that engages children and families in the shared reading and discussion of contemporary children’s literature that reflects our common plurality. Lesson plans are available to download and print for free through the Día website....
ALSC, Mar. 11

2014 Great Books Giveaway
YALSA has named Yakima Nation Library in Toppenish, Washington, the recipient of its annual Great Books Giveaway. Due to the large volume of donations this past year, YALSA was able to name two additional runners-up: Hilltop Pregnant Minors High School in San Francisco and Covington (Tex.) Independent School District. The libraries will receive books, audiobooks, and other materials donated to YALSA from publishers and producers in 2013....
YALSA, Mar. 12

ACRL presidential candidates forum
The 2014 candidates for ACRL vice-president / president-elect will participate in an open online forum at 11 a.m. Central time on March 17. Ann Campion Riley and Rickey Best will discuss their platforms and vision for ACRL and answer questions from the audience. Access to the forum will be available approximately 15 minutes before the start time through Adobe Connect....
ACRL, Mar. 7

Host sites chosen for Scholarly Communication road show
ACRL has selected five sites from 14 applications to host the workshop “Scholarly Communication: From Understanding to Engagement” as road show events April 11–July 18: Michigan State, Baylor, Council of Atlantic University Libraries, CSU San Marcos, and the University of Mississippi. Recognizing that scholarly communication issues are central to the work of all academic librarians and all types of institutions, ACRL is underwriting the bulk of the costs of delivering this proven content by sending expert presenters on the road....
ACRL, Mar. 10

Free webinar offers job interview tips
LLAMA will present “Interviewing Tips to Get a Job” on April 9. This free webinar, taught by Sharon Holderman (right), coordinator of public services at Tennessee Technological University in Cookeville, will help prepare participants for interviewing and offer insight into the interviewing process from the employer’s viewpoint. It will include examples of interviewing behavior and questions/answers to illustrate how to best prepare for impressing potential employers....
LLAMA, Mar. 11

PLA webinar series on supervisory skills
PLA is offering special programming for public library supervisors, whether new, experienced, or anticipatory. The two-part webinar series, “Supervise with Success,” on March 26 and April 2, will offer attendees ideas to achieve excellent results from staff, to recognize gaps in their own supervisory skills, and to learn how to fill those gaps. The instructor is Catherine Hakala-Ausperk. The deadline to register is March 24....
PLA, Mar. 11

LITA preconferences
LITA is offing three full-day preconferences on June 27 before the ALA Annual Conference in Las Vegas. The topics are managing data, Linked Data, and web therapy. To register for any of these events, you can include them with your initial conference registration or add them later using the unique link in your email confirmation....
LITA, Mar. 10

Getting started with GIS
LITA is offering a web course on “Getting Started with GIS,” presented by Eva Dodsworth, geospatial data services librarian at the University of Waterloo Map Library in Ontario, and is based on her LITA Guide of the same name. The course will run April 21–May 11 and will consist of weekly asynchronous lectures and modules in Moodle. No previous mapping or GIS experience is necessary. For registration information, visit the LITA website....
LITA, Mar. 10

Setting a course for social media success
LITA will offer a two-hour webinar, “All Aboard, the Party’s Starting! Setting a Course for Social Media Success,” presented by Mary Anne Hansen, Doralyn Rossmann, Angela Tate, and Scott Young of Montana State University Library on April 2. For registration information, visit the LITA website....
LITA, Mar. 10

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ALA names Patricia Glass Schuman an honorary member
Patricia Glass Schuman (right) was elected to honorary membership in ALA, the Association’s highest honor, in action taken by the ALA Council at during 2014 Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia. Honorary Membership is conferred in recognition of outstanding contributions of lasting importance to libraries and librarianship. Schuman was nominated in recognition of her dedication to America’s right to know and to social justice, as she repeatedly changed the culture of ALA and the perception the library profession has of itself and its communication with the public....
Office of ALA Governance, Mar. 11

Freedman named Lippincott Award winner
Maurice J. (Mitch) Freedman (right) is the winner of the 2014 Joseph W. Lippincott Award, which honors distinguished service to the profession of librarianship. Among the many achievements cited by those who wrote in support of the nomination is his visionary leadership. Freedman’s tireless advocacy for socially responsible cataloging and library technologies and processes has had a profound impact on our profession, nationally and internationally....
Office of ALA Governance, Mar. 11

Herrera receives 2014 Peggy Sullivan Award
The 2014 Peggy Sullivan Award for Public Library Administrators Supporting Services to Children has been awarded to Luis Herrera (right), San Francisco Public Library’s city librarian. The award is presented annually to an individual in a library administrator role who has shown exceptional understanding and support of public library service to children. Herrera was cited for his passion and exceptional support for public library services to children in a wide range and scope....
Office of ALA Governance, Mar. 10

Maxwell wins ABC-CLIO Award
Robert L. Maxwell (right) has won the 2014 ABC-CLIO Award for the Best Book in Library Literature for Maxwell’s Handbook for RDA: Resource Description and Access, published by ALA Editions. This award recognizes books that assist library professionals or information specialists in areas of management, technique, and education. The book was selected for its uniquely thorough, exhaustive approach not only as a manual, but as a detailed explanatory guide....
Office of ALA Governance, Mar. 11

2014 Ross Atkinson Award
ALCTS has named Olivia Madison (right), dean of libraries at Iowa State University, the 2014 recipient of its Ross Atkinson Lifetime Achievement Award. The award honors the memory of Ross Atkinson, a distinguished library leader, author, and scholar. Madison will receive a citation and a monetary award of $3,000. For more than 35 years, Madison has provided leadership at many levels within ALCTS and ALA....
ALCTS, Mar. 10

Hawkins receives Ulrich’s Serials Librarianship Award
Les Hawkins (right) is the 2014 recipient of Ulrich’s Serials Librarianship Award. Presented by the ALCTS Continuing Resources Section, this award, consisting of a citation and $1,500 donated by ProQuest’s Serials Solutions unit, is given for distinguished contributions to serials librarianship. The CONSER coordinator at the Library of Congress, Hawkins is acknowledged for building and fostering connections and enthusiastically supporting serials standards, education, and innovation....
ALCTS, Mar. 11

ALCTS Outstanding Publication Award
ALCTS’s Outstanding Publication Award recipient for 2014 is Magda El-Sherbini (right) for her book RDA: Strategies for Implementation (ALA Editions, 2013). The Outstanding Publication Award is an annual award given to honor the author or authors of the year’s outstanding monograph, article, or original paper in the field of technical services, including acquisitions, cataloging, collection management, preservation, continuing resources, and related areas in the library field....
ALCTS, Mar. 11

Marie Kennedy wins Ingram Coutts Innovation Award
ALCTS has chosen Marie Kennedy (right), serials and electronic resources librarian at Loyola Marymount University’s William H. Hannon Library, as the 2014 recipient of the $2,000 Ingram Coutts Award for Innovation in Electronic Resources Management. The award recognizes significant and innovative contributions to electronic collections management and development practice....
ALCTS, Mar. 11

2014 Movers & Shakers
Library Journal has announced its 2014 Movers & Shakers recognition. The 50 individuals honored this year are divided into advocates, change agents, community builders, innovators, marketers, and tech leaders. The Class of 2014 brings the total number of Movers to over 650....
Library Journal, Mar. 10

2014 Eli M. Oboler Award
Protecting Intellectual Freedom in Your Public Library: Scenarios from the Front Lines (ALA, 2012) by June Pinnell-Stephens has received the 2014 Eli M. Oboler Memorial Award. The book details step by step how to combat censorship and outlines in clear language why intellectual freedom is a singularly important matter facing all 21st-century libraries. The $500 award is presented for the best published work in the area of intellectual freedom....
Office for Intellectual Freedom, Mar. 10

2014 RBMS Leab Exhibition awards
The ACRL Rare Books and Manuscripts Section has selected five winners and two honorable mentions for the 2014 Katharine Kyes Leab and Daniel J. Leab American Book Prices Current Exhibition Awards. The awards recognize outstanding printed exhibition catalogs, guides, and electronic exhibitions. The Division One (expensive) winner is the Bruce Peel Collections Library at the University of Alberta for All Under Heaven: The Chinese World in Maps, Pictures, and Texts from the Collection of Floyd Sully....
ACRL, Mar. 7

YALSA Conference Scholarship Grant winners
YALSA has awarded the 2014 Baker & Taylor Conference Grants to Jeanette Johnson and Lyndsey Runyan, and the Dorothy Broderick Student Scholarship to Julia Hutchins. Each recipient will receive up to $1,000 to attend the 2014 ALA Annual Conference in Las Vegas, June 26–July 1....
YALSA, Mar. 11

Apply for a Baker & Taylor Award
United for Libraries is accepting applications for the Baker & Taylor Awards, given to Friends of the library groups and library foundations. The awards will be given based on a specific project that took place or culminated during the 2013 calendar year or for outstanding activities by a Friends group or foundation during 2013. Each winning group receives $1,000. Applications are due May 1....
United for Libraries, Mar. 11

2014 RBC Taylor Prize
The winner of the 2014 RBC Taylor Prize is Thomas King for The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America (Doubleday Canada). This is the 13th awarding of the prestigious prize, which recognizes excellence in Canadian literary nonfiction with a $25,000 reward. King’s book also won the $40,000 British Columbia National Award for Canadian Non-Fiction in February. King, who was born in the US and is of Greek and Cherokee descent, is also a novelist, short-story writer, screenwriter, and photographer....
CTV News, Mar. 10

American writer wins UK Folio Prize
A collection of short stories by the American writer George Saunders was praised March 10 as truly original and “absolutely of the moment” as it was named the inaugural winner of the UK’s newest literary prize for Tenth of December (Bloomsbury). Saunders, a former Guardian columnist, became the first winner of the £40,000 ($66,560 US) Folio prize, an award created by people in the publishing industry who felt frustrated by what they see as the shortcomings of the Man Booker Prize....
The Guardian (UK), Mar. 10

2014 Blue Peter Book Awards
The winners of the 2014 Blue Peter Book Awards were announced on March 6, World Book Day. The Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell (Faber and Faber) won in the Best Story category, while Tony Robinson won his second Blue Peter award, taking the Best Book with Facts category with Weird World of Wonders: World War 2 (Macmillan). Over 200 children from 10 schools across the UK read the shortlisted books and voted for their favorites in each category....
The Guardian (UK), Mar. 6

Academy of British Cover Design Awards
The winners, in 10 categories of books, of the inaugural Academy of British Cover Design Awards were announced March 6 at a ceremony in Hoxton, UK. The winner in the Women’s Fiction category was Yeti McCaldin for Instructions for a Heatwave by Maggie O’Farrell (Headline). The winner in the Young Adult category was Laura Brett for Tinder by Sally Gardner (Orion), and the Mass Market winner was Emma Rogers for The Scent of Death by Andrew Taylor (HarperCollins)....
The Independent: Arts (UK), Mar. 7

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Mayor Nutter apologizes for cutting library funds
Calling library closings the “absolute worst decision” in his 20 years in elected office, Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter (right) took time in his budget address March 6 to apologize for the cuts he made in 2008. City Council “was right on this issue, and I’ve been determined to correct my mistake ever since,” Nutter said after proposing a $2.5 million increase for the Free Library of Philadelphia. The new funding would let the library system hire 43 people and keep all neighborhood libraries open six days a week....
Philadelphia Inquirer, Mar. 8

Agencies probe Queens Library spending
Queens (N.Y.) Library Director Thomas W. Galante (right) is under investigation over reports that he may have improperly used money designated for improving the libraries in the system for costly renovations to his personal office. The inquiry, by the FBI, federal prosecutors, and New York City’s Department of Investigation, will examine spending over the last three years and possible personal ties to the construction contractor. Galante came under fire at a March 11 budget hearing in City Hall when he revealed the library would spend $30,000 on a public relations campaign....
New York Times, Mar. 5, 11

S.C. House penalizes colleges for gay-themed books
The $70,000 in money taken away from two colleges for assigning gay-themed books is a minuscule part of South Carolina’s $24 billion budget next year. But an effort to restore the money took up a majority of the first day of deliberations over the state’s spending plan in the South Carolina House on March 10. Amendments sponsored by minority Democrats to give back $52,000 to the College of Charleston and $17,142 to the University of South Carolina–Upstate—the cost of the reading programs—were rejected soundly in the GOP-controlled House. The books in question are Fun Home by Alison Bechdel and Out Loud: The Best of Rainbow Radio....
Columbia The State, Mar. 10

Penn plans to cut science and math libraries
A plan by the University of Pennsylvania to cut back on two of its branch libraries—one for engineering and the other for math, physics, and astronomy (right)—has yielded an outcry from students and professors who say the books are critical to their studies and research. The university cited a pressing need for classroom and office space. Students turned in a petition with about 500 signatures, opposing the change in the math, physics, and astronomy library. A second online petition against changes at both libraries has garnered more than 400 signatures....
Philadelphia Inquirer, Mar. 10

Modesto ponders cutting school librarians
Modesto (Calif.) City Schools is poised to cut 29 full-time teaching positions for next year, including 11.5 elementary school teacher-librarians. MCS Board Vice President Amy Neumann said, “If approved by our unions, library skills time will be replaced with computer technical instruction from a credentialed teacher. This kind of instruction is crucial to student success on the Common Core Smarter Balance tests.”...
Modesto (Calif.) Bee, Mar. 6

Teen sentenced for setting library fire
On July 6, 2013, Joseph Brannen showed up at the East Hernando branch of the Hernando County (Fla.) Public Library clad in firefighting gear as crews worked to douse a blaze that he later confessed to having ignited. The fire caused extensive smoke and water damage from the sprinklers. On March 7, the mentally ill 18-year-old wore an orange jail jumpsuit and accepted a plea deal in which he will spend eight years in prison and pay roughly $590,000 to Travelers Insurance and $25,000 to Hernando County. The branch could reopen in August....
Tampa (Fla.) Bay Times, Mar. 7

SFPL proposes new code of conduct
In response to a January letter from Mayor Ed Lee to library commissioners, San Francisco Public Library staff have beefed up their Patron Code of Conduct. The proposal could result in repeat offenders being banned from all the city’s public libraries for up to a year. City Librarian Luis Herrera said staff, including an in-house social worker, would be discreet in such instances and privately share information about social services, including places where homeless people can shower and do laundry....
San Francisco Chronicle, Mar. 8

Texas State Library welcomes poetry fans
In a first for the agency, the Texas State Library and Archives Commission will broadcast a live video chat via Google+ Hangouts with State Librarian Mark Smith and seven guests at 1–2 p.m. Central time on April 17. As April is National Poetry Month, the theme of the Hangout is “Poetry Matters.” Five librarians, a curator, and a high-school poet will read and discuss a poem that matters to them personally and why poetry matters in general. The recorded broadcast will be posted on YouTube afterwards....
Texas State Library and Archives Commission

Marathon exhibit to open at Boston Public Library
In the days following the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, people gathered near the site of the attacks to pay tribute. They brought their old sneakers, photos, T-shirts, and hats to leave at the scene, offering messages of sympathy, love, and hope. Now, the items will reappear in an exhibit, “Dear Boston: Messages from the Marathon Memorial” at the Boston Public Library from April 7 to May 11. The exhibit is part of a larger effort by Boston cultural institutions called “#BostonBetter” that will include concerts and talks marking the first anniversary of the bombing....
Boston Globe, Mar. 5

Library dedicates room to fallen soldier
A cozy library reading room with a fireplace, comfy chairs, and soothing artwork is helping celebrate the life of Army Pfc. Michael C. Olivieri and other veterans. Staff at Homer Township (Ill.) Public Library had long dreamed of having a quiet reading room. But after Olivieri’s death in 2011 while serving in Iraq, his family and library staff agreed the Heroes Quiet Reading Room should call attention to the contributions of the former Homer Glen resident....
Chicago Tribune, Mar. 9

Akron library goes visual with social media “shelfies”
Give the Akron–Summit County (Ohio) Public Library credit for a pretty good visual pun. For the last few weeks, the library has been coaxing smiles from its social media followers with its “shelfies,” cleverly planned photos of books and other materials on its shelves. Marketing Events Supervisor Michael Derr started posting the photos in mid-February on the library’s Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram sites. Now Derr is trying to keep the fun going, but feeding the shelfie beast isn’t always easy....
Akron (Ohio) Beacon Journal, Mar. 6

Libraries are redefining their services
Katharine Q. Seelye writes: “Libraries have been reimagining themselves—a necessity for staying relevant as municipal budgets are slashed and ebooks are on the rise. Libraries have long facilitated the finding of information, said library consultant Joe Murphy. ‘Now they are facilitating the creating of information.’ That will be evident at the Boston Public Library’s new section for teenagers. Teen Central is to become what is known as ‘homago’ space where teenagers can ‘hang out, mess around, and geek out.’”...
New York Times, Mar. 7

Boise to expand its Mexican collection
A memorandum of understanding between the Mexican Consulate and Boise (Idaho) Public Library will make it easier for Mexican nationals to get library cards and will provide Boise readers with more library resources relating to Mexico. Mexican Consul Guillermo Ordorica is presenting the library with a variety of books and materials that have been kept at the Mexican Consulate in Boise. The collection, most of it in Spanish, covers a wide variety of subjects....
Boise Idaho Statesman, Mar. 5

Bangor library worker charged with felony theft
Russell Graves was charged with a felony March 5 in connection with the theft in February of thousands of dollars worth of rare items from the Bangor (Maine) Public Library. He is accused of stealing about 75 Civil War-era cartes de visite and about 50 posters from World War I and World War II, all of which were recovered. Graves was working as a janitor under the city’s workfare program when the thefts were discovered....
Bangor (Maine) Daily News, Mar. 5

Janitor ordered to pay restitution for stolen rare books
A Leicester, Massachusetts, man who stole about 100 rare books worth more than $115,000 from the library at Becker College, then sold some to dealers and tried to pawn others using Craigslist, was ordered to pay $3,000 restitution (not the $15,000 that prosecutors had requested) on March 3. Joseph G. Heath allegedly took the material from a rare book storage area in 2012. However, college staffers said about 50 books worth $15,000 and one—signed by Abraham Lincoln and worth as much as $100,000—remain missing....
Worcester (Mass.) Telegram and Gazette, Mar. 4; ABAA Security Blog, Nov. 6, 2012

Port Arthur library statue recovered
A valuable bronze sculpture stolen from the Port Arthur (Tex.) Public Library on February 27 has been found, but not in one piece. In fact, the $120,000 sculpture is so damaged that it bears little resemblance to The Family, the stylized man, woman, and two children created by Beaumont sculptor David Cargill in 1981. Police located the sculpture at a metal recycling facility in Liberty, where it had been cut into pieces and sold for salvage....
Port Arthur (Tex.) News, Mar. 6

Women’s Library to reopen its doors in London
The Women’s Library, the oldest and most extensive collection on women’s history in Europe, is about to open its doors again in what campaigners hope will be a permanent home, after almost a century of repeatedly having to pack up and move. Although the London School of Economics has pledged to care for the collection and keep it open to members of the public as well as academics, the move was bitterly contentious to some. A formal opening ceremony for its new home was held on March 12....
The Guardian (UK), Mar. 9

Ultraman comic banned in Malaysia
Malaysia has banned a translation of an Ultraman comic book after it referred to the popular Japanese superhero as “Allah.” The home ministry said the Malay language edition of Ultraman: The Ultra Power contains elements that can undermine public safety by provoking Muslims or confusing Muslim youth. The Malaysian government is currently embroiled in an intense court battle with the Catholic Church over the use of the word “Allah” by non-Muslims....
The Sun (Malaysia), Mar. 7

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Snowden offers security advice at SXSW
Kim Zetter writes: “With lawmakers slow to pass legislation curbing NSA surveillance, it’s up to the technology community to step in and devise solutions that will better protect online communications from snoops, said Edward Snowden, speaking on March 10 from Moscow at SXSW in Austin. One solution he highlighted is to implement end-to-end encryption that would protect communications from user to user, rather than through Google and other services as it’s currently done.” The majority of his presentation is on YouTube (56:06, with less garbled audio than the original version). Cory Doctorow provides a summary....
Wired, Mar. 10; YouTube, Mar. 10; The Guardian (UK), Mar. 11

Internet’s inventor calls for net neutrality
Rich McCormick writes: “On March 12, 1989, Sir Tim Berners-Lee (right) put forth a proposal to make information sharing possible over computers, using nodes and links to create a ‘web’ that would eventually stretch worldwide and become the modern internet. Now, 25 years later to the day, Berners-Lee has called for the internet he invented to stay free and open. In a guest post on Google’s official blog, he asked internet users to press for the development of a ‘digital bill of rights.’” Watch the video (1:47)....
The Verge, Mar. 12; Official Google Blog, Mar. 11; Vimeo, Mar. 6

Ithaka S+R US Library Survey 2013
The Ithaka S+R US Library Survey 2013 (PDF file), released March 11, examines how the leaders of academic libraries are approaching systemic changes in their environment and the opportunities and constraints they face in leading their organizations. Ithaka’s last survey of academic libraries was in 2010. This edition, by Matthew P. Long and Roger C. Schonfeld, contacted the dean or director of the principal library at every accredited four-year college and university in the US and got a 33% response rate. Jennifer Howard offers some analysis....
Ithaka S+R, Mar. 11; Chronicle of Higher Education: Wired Campus, Mar. 11

Roadblocks to federally funded research
H.R. 4186, the Frontiers in Innovation, Research, Science, and Technology Act (FIRST), was introduced March 10 in the House of Representatives by Chairman Lamar Smith (R-Tex.) and Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-Ind.) and referred to the Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, and to the Committee on Small Business. ALA stands with SPARC in opposing Section 303 of this bill—a provision that would create unnecessary obstacles to the public’s ability to access research funded by taxpayers....
District Dispatch, Mar. 11

Walking the open access talk
Kevin Smith writes: “All of the presentations at the SPARC Open Access meeting March 3–4 were excellent. But there was one that was really special: an early-career researcher named Erin McKiernan (right) who brought everyone in the room to their feet to applaud her commitment to open access. McKiernan explained to us both the why and the how of a deep commitment to OA on the part of a younger scholar who is not willing to embrace traditional, toll-access publishing or to surrender her goals of advancing scholarship and having an academic career.”...
Scholarly Communications @ Duke, Mar. 7

Up next: E-rate, and it’s worth the wait
Marijke Visser writes: “We’re not sure how you best characterize waiting with your finger poised over the refresh key anticipating the release of an FCC Public Notice (PDF file). Nonetheless, we at ALA were not the only ones who impatiently awaited the latest installment of the e-rate modernization proceeding that began last June (if not before with the 2010 National Broadband Plan) with the president’s ConnectED initiative announcement.”...
District Dispatch, Mar. 7

The university of the public library
Natalie V. Binder writes: “One of the most important and exciting changes in public library usage hasn’t been formally studied, publicized, or accounted for. In the last few years, several students in my community have earned their university or graduate degrees entirely at the public library. These dedicated, ambitious students are mostly young working mothers, currently employed in low-wage jobs, who are seeking a better life. The library doesn’t issue their degrees, but they wouldn’t be able to graduate without the library. Public libraries are turning into community colleges all over the country.”...
N. V. Binder, Mar. 9

Barbara Bush Foundation celebrates 25 years
In 1989, then–First Lady Barbara Bush founded the Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy to fund programs that teach parents in low-income families to read and pass on a love of reading to their children. As the foundation celebrated its silver anniversary March 6, Bush said the goal of the foundation has been consistent: to help mothers realize their strength as their child’s first teacher. Today, the organization funds 1,500 literacy programs in all 50 states with grants from $25,000 to $125,000....
USA Today, Mar. 5

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How to buy PC speakers
Jamie Lendino writes: “Buying PC speakers should be relatively painless, but to get the most bang for your buck, you should analyze your needs before pulling out your wallet. Options run the gamut from super-cheap, space-saving stereo speakers that sound just okay, to pricey, bass-infused powerhouses that deliver loud, thumping beats. First we’ll explore the key points everyone should consider.” Next, here is what you should consider if you are getting wireless speakers. These are the 10 best computer and wireless speakers....
PC Magazine, Feb. 20, Mar. 4

Samsung’s new Milk music streaming service
Agam Shah writes: “Samsung hopes its new Milk streaming service is the next big thing in music. The radio service, announced March 7, is available for free, with no ads, and users don’t need a log in to use the service. The Milk application is available through the Google Play store and will initially work with Samsung’s Galaxy smartphones and tablets. The company is, however, thinking about expanding its use to competing mobile devices. It has 200 radio stations and 13 million songs, and it allows users to create customized stations based on artist or genres.”...
PC World, Mar. 7

Cut your own vinyl records
Meghan Neal writes: “CDs are dead, long replaced by MP3s and streaming music, and in their wake has risen a renewed interest in vinyl. Ulrich Sourisseau of Souri’s Automaten is riding that hype, all the way from Germany to the SXSW trade show floor where a crowd has been gathered around his vinyl recorder all week. It’s a record lathe connected to a CD player (or MP3 or any kind of audio file) and uses a diamond stylus to cut the record in real-time via sound vibrations produced by the playing music.” Watch the video (0:27)....
Motherboard, Mar. 11; YouTube, Mar. 11

Cleaning your computer inside and out
Computer cleanup is the one thing you can do every day that will keep you flush with disk space and help you free up valuable system resources. Furthermore, actual physical cleanup, as in dusting, will allow your computer to literally breathe easier, and in turn prolong the life of your system. Here are some actions that require no previous training or knowledge and in fact, as a Windows user, you should already be familiar with many of these....
How-To Geek, Mar. 11

Five best home Wi-Fi routers
Alan Henry writes: “A good Wi-Fi router is essential for any solid home network. The best ones get great range and can serve all of the computers in your home, offer tons of management features so you can control your network, focus on speedy communication, and others even have advanced features like NAS support, printer sharing, and traffic shaping. This week, we’re looking at five of the best on the market right now.”...
Lifehacker, Mar. 9

Connecticut ebooks on the move
Alan S. Inouye writes: “On February 28, I had the pleasure of participating in a statewide ebook symposium hosted by the Connecticut State Library and held at the University of Hartford. You will recall that the state of Connecticut passed a law in 2013 mandating a study on library ebook lending. This report (PDF file) was issued on January 30, and so it was timely to assess the current status of library ebook lending in Connecticut and consider the various paths forward. The slides from the symposium are available online.”...
AL: E-Content, Feb. 19, Mar. 6

Douglas County Libraries ebook report, March
James LaRue writes: “Here is the DCL Ebook Report for March 2014 (PDF file) from Douglas County (Colo.) Libraries. Can you locate the book on the New York Times bestseller list that is not available to libraries in any format? We’ve seen before the inability to buy an ebook (seen again here in the case of Killing Jesus). Now, we can’t even buy paper. Note, too, the new price point of $90. Somewhere in our psyche, surely, there is a switch: Outrage on. Can you find yours?”...
AL: E-Content, Mar. 6

Rooster, an app for serialized novels
Plympton, a digital publishing startup with a focus on serialized fiction, unveiled a new iPhone app March 10 called Rooster, which curates suggestions for books to read and then pushes the book out to users in timed installments. Each segment should take about 15 minutes to read. They arrive when you choose, whether it’s every morning before work; every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday; or whenever. There are two books offered each month—a contemporary title and a classic novel that’s supposed to offer “a conversational counterpoint.”...
TechCrunch, Mar. 10

Digital newspaper guidelines
The Chronicles in Preservation project, a collaborative effort led by the Educopia Institute, the MetaArchive Cooperative, the Chronopolis program, the University of North Texas, and Virginia Tech, has made available Guidelines for Digital Newspaper Preservation Readiness. The guidelines, freely available from Educopia Publishing, are geared toward improving preservation readiness for both digitized and born-digital newspaper content....
ALCTS News, Mar. 7

3M Cloud Library adds eAudiobooks
The 3M Cloud Library Digital Lending System has added eAudiobooks to its menu. Debuting with 40,000 titles powered by Findaway World, a provider of digital audiobook technology and delivery, the 3M Cloud Library will have an extensive collection of high quality eAudio titles. 3M will detail the new offerings at the PLA 2014 Conference, March 11–15, in Indianapolis....
Wall Street Journal, Mar. 6

2014 Annual Conference and Exhibition, Las Vegas, June 26–July 1. Vote before March 31 for the 40 Conversation Starters and Ignite sessions you want to hear. Your colleagues will inspire you with their passions, innovations, and creative solutions.

50 books to celebrate Women’s History Month
Michelle King writes: “In honor of International Women’s Day (March 8), we’ve compiled a list of 50 books to help you celebrate the lives and achievements of women around the world. We’ve tried to gather books that you haven’t read before, so while we’re big fans of The Feminine Mystique, you won’t find it anywhere on this list. Instead, you’ll find 50 books ranging in focus, but all related to the celebration and study of women.”...
The Airship, Mar. 7

YA lit characters on Pinterest
Anna Tschetter writes: “In honor of YALSA’s Teen Tech Week, I wanted to imagine some YA book characters using one of my favorite social media tools: Pinterest. Pinterest is a great way to create nice-looking collections of websites you want to remember or images that inspire you. Some of my fellow Hub bloggers and I had fun getting creative with this. Take a look at some of our boards inspired by a few books and series.”...
YALSA The Hub, Mar. 11

Teens react to John Green
Benny and Rafi Fine, the creators of TheFineBros YouTube channel, taped an episode of Teens React (9:45) featuring The Fault in Our Stars movie trailer. During the question segment, the book’s author John Green made a surprise appearance via video chat. During his conversation with one of the teens, Green revealed that he has seen the film in its entirety and he feels it is a faithful adaptation....
GalleyCat, Mar. 12; YouTube, Mar. 9

Completed webcomics to binge-read
Lauren Davis writes: “One of the risks in following a new webcomic is that the story might never end, only to have the creator abandon it. But there are some great webcomics out there that have wrapped up their storylines instead of fading into oblivion, leaving hundreds of pages for us to enjoy. Here are 17 you might want to try.”...
io9, Mar. 5

Graphic novel biographies
Traci Glass writes: “Nonfiction comics have just been getting better and better. In fact, there are so many for me to choose from, I narrowed my search to just books of a personal interest and biographical stories. For fans of true crime, professional wrestling, or The Beatles, there’s something on this list for everyone. I found many great reads these past few weeks that will appeal to readers who prefer the truth as opposed to the fiction.”...
YALSA The Hub, Mar. 7

Crafts in YA nonfiction and fiction
Anna Dalin writes: “March is National Craft Month. Apart from reading, crafting is one of the few things that I can get completely lost in. As an adult I’ve taken jewelry-making and other craft classes, and have realized that crafting for me is almost a form of meditation, and I need to make more time for it in my life. So to inspire myself as much as you, I’ve put together a list of YA crafting guides and YA novels whose main characters craft in some form.”...
YALSA The Hub, Mar. 10

Nine perfect book-song pairings
Jeanette writes: “In my first book-song pairing post, I explained my methodology a little bit, but to recap: sometimes it’s book first, sometimes song; the connection almost always works like word association or is glaringly obvious. Many of the songs (the Madonna, the Loreena McKennitt, the Annie Lennox) immediately reminded me of the books I’ve paired them with. I’ve done my best to share the most relevant-seeming lyrics this time.”...
Book Riot, Mar. 7; YouTube, Dec. 6, 2010

100 artists and the books that influenced them
Michael Lieberman writes: “Inspired by the Association of Writers and Writing Programs conference that invaded Seattle in late February, artist Siolo Thompson put out the call for artists to create works derived from books that impacted their lives. 100 artists contributed and all genres—sci-fi to nonfiction, poetry, romance—are included. “Ex Libris: 100 Artists, 100 Books” is destined to be one of the bookish exhibition highlights of 2014. Here is a sampling.”...
Book Patrol, Mar. 6

What do Americans say about public libraries?
The Cecil County (Md.) Public Library has created an infographic (PDF file) showing some statistics about public libraries gleaned from four reports from the Pew Research Center in 2013. The library is offering it free for use, sharing, and adaptation. They have also created an editable PowerPoint template that can be used for advocacy or other library presentations....
Cecil County (Md.) Public Library, Mar. 12

Preview of 2011 public library survey
The Institute of Museum and Library Services has made available a preview of the Fiscal Year 2011 Public Libraries in the United States Survey. Now in its 24th year, the survey gathers data from more than 98% of the public libraries across the country. In FY 2011, there were 8,956 public libraries in the United States, which served 299.9 million people or 95.3% of the US population. The full report will be available soon....
Institute of Museum and Library Services, Mar. 12

Competency Index for the Library Field
WebJunction has just completed an update of its Competency Index for the Library Field. The original 2009 edition has been a valuable resource for libraries, helping staff identify and obtain the knowledge, skills, and support needed to power relevant and vibrant libraries. The new 2014 edition emphasizes three elements in particular: 21st-century skills, accountability, and community engagement. It is available for free downloading in both PDF and Word versions....
WebJunction, Mar. 6

OCLC and Redbox partner for public library events
Libraries in communities across the country will partner with OCLC and Redbox to produce free, fun, public entertainment events. Developed and funded by Redbox, ”Outside the Box” will bring people together for these events in 20 new communities this year. Public libraries will remain central to Outside the Box, leading community planning sessions and event design for such events as art festivals, concerts, and outdoor movies....
OCLC, Mar. 7

Storytime training
Abby Johnson writes: “Did you have any storytime training in library school? The general consensus seems to be that even for those of us who were able to take programming classes in graduate school, on-the-job learning has really helped us develop most of our storytime skills. So, if you’re in library school or if you’re a new librarian or if you’re transitioning to children’s services from somewhere else, what’s a person to do? Here are some ideas.”...
Abby the Librarian, Mar. 10

Apps for English-language learners
Richard Byrne writes: “There are plenty of flashcard services on the web that students can use for rote practice of vocabulary words. The following five apps offer a little bit more than flashcards by providing some larger context for the words and phrases that students can study through them.”...
Free Technology for Teachers, Mar. 10

What’s your favorite animal?
The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art is creating an exhibition to celebrate the new book, What’s Your Favorite Animal? by Eric Carle and Friends. The museum will showcase the original work of the 14 published artists, as well as a digital exhibition from friends around the world. People of all ages can submit for the exhibition a digital image of original works featuring their favorite animal. Submissions will be accepted through August 1....
Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, Mar. 10

The best add-ons for Google Drive
Thorin Klosowski writes: “On March 11, Google introduced add-ons for Google Docs and Sheets. These allow you to add all kinds of functionality to your documents, including signing faxes, creating bibliographies, making maps, and adding audio conference calls. While it’s still in its infancy, here are a few of the best add-ons available at launch.”...
Lifehacker, Mar. 12; Google Drive Blog, Mar. 11

World Digital Library reaches milestone
The World Digital Library, a collaborative international project led by the Library of Congress, now includes more than 10,000 manuscripts, maps, and atlases, books, prints and photographs, films, sound recordings, and other cultural treasures. The 10,000-item milestone was reached March 6 with the addition of a set of priceless manuscripts from the Walters Art Museum of Baltimore, Maryland, a WDL partner since 2010. With the latest additions, the WDL includes 10,037 rare and unique items, comprising nearly 500,000 images....
Library of Congress, Mar. 6

Getty library opens up for social media, with strings
Professional photo catalog Getty Images is opening up its library of more than 35 million images for noncommercial use. Getty’s new Embedded Viewer tool will let users search for and share some Getty photos on websites, blogs, and social media. The tool is meant for “editorial use”; not all Getty content is available to be embedded. And, as Barbara Fister and Phil Bradley point out, the offer is much more complicated than it appears and allows Getty to place ads on the images you embed....
PC Magazine, Mar. 6; Inside Higher Ed: Library Babel Fish, Mar. 6; Phil Bradley’s Weblog, Mar. 10

Seed libraries try to save the world’s plants
Kevin Hartnett writes: “Since last November, librarians at Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, have been lending out packets of seeds, allowing people to plant them, and checking them back in if the borrower manages to grow thriving plants in the meantime. The project is part of a small but growing group of seed libraries across the country, local centers that aim to promote heirloom gardening and revive a more grassroots approach to seed breeding. Seed libraries see themselves as an important part of a bigger movement, to bring the issue of global plant diversity down to the community level.”...
Boston Globe, Mar. 9; Hampshire College News

Alice M. Sterling, librarian and poet
Bernadette Lear writes: “Alice Myra Sterling (1879–1970, right) was head of the New Castle (Pa.) Public Library from 1915 to 1957. I was delighted to find a small volume of Sterling’s poetry when I performed a shelf-read of NCPL’s local history collection. I had known that she had founded a Poetry Club in New Castle, but I wasn’t sure she had written anything herself. Apparently, most of the world was in the dark, too. The collection was published posthumously in September 1971. I decided to sit down for a few hours to read a librarian’s creative writings as potential windows into her life.”...
In Search of Pennsylvania Library History, Mar. 11

A legal history of daylight saving time
Margaret Wood writes: “At 2 a.m. on Sunday, March 9, we once again reset our clocks an hour ahead for daylight saving time (DST). Under the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Pub. L. 109-58, daylight saving time was extended by several weeks. Previously, DST ran from the first Sunday in April to the last Sunday in October, but now it runs from the second Sunday in March to the first Sunday in November. I thought I’d take this opportunity to trace the evolution of daylight saving time.”...
In Custodia Legis: Law Librarians of Congress, Mar. 6

What it’s like to work full time in library school
Samantha Winn writes: “In today’s post, several Hackers discuss what they have learned about the challenges and benefits of working full time while in library school. Whether you are wondering if full-time work is right for you or struggling to balance your obligations between work and classes, it can help to know that you are not alone. Rebecca Katz, Kara Mackeil, Lesley Looper, and Samantha Winn share their experiences, coping mechanisms, and productivity tips.”...
Hack Library School, Feb. 20, Mar. 5; Nov. 1, 2013

Building a 21st-century Bodleian Library
This is a fascinating behind-the-scenes video (5:00) on the inner workings of the University of Oxford’s Bodleian library and how its staff are working to prepare this ancient institution for future generations of readers with the forthcoming Weston Library. Bodley Director Richard Ovenden (right) and Digital Library Program Director Wolfram Horstmann talk about its present and future....
YouTube, Mar. 11

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