The e-newsletter of the American Library Association | September 10, 2014

2014 Library Design Showcase
Welcome to the 2014 Library Design Showcase, American Libraries’ annual celebration of new and newly renovated libraries. These libraries are shining examples of innovative architecture that address user needs in unique, interesting, and effective ways. Categories include open spaces, reuse and restoration, for the kids, disaster recovery, culinary learning, and going green....
American Libraries feature

Long Nights build library use
Greg Landgraf writes: “The idea of an all-nighter might not hold much appeal past a certain age. Many librarians, however, are using all-nighters to build an enthusiastic audience of student users through the Long Night Against Procrastination. The Viadrina European University in Frankfurt (Oder), Germany, created the Long Night Against Procrastination in 2010. Since then, it has spread among university writing centers and libraries worldwide. School and public libraries have started holding events that, while not formally connected to LNAP, have similar goals.”...
American Libraries feature

Newsmaker: Marjane Satrapi
Marjane Satrapi (right) is the author of the acclaimed graphic novel Persepolis and director of its film adaptation, which was nominated for an Oscar in 2008. The novel—banned at a Chicago high school in 2013—follows her life as a child in Tehran during the Iranian Revolution and subsequent teenage years in Europe. Just in time for Banned Books Week, Satrapi spoke with American Libraries about the importance of education and culture, and the unintended benefit of banning books....
American Libraries column, Sept./Oct.

Self-service library technology
Self-service library technology is everywhere nowadays, from machines that can scan and sort books automatically to self-checkout stations and book vending machines, allowing patrons to access library materials and services without a personal interaction. “Library Self-Service Software and Devices,” the next broadcast of American Libraries Live, at 2 p.m. Eastern time on September 18, will discuss how this technology can best serve the library’s users as well as its staff....
American Libraries, Sept. 9

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Bundle registration is now open
Bundle Registration for the 2015 Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference is now open. Bundling the registration for both conferences saves up to $130, and offers the opportunity to book housing for Midwinter immediately. The conversation starts January 30–February 3 in Chicago at the ALA Midwinter Meeting and Exhibits and continues at the ALA Annual Conference in San Francisco, June 25–30....
Conference Services, Sept. 9

Public Innovators Lab for Libraries
ALA and the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation are accepting reservations for an intensive three-day training program to help libraries strengthen their role as agents of positive change in their communities. The Public Innovators Lab for Libraries will be held October 8–10 at the Loudermilk Convention Center in Atlanta. Librarians, community partners, and stakeholders in libraries of all types are encouraged to register by September 30....
Public Programs Office, Sept. 9

Get Outside the Lines @ your library
The Campaign for America’s Libraries supports the Outside the Lines initiative for providing a way for libraries and librarians to reach out to their communities and promote public awareness for today’s libraries. During the Outside the Lines event, September 14–20, organizations in the US and Canada will host an event to help people understand how libraries have changed into dynamic centers for engagement and are more relevant than ever to people’s lives. During that week, share an “usie” (a group selfie) on Facebook or Twitter using the hashtag #getOTL....
Campaign for America’s Libraries, Sept. 10

Free webinar on Money Smart Week
Register for a free webinar on October 1 to learn how your library can participate in 2015 Money Smart Week @ your library. This hour-long session will provide you with resources and ideas to partner with others in your community, campus, or school. Money Smart Week @ your library, April 18–25, 2015, is a national initiative between ALA and the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago to provide financial literacy programming....
Chapter Relations Office, Sept. 9

Free Banned Books Week webinar
In a one-hour September 24 webinar, “Regional Issues for Banned Books in 2014,” you can travel to London, South Carolina, Texas, and California to talk with three activists (and Congresswoman Linda Sánchez) about the problems they face in their efforts to un-ban books and why their work is so important. Registration for the webinar is free, but spaces are limited....
Office for Intellectual Freedom, Sept. 9

Using and understanding LC Classification
ALA Editions is offering a new facilitated eCourse, “Using and Understanding Library of Congress Classification.” Cheryl Tarsala will serve as the instructor for a four-week facilitated eCourse starting on October 6. Beginning with the basics, this eCourse will teach you how to assign LCC numbers with correct meaning in hierarchy, build numbers using tables, and apply numbers that help patrons browse your library....
ALA Editions, Sept. 5

Libraries, services, and networks
A new compendium that library planners, administrators, and those interested in technology will find enduringly stimulating, The Network Reshapes the Library: Lorcan Dempsey on Libraries, Services and Networks, published by ALA Editions, is editor Kenneth J. Varnum’s expertly curated selection of entries from Lorcan Dempsey’s blog that shows where libraries have been in the last decade and where they’re heading now....
ALA Editions, Sept. 8

Be a Personal Librarian
The Personal Librarian is a flexible concept that focuses on customizing information literacy by establishing a one-on-one relationship between academic librarian and student from enrollment through graduation, explored by editors Richard Moniz and Jean Moats in their new book The Personal Librarian: Enhancing the Student Experience, published by ALA Editions. The editors and their contributors define personal librarianship and trace how it has developed within the broader context of the work that librarians do....
ALA Editions, Sept. 8

Library/USA exhibit at the 1964 World’s Fair
Denise Rayman writes: “Three years before the founding of OCLC, and seven years before Michael Hart typed the first ebook for Project Gutenberg, the public got a tangible introduction to the potential use of computers in libraries at the New York World’s Fair. The Library/USA exhibit introduced people to such marvels as online encyclopedias and subject bibliographies. How did the ALA orchestrate this little slice of the future?”...
ALA Archives Blog, Sept. 8

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New Ask an Archivist feature
ACRL’s Choice Reviews Online is initiating a new monthly feature highlighting digital special collections. A lively online exclusive in interview format, “Ask an Archivist” is intended to introduce readers, undergraduates especially, to the treasure trove of materials housed in a vast array of digital archives and libraries. “Ask an Archivist” will launch in October and feature an interview with Edward L. Ayers, history professor at the University of Richmond, on his project “The Valley of the Shadow.”...
Choice, Sept. 5

Teen bloggers for Teen Read Week
YALSA has announced the teen winners of its first-ever Teen Read Week Blogging Contest. Thirty-one teens were selected from a pool of 61 applicants. They will blog about various young adult literature topics throughout the month of October on YALSA’s blog The Hub in celebration of Teen Read Week, which takes place this year on October 12–18....
YALSA, Sept. 8

YALSA opens proposals for 2015 symposium
YALSA is seeking program proposals and paper presentations for its 2015 Young Adult Services Symposium, “Bringing it All Together: Connecting Libraries, Teens, and Communities,” to be held November 6–8, 2015, in Portland, Oregon. Interested parties can propose 90-minute programs centering on the theme, as well as paper presentations offering new, unpublished research. Proposals are due by December 1....
YALSA, Sept. 8

The difference between assessment and evaluation
The terms assessment and evaluation are sometimes used interchangeably, but they have distinct meanings and purposes. The LLAMA Measurement, Assessment, and Evaluation Section will present a webinar on “What is Assessment?” on October 1. Register online....
LLAMA, Sept. 9

More Great Websites for Kids
ALSC has added eight more sites to Great Websites for Kids, its online resource containing hundreds of links to exceptional websites for children....
ALSC, Sept. 9

Early bird rates for the LITA Forum
Don’t miss the chance to save up to $50 by registering by September 15 for the 2014 LITA Forum, “From Node to Network,” to be held November 5–8 in Albuquerque, New Mexico. This year’s Forum will feature keynote speakers AnnMarie Thomas, Lorcan Dempsey, and Kortney Ryan Ziegler. Book your room at the Hotel Albuquerque by October 14 to guarantee the LITA room rate....
LITA, Sept. 8

FY2013 Preservation Statistics report
Results from the 2013 Preservation Statistics Survey (PDF file) are now available from ALCTS. The annual survey gathers data about preventive preservation activities, conservation activities, reformatting and digitization activities, and digital preservation responsibilities, as well as how preservation programs are administered....
ALCTS, Sept. 8

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Apply for $5,000 Sara Jaffarian prize
The Public Programs Office is now accepting nominations for the 2015 Sara Jaffarian School Library Program Award for Exemplary Humanities Programming. School libraries, public or private, that served children in grades K–8 and conducted humanities programs during the 2013–2014 school year are eligible. The winning library will receive $5,000. Nominations must be received by December 15....
Public Programs Office, Sept. 9

ALCTS seeks awards nominations
Nominations are being accepted for the 2015 ALCTS awards for innovation, continuing resources, preservation, professional recognition, and publications. If you are interested in nominating a candidate for any of these awards, contact the chair of that award jury. The deadline for nominations and supporting materials is December 1....
ALCTS, Sept. 5

Nominations for the 2015 Ross Atkinson Award
ALCTS is accepting nominations for its 2015 Ross Atkinson Lifetime Achievement Award. The deadline for nominations is November 19. The $3,000 award recognizes the contribution of a library leader who has demonstrated exceptional service to ALCTS and its areas of interest....
ALCTS, Sept. 8

ASCLA is accepting nominations for awards
ASCLA is accepting nominations for its 2015 awards program, including the Leadership and Professional Achievement Award, the Exceptional Service Award, the Cathleen Bourdon Service Award, the ASCLA / KLAS / NOD Award, and the Francis Joseph Campbell Medal. The deadline for submissions is February 8....
ASCLA, Sept. 8

AASL seeks awards nominations
Applications for the AASL 2015 awards season are now available using the division’s online application. AASL members are encouraged to nominate a colleague or themselves to be lauded for their outstanding talents and dedication to the profession as part of this prestigious program. Applications for the National School Library Program of the Year are due January 1. All others are due February 1....
AASL, Sept. 9

2015 Maureen Hayes Author/Illustrator Award
ALSC is accepting online applications for its 2015 Maureen Hayes Author/Illustrator Award. This $4,000 award, made possible by an annual gift from Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing in honor of Maureen Hayes, brings together children and nationally recognized authors or illustrators by funding a visit to a library. The deadline for submissions is December 1....
ALSC, Sept. 8

ACRL offers $110,000 in scholarships
ACRL is offering approximately 175 scholarships worth more than $110,000 for its 2015 Conference, “Creating Sustainable Community,” to be held March 25–28, 2015, in Portland, Oregon. The deadline to apply is November 7. There are six scholarship categories....
ACRL, Sept. 9

Academic Friend Conference Grants
United for Libraries is accepting applications for its Sage Academic Friend Conference Grant through January 15. The $850 grants will enable two academic Friends to attend the 2015 ALA Annual Conference in San Francisco. Applicants must be either active in their college or university Friends group or be academic library staff members who work in development. Apply online....
United for Libraries, Sept. 9

Carnegie-Whitney grants
The ALA Publishing Committee provides grants of up to $5,000 for the preparation of print or electronic reading lists, indexes, or other guides to library resources that promote reading or the use of library resources at any type of library. Applications must be received by November 7....
ALA Publishing, Sept. 9

WrestleMania Reading Challenge grants
YALSA, in partnership with World Wrestling Entertainment, awarded grants to Lorely Ambriz, Montserrat Inglada, and James Klipa to help each individual enrich their library’s literacy programs and collection, as part of WWE’s WrestleMania Reading Challenge Grant program. The winners were chosen based on their outstanding integration of the 2014 WrestleMania Reading Challenge into their existing literacy programs....
YALSA, Sept. 8

Baker & Taylor Summer Reading Grant
ALSC is now accepting online applications for its 2015 Baker & Taylor Summer Reading Grant. This $3,000 grant is designed to encourage reading programs for children in public libraries, while recognizing ALSC members for outstanding program development. The deadline for submissions is November 1....
ALSC, Sept. 8

Knight Foundation News Challenge
“How might we leverage libraries as a platform to build more knowledgeable communities?” That’s the question the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation is asking for its 12th News Challenge. The grant-funded challenge will be open to anyone from anywhere, but its primary focus is on US-based library projects. The News Challenge will be open for your submissions through September 30. Winners will receive a share of $2.5 million....
Knight Foundation, Sept. 10

IMLS awards OCLC a grant to support library health resources
The Institute of Museum and Library Services has awarded OCLC a grant to continue work helping libraries support health information initiatives in their communities. In July 2013, OCLC received an IMLS grant to increase libraries’ ability to respond to customer health information needs, launching the “Health Happens in Libraries” program. IMLS is supporting an expansion of that effort with a $199,050 grant. OCLC will create guides (“health competency pathways”) to help library staff advance health topics within their local communities....
Institute of Museum and Library Services, Sept. 4

Ursula K. Le Guin wins honorary National Book Award
The National Book Foundation announced September 9 that science fiction and fantasy author Ursula K. Le Guin (right) would receive the 2014 National Book Awards Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. Neil Gaiman, who has long cited Le Guin as among his favorite writers, will present the medal to her at a November 19 ceremony in New York City. Le Guin will be the 27th author to receive the honor....
Associated Press, Sept. 9

Louise Erdrich wins Saul Bellow Award
Author Louise Erdrich (right) will receive the 2014 PEN/Saul Bellow Award for Achievement in American Fiction. Established by the PEN American Center in memory of author Saul Bellow, the $25,000 award is presented biannually to a living American author whose scale of achievement in fiction, over a sustained career, places him or her in the highest rank of American literature. Erdrich is known for her novels, poetry, and children’s books featuring Native American characters and settings. She received the 2014 Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award in August....
PEN American Center, Sept. 8; Dayton Literary Peace Prize, Aug. 18

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The fight for Miami’s libraries
Christian Zabriskie writes: “Libraries in Miami are in the final stages of an incredible budget fight. It’s been a pitched battle between library advocates and a mayor who has repeatedly slashed library funding, tried to eliminate library jobs, and worked to eliminate library branches and limit services. In many ways it is a microcosm of the larger fight for libraries across the Unites States. It will hopefully be seen as a turning point when our citizens demand more from their elected leaders and the social fabric can be rewoven.”...
The Huffington Post Blog, Sept. 5

The Illinois Family Institute and LGBTQ books
J. Bryan Lowder writes: “The Illinois Family Institute has long been listed as a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, so news that its cultural analyst Laurie Higgins has said something incendiary about LGBTQ people is not a surprise. This time, Higgins’s ire is currently directed at the ALA’s Banned Books Week and accuses librarians of ‘ridiculing parents who, for example, don’t want their 6-year-olds seeing books about children or anthropomorphized animals being raised by parents in homoerotic relationships.’”...
Slate, Sept. 5; Illinois Family Institute, Sept. 4

Denver Public Library takes on Soundcloud
Matt Miller writes: “On the year of its 125th birthday, the Denver Public Library is hitting play on a digital means to disseminate local music to the community. September 11 marks the official launch of Volume Denver, the library’s online collection of local music that’s available for free streaming and download for anyone with a library card. Currently, the site has 38 albums available, including some local favorites and genres ranging from Americana to hip-hop.”...
Reverb, Sept. 4

New Austin Public Library will have food demos
The new downtown Austin (Tex.) Public Library won’t open until 2016, but facilities manager John Gillum is already getting calls to reserve a 300-person event space that has its own catering kitchen. That won’t be the only food element of the building, designed by architects at Lake/Flato in San Antonio. The 198,000-square-foot library now under construction will have both a full-service restaurant and one of the largest culinary demonstration spaces in the city....
Austin (Tex.) American-Statesman, Sept. 9

Audit finds financial irregularities at Chattanooga Public Library
Members of the Chattanooga (Tenn.) Public Library board stood behind Director Corinne Hill on September 5 but said they would make sweeping policy changes after audit findings that officials mismanaged some $3,000 during national and worldwide trips to promote the library. Corinne Hill said she will suspend Assistant Director Nate Hill (no relation) and that Systems Administrator Meg Backus will resign at the end of October. The city audit report said both employees were reported to the state for possible fraud....
Chattanooga (Tenn.) Times Free Press, Sept. 6

Rosa Parks papers go to Library of Congress
The Library of Congress will be the new home of the Rosa Parks Collection, Librarian of Congress James H. Billington announced September 9. It will be at LC on a 10-year loan from the Howard G. Buffett Foundation. The collection consists of 1,500 items belonging to the civil rights activist, including personal correspondence, photographs, autobiographical notes, letters from presidents, her Presidential Medal of Freedom and Congressional Gold Medal, clothing and furniture, and 200 drawings by schoolchildren. Buffett’s foundation bought the collection in August, planning to give it to an institution....
Library of Congress, Sept. 9; Associated Press, Sept. 9

Rare books return to the Illinois College Medical Library
Robert Berry writes: “Until 2013, only five titles remained in the once extensive library of the Illinois College medical department in Jacksonville, Illinois. On October 11, 2013, the American College of Surgeons returned the remaining volumes to the campus—165 years after the closing of the medical department. The 71 books that were transferred back to IC are from the former library of the Morgan County Medical Society and were donated to the College in 1941. Here is the background.”...
Bulletin of the American College of Surgeons, Apr. 4

Thief pilfers Tufts Library tortoise fund
Supporters are rallying around the mascot of the Tufts Library children’s room in Weymouth, Massachusetts, after police say a thief stole a jug of donated cash meant for the care of the Russian tortoise dubbed Lightning McRead. A librarian and a 17-year-old patron said a man had grabbed a jug containing between $150 and $260 in change and dollar bills donated by kids and parents for the animal’s upkeep, according to a police report....
Quincy (Mass.) Patriot Ledger, Sept. 6

Kansas librarian became a noted artist 100 years ago
Ella Buchanan, the first director of the Pittsburg (Kans.) Public Library, left her post in 1908 to pursue her dream of becoming an artist at the Chicago Art Institute. She achieved it and then some: One of her sculptures became the face of the women’s suffrage movement (right); another was a gift to a US president. Now, another one of her sculptures, “Genius,” is back in the library and will remain there permanently thanks to a gift from her family, an anonymous benefactor, a local craftsman, and some sleuthing by current Director Bev Clarkson....
Joplin (Mo.) Globe, Sept. 6; Sault Ste. Marie (Mich.) Evening News, Oct. 20, 1911

Utica woman organizes refugee library in Thailand
A small new library near the Thailand-Burma border might not seem like a big deal, but for the displaced children in Nu Sae Plo, a village in northern Thailand, it’s huge. As soon as donated books fill the library’s bamboo walls, it will be the first village library among many of the region’s poor municipalities. Pawsansoe Bree, a 24-year-old Utica, New York, resident and library organizer, explained that the area’s educational system is not the best. And for Bree, born in Burma’s Karen state, it’s personal....
Utica (N.Y.) Observer-Dispatch, Sept. 8

Canada cuts federal prison library hours and staff
A number of advocates say they fear Canadian inmates are losing access to books and libraries, making it harder to improve their literacy skills and prepare them for reintegration into Canadian society after they are released. They say federal prisons in Saskatchewan, Ontario, and Quebec are cutting library hours and library staff due to budget cuts, limiting access to books....
CBC News, Sept. 4

Czech National Library digitizes rare collections
Google will digitize about 140,000 volumes for the Czech National Library, and its manuscripts and old prints will be available for free in the Google Books project and the Manuscriptorium European Digital Library. So far, Google has digitized more than 30,000 books from the Slavic Library, mainly 19th-century literature....
Czech News Agency, Sept. 3

Israel launches online museum
The Israel Antiquities Authority announced September 9 that it is joining forces with the Rockefeller Museum, Israel Museum, and Dead Sea Scrolls Digital Library to create National Treasures, an “internet archeological museum.” The IAA said the site will feature some 2,500 rare artifacts, representing “the most important archaeological collections in the Middle East.”...
Jerusalem Post, Sept. 9

Fiji opens new library for International Literacy Day
Library Services of Fiji marked International Literacy Day on September 8 with the establishment of a community library in Tailevu Province. The new library, which opened in the village of Lomanaisau, offers books and tools on such crafts as embroidery, fan making, dyeing, and jewelry for the women in the village in order to encourage income-generating projects....
Nadi (Fiji) The Jet, Sept. 9

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Younger Americans and public libraries
A new report from the Pew Research Center, Younger Americans and Public Libraries (PDF file), pulls together several years of research into the role of libraries in the lives of Americans and their communities with a special focus on Millennials, a key stakeholder group ages 16–29. The report explores their attitudes towards public libraries in great detail, including the extent to which they value libraries’ roles in their communities....
Pew Research Center, Sept. 10

Internet Slowdown Day
On September 10, some of the biggest tech companies are leading a symbolic “Internet Slowdown” to protest the FCC’s stance on network neutrality. Several top websites—including Etsy, Netflix, Kickstarter, Foursquare, WordPress, Vimeo, reddit, Mozilla, and BoingBoing—are joining more than 35 advocacy organizations in a day of action that will give a glimpse into what the internet might look like if the FCC’s proposed rules go into effect, according to the advocacy group Fight for the Future....
Ars Technica, Sept. 4; Fight for the Future, Sept. 4

Net neutrality opponents start FCC campaign
Brian Fung writes: “Some who see net neutrality from the internet service provider perspective are taking a page out of the public interest groups’ playbook, with a bit of a David-and-Goliath story of their own. A market-minded think tank is making a play for Americans who object to heavier regulation of ISPs. The push began in early September with a website, Don’t Break the Net, that urges the FCC chairman not to subject internet providers to heavier regulation.”...
Washington Post, Sept. 5

Library associations weigh in on GPO proposal
James R. Jacobs writes: “I thought it would be helpful to post the various letters in response to Government Printing Office Superintendent of Documents’ recent proposal to allow regional depositories in the Federal Depository Library Program to do e-substitution and discard some government documents that are authenticated on GPO’s FDsys. It’s interesting to compare letters from ALA, American Association of Law Libraries, Association of Southeast Research Libraries, Association of Research Libraries, and ALA’s Government Documents Round Table.”...
Free Government Information, Sept. 6

E-rate will no longer support email, website hosting
Dennis Pierce writes: “Beginning with the 2015 funding year, email, voice mail, and website hosting no longer will be eligible for e-rate support. To transform the program into a vehicle that supports broadband, the FCC in July issued a proposed e-rate rulemaking that set aside $5 billion in funding over the next five years for the internal connections needed to extend broadband access within schools and libraries. But the FCC has made significant changes to other kinds of services that are currently eligible for e-rate support.”...
eSchool News, Sept. 5

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Apple Watch: Coming to a classroom near you?
Rebecca Koenig writes: “Wearable technology has entered the mainstream. The Apple Watch, announced September 9, ushers in the possibility that, one day soon, campuses across the country will contend with students who are literally attached to their gadgets. This could make professors and administrators uneasy, but others believe that wearable technology should prompt universities to encourage innovative teaching that reflects modern realities.”...
Chronicle of Higher Education: Wired Campus, Sept. 10; PC Magazine, Sept. 10

Lock down Facebook privacy for good
Ashley Feinberg writes: “Facebook’s privacy settings are notorious for being convoluted and downright confusing. Which is why Facebook has officially rolled out a privacy checkup to help you make sure you’re sharing exactly what you want. But since the checkup only goes so deep, here’s how ensure your Facebook privacy is really intact.”...
Gizmodo, Sept. 4; Facebook, Sept. 4

Collect library fines with an online payment app
Bohyun Kim writes: “Offering an online payment option for library fines is one way to make the library more user-friendly to those patrons who are too busy to visit in person or mail a check but are willing to pay online with their credit cards. If you are new to the world of online payment, there are several terms you first need to become familiar with.”...
ACRL TechConnect Blog, Sept. 10

Tips for sharing passwords
Jill Duffy writes: “‘Never share your passwords!’ is outdated advice that simply doesn’t take into consideration the needs of the day. A lot of us need to share username and password combinations with our family, coworkers, and others. There are safe and secure ways to share passwords, and as long as you’re doing it properly, it’s a perfectly acceptable practice.”...
PC Magazine, Sept. 8

The best USB 3.0 hubs
Kimber Streams writes: “After 100 hours of research, testing, and consulting with electrical engineers, we determined that the $40 HooToo HT-UH010 seven-port hub is the best USB hub for most people. It’s compact, reliable, and has well-placed ports aplenty. But its main strength that put it above the rest of the competition was its usability and design—many of the other hubs we looked at were larger, had fewer ports, and weren’t as easy to fully utilize.”...
The Wirecutter, Sept. 10

Following the money
James LaRue writes: “Every now and then someone publishes a link that should be slipped into every board packet in the nation. I’d like to highlight this report, ‘Exploring Connections: Independent Publishers and Research Libraries,’ by Amy Ballmer, Albert Municino, Judith Schwartz, and Robert Weiss for the Metropolitan New York Library Council. In addition to some cogent history and analysis, I found these profiles of some of the big players in publishing.”...
AL: E-Content, Sept. 5

DCL Ebook Report, September
James LaRue writes: “There are some distinct oddities in this month’s report (PDF file). On the library pricing for print, Ingram seems consistently cheaper than Baker & Taylor. And in one case (Dragonfly in Amber) Baker & Taylor charges twice as much. On the ebook side, OverDrive and 3M are pretty much neck and neck. As for library ebook pricing compared to consumer ebook pricing, the average is 5 to 1. Yep, we continue to pay five times what consumers pay.”...
AL: E-Content, Sept. 8

Amazon launches KDP Kids
Amazon on September 3 launched the Kindle Kids’ Book Creator, software that helps authors create illustrated ebooks. KDP Kids largely consists of a free program, Kindle Kids’ Book Creator, that is downloadable to a Mac or a PC and lets authors “import artwork from popular formats, including JPEG, PDF, TIFF, and PNG,” add text to the pages, and preview how it will look across Kindle devices....
GigaOM, Sept. 3

EBSCO introduces two new magazine archives
Libraries can own the 20th century collections of two of the leading business magazines now that the complete backfiles for Forbes and Bloomberg Businessweek are available from EBSCO Information Services. The entire digital archives going back to volume 1, issue 1, of the magazines are included in EBSCO’s Forbes Digital Archive and Bloomberg Businessweek Digital Archive....
EBSCO, Sept. 10

2015 Midwinter Meeting and Exhibits, Chicago, January 30–February 3. Bundle registration for 2015 Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference is now open. You can save up to $130 and also book Midwinter housing. The conversation starts in Chicago, January 30–February 3, 2015, and continues at ALA Annual Conference in San Francisco, June 25–30.

Margaret Atwood’s new text will stay unseen for 100 years
Depending on perspective, it is an author’s dream or nightmare: Margaret Atwood (right) will never know what readers think of the piece of fiction she is currently working on, because the unpublished, unread manuscript from the Man Booker Prize–winning novelist will be locked away for the next 100 years. Atwood has just been named as the first contributor to an interesting new public artwork, the Future Library project....
The Guardian (UK), Sept. 4

Reading insecurity
Katy Waldman writes: “Reading insecurity is the subjective experience of thinking that you’re not getting as much from reading as you used to. It is setting aside an hour for that new book and spending it instead on Facebook. It is deploring your attention span and missing the flow, the trance, of entering a narrative world without bringing the real one along. It is realizing that if Virginia Woolf was correct to call heaven ‘one continuous unexhausted reading,’ then goodbye, you have been kicked out of paradise.”...
Slate, Sept. 8

CBLDF Banned Books Week Handbook
Betsy Gomez writes: “This year, Banned Books Week will take place September 21–27, and the focus is on comics and graphic novels. The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund Banned Books Week Handbook is a free resource (PDF file) that gives you the scoop on banned comics. It’s an essential tool to assist librarians, educators, and retailers in planning Banned Books Week celebrations, as well as a vital reference to help readers everywhere fight censorship.” Michael Cherry has some tips on teaching teens about censored horror comics....
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, Sept. 5; Programming Librarian, Sept. 9

Teens taking a stand in YA lit
Carli Spina writes: “From dystopian futures, to political protest, to legal disputes, YA literature is full of stories about fighting the rules and even the laws. This post rounds up some of the best examples of teens winning these battles in YA literature across genres and time periods. Find a book here that will inspire you to stand up for your beliefs. After Ever After by Jordan Sonnenblick tackles the injustice of rules that refuse to acknowledge both the aftereffects of a teen’s cancer treatment and the differences between all students.”...
YALSA The Hub, Sept. 8

No tense like the present
Libby Gorman writes: “I don’t know if it’s my penchant for once-upon-a-time fairy tale retellings, but when I pick up a book, I expect it to be narrated in past tense. Recently, though, it seems like more and more YA books are being told in present tense. I’m not quite sure why this is a trend, but I find the more frequent use of present tense interesting and occasionally annoying. (I write this completely aware of the irony that I am writing this post in the present tense.)”...
YALSA The Hub, Sept. 9

10 experimental novels
Emily Temple writes: “September 9 marks the US publication of Eimear McBride’s A Girl Is a Half-Formed Thing, a highly experimental, Joycean novel that, despite the fact that modern readers often eschew difficulty, has been heaped with awards. It is, in fact, a difficult book, but it’s totally worth it. And it’s not the only one. Here are 10 experimental novels that are worth the effort it takes to parse them.”...
Flavorwire, Sept. 9

Checking out America’s libraries
Kristin Shaw writes: “The US has thousands of libraries that are providing ever more varied services. In anticipation of UNESCO’s International Literacy Day on September 8, we took a look at the important role libraries play in our communities and created this infographic.” Sources include ALA, At Your Library, the Library of Congress, Pew Research Center, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services....
Block Talk, Aug. 30

A tsunami of streaming video
Nancy K. Herther writes: “Even if your institution isn’t ready for a major investment in streaming video resources, it’s probably time to explore some of the options available for learning and instruction so you can be ready when the time comes. All of the major vendors of library streaming videos offer demonstrations, trials, or webinars to help you better understand and evaluate how their services might work for you. This list of vendors is not exhaustive, but provides you with some good options to begin your evaluation.”...
Against the Grain, Sept. 9

Princeton places WWI pamphlet collection online
Princeton University Library has launched a large digital collection of pamphlets documenting World War I in Europe. These pamphlets were collected by the library, starting from the outbreak of the war in 1914, as part of a larger European War Collection, later renamed the Western European Theater Political Pamphlet Collection. They cover a broad range of topics including the economy, the press, the military, arms, and territorial disputes....
Princeton University Library, Sept. 9

ProQuest gallery showcases World War I trench magazines
Electronic publisher ProQuest has created a free digital gallery of 100-year-old magazines written and illustrated, mostly unofficially and anonymously, by troops serving on the various fronts of World War I. Trench Journals Digital Gallery displays poems, essays, jokes, cartoons, and observations within crisp, digital reproductions of the original magazines. The gallery is a sampler of works from ProQuest’s Trench Journals and Unit Magazines of the First World War....
ProQuest, Sept. 10

A beginner’s guide to cosplay
Varia writes: “For someone new to the community, cosplay can be very intimidating, and attending a convention feels a little too reminiscent of Frodo’s journey through Mordor. So how do you become a cosplayer? Where do you start? How do you choose a character? What even are conventions, really? Cosplay is a wonderful art form that challenges you continually to learn new skills and expand on developing as a craftsperson.”...
io9, Sept. 9

Five tools to avoid distractions
Ellyssa Kroski writes: “It’s that time of year again when we all need to get back on track and start to get focused. But with all of the many distractions online, that can prove difficult. Here are five applications that can help.”...
iLibrarian, Sept. 5

Getting staff and patrons to accept RFID tags
Melanie A. Lyttle and Shawn D. Walsh write: “It’s been a little over a year between sticking our first RFID tag on a book and turning on our RFID gates at our main public entrances. As with any change, some staff embraced it and some wished it would go away. Deciding how to shepherd staff through the transition makes it easier to get patrons to accept the change in routine until it becomes second nature.”...
Public Libraries Online, Sept. 10

Google Drive your library
Ashley Mancill writes: “An overwhelming number of patrons I assist in the library have Google email accounts, yet only a handful of them use the Google Drive service it comes with. Most of them have never even heard of Drive. And more and more often, I find myself teaching patrons how to use the cloud-based storage system and its web editors. But it’s also a fast and easy tool that library staff can use to collaborate, quickly retrieve documents, and manage workflows. Here are a few ways to make use of it.”...
INALJ, Sept. 9

NCSU to develop social media preservation toolkit
The North Carolina State University Libraries have been awarded a grant to create a toolkit to help capture and save the increasingly critical but ephemeral social media conversations that now regularly document our lives and times. The EZ Innovation Grant from the State Library of North Carolina will enable librarians Jason Casden and Brian Dietz to lead a team to develop a freely available guide for institutions that wish to collect and curate these primary documents....
NCSU Libraries, Sept. 9

Hip-hop in the classroom
Shannon McClintock Miller writes: “One of my favorite places to go each week is the Flocabulary website. It is always filled with such fun and exciting resources to use with our young people. From the moment you go to the website and read ‘Flocabulary is educational hip-hop,’ you are hooked. A talented and cool team of artists and educators have created an online library of educational hip-hop songs and videos that can be used to engage and inspire students in grades K–12.”...
The Library Voice, Sept. 5

Serving adults with special needs in the children’s library
Amy Seto Musser writes: “I’ve been thinking a lot lately about serving adults with special needs as a children’s librarian. I work at a large urban library and we have the luxury of having a specific children’s library area. Our policy states that you must be with a child or using children’s materials to be in the children’s library. This policy makes it clear that an adult with special needs can come into look for materials, but does allow for some gray areas. Here are a few related questions I’ve been pondering.”...
ALSC Blog, Sept. 6

Preschool lab: Shapes
Abby Johnson writes: “This was our first week back for Preschool Explorers and I started us off with a really easy and fun theme: shapes! Shapes probably doesn’t necessarily fit within science themes, but it definitely fits into math (the M in STEM), and learning shapes is great for letter recognition later. Also, I got a great set of foam shapes and I wanted to put them to use.”...
Abby the Librarian, Sept. 9

Libraries that lend tools
Lauren Williamson writes: “Oakland (Calif.) Public Library is one of a growing number of libraries across the US that lend tools—as in awls, sledgehammers, and hacksaws—as well as other unexpected items like bakeware, Moog synthesizers, and human skeletons, to keep pace with the times. Many see this as a natural extension of their core mission to serve communities through the collective buying power of tax dollars. And community needs have changed.”...
Fast Company, Sept. 9

Frederick County library card doubles as Visa debit card
Matt Enis writes: “Following four months of discussions with SirsiDynix and a brief pilot test in the summer, Frederick County (Md.) Public Libraries on September 5 officially launched the ‘I Love My Library’ prepaid Visa debit card. Developed by SirsiDynix in partnership with Visa and Card Limited, the new affinity cards double as a patron’s library card and aim to help libraries offer a debit service, develop ties with local businesses, and launch a new revenue stream.”...
The Digital Shift, Sept. 9

Corporate archivists are entrusted with brand history
Natalie Zmuda writes: “The annual meeting of the Business Archives Section of the Society of American Archivists was held in Washington, D.C, August 10–16. Those gathered here are responsible for curating, cultivating, and preserving the histories of brands as varied as Coca-Cola, Estée Lauder, American Girl, Wells Fargo, and Leo Burnett. With their vast knowledge, they are a marketer’s dream, yet this little-known group needs to market itself.”...
Advertising Age, Sept. 3

Artist uses LC images to animate his GIFs
Art director and designer Kevin Weir uses historical black-and-white images from the Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Online Catalog as the basis for his quirky—and slightly disturbing—animated GIFs. Weir is deeply drawn to what he calls “unknowable places and persons,” images with little connection to present day that he can use as blank canvas for his ideas. He posts the images on his Tumblr, Flux Machine, where they have gone viral....
Colossal, Sept. 9

OSU seeks help transcribing Cold War letters
In 1946, Albert Einstein founded the Emergency Committee of Atomic Scientists to educate the public on the dangers of atomic warfare and the mounting need for world peace. A portion of the records from that committee are now available in an online exhibit through the Special Collections and Archives Research Center at Oregon State University Libraries and Press, and help is being sought from the public to transcribe the letters in the collection....
Oregon State University, Sept. 4

Medieval scribes getting personal
Erik Kwakkel writes: “Words found in the margins of a medieval book, placed there ‘extra-textually’ by scribes and readers, can provide information about the production circumstances of a given manuscript and the attitude of scribes or readers towards a text. In most books, there was ample room to add such details, because on average a stunning 50% of the medieval page was left blank. It is in this vast emptiness, so often overlooked in editions of texts, that we may pick up key information about the long life of the book.”...
medievalbooks, Sept. 5

The best notebooks, especially for fountain pens
British writer Joe Craig (right) has found some notebooks he loves. He used to use Moleskine notebooks, then switched to Leuchtturm1917 notebooks (which he still uses, alongside these discoveries). In this video (9:32) he explains why he likes these new ones so much: Baron Fig, paperforfountainpens, and Seven Seas “Writer.” All three books have outstanding bindings, and two use Tomoe River paper, making them incredibly light....
YouTube, Aug. 15

Joan Rivers, honorary librarian
Meredith Myers writes: “Joan Rivers was known as many things. Relentless comedian. First woman to ever host a late night talk show. Reality star. Fashion critic. Lover of plastic surgery. QVC pitchwoman. Librarian? Watching the 2010 documentary Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work, I realized that she too was an aspiring librarian. She had a card catalog in her New York apartment where she organized all of her jokes: 30 years of jokes stored in a gray card catalog, meticulously arranged by subject.”...
Creative Loafing: Tampa Bay, Sept. 4

IKEA’s bookbook video hit
IKEA’s new video touting the power of a good old-fashioned print catalog has generated more than 7.7 million online views in less than a week. “Experience the Power of a Bookbook” (2:28) introduces viewers to a device that “changes the way we live” (the new IKEA catalog), parodying the tone and language Apple uses to market its gadgets. In the IKEA spot, a “chief design guru” highlights the so-called bookbook’s specs and innovative features, such as an “eternal” battery life and “pre-installed” content....
Wall Street Journal: CMO Today, Sept. 8; YouTube, Sept. 3

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