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They are the new faces greeting you at the reference desk, shelving books in the stacks, and experimenting with fresh ideas behind the scenes. These are the library world’s rising stars, the generation that will move, shape, and influence the present and future of the Association and the library profession. These are ALA’s Emerging Leaders of 2015....
American Libraries feature |
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From April 26 to May 2, many will turn to their local libraries to celebrate Preservation Week, when libraries provide information on how to preserve collectibles, photos, family records, and other materials. Some participating libraries, including New York Public Library and the University of Maryland, are offering special programs. Brad Meltzer (right), author and host of his own History Channel series, is 2015 Honorary Chair. For downloadable artwork, videos, and additional resources, visit the Preservation Week website....
ALCTS, Apr. 23 |
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Patrick Hogan writes: “ALA’s Library Technology Reports and Smart Libraries Newsletter are on a new hosting platform, using Open Journal Systems. For a limited time, through June, both will be open access. We’re hoping you will like what you see and get your library to subscribe. Other ALA journals—Children and Libraries, Library Resources & Technical Services, Reference & User Services Quarterly, and the Newsletter on Intellectual Freedom—are also available....
ALA TechSource Blog, Apr. 24 |
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On March 13, Cyclone Pam roared across the islands of the Republic of Vanuatu in the South Pacific causing major devastation and displacement. Though its National Library and Archives were little damaged, many school libraries were destroyed. ALA is partnering with the Australian Library and Information Association to collect monetary donations in North America....
ALA International Relations Office |
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One of escape artist Harry Houdini’s films, The Grim Game, was thought to have all but vanished from existence. However, early in 2014, a one-of-a-kind full print and negative were discovered by film preservationist Rick Schmidlin and Turner Classic Movies. They called upon New York University Libraries’ Barbara Goldsmith Preservation and Conservation Department’s media preservation team to assist with the restoration of the lost feature....
New York University, Jan. 30
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An eight-year-old girl in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, was told she is no longer allowed to read books on the school bus because it poses a risk to the safety of other students. The bus driver said other students on the bus might stand up to see what she was reading, or she might poke herself in the eye with the corners of the book. The girl’s father wants to see the rule changed, but the bus company is standing by its policy....
CBC News, Apr. 22–23
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Jesse Hausler writes: “Accessibility enables people with disabilities to perceive, understand, navigate, interact with, and contribute to the web. Imagine a world where developers know everything there is to know about accessibility. These seven guidelines will cover the major things you need to know in order for your products to meet the minimum standards in Section 508 and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0.”...
Medium, Apr. 15
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According to Sony, Project Morpheus is coming as soon as 2016. It’s time to start getting excited about this PS4 virtual reality headset, as its sharp demos, updated specs, and the promise of an amazingly comfortable experience all make waves in the gaming world. Could Project Morpheus be about to overtake the Oculus Rift as the must-have home VR experience? Take a look at the PS4 VR headset and where it fits in the new wave of virtual reality tech....
What Is PlayStation4
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Robert S. Maier writes: “If you’ve been following the E-Content blog, you know that we’ve been keeping track of the Big Five publishers and the terms they offer to libraries for their ebooks. Today’s updated matrix (PDF file) provides a complete list of the distributors that each publisher uses and fuller information about library consortium access, including specifics for public, academic, and school library access.”...
AL: E-Content, Apr. 22
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Carlos Lozada writes: “When Google is America’s reference librarian and Starbucks its Wi-Fi, what role is left for your local library? BiblioTech: Why Libraries Matter More than Ever in the Age of Google, by former head of the Harvard Law School Library John Palfrey, serves as an extended mission statement for libraries’ continued relevance. But relevance comes with a price. Libraries need to ‘recast themselves as platforms rather than storehouses.’ That won’t be easy and will require giving up many old, bad habits.”...
Washington Post, Apr. 23 |
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Kelly Dickinson writes: “I’ve been thrilled to see an especially rich crop of recent YA thrillers that tell stories about the complicated intersections between gender, class, race, sexual orientation, mental health, sexuality, violence, innocence, guilt, and justice. These novels take advantage of careful pacing to build suspense and hook readers from their opening lines. Each features narrators hiding secrets from other characters, from the reader, and from themselves.”...
YALSA The Hub, Apr. 22 |
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Kristen Cook writes: “Don’t call Georgia Taylor (right) and Bethany Wilson librarians—they’re derbrarians. As in, librarians who do roller derby. Yup, there are enough of them around that it’s a thing. Taylor, 32, is known on the track as Dewey Decimatrix. Her number is 641.86, the Dewey number for baking, another hobby. She is children’s librarian at the Quincie Douglas branch of the Pima County (Ariz.) Public Library.”...
Arizona Daily Star, Apr. 19 |
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