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She’s the one who gave you your first library card as a child, introduced you to librarianship at a pivotal moment in your life, or served as a mentor and guide in your professional career. He’s the librarian who made you who you are today. They are your inspiration. ALA members are telling American Libraries about that special librarian for a chance to win tickets to The Second City in Chicago during their visit to the 2015 ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits, complete with limo service. Contest rules are here....
American Libraries, Jan. 16
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Four top Queens (N.Y.) Library officials resigned in mid-January as the institution continues to reorganize following the ouster of its longtime president amid a financial and management scandal and criminal probe. The four executives who quit are Darlene Askew-Robinson, the library’s general counsel; Lisa Epps, who handled information technology; Angelica Huynh-Rivera, the head of human resources; and Frank Genese, who oversaw capital projects. Their resignations follow the library board’s firing of former President and CEO Tom Galante in December. Interim President Bridget Quinn-Carey (above) has been leading the library since Galante was put on leave earlier last year....
Queens (N.Y.) Chronicle, Jan. 16
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Sponsored Content
Recorded Books is pleased to announce the launch of an online book club celebrating classic literature.
Free to both libraries and their patrons, the Literary Classics Online Book Club hosts online discussions of classic works via Facebook, Twitter, and the club’s blog. While books are selected from the Classics Collection on OneClickDigital (featuring free ebook and e-audio titles with unlimited simultaneous access), library patrons are also able to access the title in any format from any other source.
January’s discussions have already begun with the club’s first selection, Hamlet. |
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Since the retirement of Christine Scott-Smith in 2003, the Guam Public Library System has not had a librarian, nor has the department been given the means to hire another librarian for at least another 10 years, according to Debra Duenas, Guam Public Library System board chairwoman. Duenas said ideally the Guam Public Library System needs at least seven librarians, but library technicians and other staffers must take on the librarian’s responsibilities....
Marianas Variety (Saipan), Jan. 16
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Since the Martin Luther King Jr. Library opened 10 years ago in Aurora, Colorado, there has been something missing: a statue commemorating the activist and humanitarian. But that soon will change. The city has commissioned a sculptor to create a statue of King, which will be located outside the library on East Colfax Avenue. Jeff Hall of Lovettsville, Virginia, was one of 12 finalists chosen to submit a full-size figure; he was selected to create the 7-foot bronze sculpture....
Denver Post, Jan. 19
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Alegria Barclay writes: “Librarians are peddlers of empathy. We understand that reading is a chemical reaction between reader and writer, producing a visceral engagement with the characters that allows us to live the lives of others, if only for for the space of a novel. In the wake of the Ferguson verdict and in solidarity with the growing #BlackLivesMatter movement, it is empathy that we need more than ever. Enter literature and librarians. We can give our communities the very stories that provide the context and, most importantly, the emotional connection so crucial to empathy and change.” Be sure to read part 2....
YALSA The Hub, Jan. 16, 20
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Sharon Rawlins writes: “Climate fiction (cli fi) books (also known as eco-fiction) are ones that deal with climate change as part of the plot in which the characters struggle to survive. Many dystopian novels are cli fi books because the breakdown of society is attributed to a catastrophic event like a nuclear war that affects the climate. I wanted to focus here on books where the climatic event was not directly caused by a man-made event like a war, but by nature. Not all of these novels are realistic fiction or science fiction; at least one contains fantastical elements as well.”...
YALSA The Hub, Jan. 20
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The New York Public Library is launching the largest internet lending program in the US, handing out 10,000 free high-speed hot spots to some of the city’s poorest residents. The program—which offers the devices for up to a year, about a $1,000 value—seeks to bridge a digital divide in the nation’s largest city, where studies have found nearly 3 million of the 8 million people lack broadband access. Mobile Beacon, a Rhode Island–based, nonprofit, national provider of low-cost internet services, is working with Sprint to distribute the hot spots to library branches across the city’s five boroughs....
Associated Press, Jan. 18 |
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Nate Hoffelder writes: “With used app sales legal in Europe and used mp3 sales legal in the US, many pundits have been waiting for a legal ruling which decided once and for all whether a consumer can resell the ebooks they buy. And after months of watching a certain court case in the Netherlands, we're still waiting. On January 20, a Dutch court released a ruling on the used ebook marketplace Tom Kabinet which split the difference between declaring used ebook sales legal and unlawful. And here’s where things get interesting.”...
The Digital Reader, Jan. 20
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Katrina Schwartz writes: “Inquiry-based learning has been around in education circles for a long time, but many teachers and schools gradually moved away from it during the heyday of No Child Left Behind. The pendulum is beginning to swing back towards an inquiry-based approach to instruction, thanks to standards such as Common Core State Standards for math and English Language Arts; the Next Generation Science Standards; and the College, Career, and Civic Life (C3) Framework for Social Studies State Standards. Transitioning to this style of teaching requires students to take a more active role and asks teachers to step back into a supportive position. It can be a tough transition, but turning to the school librarian for support could make it a little easier.”...
KQED: Mind/Shift, Jan. 19 |
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Emily Weak writes: “Some 204 people who hire librarians have responded to our new State of the Library Job Market Survey. It’s still open, so if you’ve hired at least one librarian and want to add your voice, please visit the survey site.” The survey seeks to answer questions about the frequency of library hiring, changes in staffing practices, the health of the profession, and other measures....
Hiring Librarians, Jan. 17 |
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