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Wendy Campbell writes: “In 2016, the Darby (Mont.) Community Public Library chose three speakers for a series of Lifelong Learning cultural programs, to explain immigrant cultures in Montana. One was a lecturer from the University of Montana who would speak about ‘Perspectives on Islam’ on March 9. We soon heard we could expect 50 protesters. I knew nothing about how to handle such a controversial program, so I contacted a nearby library director, the county sheriff’s office, the state librarian, and the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom.”...
American Libraries feature, Apr. 15 |
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Wayne A. Wiegand writes: “‘This is only the beginning,’ remarked John S. Robling, chair of the National Book Committee cosponsored by ALA and the American Book Publishers about the first National Library Week, held March 16–22, 1958. By any measure, the event was a huge success. Some 68 million subscribers to 22 national magazines could read well-placed articles about libraries, and 170 million homes served by radio and TV could hear or view 14 network programs on libraries.”...
American Libraries feature, Apr. 13 |
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Carla Hayden’s confirmation hearing as Librarian of Congress before the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration will take place at 2:15 p.m. Eastern time on April 20. It will be webcast live on the committee’s website. The live stream will be available approximately 15 minutes prior to the start of the hearing. The archive webcast will be available approximately one hour after the completion of the hearing....
US Senate Committee on Rules and Administration |
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On April 13, the House Judiciary Committee voted unanimously to pass the Email Privacy Act (H.R. 699), a bill to update the Electronic Communications Privacy Act. ECPA, a law passed 30 years ago, has not kept pace with evolving technologies and denies important privacy protections for electronic communications, allowing agencies to access documents or communications stored online without obtaining a warrant. Both ALA and the Association of Research Libraries applauded the action....
ALA Office for Government Relations, Apr. 13; Association of Research Libraries, Apr. 13 |
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A library that spans a river and a 1970s building wrapped in terracotta panels are among the seven winning projects in the 2016 Library Building Awards from the American Institute of Architects. Presented annually by the AIA in collaboration with ALA, the awards recognize exemplary facilities around the world that are designed by US-licensed architects. The projects reveal how libraries have adapted over the years to societal shifts, said the AIA....
Dezeen, Apr. 13 |
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On April 14, Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam vetoed the controversial bill that would have made the Holy Bible the official state book. Haslam cited an opinion issued in 2015 by Attorney General Herbert Slatery that said the bill could violate the state and federal constitutions. Had Haslam signed the bill, Tennessee would have become the first state in the nation to make the Holy Bible its official state book....
The Tennessean (Nashville), Apr. 14 |
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Tom Brant writes: “Microsoft filed a lawsuit against the US government on April 14, which it says has forbidden the company from disclosing requests for its customers’ information. The feds have required Microsoft to maintain secrecy regarding 2,576 legal demands, according to Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith. Those demands include warrants to read emails and other sensitive correspondence. Microsoft is asking a federal court to declare the Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 in violation of the Fourth Amendment.”...
PC Magazine, Apr. 14 |
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Tatiana Walk-Morris writes: “Campaign seasons are always busy times for fact-checkers, but this presidential campaign has been particularly intense. According to the Reporters’ Lab at Duke University, there are 96 active fact-checking projects in the US and abroad, up by 50% since last year. And many are using advanced technologies to automate and accelerate the process. Research suggests that people do care about the facts—sort of.”..
Nieman Lab, Apr. 15; Reporters’ Lab, Feb. 16
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YALSA has officially announced the 2016 Teens’ Top Ten Nominees. This year’s list of nominees features 26 titles that were published in 2015. A video and a list of the nominees, including annotations of each title, are on the YALSA website. The division is calling on libraries to encourage teens to read the nominated books throughout the summer so they are ready for the national Teens’ Top Ten vote, which will take place August 15 through Teen Read Week (October 9–15)....
YALSA, Apr. 14; YALSA YouTube channel, Apr. 14
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Looking to serve more individuals in underserved areas, the Indianapolis Public Library’s two new bookmobiles will provide enhanced technology and greater programming capability to supplement the delivery of materials to juvenile day care centers, after-school locations, and neighborhoods. At a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 13 (National Bookmobile Day), library officials unveiled Frog and Toad, the custom-made bookmobiles based on the award-winning children’s series by Arnold Lobel....
Hendricks County (Ind.) Flyer, Apr. 14
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Dawn Abron writes: “Jinns have made a remarkable appearance in YA fiction in the last couple of years, and with them come diverse characters. A Jinn is any one of a class of spirits, lower than the angels, capable of appearing in human and animal forms and influencing humankind for either good or evil. They play a prominent role in Islamic mythology and Middle Eastern folktales. Here are some YA fiction titles that involve Jinns.”...
YALSA The Hub, Apr. 15
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Tony Hoffman writes: “Finding the right scanner can be a challenge. Most can scan just about anything, but they come in a variety of types and sizes that are fine-tuned for different purposes. In this article, we list some of our favorite scanners, which represent a wide range of scanner types as well as manufacturers. We also explore the different kinds of scanners and their features. Here are the key questions to ask to help make sure you pick the right scanner for your needs.”...
PC Magazine, Apr. 5
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