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Jessica McGilvray writes: “On January 19, library executives, mayors, county executives, and school superintendents met with White House officials in Washington, D.C., to discuss their participation in the ConnectED Library Challenge designed to get a library card in every student’s hand. The national initiative is gaining momentum with approximately 60 cities and counties currently participating, 50 of which were represented at the convening.” The White House and the Institute of Museum and Library Services worked with ALA and the Urban Libraries Council to develop the program. A team from Charlotte Mecklenburg (N.C.) Library participated....
District Dispatch, Jan. 20; Institute of Museum and Library Services, Jan. 19; Charlotte Mecklenburg (N.C.) Library, Jan. 20 |
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Meredith Farkas writes: “If patrons are using mobile devices as their primary computing tools, a website designed for quick lookup will frequently be insufficient. I’ve had the experience of trying to access a feature on my mobile phone that simply wasn’t part of a company’s mobile site, and then trying to navigate a full website that was clearly not made for small screens. Many of our licensed resources are not yet mobile-friendly, and those that are still tend to be rather cumbersome to use.”...
American Libraries column, Jan./Feb. |
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 Erik Mitchell writes: “Linked Data is an approach to publishing data that makes use of web technologies to create shareable information that can be easily used by humans and computers. In the past few years, the library, archive, and museum (LAM) community has developed new tools and standards, published new vocabularies, and explored new use cases (a list of steps that defines interactions between a user and a system) and applications.”...
American Libraries column, Jan./Feb. |
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Robert C. Maier writes: “As of January 1, all Penguin Random House ebooks are now licensed to libraries under the terms previously offered by Random House. The license is perpetual with no limits on the number of circulations or time period. This is as close to ownership as offered by any of the Big Five publishers. As in the past, the license is for one circulation at a time per copy. Previously, Penguin had imposed a one-year limit on library licenses, requiring the library to pay again for the title.”...
AL: E-Content, Jan. 20 |
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James LaRue (right) writes: “Two days on the job, followed by six days at Midwinter, marked my introduction to the Office for Intellectual Freedom. I’m definitely in learning mode. As a long-time public library director, I was familiar with many of the challenges in that realm. But my main takeaway from Midwinter conversations with my colleagues is that today’s intellectual freedom hot spot is clearly our public schools. There seem to be three factors at work.”...
Intellectual Freedom Blog, Jan. 21 |
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Larry Nix writes: “The Wisconsin Library Association is celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2016. It was one of the first state library associations created in the US. However, there is a question about the exact order of the creation of these state library associations. The New Hampshire Library Association claims to be the first state library association, founded in 1889, but a case can also be made that the New York Library Association was the first.”...
Library History Buff Blog, Jan. 21 |
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ALA’s International Relations Round Table has teamed up with the International Librarians Network (ILN) to offer IRRT members an opportunity to sign up to partner with a librarian from another country for a three-month facilitated professional networking opportunity. The program will begin in March. Participating in the ILN brings wider professional awareness, an international perspective to your work, new ideas, and increased professional confidence. Applications will close on February 15....
International Relations Round Table Blog, Jan. 21 |
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The Newberry Library has launched a new website devoted to Daniel H. Burnham and Edward H. Bennett’s 1909 Plan of Chicago and its place in the history of American urban planning and image-making. This landmark document continues to serve as a touchstone in debates over how to organize urban landscapes. Make Big Plans: Daniel Burnham’s Vision of an American Metropolis sheds light on these debates by exploring the Plan as a document that harnessed not only the power of ideas but also the allure of images to communicate its vision and ensure its influence....
Newberry Library, Jan. 21 |
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The Texas State Library and Archives Commission has launched the Texas Digital Archive, a searchable online repository designed to manage, preserve, and provide access to the electronic records collections held at the Texas State Archives. Virtual visitors are invited to explore Texas history through digitized prints, photographs, documents, and manuscripts. The launch comes as the result of the transfer of electronic records from the administration of former Texas Governor Rick Perry in early 2015....
Texas State Library and Archives Commission, Jan. 20
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Fairy tales, such as Beauty and the Beast and Rumpelstiltskin, can be traced back thousands of years to prehistoric times, with one tale originating from the Bronze Age. Using techniques normally employed by biologists, scholars studied common links between folk tales around the world and found that some have roots that are far older than previously known. The findings were published in Royal Society Open Science....
The Guardian (UK), Jan. 20; Royal Society Open Science, Jan. 20 |
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Nicole Martin writes: “Child Soldier by Michel Chikwanine and Jessica Dee Humphreys sparked me to contemplate what titles we can provide for children who come to the library looking for something about the refugee experience. These books could be sought out by children who identify with such experiences or by curious readers who want to better understand what it means to be a refugee. With the current Syrian refugee crisis making news headlines worldwide, young people are itching for answers.”...
ALSC Blog, Jan. 22 |
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The internet doesn’t have to be scary. That’s the message from Erin Berman, innovations manager at San José (Calif.) Public Library, and Jon Worona, division manager for technology and innovation at SJPL. American Libraries invited Berman and Worona to discuss the library’s new Virtual Privacy Lab, an interactive site that teaches people about online privacy. The lab helps users of all ages become more “privacy literate” using a gaming concept....
American Libraries feature, Jan./Feb. |
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Lee Rainie writes: “After the June 2013 leaks by government contractor Edward Snowden about National Security Agency surveillance of Americans’ online and phone communications, Pew Research Center began an in-depth exploration of people’s views and behaviors related to privacy. Our recent report about how Americans think about privacy and sharing personal information was a capstone of this two-and-a-half-year effort. Here are some key findings.”...
Pew Research Center: Fact Tank, Jan. 20; Pew Research Center, Jan. 14 |
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Steven Bell writes: “In a previous article I proposed that college and university educators and administrators should think of their academic library as an educational technology. But this change in perception can only happen if academic librarians agree and take ownership of the services and resources they provide. They must become ‘full-stack’ librarians to advance the library’s value to students, faculty, and administrators.”...
EdSurge News, Jan. 21; Dec. 16, 2015 |
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Madison Sullivan writes: “People say ‘you need to be more professional’ when what they really mean to say is ‘you need to fall in line’ or ‘I don’t like that tattoo’ or ‘hey, tuck in that shirt!’ Professionalism is a word people use to maintain and enforce the status quo. Professionalism doesn’t take risks; it encourages conformity. Can you simultaneously call yourself a professional and advocate for radical change? I’d also argue that professionalism reinforces the illusion of library neutrality.”...
ACRLog, Jan. 19; Library Juice Press |
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The ACRL Instruction Section’s Instructional Technologies Committee has published its latest Tips and Trends article, “Tablets,” written by Patricia McPherson. Tips and Trends introduces and discusses new, emerging, or even familiar technologies that can be used in library instruction. The committee will host a Twitter chat about the use of tablets in academic libraries on February 25. The discussion will last an hour under the hashtag #istechchat....
ACRL Instruction Section Tips and Trends, Winter |
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Laarni Almendrala Ragaza and Brian Westover write: “Keyboards come in a variety of categories, from no-nonsense machines built for typing efficiency to sculpted ergonomic designs that cradle your hands and relieve stress on the joints. When shopping for keyboards, here are a few specific features to know.”...
PC Magazine, Jan. 20 |
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