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ALA members can help steer the Association’s strategic direction and budget priorities by participating in the annual Virtual Membership Meeting on June 2. This interactive online forum provides real-time access to ALA leaders and opportunities to connect with colleagues about critical areas of ALA policy and advocacy work. Members also discuss and vote on resolutions that could be proposed. It is your opportunity to contribute, connect, and engage with your colleagues and with ALA. Register online....
ALA Membership Development, May 12 |
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“We used to feel like we were sneaking in,” Nora Rawlinson said of her early experiences as a librarian attending the American Booksellers Association event now known as BookExpo America. Rawlinson, cofounder and editor of EarlyWord: The Publisher | Librarian Connection, said she’d have to register as “Baltimore Public Library Book Sales” in order to get a badge. “Now we’re here and we’re VIPs, so forget about all that.” Rawlinson spoke as part of a book publisher marketing panel, one of a series of programs sponsored by the ALA....
AL: The Scoop, May 13 |
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John J. Burke and Beth E. Tumbleson write: “Embedded librarians—those who work closely with students and faculty on projects or programs—have an important new tool for reaching out and collaborating. Educational institutions of all types are expanding their use of learning management systems or course management systems. In an October 2014 Educause survey, 86% of faculty reported using an LMS in at least one of their courses.”...
American Libraries column, May; Educause, Oct. 2014 |
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In February, Troy (Ala.) University Dean of Library Services Christopher Shaffer brought fitness to the libraries when he made available six exercise bikes for student use. The endeavor made national headlines. In the May issue of American Libraries, Shaffer explains his motivations, the bikes’ reception, and plans for the future....
American Libraries Spotlight, May |
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The Obama administration sent a letter May 13 to every public school district in America warning them they should allow transgender students to use bathrooms consistent with their chosen gender identity or risk losing federal funding. The sweeping guidance does not have the force of law, but warns that schools that don’t comply could face lawsuits or lose federal aid. The move ups the ante in the debate over bathroom laws, which are the subject of a highly charged lawsuit between North Carolina and the Department of Justice....
NBC News, May 9, 13
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Growing up, when Cynthia Graham Hurd’s four brothers raced outside to play in their free time, she’d park herself on the front porch with a good book. On May 12, almost a year after she was killed with eight others at Emanuel AME Church in Charleston, South Carolina, those brothers announced the creation of the Cynthia Graham Hurd Foundation for Reading and Civic Engagement to honor Hurd, who spent 31 years as a librarian and branch manager in the Charleston County Public Library system....
Charleston (S.C.) Post and Courier, May 12 |
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People on both sides of a debate about whether two Palestinian women should be allowed to speak at an event at the Columbia (Mo.) Public Library had their say at a meeting on May 12. Once everyone had a chance to talk, Daniel Boone Regional Library Director Melissa Carr reaffirmed her decision to allow the event because it conforms with the library’s existing policy. Trustees did not discuss or vote on the matter. Palestinian refugees Mariam Fathalla and Amena Ashkar are scheduled for a May 17 talk on “The Exiled Palestinians.”...
Columbia (Mo.) Daily Tribune, May 12 |
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Bibliotheca announced plans May 12 to expand its Cloud Library by including pay-per-use pricing models, allowing libraries to extend their audiobook and ebook collections with no up-front cost. At BookExpo America, Bibliotheca is meeting with key publishers to continue securing content for the model. Several great publishers are already on board, including Blackstone Audio and Hachette Audio. Libraries can offer an extended range of titles and are only charged when a title is downloaded....
Bibliotheca, May 12 |
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Sadie L. Trombetta writes: “No matter who you are—black, white, gay, straight, male, female—reading provides you with an opportunity to see inside someone else’s life. We need to share, read, and talk about diverse stories now more than ever. There is an entire population of the country continually underrepresented or misrepresented, misunderstood, and straight-up discriminated against, and we need to hear their voices and see them on the cover. Here are 24 LGBTQ books with a person of color as the protagonist to get you started.”...
Bustle, Mar. 21, Apr. 27; May 15, 2015
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Maggie Reagan writes: “Historical whodunits, psychological traumas, and haunting family secrets are front and center in this year’s top 10 crime fiction for youth, reviewed in Booklist between May 1, 2015, and April 15, 2016.” For example, Isabel Feeney, Star Reporter by Beth Fantaskey: “In 1920s Chicago, Isabel dreams of being a crime reporter. After a friend is accused of murder, Isabel is determined to get the real scoop and save her friend.”...
Booklist Online, May 1
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Neil J. Rubenking writes: “Malware these days is about making money, and there’s no easy way to cash in on spreading a virus. Ransomware and data-stealing Trojans are much more common, as are bots that let the bot-herder rent out your computer for nefarious purposes. Modern antivirus utilities handle Trojans, rootkits, spyware, adware, ransomware, and more. PC Magazine has reviewed 42 different commercial antivirus utilities, and that’s not even counting the many free antivirus tools.”...
PC Magazine, Apr. 13, May 6, 12
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Livonia (Mich.) Public Library and Phoenix Freerunning Academy combine book recommendations and parkour in an action-packed video (7:19) promoting the library’s summer reading program. Limber librarians scale the stacks and tumble down the stairs to bring the best books to patrons in this clip. Remember: These are trained librarians. Don’t try these stunts at home....
Livonia (Mich.) Public Library Facebook page, May 11
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