For daily ALA and library news, check the American Libraries website or subscribe to our RSS feed.
|
|
|
Welcome to the 2016 Library Design Showcase, American Libraries’ annual celebration of new and renovated libraries. These are shining examples of innovative architectural feats that address user needs in unique, interesting, and effective ways. New construction dominated this year’s submissions, but renovated and repurposed spaces were a close second. Check out the eight libraries that won the 2016 Library Interior Design Awards, and find out some fun numbers related to library architecture and design....
American Libraries feature, Sept./Oct. |
|
ALA President Julie B. Todaro writes: “This year, we are building an additional focus for the ALA initiative—Libraries Transform: The Expert in the Library. In talking about this, I always envision myself looking a little like Steve Martin in The Jerk, shouting proudly, ‘I’m in print!’ I think this feeling comes from my years of pushing people to step up and credential themselves to their decision makers and constituents. The best messages we can communicate for our libraries are those that include our value.”...
American Libraries column, Sept./Oct. |
|
The Black Caucus of the American Library Association extends an invitation to all library staff and vendors to present educational and thought-provoking programs and workshops at the 10th National Conference of African American Librarians in Atlanta, August 9–13, 2017. Proposals must be submitted online by September 30....
Black Caucus of the American Library Association |
|
|
Ellie Diaz writes: “In honor of the Freedom to Read Foundation’s 45th anniversary, FTRF members traveled to Salt Lake City’s Pioneer Theatre Company in January 2015 to witness something others seldom saw in a play: a librarian, center stage, battling segregationists and legislators to defend a children’s book in the late 1950s. The attendees recognized the name of the lead character (Emily Wheelock Reed) in Alabama Story, since she was a member of the advocacy organization, and the play is based on her brief and turbulent career in Montgomery.” The play is currently showing at Peninsula Players Theatre in Fish Creek, Wisconsin, until September 4 and at Wellfleet (Mass.) Harbor Actors Theater through September 25....
Intellectual Freedom Blog, Aug. 31; Chatham Cape Cod Chronicle, Aug. 31 |
|
Kristin Pekoll writes: “Banned Books Week is one month away. The Office for Intellectual Freedom offers these methods to defend the books you love and your First Amendment protected right to read them. Libraries all across the country are hosting programs, creating displays, and collecting books. Discover what may be happening in your state.”...
Intellectual Freedom Blog, Sept. 2; Banned Books Week |
|
Andrew Perrin writes: “A Pew Research Center survey finds that the share of Americans who have read a book in the last 12 months (73%) has remained largely unchanged since 2012. And when people reach for a book, it is much more likely to be a traditional print book than a digital product. Fully 65% of Americans have read a print book in the last year, more than double the share that has read an ebook (28%) and more than four times the share that has consumed book content via audiobook (14%).”...
Pew Research Center, Sept. 1 |
|
|
A University of New Hampshire alumnus and longtime librarian has donated his $4 million estate to the school. Robert Morin graduated from the school in the 1960s and then worked in the library for decades as a cataloger. He died last year. UNH said that several new improvements are on the way thanks to Morin’s donation. Morin had one special request: that $100,000 be given to the library. A new bench bearing his name was installed across from the library entrance, and a new multimedia viewing room is being added....
WMUR-TV, Manchester, N.H., Aug. 31 |
|
A mysterious high-pitched sound is being used to deter youths from fighting at a library in Christchurch, New Zealand. The sound, only detectable by young ears, can be heard near the doors and in the foyer of the Papanui Library. Acting Head of Libraries Erica Rankin said the sound is beamed from a device for repelling mosquitoes. Fights are a weekly affair inside and outside the library, said one student, but the sound does nothing to stop them. The New Zealand Council for Civil Liberties declared the device’s use to be a violation of human rights....
Christchurch (N.Z.) Press, Aug. 30; NZ Council for Civil Liberties, Aug. 31 |
|
|
Avram Iancu, a librarian at the Municipal Library of Petrosani, became the first Romanian to swim the English Channel. He managed the exploit on August 29, after 18 hours of swimming, in his fourth attempt. Iancu crossed the 38.5 miles wearing only speedos and a cap, following the requirements of the Channel Swimming Association, which requires swimmers to be equipped with no thermal protection. Since the first successful swim of the English Channel in 1875, only 1,386 people have managed to pull off the feat solo....
Business Review (Bucharest), Aug. 31 |
|
Kit Eaton writes: “With the days of scanning the classifieds in a newspaper long behind us, one of the best ways to find a new job is with the help of an app. The Indeed app is an excellent resource if you are looking for a job. It gathers opportunities from a wide range of online portals and lets you search them with just a few clicks. To use the app, you tell it the type of job you are looking for and the desired location. Then you click ‘Find jobs,’ and the app generates listings that match your search criteria. Indeed is free for iOS and Android.”...
New York Times: Personal Tech, Aug. 31
|
|
|
Kimber Streams writes: “So you just bought a brand-new Windows computer—now what? We’ll walk you through the setup process, from taking it out of the box to configuring your Windows settings, uninstalling the nasty bloatware that companies include, and installing your own apps. Spending a half hour to set up your computer properly, rather than diving straight in with the default settings and crapware, will make it run notably faster and keep your data more secure.”...
The Wirecutter, Aug. 30
|
|
Evan Dashevsky writes: “Here is one thing about the Google development team: They are gigantic nerds. We know this by the trail of Easter eggs they leave behind. There are all sorts of little pranks hidden throughout the greater Googleverse. Nearly all of them are of the geek variety. This roundup attempts to compile a definitive list of the Easter eggs currently found inside Google’s core product: Search. Let’s jump in.”...
PC Magazine, Sept. 1
|
AL Direct is a free electronic newsletter emailed every Tuesday and Friday to personal members of the American Library Association.
|
|
Send news and feedback: aldirect@ala.org
Direct ad inquiries to: mstack@ala.org
AL Direct FAQ: americanlibrariesmagazine.org/al-direct
All links outside the ALA website
are provided for informational purposes only. Questions about the
content of any external site should be addressed to the administrator of
that site.
AL Direct will not sell your email to outside parties, but your email may be shared with advertisers in this newsletter should you express interest in their products by clicking on their ads or content. If the advertisers choose to communicate with you by email, they are obligated to provide you with an opportunity to opt-out from future emails in compliance with the CAN-SPAM act of 2003. Read the ALA privacy policy.
American Libraries
50 E. Huron St.
Chicago, IL 60611
800-545-2433, ext. 4216
ISSN 1559-369X
|
