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Phil Morehart writes: “How can you create an inclusive environment for patrons with disabilities? Michelle Kowalsky and John Woodruff offer tips in their new book, Creating Inclusive Library Environments: A Planning Guide for Serving Patrons with Disabilities (ALA Editions, 2017). Kowalsky is learning design librarian and Woodruff is director of the Academic Success Center and Disability Resources at Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey. We spoke with them about what inspired them to write the book.”...
American Libraries feature, Mar./Apr. |
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FCC Chairman Ajit Pai (right) is moving quickly to replace the Obama administration’s landmark net neutrality rules and wants ISPs to voluntarily agree to maintain an open internet, three sources briefed on the meeting said on April 6. Pai met with major telecommunications trade groups to discuss his preliminary plan to reverse the rules. The FCC declined to comment, but Pai previously said he is committed to ensuring an open internet but feels net neutrality was a mistake....
Reuters, Apr. 7; Fortune, Apr. 5 |
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In response to President Trump’s proposed federal budget cuts, library professionals and supporters have sent a clear message to members of Congress and in their local editorial pages. While the proposed elimination of IMLS is not news to us, many people are unaware of this potentially devastating threat to our nation’s libraries. To inspire all of us to speak out, we’re highlighting a few of the many letters to the editor in support of library funding that have been published over the past couple of weeks....
District Dispatch, Apr. 6 |
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Confused about the $1 trillion federal appropriations process? Does talk of the FY2017 budget, FY2018 budget, the president’s “skinny” budget, continuing resolutions, and omnibus budgeting leave you a tad confused? To help answer some of these questions, ALA is hosting a webinar on April 13 to provide an overview of the federal budget and appropriations process, its impact on libraries throughout the country, and the importance of frontline advocacy efforts on behalf of libraries....
District Dispatch, Apr. 6 |
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Gerald Leitner writes: “IFLA’s Global Vision discussion, officially launched in Athens, Greece, on April 4, is bringing together thousands of representatives of the library field worldwide to explore how a connected library field can meet the challenges of the future. IFLA will launch this global discussion at a series of high-level meetings and workshops in different parts of the world following the kick-off event. Numerous meetings and online threads (#iflaGlobalVision) will build on the momentum.”...
International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, Apr. 4 |
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Kem Lang writes: “One of the best things about managing the OCLC Library, Archive, and Museum is that the history of our organization is tied so closely to the history of libraries and librarianship. That’s why I think it’s incredibly important that we ask you—the world’s librarians—for your memories as we celebrate OCLC’s 50th anniversary on July 6. If you have any special memories from your history with OCLC, send us a photo.”...
OCLC Next, Apr. 6 |
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Frederic Murray writes: “Once again the corruption of language and thought is manifesting itself in the Oklahoma State Legislature. The Oklahoma Science Education Act, Senate Bill 393, is appropriating First Amendment rights to promote religiously motivated, anti-science material into Oklahoma science classes. In seeking to allow the personal views of teachers on ‘scientific controversies’ into the classroom, it argues that the intellectual freedom of teachers will be strengthened.”...
Intellectual Freedom Blog, Apr. 7 |
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Fifty-one percent of kids say they get their best book suggestions from school librarians and teachers. But more and more schools do not have the resources to pay for a full-time librarian. CBS This Morning met up with John Schumacher, ambassador of school libraries for Scholastic Book Fairs, who is crossing the country to share his love of literature with as many kids as possible....
CBS This Morning, Apr. 6
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Jenn Carson writes: “The L. P. Fisher Public Library in Woodstock, New Brunswick, has offered computer coding and robotics programs for school-age children using Scratch and Recon 6. We’ve also taught children the basics of making their own video games on laptops. But until recently, we had yet to target a younger audience with any STEM programming. Then I found Cubetto, an adorable wooden robot made by Primo Toys. He doesn’t require a device to operate. He’s very sturdy. He’s Montessori-approved.”...
Programming Librarian, Apr. 4; Engadget, Feb. 16, 2011
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Hundreds of millions of Facebook users will be offered tips for spotting fake news as part of the social network’s latest attempt to address concerns about its role in the spread of false information. The new tool is part of a multipronged strategy that will also see a growing range of signals from user behavior and third-party fact checkers used to make misinformation less prominent on the social network. From April 7, users in 14 countries will be presented with a post at the top of their feeds offering 10 tips....
The Guardian (UK), Apr. 6
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Amy Cavender writes: “Library Extension is a very useful Chrome extension that works with Amazon’s site (and perhaps Goodreads). The extension allows you to add whatever libraries you’d like (it currently supports some 3,200 libraries and has a link for users to let them know if their local library is missing), so it’s possible to search multiple libraries simultaneously. Click on the Borrow button, and you’ll be taken to the appropriate page for the item.”...
Chronicle of Higher Education: ProfHacker, Apr. 6
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The array of card catalog systems is chronicled in an opening essay of The Card Catalog: Books, Cards, and Literary Treasures, a book that was officially published April 4 by the Library of Congress. Illustrated with hundreds of original cards, the book delves primarily into LC’s establishment and its own role in developing the modern card catalog system that united libraries across America—and its fall, as accumulations of cards ate up precious real estate and computers shuffled into reading rooms....
Hyperallergic, Apr. 4
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