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On April 10, ALA released The State of America’s Libraries 2017, an annual report released during National Library Week, April 9–15, that captures usage trends within all types of libraries. The report finds that library workers’ expertise continues to play a key role in the transformation of communities through access to services that empower users to navigate our ever-changing digital, social, economic, and political society. The Top 10 Most Challenged Books in 2016 are also identified, as well as a list of resources for spotting fake news....
AL: The Scoop, Apr. 10 |
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April 9–15 is National Library Week in the United States, an annual observance that has been sponsored by ALA since 1958. OCLC could have written volumes about the great work being done by libraries around the globe. It has highlighted a few breakthroughs OCLC members have shared. ALA and OCLC encourage you to join your colleagues around the world to share your library breakthrough with the hashtag #NationalLibraryWeek....
OCLC Next, Apr. 10 |
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With more than 4.1 million in-person visits made to libraries every day, library workers play an integral role in connecting library users with information, technology, and opportunities to help improve the quality of their lives. April 11 is National Library Workers Day, a time to recognize library staff members for their public service contributions in transforming lives and communities through education and lifelong learning. Watch this NLWD message (3:23) from ALA President Julie B. Todaro....
Public Awareness Office, Mar. 21; ALA YouTube channel, Apr. 11 |
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National Library Week is the perfect time to make sure that your congressional representative in the House and both US senators know you want them to fight for full federal library funding for fiscal year 2018. They are now home for two full weeks for their spring recess, so you have ample opportunity to make that point loudly, clearly, and in as a many places as you can. Right now is prime time to Fight for Libraries! and against efforts to slash virtually all federal library funding....
District Dispatch, Apr. 10 |
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Shawnda Hines writes: “On April 4, Capitol Hill was flooded with teenagers sporting black and white T-shirts bearing the capitol-domed logo of the Congressional App Challenge. Roughly 100 high school students from around the country came to Washington, D.C., to celebrate winning their congressional district’s competition for best original app and meet their representatives. The foyer of Rayburn House Office Building was transformed into the #HouseofCode with teams of bright and ambitious young people demonstrating their winning apps.”...
AL: The Scoop, Apr. 11 |
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Oregon Department of Corrections officials have banned from state prisons a book written by two Eugene attorneys about one of their clients—a former Marine sniper and professional fighter who is serving time for fatally shooting an unarmed man in Springfield in 2014. A spokeswoman says that Mike Arnold and Emilia Gardner’s Finishing Machine, which documents Gerald Strebendt’s case, is prohibited because it falls into the true crime genre that is not allowed in Oregon prisons....
Eugene (Oreg.) Register-Guard, Apr. 8 |
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Carl Straumsheim writes: “How do you measure the impact of a library when the number of books is no longer its defining characteristic? The research arms of Ithaka S+R and OCLC have launched a joint project to find out. Over the next 14 months, researchers plan to survey the higher education landscape to identify how colleges and universities are differentiating themselves, explore the different types of services libraries are investing in, and help librarians articulate the new ways in which they are creating value.”...
Inside Higher Ed, Apr. 11; Ithaka S+R Blog, Apr. 10 |
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This online program (1:07:34) on April 10 brought together National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Gene Luen Yang (right) and Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden (left) in an informal conversation about their own personal histories as readers and the role reading can play in breaking down barriers. Discussion features Yang’s Reading Without Walls challenge, which encourages students to read books that they wouldn’t normally choose on their own....
Library of Congress YouTube channel, Apr. 10
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For a centenarian, the Pulitzer Prize appears to be as spry as ever. Now in its 101st year, the prestigious prize recognized writers, artists, and musicians of nearly every bent—from breaking news and cartooning, to fiction and drama. At a New York City ceremony on April 10, Pulitzer Prize Administrator Mike Pride announced the 21 winners of the 2017 awards. Here is the list of this year’s winners and finalists. The prize for General Nonfiction went to Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, by Matthew Desmond.”...
NPR: The Two-Way, Apr. 10
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Michael Crider writes: “Projects on Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and other crowdfunding platforms are mostly on the up-and-up, but there are some just trying to make a quick buck. Here’s how you can spot them. If something seems too good to be true, it probably is. This especially applies to online crowdfunding. If a new gadget seems like it probably can’t be achieved with current technology, then it probably can’t. This is especially true for the kind of independent teams that seem to flock to Kickstarter for funding.”...
How-To Geek, Apr. 11
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Jessica Pryde writes: “It’s National Library Week, and what better way to show our love for librarians than to enjoy books about librarians in love. Some work in public libraries, some in academic. One is a personal librarian for a wealthy young gentleman. Beyond, there are library assistants and bookmobile drivers, all working their way through life in hopes of giving the world a little more information. There’s one thing they have in common, though: They love their work. Here are a few recent favorites.”...
Book Riot, Apr. 11
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Jen Sherman writes: “My first post for Book Riot was about getting married in a library, and in honor of National Library Week I want to revisit that day and share more details about our bookish wedding. Because you see, it wasn’t just that we got married in a library—the entire wedding was library-themed. The book arch was already featured in the original post, but there were a few other details that I didn’t write about earlier.”...
Book Riot, Apr. 11; May 4, 2016
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