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On August 3, the ALA, American Indian Library Association, Asian Pacific American Librarians Association, Black Caucus of the American Library Association, Chinese American Librarians Association, Reforma, and Joint Council for Librarians of Color issued a joint statement on equity, diversity, and inclusion. It begins: “Equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values of our associations, as we believe that as a profession we must continue to support the creation of a more equitable, diverse, and inclusive society.”...
ALA Public Information Office, Aug. 3 |
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Ellen Satterwhite writes: “The FCC’s summer reading list just got a lot longer: At last count, about 10.6 million people and organizations weighed in on the agency’s May proposal to roll back rules protecting net neutrality. The FCC is proposing to eliminate the rules that require ISPs to treat all legal internet traffic the same. While independent analysis of the comments is still ongoing, millions have urged the FCC not to eliminate the current protections that make free expression and innovation on the internet possible.”...
AL: The Scoop, Aug. 4 |
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Edgardo Civallero (right) writes: “Our planet is limited in its ability to supply resources and absorb waste from human activity. Environmental problems began to be openly addressed in 1962, with Silent Spring by Rachel Carson. Sustainability and conservation draw attention to the urgent need to preserve existing resources and reduce waste. But why not address the causes of this socioecological crisis and propose solutions that are more than stopgap responses? That’s where degrowth comes in.”...
AL: The Scoop, Aug. 4 |
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Dana Goldstein writes: “Poor writing is nothing new, nor is concern about it. More than half of first-year students at Harvard failed an entrance exam in writing—in 1874. But the Common Core State Standards, now in use in more than two-thirds of the states, were supposed to change all this. So far, however, six years after its rollout, the Core hasn’t led to much measurable improvement. The root of the problem is that teachers have little training in how to teach writing and are often weak or unconfident writers themselves.”...
New York Times: Education Life, Aug. 2 |
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After many miles, three textbook chapters, and five quizzes, it’s safe to say senior Caroline Garcia (right) made the most of her time studying on one of the Texas A&M library’s new bike desks. The communications major, who was studying in Sterling C. Evans Library on August 2, said not only was she happy with her productivity, but she even found the FitDesk Bike Desk to be more comfortable than its counterparts at the university’s student recreation center....
Bryan (Tex.) Eagle, Aug. 3 |
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The Escondido (Calif.) Public Library board of trustees will discuss the issue of outsourcing public library services again at their next meeting on August 8. City officials are exploring whether there are cost savings to be gained from turning public library services over to Library Systems & Services, a private for-profit company based in Maryland. Many residents voiced opposition to the plan at a July 11 meeting. The city has posted a fact sheet, cost analysis, and other documents on its website concerning the issue....
Encinitas (Calif.) Coast News, July 28 |
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Thanks to their exquisite designs, many academic libraries become the most iconic buildings on campus. From the traditional-style libraries at Queens College at Oxford University to the sleek modern structure at Loyola University in Chicago (right), Architectural Digest surveys 18 of the most beautiful college libraries around the world....
Architectural Digest, July 25 |
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Israel’s National Library will officially launch an online database called Ktiv on August 6 aggregating tens of thousands of digitized Jewish manuscripts belonging to collections across the globe. The archive contains nearly 4.5 million images from 45,000 manuscripts—slightly more than half of all known volumes. They include prayer books, biblical texts and commentary, philosophy, literature, and scientific writings in Hebrew, Yiddish, Ladino, and Judeo-Arabic....
ABC News, Aug. 2; National Library of Israel
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Chris Hoffman writes: “Windows 10’s Start menu can search your files, but it seems like Microsoft is more interested in pushing Bing and other online search features these days. While Windows still has some powerful search features, they’re a bit harder to find—and you might want to consider a third-party tool instead. The problem with the Start menu is that there’s no way to search just all your local files. The categories are all narrow and include online locations, like your OneDrive.”...
How-To Geek, Aug. 4 |
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Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, who wrote the foreword to The Card Catalog: Books, Cards, and Literary Treasures, likes to read about the nature of things, books on mahogany, and the history of redheads. “I do have books on my night stand,” Hayden said, “but I have recently had to add three bookcases in my room because it was getting too crowded. Those are organized in three categories: fun and mysteries; books that relate somehow to what I’m doing professionally; and aspirational, mostly about health and exercise.”...
New York Times Book Review, Aug. 3
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Ashley Cooksey writes: “I’ve had the privilege to work in various styles of school libraries, none of which had wall space for book displays or advertisements. Drawing students into the library at the beginning of the year is one of the easiest ways to increase student traffic through the library. But how will student interest increase without bulletin boards or wall space to advertise your collection? Here are five creative suggestions.”...
Knowledge Quest blog, Aug. 3
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The Norwegian Broadcasting Corporation (NRK) is requiring readers who want to leave comments on its news website to take a quiz that asks them what the story is about. The creators hope that making people take a 15-second quiz will ensure that commenters actually understand the news and have time to calm down before leaving an angry message. The quiz is currently only on NRKbeta, the technology section of the website....
The Independent (UK), Mar. 2
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