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Jason Griffey writes: “At this point in its technological trajectory, 3D printing has reached what I would consider the zenith of its hype cycle. Average library users know about it and, while they might not have tried it, they are aware of the technology and have some idea of how it works. This doesn’t mean 3D printers are no longer cutting edge or that all libraries have them, but we’re clearly beginning to flatten out the demand curve.”...
American Libraries column, Sept./Oct. |
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Catherine Murray-Rust writes: “As librarians, we’ve all felt like one of the great loves of our lives has been judged hopelessly irrelevant. Demonstrating the value of libraries and librarians is more urgent—and can be more difficult—than ever. At Georgia Tech, we knew that using words to explain and defend would not accurately demonstrate the impact we have on inspiring and accelerating the intellectual achievements of faculty and students. So we set out on a library renewal project.”...
American Libraries column, Sept./Oct. |
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The number of libraries with bicycle-based outreach programs has grown steadily in recent years, in part because these programs can make a big impression for a relatively small investment of time, money, and energy. Most bookmobiles require gas, a large parking space, and a significant operating budget, but a pedal-powered library can run on little more than a willing librarian or volunteer. Here are a few companies providing custom-made tricycles and bicycle trailers that are designed specifically for library use....
American Libraries column, Sept./Oct. |
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The ancient library of Alexandria, Egypt, once held the largest collection of manuscripts in the world, though it burned down in the 3rd century. In October 2002, Bibliotheca Alexandrina (BA) opened and has become a mecca for learning. While in Egypt on vacation this summer, ALA Librarian Rebecca Gerber visited the BA and the American University in Cairo libraries, with assistance from the ALA International Relations Office. American Libraries spoke with Gerber to hear more about her visits....
AL: The Scoop, Sept. 19 |
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PLA and WebJunction presented a virtual town hall meeting on the opioid crisis on September 12. During the 90-minute online event, representatives from libraries and other community organizations described their efforts and plans in addressing this crisis locally. Among the panelists were four library staff: Vanessa Christman, Shawn Cunningham, Kim Fender, and Rachel Fewell. Through a chat session, the 500+ attendees shared their thoughts and concerns about the opioid problem in libraries....
PLA, Sept. 18 |
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Since ALA’s chapters in Texas and Florida are leading recovery efforts in their states, ALA is collecting tax-deductible donations through its Disaster Relief Fund to help the many libraries in the Caribbean that were destroyed and heavily damaged by Hurricane Irma. Libraries such as the Philipsburg Jubilee Library on St. Maarten has been damaged beyond repair and will need to be rebuilt. ALA is partnering with Florida International University Library and its Digital Library of the Caribbean staff in assisting these libraries....
ALA Chapter Relations Office, Sept. 15; Texas Library Association; Florida Library Association |
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Matt A. V. Chaban writes: “New York, graced with the generosity of Astor, Tilden, and Carnegie, was foundational in the library movement. Today, those foundations are crumbling. Despite their popularity, and because of it, the city’s 212 branches face nearly $1.5 billion in capital needs. But New York has an opportunity to improve library infrastructure while creating badly needed housing. By using aging branches as sites for development, new libraries may rise with affordable apartments on top.”...
New York Times, Sept. 18 |
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Touched by the plight of refugees stranded in Greece, Simon Cloudesley (right), assistant for reader services at Oxford University’s Bodleian Libraries, decided to do something to help meet their educational needs. He put on his walking shoes and walked 114 miles from the Bodleian in Oxford, England, to the British Library in central London to raise thousands of pounds for the ECHO Refugee Library, a mobile library in Athens that caters to refugees. Cloudesley raised £2,000 (about $2,600) when he completed the walk....
Information Today NewsBreaks, Sept. 19
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An Army veteran who fended off a mentally ill man who tried to attack a chess class the veteran was teaching at the Morton (Ill.) Public Library is one of 18 people being honored with Carnegie medals for heroism. James O. Vernon (right) was in a library conference room with 17 children and four women when 19-year-old Dustin Brown burst in with two large knives on October 13, 2015. The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission announced the medal winners on September 19....
Associated Press, Sept. 19; Pekin (Ill.) Daily Times, Oct. 15, 2015 |
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The Brookings Institution has released survey results showing that many college students lack understanding of or support for the legal principles of the First Amendment. Among the findings: Students are more likely (44%) to believe that hate speech is not protected by the First Amendment than to believe it is protected (39%). Students who identify as Democrats were more likely than those who identify as Republicans to take positions counter to First Amendment principles, but many Republican students also held such opinions....
Inside Higher Ed, Sept. 19; Brookings Institution, Sept. 18 |
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Arizona State University aims to position public libraries as key facilitators of citizen science, a collaborative process between scientists and the general public to spur the collection of data. Through a new IMLS grant, researchers from the School for the Future of Innovation in Society and ASU Library will develop field-tested, replicable resource toolkits for public libraries to help contribute to research. ASU is partnering with six public libraries representing a mix of urban and rural and youth and senior populations....
Arizona State University Now, Sept. 13
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On September 19, the Library of Congress launched Labs, a new online space that will host a changing selection of experiments, projects, events, and resources designed to encourage creative use of the library’s digital collections. The new site will also feature a gallery of projects from data challenge winners and innovators-in-residence and video presentations from leaders in the field. Labs will enable users at every level of technical knowledge to engage with LC’s vast resources....
Library of Congress, Sept. 19
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Karen Muller writes: “The beginning of the school year finds many of us reevaluating our collections, methods, and standards to best meet the needs of students, teachers, and the library as a whole. It can be a long but fruitful and energizing process. The following selection of books addresses practical aspects of administering the school library successfully.”...
American Libraries column, Sept./Oct.
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Sarah Lindenbaum (right), outreach librarian at Illinois Wesleyan University, was in the eighth row for Paul McCartney’s concert in Newark, New Jersey, in mid-September. She was holding a bright yellow sign reading, “Ballroom Dance with a Vegetarian Librarian?” The sign got his attention. He asked her to come on stage for some playful banter, an awkward solo ballroom dance, and then a hug. (The ex-Beatle is famously vegetarian, and he released the song “Ballroom Dancing” in 1982.)...
WGLT, Illinois State University, Normal, Sept. 15
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