For daily ALA and library news, check the American Libraries website or subscribe to our RSS feed.
|
|
|
The Nominating Committee for the 2019 ALA election is looking for nominees to run on the 2019 spring ballot for the offices of ALA president-elect, treasurer, and councilor-at-large. The committee will select two candidates to run for president, two candidates to run for treasurer, and no fewer than 50 candidates for the 33 at-large Council seats to be filled in the 2019 spring election. All potential nominees must complete the potential candidate biographical form....
Office of ALA Governance, Apr. 16 |
|
Bernard A. Margolis (right), state librarian of New York since 2009, died April 14 at the Albany (N.Y.) Medical Center. Margolis had previously served as president of the Boston Public Library from 1997 to 2008 and as director of the Pikes Peak Library District in Colorado Springs from 1988 to 1997. He had been a long-time member of ALA Council and served as a trustee of the ALA Endowment. His funeral will take place on April 18 at the Levine Memorial Chapel in Albany....
Albany (N.Y.) Times Union, Apr. 16 |
|
Sponsored Content
From the 1890s to the 1930s, a progressive movement swept the US. Explore this era of radicalism and reform through the lens of those who lived it and wrote about it: the muckrakers who provoked social change by exposing deplorable working conditions and corruption in business and government.
Watch a video, discover related primary sources that help to develop critical thinking skills, and let us know that you’re interested in a free, no-obligation report to learn how these resources fit into your curriculum for improved research and learning outcomes. |
|
|
|
On April 30, hundreds of libraries across the country will celebrate Día, a national library program that fosters literacy for all children from all backgrounds by connecting children and families to books, stories, and other library resources. Libraries offer equal access to information of all kinds and bringing access and opportunity to all. Programs like Día help libraries provide an inclusive environment in the community where all are treated with respect and dignity....
Public Awareness Office, Apr. 16 |
|
The adoption of the Temple (Tex.) Public Library’s new media display policy was preceded by 10 months of heated discussion, but the library board needed just 20 seconds April 16 before approving it. Without discussion, the board voted 7–0 to approve the policy resulting from controversy surrounding last summer’s LGBT-themed displays. The issue began in June when the library set up two displays highlighting LGBT-themed material. Library Director Leigh Gardner said the new policy showed the library was sensitive to the comments it received....
Temple (Tex.) Daily Telegram, Apr. 16 |
|
|
Courtney Wolfe writes: “As a programming librarian, it can be hard to consistently provide creative, original ideas for your patrons. But there’s a simple solution for librarians seeking support and inspiration: the blogosphere. On the web there are hundreds of librarians writing about everything from programming ideas to the comical (and sometimes irritating) things patrons do. Programming Librarian talked to a few of our favorite bloggers.”...
Programming Librarian, Apr. 16 |
|
Florida State University’s School of Information has a free online course on serving library users on the autism spectrum that could be a useful accompaniment to National Autism Awareness Month. Originally funded by the IMLS Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program and led by faculty at two schools within the College of Communication and Information, Project PALS offers four research-based, professional development modules that are freely available. Hosted in the WebJunction course catalog, all libraries have access to this robust and informative course....
WebJunction |
|
Nick Statt writes: “Google has partnered with 3D laser-scanning nonprofit CyArk to help preserve historical sites around the world that are at risk of irreversible damage or total erasure due to human conflict and natural disasters. The joint effort, called the Open Heritage project, will use CyArk’s laser-scanning technology to capture all the relevant data at a historical site needed to recreate it virtually, so it can be preserved and explored online either on a computer, through a mobile device, or while wearing a virtual reality headset.”...
The Verge, Apr. 16 |
|
|
The papers of American scientist and diplomat Benjamin Franklin have been digitized and are now available online for the first time from the Library of Congress. The library announced the digitization on the anniversary of Franklin’s death on April 17, 1790. The Franklin papers consist of approximately 8,000 items, including the petition that the First Continental Congress sent to Franklin to deliver to King George III, and letterbooks Franklin kept as he negotiated the Treaty of Paris that ended the Revolutionary War....
Library of Congress, Apr. 17 |
|
Out of more than 2,400 submissions, just 21 distinguished projects earned Pulitzer Prizes April 16 in New York City. The judges have whittled their winning group from a vast number of possibilities, and the works they’ve chosen represent a vast array of styles and media. The winner in the fiction category is Less, by Andrew Sean Greer; in history, The Gulf, by Jack E. Davis; in biography, Prairie Fires, by Caroline Fraser; and in general nonfiction, Locking Up Our Own, by James Forman Jr....
NPR: The Two-Way, Apr. 16 |
|
|
Pew Research Center and Elon University’s Imagining the Internet Center queried technology experts, scholars, and health specialists on this question: Over the next decade, how will changes in digital life impact people’s overall well-being physically and mentally? Some 1,150 experts responded. Some 47% of these respondents predict that individuals’ well-being will be more helped than harmed by digital life in the next decade, while 32% say people’s well-being will be more harmed than helped....
Pew Research Center, Apr. 17
|
|
Rob Marvin writes: “It’s all too easy to get lost in our screens as we tap from app to app and scroll through social feeds. In our hyperconnected world, cutting out tech altogether is unrealistic unless you’re ready to drop off the grid. What you can do is try consuming tech mindfully. Here are 10 tips to wean yourself off compulsive smartphone and social media habits, and how to regain control over how you consume technology.”...
PC Magazine, Apr. 16 |
|
Cameron Summerson writes: “Gestures make using your phone faster and more efficient—but only if you know the gestures in the first place. Here’s a collection of some of the best ones for Android that you may not already be using: quickly remove icons and widgets, launch the camera instantly, quickly move the cursor through lines of text, and delete multiple words at one time.”...
How-To Geek, Apr. 13 |
AL Direct is a free electronic newsletter emailed every Tuesday and Friday to personal members of the American Library Association.
Editor, AL Direct: George M. Eberhart, geberhart@ala.org
|
Send news and feedback: aldirect@ala.org
Direct ad inquiries to: Michael Stack, 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
|
