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Terra Dankowski writes: “Fake news. Alternative facts. To be a library professional in 2017 meant you were never far from these terms. But what about data literacy? Did librarians tackle charts and graphs as much as headlines? And what about teens, who are often overlooked in the context of civic and voter preparedness? Increasingly, librarians are addressing these questions by bringing statistical education to young adults—and they’re using massive collections of open civic datasets to teach these lessons.”...
American Libraries feature, Mar./Apr. |
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Emilio Estevez (right) is no stranger to the library world. Thirty-three years after portraying one of five teens sentenced to Saturday detention in a school library in the 1985 teen classic The Breakfast Club, Estevez steps behind the camera to write, direct, and star in The Public, about a group of homeless people who seek refuge in Cincinnati’s downtown public library during a bitterly cold Midwestern winter evening. A staunch library advocate, Estevez spoke with American Libraries about the film, its origin, and his connection to libraries....
American Libraries Trend, Mar./Apr. |
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In Episode 23, Dewey Decibel looks at two organizations working to preserve films and other moving-image media. First, Steve Zalusky, from the ALA Public Awareness Office, reports from the Mostly Lost film workshop at LC’s Packard Campus for Audio-Visual Conservation in Culpeper, Virginia. Then Dewey Decibel host Phil Morehart talks to AJ Lawrence about the Great Migration Home Movie Project, a program that digitizes home movies documenting the African-American experience....
AL: The Scoop, Mar. 5; June 22, 2017 |
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Amie Wright writes: “Emerald City Comic Con, held March 1–4 in Seattle, expanded its programming this year to include a full day of professional development for librarians and educators, cosponsored by ALA and several publishers at Seattle Public Library’s Central Library. Creating a community of practice for librarians and educators around comics collection, education, and advocacy was a major theme of the program.”...
AL: The Scoop, Mar. 6 |
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Kevin Maher writes: “The campaign to save over $210 million in library funding begins this week in the House of Representatives with the release of two Dear Appropriator letters for both LSTA and IAL. Our activity starts on the heels of the White House budget proposal for FY2019, which recommends the elimination of most federal library funding. Library advocates need to contact their representatives this week and ask them to sign both letters by the March 19 deadline.”...
District Dispatch, Feb. 12, Mar. 6 |
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Jon Brodkin writes: “FCC Chairman Ajit Pai can usually count on support from broadband industry lobbyists and conservative think tanks each time he announces a new policy. But Pai’s proposal to limit broadband choices for poor people who rely on a telecom subsidy program is coming under fire from all directions. Pai wants a major overhaul of Lifeline, a federal program that lets poor people use a $9.25 monthly household subsidy to buy internet or phone service.”...
Ars Technica, Mar. 5 |
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As ALA gears up for its 2018 elections, an electronic election guide is once again available to help inform members about the candidates and the election process. Your Guide to the 2018 ALA Elections (PDF file) contains general information about the ALA presidency, biographical information about the two presidential candidates and 75 Council candidates, and information on two ballot measures: a membership dues adjustment and educational requirements for the ALA executive director....
Office of ALA Governance, Mar. 5 |
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Most classroom teachers would be unable to carry firearms under the bill passed March 5 by the Florida Senate in response to the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting. With Gov. Rick Scott against arming teachers and the legislative black caucus having united against the idea, the senate amended its bill to exclude classroom teachers from participating. Librarians, media specialists, advisers, and teachers who do not teach exclusively (like coaches) would still be able to carry firearms....
Broward County (Fla.) Sun-Sentinel, Mar. 5; New York Times, Mar. 5 |
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Nicole Umayam writes: “Many of the tribal libraries that I visit in Arizona serve as culture keepers of language and records. This role is crucial, as most of the 194 indigenous languages in North America, including many in the Southwest, are categorized as severely or critically endangered. In the endangered language context, collections are not merely materials but spaces for cultural reclamation through engagement with the records. And libraries must take a comprehensive approach to digital inclusion.”...
American Libraries column, Mar./Apr.
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The National Archives said March 1 that it will gather tens of millions of pages of classified historical records from presidential libraries around the country and will bring them to Washington, D.C., for declassification review. “It is important to stress that this change in physical location of the records is temporary and that the records will be returned to the Presidential Libraries as they are declassified,” wrote NARA Chief Operating Officer William J. Bosanko....
Secrecy News: Federation of American Scientists, Mar. 5 |
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David Beard writes: “Earlier in this decade, Brandy Zadrozny (right) had been happy in Vermont, baking pies, cross-country skiing, working at the Burlington Public Library, handling the reference desk at Champlain College. That is, until she wasn’t. And journalism is grateful. On March 2, the librarian-turned-senior researcher and writer announced she was leaving The Daily Beast after five years and moving to NBC News as a national reporter. Zadrozny is one of several news librarians and researchers who have made the difference on big stories.”...
Poynter, Mar. 4 |
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The Institute of Museum and Library Services on March 5 announced 29 finalists, 14 of them libraries, for the 2018 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. The medal is the nation’s highest honor given to museums and libraries for community service. Over the past 24 years, the award has celebrated 182 institutions that demonstrated extraordinary and innovative approaches to public service. National Medal winners will be announced later this spring....
Institute of Museum and Library Services, Mar. 5 |
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During the entire month of March, the ALA Committee on the Status of Women in Librarianship will recognize and celebrate women’s achievements with Women’s History Month. The celebration traces its origins back to March 8, 1857, when women from New York City factories staged a protest over working conditions. In 1981, Congress designated the second week of March as National Women’s History Week and in 1987 expanded it to a month-long observance....
ALA Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services, Mar. 2 |
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An ongoing effort to collect, digitally preserve, and share 100 years of historical records by the University of California Cooperative Extension has earned the UC Merced Library a grant of $308,900 by the National Historical Publications and Records Commission. The work, “A Century of Impact: Documenting the Work of the Cooperative Extension in California’s Counties,” is especially relevant to the San Joaquin Valley, said Emily Lin, UC Merced Library’s head of digital curation and scholarship....
University of California Merced Newsroom, Jan. 29 |
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New techniques could reveal information about Yale University’s Vinland Map, a purportedly 15th-century world map with a precolumbian depiction of “Vinland,” a section of North America’s coastline explored by the Norse. Reflectance transformation imaging is part of a new analysis of the map underway at Yale’s Institute for the Preservation of Cultural Heritage laboratories to better understand its material composition. In May, the map will go on exhibit for the first time in more than 50 years at the Mystic Seaport museum....
Yale News, Feb. 28 |
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S. Zainab Williams writes: “I can’t possibly visit all of the countless places on my travel list in this lifetime, but that doesn’t mean I’m barred from exploring distant locales altogether. If I’m going to travel by flight of imagination, why not choose destinations that exist far beyond reality’s reach? If you’re planning an extended stay in a magical, faraway, somewhat familiar country, you’ve come to the right list. Here are some fantasy series inspired by places around the world.”...
Book Riot, Mar. 6 |
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Eric Griffith writes: “Chrome’s library of extras, found at the Chrome Web Store, has rivaled Firefox’s for years. Also, the store has add-ons to provide quick access to just about every web app imaginable. Rather than have you stumble blindly through the Chrome Web Store to find the best, we’ve compiled a list of 101 you should consider. Most extensions work across operating systems, so you can try them on any desktop platform. And all of these extensions are free; there’s no harm in giving them a try.”...
PC Magazine, Mar. 2 |
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