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For daily ALA and library news, check the American Libraries website or subscribe to our RSS feed.
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Marshall Breeding writes: “The library technology industry took some significant turns in 2019. Ex Libris, a ProQuest company, acquired Innovative Interfaces and shifted the balance of power, strengthening Ex Libris’s position in technology for academic libraries and propelling it as a major player in public libraries. This move narrows the slate of competitors in an industry already offering few viable options for many libraries. New product categories have begun to emerge. Many companies look beyond the library as their sole audience for development and create products targeting their parent institutions or communities. This new wave of products positions libraries as research stakeholders.”...
American Libraries feature, May |
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ALA President Wanda Kay Brown writes: “The world around us has changed so much since my last column, it’s hard not to get a little dizzy thinking about it. What hasn’t changed since the last time I wrote is my faith that as librarians and library workers, our greatest strengths are our abilities to adapt and reinvent ourselves when needed most. As libraries across the country close their physical buildings, they have opened their digital doors, allowing patrons to apply online for temporary digital cards and leaving on (and in some cases strengthening) their Wi-Fi signals so patrons can still access the internet. Distance assistance is becoming common, too.”...
American Libraries column, May; AL: The Scoop, Mar. 23 |
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ALA Executive Director Tracie D. Hall writes: “By the time this message arrives, ALA will have experienced a series of storms. First, the widening gaps between expenses and revenues that incited discussion at this year’s Midwinter Meeting. Second, the frighteningly rapid spread of the global COVID-19 pandemic, which compelled the Executive Board to issue a statement recommending the closure of libraries to the public. And finally, the cancellation of the 2020 Annual Conference in Chicago, an excruciating but inevitable decision as ALA’s hometown faced a shelter-in-place COVID-19 quarantine directive with no guaranteed end date. And all this within the first 30 days of my taking the helm.”...
American Libraries feature, May; AL: The Scoop, Mar. 17, 24 |
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Terence O’Neill, Stephanie C. Perentesis, and Eric Tans write: “Want to establish sustainability programming for your library, but wonder where to start? We developed the Sustainability Canvas, a simple planning tool for designing green projects, and have used it successfully in Michigan State University’s Main Library in East Lansing. When MSU Library established a seed library in early 2020, we used the Sustainability Canvas to identify potential partners, participants, and success metrics. Although it is a simple grid made up of four elements, it focused our thinking and grew our idea into a successful proposal.”...
AL: The Scoop, Apr. 30 |
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American Ballet Theatre principal dancer and author Misty Copeland (right) will appear at the Opening Session of the ALA Virtual event on June 24, sponsored by Penguin Young Readers. Copeland first made history in 2007 as the second African American to be promoted to the rank of soloist in two decades at the ballet company. She is also is the bestselling author of Life in Motion, Ballerina Body, and Firebird. Bunheads, to be released in the fall, will be the first in a series of children’s picture books inspired by Copeland’s early dance experience. The ALA Virtual event’s format, content, and additional details will be announced soon. Registration will open on May 11....
AL: The Scoop, Apr. 21; American Libraries Newsmaker, Feb. 1, 2018 |
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While the in-person National Library Legislative Day was canceled this year, ALA is hosting Virtual Library Legislative Week on May 4–8, five days of advocacy training and activities for library advocates of all kinds. The week is a “design your own path” program based on your preferences and availability. Tune in every day for live afternoon sessions and complete the advocacy actions when you can. All trainings are free and recordings will be available on the ALA website through May 31. Our vision is that library advocates will have the opportunity to hear from each other, to train virtually, and to continue creating connections and relationships with decision makers at every level of government....
ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office |
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Jorun Systad writes: “We wanted to know how librarians serving children and young adults are reaching their patrons during the coronavirus pandemic and asked members of the Standing Committee of IFLA’s Libraries for Children and Young Adults Section to let us know. Here we highlight some fine examples of library services from around the world: Australia, Croatia, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, Russia, Singapore, Sweden, Thailand, and the United States. Check out the links in the short articles and the longer reports and let yourself be inspired by the creativity and engagement of your fellow librarians.”...
IFLA Libraries for Children and Young Adults newsletter, Apr. |
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The trustees of the Biblioteca Nacional de España (National Library of Spain) have eliminated fees for any images in its digital library that are in the public domain. Now anyone can download, transform, and share the images for any purpose, including commercial, for free and without having to ask for approval. The measure applies to public domain images available in the Digital Hispanic Library and the Digital Newspaper Library, including digitized versions of thousands of manuscripts, incunabula, rare books, drawings, engravings, photographs and other graphic materials, maps, sheet music, and historical newspapers and magazines....
Biblioteca Nacional de España, Apr. 30 |
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Kaitlin Frick writes: “As a collection development librarian, ‘doing my best to serve my community’ mostly entails purchasing ebooks, creating booklists, and sharing electronic book recommendations and resources. So that’s what I’m going to share yet again this month, in the hope that my book recommendations will be useful for at least some of you. For this post, we’re celebrating Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month in May. Here you’ll find some of my favorite titles for a range of ages as well as great lists to check out from other recommendation sources.”...
ALSC Blog, Apr. 29; American Libraries feature, May 2018 |
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Mystery Writers of America has announced the winners of its 2020 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, honoring the best in mystery fiction, nonfiction, and television published or produced in 2019. The awards were presented via a live presentation on Twitter (@EdgarAwards). The winning speeches can be found on the MWA YouTube channel. The Stranger Diaries by Elly Griffiths was the winner for Best Novel, while The Less People Know about Us by Axton Betz-Hamilton won the award for Best Fact Crime. Catfishing on CatNet by Naomi Kritzer won in the Best Young Adult category, and Miracle Creek by Angie Kim won for Best First Novel by an American Author....
Crime Reads, Apr. 30 |
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The Nevada County (Calif.) Community Library is offering a new but old-fashioned way to connect with patrons during the current building closure. Librarians have started a letter-writing campaign to reach those who may be unable to gather virtually with others. “We wanted to give people who may be feeling isolated a little something to brighten their day. Who doesn’t love getting a nice letter in the mail?” said Rachel Tucker, branch manager at the Grass Valley Library. Library staff will answer up to 100 letters or related emails before May 20 with a friendly response and, if requested, a small piece of art. Community members of all ages can participate....
Grass Valley (Calif.) Union, Apr. 27 |
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Jon Porter writes: “You can now use your Sonos speaker to listen to free audiobooks from your local library, thanks to a new integration with OverDrive’s Libby app. After downloading the Libby app, you’ll be prompted to register with a valid library card. Then, the app can be connected to a Sonos system and used to play any available audiobooks. Progress syncs across devices, so you’ll be able to pick up where you left off if you’ve been listening elsewhere. Libby isn’t the only source of audiobooks on Sonos (we’re looking at you, Audible), but unlike other services, it’s available completely free. The downside is that your choice of audiobooks will be limited by what your local library has available.”...
The Verge, Apr. 30; OverDrive, Apr. 30; Lifehacker, Apr. 30 |
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