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Marshall Breeding writes: “Events of the last year have reshaped the library technology industry. Previous rounds of acquisitions pale in comparison to the acquisition of ProQuest by Clarivate, which has propelled the leading library technology provider into the broader commercial sector of scholarly communications. The emergence of such a large business at the top of the industry has accelerated consolidation among mid-level players that aim to increase scale and efficiency to remain competitive. This was a banner year for consolidation of midsize competitors, with more acquisitions than any prior year.”...
American Libraries feature, May
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ALA President Patricia “Patty” M. Wong writes: “Like many of you, I am a staunch advocate for school librarians. Recent advocacy victories in Washington, D.C., and Boston show what is possible when communities come together around this important issue. Later this year, District of Columbia Public Schools could require all schools in their system, regardless of size, to have a librarian on staff. Meanwhile, the Boston School Committee—the governing body of Boston Public Schools (BPS)—approved in October the
BPS Library Services Strategic Plan to phase in librarians for almost all BPS schools by 2026.”...
American Libraries column, May
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After more than two years of COVID-19 restrictions and school disruptions, many young adults face the necessity of working to help support their families. An October 2021 webinar convened by the Public Library Association and members of LibsWork, a national networking group focused on workforce and small business development, explored the ways in which libraries can support young people as they enter the workforce amid these ongoing challenges. Librarians and workforce development professionals shared how such programs are helping young people develop essential skills and experience, including work-based learning opportunities, apprenticeships, and more....
American Libraries feature, May
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Tracie D. Hall writes: “Library services should not be limited to those with the ability to read. There are people who do not have the ability—and others who don’t have the access—to read. Both groups deserve our attention and advocacy. Formerly enslaved abolitionist and suffragist Frederick Douglass is famously quoted as saying, ‘Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.’ That link between literacy and self-determination holds today.”...
American Libraries column, May
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Mary E. Miller and Suzanne M. Ward write: “Academic librarians have long grappled with issues of collection size, quality versus quantity, and maintaining a core collection. In previous eras, libraries provided access to content by acquiring and owning print copies of titles to allow immediate access to users. This strategy is no longer sustainable. But more importantly, it no longer serves the best interests of most academic library users. The realities of space and resource availability and the demand for new services are forcing even the largest and best-funded academic libraries to acknowledge that they cannot, in fact, keep everything.”...
American Libraries feature, May
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On May 4, the American Library Association, in collaboration with the Ukrainian Library Association, announced the formation of the
Ukraine Library Relief
Fund, to gather donations for the Ukrainian library community as they face the challenges of war. In cities and towns throughout Ukraine, dozens of libraries have been severely damaged or destroyed. Donations will help purchase computers, software, and other resources; support immediate repair needs, such as glazing windows and repairing roofs damaged by bombing; and will go to librarians and library workers who are in harm’s way, wounded, or displaced and in need of financial assistance....
ALA International Relations Office, May 4
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Actor Channing Tatum will virtually present at the
2022 Annual Conference and Exhibition, to be held June 23–28 in Washington, D.C. While Tatum is best known as an actor, producer, and director, his first children’s book, The One and Only Sparkella, debuted on the New York Times bestseller list. His presentation will be part of Annual’s new
Digital Experience....
ALA Conference Services, Apr. 28
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Brooke Park writes: “Seven Llano County [Texas] residents filed a federal lawsuit Monday against the county judge, commissioners, library board members, and library systems director for restricting and banning books from the county’s three-branch public library system. The
lawsuit states that the defendants removed several books off shelves, suspended access to digital library books, replaced the Llano County library board with community members in favor of book bans, halted new library book orders, and allowed the library board to close its meetings to the public in a coordinated censorship campaign that violates the First Amendment and 14th Amendment.”...
The Texas Tribune, Apr. 25
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Adi Robertson writes: “The United States, all European Union member states, and 32 non-EU countries have announced a Declaration for the Future of the Internet that lays out priorities for an ‘open, free, global, interoperable, reliable, and secure’ internet.
The three-page declaration offers a broad vision of the net as well as a mix of more specific issues for its 61 signatories.” Notably
absent from the signatory list, however, are Brazil, China, India, and Russia....
The Verge, Apr. 28; Gizmodo, Apr. 28
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A.J. Boston writes: “The theme of
International Open Access Week for the past four years has consistently included that root word, equity. Open access may be on the rise, but do mechanisms such as article publishing charges and read-and-publish deals keep equity a part of this transformation? Many in the open movement, ‘declare equity as a goal,’
Tony Ross-Hellauer recently wrote, but he argued that, ‘without more critical thought, open science could become just the extension of privilege.’”...
The Scholarly Kitchen, Apr. 26; Nature, Mar. 14
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Sarah Showfety writes: “Ah, confidence. That elusive, intangible thing we all know we need to get the jobs, attract the people, achieve the goals, and make the money. While an essential component for success in many of life’s pursuits, confidence isn’t always an easy feeling to come by. What can you do when you need to exhibit more self-assurance than you feel? Here are some tricks to feign confidence, even when it’s in short supply.”...
Lifehacker, Apr. 27
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Arvyn Cerézo writes: “Anti-Asian hate is on the rise lately, and I’m not only talking about racist incidents. As Asian Pacific Heritage Month is next month and National Poetry Month is still in full swing, here are ten poetry books by LGBTQ Asian authors as a form of solidarity. In this list, you can find poetry collections from authors across the LGBTQ spectrum: gay, transgender, lesbian, and nonbinary, among others. The list also features works from both Asians and Asian Americans.”...
Book Riot, Apr. 28
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