Blog

"Anonymity is as important for librarians to understand, support, and promote as privacy": an interview with Alison Macrina and Talya Cooper

Posted by Rob Christopher on 07/03/2019

Will the rise of anonymity and the vulnerabilities it exposes, especially for governments and businesses, lead to a movement against it? Or have our society and its technology passed the point of no return? And why should libraries support and promote anonymity? Those are only a few of the issues discussed in Anonymity, by Alison Macrina and Talya Cooper, the newest volume in the Library Futures Series from ALA’s Center for the Future of Libraries.

Free programs from ALA Editions/ALA Neal-Schuman at Annual Conference in Washington DC

Posted by Rob Christopher on 06/03/2019

ALA Editions/ALA Neal-Schuman is pleased to present a selection of free programs at the 2019 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition exploring the profession’s issues and trends. The programs scheduled to take place at the ALA Store, located near the main entrance to the Exhibit Hall on the lower level of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, are:

Saturday, June 22

New books, products, special events from ALA Publishing at Annual Conference in Washington DC

Posted by Rob Christopher on 05/29/2019

Shop and browse the ALA Store at the 2019 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition for products that meet the widest range of your promotional and continuing education/professional development needs—as well as fun gift items. Located near the main entrance to the Exhibit Hall on the lower level of the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, the ALA Store hours are:

Interview: Kate Hall and Kathy Parker on their toolkit for public library directors

Posted by Rob Christopher on 05/28/2019

"Probably the best thing you can do to set yourself up for success is to create dedicated time during your week to use your organization system," says Kate Hall.

"The world needs more people who speak the language of information ethics": editors John T. F. Burgess and Emily J. M. Knox discuss their new text

Posted by Rob Christopher on 05/20/2019

In his foreword to Foundations of Information Ethics, Robert Hauptman sums it up best: "An ethical attitude to the production, dissemination, storage, access, and retrieval of information and data is beneficial and necessary to a well-functioning information society; this is affirmed by crisis after crisis concerning false news, fake facts, social media privacy invasions, and everything else." John T. F. Burgess and Emily J. M.

Why libraries and gardens are a natural fit: an interview with Carrie Scott Banks and Cindy Mediavilla

Posted by Rob Christopher on 05/07/2019

Like libraries, gardens are nuturing environments for both individuals and communities; and today, libraries nationwide are beginning to incorporate gardens into their public services. Banks's and Mediavilla's new book is, in fact, the first-ever book on this trend and showcases several beautiful library gardens from around the world. And as they make clear in this interview, you don't need a green thumb to begin cultivating one!

Thoughts on Transparency and the Preservation of Social Media

Posted by Rob Christopher on 04/23/2019

(Disclaimer: The findings, interpretations, and conclusions expressed in this post are those of the author[s] and should not be attributed in any manner to The World Bank, its Board of Executive Directors, or the governments they represent.)

Kenneth J. Varnum surveys top tech trends for libraries

Posted by Rob Christopher on 03/22/2019

If you want to learn about library technology, whether past, present, or future, Kenneth J. Varnum is exactly the right person to talk to. Senior Program Manager for Discovery, Delivery, and Library Analytics at the University of Michigan Library, he has more than two decades of experience working with public-facing technology in academic, corporate, and special libraries.

After more than 20 years, Mother Goose is still on the loose: an interview with Betsy Diamant-Cohen

Posted by Rob Christopher on 03/05/2019

To her many fans, early literacy expert and presenter Betsy Diamant-Cohen needs little introduction. The unique blend of play, activity, music, and reading developed by Diamant-Cohen and known as Mother Goose on the Loose (MGOL for short) has been presented in countless locations across the US.

Michelle Reale on igniting a spirit of inquiry in students

Posted by Rob Christopher on 02/19/2019

How do you guide students to move beyond just finding answers and towards critical thinking? It's exactly the approach Michelle Reale outlines in her new book Inquiry and Research: A Relational Approach in the Classroom. An associate professor and head of access services and outreach at Arcadia University, she took some time out from her duties to speak with us about the epiphany behind writing the book, the role of reflective practice in information literacy, and much more.