An interesting convergence on the web has more than a few people talking about quiet contemplation.
Hot Topic at Midwinter: Library Maker Spaces, Ideas for Cheap, Hands-On Fun
By on January 29, 2013
From ebooks to digital literacy, there was plenty to debate at the Midwinter meeting of the American Library Association. But the unconference on January 25 revealed clear consensus on one topic: maker spaces. They’re red hot.
*UPDATED* Applegate, Klassen Win Newbery, Caldecott Medals
By on January 28, 2013 4 Comments
The audience erupted in cheers Monday after Katherine Applegate was named the winner of the Newbery Medal for The One and Only Ivan (HarperCollins), and Jon Klassen was awarded the Caldecott Medal for This Is Not My Hat (Candlewick) at the American Library Association’s Youth Media Awards for 2012, which were announced during its annual Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, WA.
The DPLA and School Libraries: Partners Focused on Digital-Era Learners
By on January 22, 2013
If we build it well, a Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) can help school libraries meet the information needs of students even as local budgets shrink. The DPLA can provide important resources to the partnership between library-based and classroom-based teachers, especially during this period of rapid change in education, in libraries, in technology, and in the world of information generally.
As Tablets Supplant Ereaders, New Challenges Arise for Publishers
By on January 17, 2013
Sixty percent of publishing executives believe that tablets have become “the ideal reading platform,” and 45 percent believe that dedicated e-readers will soon be irrelevant, according to a recent online, by-invitation survey conducted by global research and advisory firm Forrester.
‘I Love My Librarian’ Awards Honor Three School Librarians
By on December 19, 2012 3 Comments
Three school librarians who create a spirit of community in their libraries were among 10 recipients of the 2012 I Love My Librarian awards.
National Federation of the Blind to Take Protest to Amazon, Denouncing School Kindle Use as Discriminatory to Blind Students
By on December 5, 2012
Due to their longstanding frustration with Amazon’s failure to make Kindle ereaders accessible to people who are blind, officials from the National Federation of the Blind will be protesting outside Amazon’s Seattle headquarters on December 12.
In Sandy’s Wake, Library Systems Help City Keep Students Connected
By on December 3, 2012 1 Comment
In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, the New York, Queens, and Brooklyn Public Library have partnered with the city to provide online courses to students displaced from their homes.
The Public Library Connection: The new standards require that public and school librarians pull together | On Common Core
By on December 1, 2012 8 Comments
Now, more than ever before, collaboration between public and school librarians is critical. As we strive to be at the center of the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in our schools, strong relationships with our local public librarians can make all the difference in the world and provide us, our students, and our school colleagues with tremendous advantages.
While public and school libraries differ, our common patron base of children gives both groups fertile ground [...]
Discovery Game for Libraries Kickstarted by Booklamp.org
By on November 6, 2012
The developers behind the Book Genome Project and Booklamp.org have launched a Kickstarter campaign for “The Game of Books,” a new digital card and role-playing game designed to reward young adults for reading. Funding raised by the campaign would be used to design, produce, and distribute 4,000 Game of Books starter kits to U.S. libraries. Founded in 2003, the Book Genome Project works with publishers to solve challenges in book discovery by using computer analysis of the language, theme, and characters in books.
Sandy & Libraries: Photos of Libraries in the Storm’s Aftermath
By on October 31, 2012 1 Comment
Sandy blasted through the East Coast from October 28-29 leaving its record-breaking mark. Despite major damage, libraries have risen to the challenge of serving their communities, offering internet access, electrical power, and even storytime.
Are Dewey’s Days Numbered?: Libraries Nationwide Are Ditching the Old Classification System
By on September 28, 2012 72 Comments
Pushing between snack time and reading group, Zack, a third-grade boy, ducks into our school library while another class is beginning to check out books.
Romney Doesn’t Support Fed Dollars for Common Core
By on September 27, 2012 7 Comments
What can we expect if Mitt Romney’s elected the next president? More school choice, absolutely no federal money devoted to helping implement the Common Core Standards, and an A to F grading system for all K-12 schools.
Turn Wikipedia Articles into Ebooks | Screencast Tutorial
By on September 24, 2012
Wikipedia users can now create ebooks using articles from the English edition of the crowd-sourced reference. Library consultant Linda Braun shows how it’s done.
NY’s Queens Library Brings In Youth Services Champion to New Post
By on August 29, 2012 Leave a Comment
If one theme runs through Tracie D. Hall’s career, it’s the passion she feels for young people and
Tracie D. Hall
ensuring they have the resources to succeed. As Queens Library’s newest director of strategy and organizational development, she’s involved in the library’s customer service priorities—but she’ll also ensure that youth services remains a priority.
“I’m always in awe of the raw potential in young people,” says Hall, who came aboard on July 16. “Institutions can either squash that and try to [...]
Locals Create ‘People’s Library’ During Seattle Public Library Closure
By on August 23, 2012 Leave a Comment
Just because citywide budget cuts have forced the Seattle Public Library to close its doors for a week starting Monday, doesn’t mean kids will be left without good books or fun things to do during that time. A group is organizing a “People’s Library” in the Central District—and it needs children and YA titles.
Chicago Kids Read a Record 1.5 Million Books as Part of Rahm’s Readers Summer Reading Program
By on August 22, 2012 Leave a Comment
Some 60,232 Chicago kids read more than 1.5 million books this summer, thanks to Mayor Rahm Emanuel’s Rahm’s Readers, the Chicago Public Library’s summer reading program. Studies show that children who participate in summer reading programs maintain or improve their reading skills and start school ready to learn.
DC Public Libraries Serve Up Books—and Lunch, Too
By on August 14, 2012 2 Comments
Literacy isn’t the only thing Washington, DC, public libraries are offering kids this summer. They’re also serving up some lunch.
“We wanted to make sure they had a reason to come,” says Ginnie Cooper, chief librarian for the District of Columbia. “Sometimes the kids will come for the lunch, and sometimes they come for the program.”
NYC Pols Urge State to Ban Sex Offenders from Library Children’s Rooms
By on July 12, 2012 Leave a Comment
New York Public Advocate Bill de Blasio and Council Member Peter F. Vallone Jr. of Queens have asked the New York state legislature to pass a law barring sex offenders from children’s reading rooms in libraries.
Want to Work with Kids in a Public Library? Here’s the Inside Scoop
By on July 1, 2012 Leave a Comment
It was 2001 and I was a year out of college, my dream of becoming a photographer neatly scrapped due to the slightly sobering fact that my photography skills, not to put too fine a point on it, stunk.
