May/June 2012

Features & Trends

Haiti Rising from the Rubble

By Leonard Kniffel

More than two years after the earthquake that struck Haiti on January 12, 2010, vast numbers of Haitians are still struggling just to return to something resembling normal life. The first thing you see in the capital city of Port-au-Prince is miles and miles of “Tent City,” as the temporary housing has come to be … Continue reading Haiti Rising from the Rubble →

Copyright for Librarians and Teachers, in a Nutshell

By Carrie Russell

You may have wondered whether you hold the copyright to work you’ve put many hours into creating on the job. Who holds the copyright to works created by teachers or librarians? Short answer: In general, when employees create works as a condition of employment, the copyright holder is the employer. As a school librarian or … Continue reading Copyright for Librarians and Teachers, in a Nutshell →

Cataloging Then, Now, and Tomorrow

By Elise (Yi-Ling) Wong

If you think it is hard to explain to nonlibrary users what a librarian does, try explaining the job of a cataloger. Not long ago (when I was still in library school), if someone had asked me what exactly a cataloger is, my answer would have been, “a guardian of the catalog.” This still holds … Continue reading Cataloging Then, Now, and Tomorrow →

Newsmaker: Brian Bannon
By Sanhita SinhaRoy
Annual Conference Preview: Transforming Our Libraries, Ourselves
By the Editors
Community Reference: Making Libraries Indispensable in a New Way
By Amy Long and Colbe Galston and Elizabeth Kelsen Huber and Katherine Johnson
Transforming Libraries . . . Continued
By the Editors
New ADA Signage Standards Take Effect
By Liz Humrickhouse
An Academic Spring? [UPDATED]
By Barbara Fister
Time to Dine in Anaheim
By Laura Daily
PLA 2012: Powerful Advice, Practical Solutions
By Laurie D. Borman

Columnists

Latest Library Links

2h

Tess Prendergast writes: “As someone who teaches contemporary children’s literature, I have been following the surge of picture books about climate and environment topics for several years. While there has been some great scholarly research about such books, I have devised a simple framework for grouping these kinds of books. This four-tiered categorization may help you decided what to read, suggest, or display in various scenarios and for different audiences.”

ALSC Blog, Apr. 11
21h

Max Eddy writes: “It’s a nightmare scenario: You’ve protected all of your online accounts with two-factor authentication (2FA), but then your phone is broken, lost, or stolen, and you’re locked out of everything. Past You’s effort to protect Future You has made Present You’s life a living hell. 2FA is supposed to keep attackers and scammers out of your online accounts, but what if something happens to your second factor? With a little planning, you can reduce that risk and still keep your accounts safe.”

New York Times Wirecutter, Apr. 12
1d

Nik Altenberg writes: “About 100 librarians and their supporters rallied outside San Francisco Public Library’s Main Library on April 9 to demand the city hire security guards for every branch. Workers decried a lack of security at most of the city’s branches and said they are often forced to de-escalate volatile situations and step into the role of providing security themselves. The rally is the latest in a series of union actions [from 10 unions representing more than 25,000 city workers across city departments] seeking to draw attention to what they say is a pervasive understaffing crisis.”

KQED-TV (San Francisco), Apr. 9
2d

“Two years after Brooklyn Public Libraries’ (BPL) launch of Books Unbanned, an initiative to protect the freedom to read for young people, In Their Own Words: Youth Voices on Books Unbanned gives new insight into the impact of censorship on teen and young adults across the US and how restrictions and other barriers to access build upon and reinforce each other. The new report, published April 11 by BPL and Seattle Public Library, analyzes 855 stories shared by young people who signed up for a free Books Unbanned ecard from April 2022 through December 2023.”

Seattle Public Library, Apr. 11
2d

Samantha Guss, Sojourna Cunningham, and Jennifer Stout write: “Recruitment and retention are both critical to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in academic libraries, and failing to improve retention has and will continue to derail these initiatives. Research that addresses retention tends to focus on proposed strategies, such as stay interviews (structured interviews aimed at strengthening employee and employer relationships) and mentorship programs. But there is no agreed-upon definition of retention that would allow us to assess these strategies. We should recognize that involuntary staying can be just as negative an outcome for the individual and the organization as leaving, setting the stage for legacy toxicity.”

In The Library With The Lead Pipe, Apr. 10
3d

Jackie Edwards writes: “As spring rolls around, seasonal allergies can flare up among library workers, resulting in symptoms like sneezing; runny or stuffy nose; itchy eyes, ears, and nose; coughing; and asthma. Not only are these symptoms detrimental to well-being and productivity, but they can also mean you’re less able to provide excellent customer service to library users. Fortunately, by purifying the air, preventing mold, and keeping your work area clean, you can improve indoor air quality and combat allergies in your library.”

Library Worklife, Apr.
3d

In Episode 94, Call Number celebrates Preservation Week, to be held this year April 28–May 4. The week’s events aim to raise awareness of the role libraries and cultural institutions play in protecting historic and culturally significant collections. Segments include Traci Sorell, honorary chair of this year’s Preservation Week, discussing the role of preservation through storytelling; Kathleen Monahan, special collections public services supervisor at Boston Public Library, addressing the importance of security in preservation; and Rosie Grayburn and Melissa Tedone, cofounders of the Poison Book Project, talking about their research on potentially toxic bookbinding materials from the 19th century.

AL: The Scoop, Apr. 15

View more Latest Library Links

May/June 2012

Features & Trends

Haiti Rising from the Rubble

Copyright for Librarians and Teachers, in a Nutshell

Cataloging Then, Now, and Tomorrow

Newsmaker: Brian Bannon

Annual Conference Preview: Transforming Our Libraries, Ourselves

Community Reference: Making Libraries Indispensable in a New Way

Transforming Libraries . . . Continued

New ADA Signage Standards Take Effect

An Academic Spring? [UPDATED]

Time to Dine in Anaheim

PLA 2012: Powerful Advice, Practical Solutions

Columnists

Apple Product News: The Spin for Libraries

The Matter of the Master’s

Time Flies When You’re Having Fun

Transformations

On a Screen Near You

Building the Shelfless Library

Make Room for Homeschoolers

My Year of RDA

Data, Data Everywhere

Spring Libraryland Tour

The Guide on the Side

Translit: New Genre Collapses Time and Space