Research, Research Everywhere

June 26, 2010

A number of poster sessions at Annual provide librarians and library students the opportunity to share research projects. Yesterday, the Emerging Leaders had their turn, at a reception where they showed off the group projects undertaken as part of the EL program.

All of the Emerging Leaders' projects are available at connect.ala.org/el10projects, and AL interviews about four of the projects (on visually mapping ALA, the International Partnership for Advocacy and Library Services, a wiki of resources for staff development days, and updating the Libraries and the Internet toolkit) are available on YouTube.

Today and tomorrow in the exhibit hall, 120 different posters will be presented in six sessions, divided by category (collections, education, outreach, international projects, connections with non-library agencies, and infrastructure. These poster sessions can report on research studies, practical problem-solving efforts, or innovative library programs. Highlights of the opening session on collections include:

Kathryn Frederick's project at Skidmore College to map fields from MARC records to custom fields in WordPress, enabling unique interfaces for specific sections of a collection like anime or poetry.
Janelle Wertzberger and Kathleen D'Angelo's survey of faculty at Gettysburg College, which made it possible to cut journal subscriptions or eliminate copies in multiple formats to meet an economy-mandated savings target while still meeting faculty needs.
Sarah Smith, Janice Reyes, and Heather Highfield's examination of ethical issues regarding the archiving of photographs of Native American materials. While archivists generally prefer completion, the photos are often taken of unwilling subjects or feature objects that were removed from their context and are therefore misleading. Compromises have, in some cases, been reached, such as the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act that requires federally funded agencies to return Native American cultural items to the decendents of their creators, but much remains unsettled. (A video interview with Reyes and Highfield will appear on ALA's YouTube page shortly.)

Tagged Under

Inside ALA

29m

Libraries have a long history of helping to deliver on a wide variety of development goals, from literacy and school readiness to research productivity and urban cohesion. Their unique potential has been recognized not just by the governments or others that traditionally fund them, but also by a range of other funders, private and public alike. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions has created a dataset to help librarians easily discover examples of private philanthropic grants, as well as other funding sources, that other libraries have been able to leverage.”

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, Apr. 22
20h

Jackie Jennings writes: “It feels like the debate over whether #BookTok is bad has been raging since the moment the term was first coined. I’m starting off with a strong stance: BookTok is indeed bad. However, the problem with BookTok is not crappy books or bogus influencers. The problem with BookTok is TikTok itself. BookTok isn’t actually a community driven by fans, writers, influencers, or even publishers: it’s part of a social media corporation, controlled by the most mysterious, fickle god of all, the algorithm.” Not surprisingly, librarian recommendations can overcome some of BookTok’s limitations.

Jezebel, Apr. 18; Book Riot, Apr. 22
1d

ALA announced the launch of its state Intellectual Freedom Helpline grant program April 22. Over the next two years, 10 pilot program sites will operate a confidential reporting system that will help connect those experiencing censorship attempts with professional support, in-state peers, or referral to ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, as appropriate. State or school library associations or agencies wishing to either establish an Intellectual Freedom Helpline in their state or expand existing efforts may apply for $10,000 grants through July 14.

ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom, Apr. 22
1d

In celebration of the release of his latest nonfiction title, The Secret Lives of Booksellers & Librarians, bestselling author James Patterson is honoring select American Bookseller Association and American Library Association members with bonuses. He announced plans April 11 to give $200 each to 250 library workers across the country. The deadline for ALA members may nominate members to receive bonuses through April 30. Winners will be announced at ALA’s 2024 Annual Conference in San Diego.
2d

Catherine Hollerbach writes: “In early 2020, when the world shut down for COVID, many people got interested in houseplants. Anne Arundel County (Md.) Public Library’s Crofton Library embraced this trend and then some!” While preparing to reopen after the COVID shutdown, the library installed plants at the information desk to discourage patrons from sticking their heads through gaps in newly installed acrylic shields. They were well received and cared for, and the library gradually added more plants and built educational tools, programming, and partnerships around the plants.

Public Libraries Online, Apr. 18
2d

Rodney Freeman writes: “I am proud to be a librarian—and rare. Less than 7% of librarians in the US are Black. Libraries symbolize the literacy that was denied to so many of our ancestors. For our enslaved forebears, something as fundamental as learning to read was illegal and dangerous, but they did it anyway. Separate but ‘equal’ schools and ‘colored’ libraries filled with cast-offs from white libraries were key features of the Jim Crow era. Today we are seeing the same impulse to distort access to information into a tool to suppress and control, and to make some people ‘other.’”

Newsweek, Apr. 16
2d

Lori Birrell writes: “Staff want to feel valued, and they want their work to have an impact. A reorganization process can help leaders to surface such areas of impact and give staff a feeling of empowerment and value. Practitioners considering any sized reorganization are strongly encouraged to consider what models and resources will best support them as they plan and lead this work. Regardless of the model or resources, any reorganization process should be more than just moving boxes and reporting lines around on an organizational chart.”

Library Leadership and Management, Apr. 15