Communication

Linking to Library News

3D-Link

There is a whole world of news happening across the profession. Below are a few links to get you started with some of the exciting things happening in the world of Library Science!

  • Don’t forget to submit your RUSA John Sessions Memorial Award nomination! The RUSA John Sessions Memorial Award, established in 1981, recognizes a library or library system that has made a significant effort to work with the labor community and by doing so has brought recognition to the history and contribution of the labor movement to the development of the United States. Such efforts may include outreach projects to local labor unions; establishment of, or significant expansion of, special labor collections; initiation of programs of special interest to the labor community; or other library activities that serve the labor community.
  • Happy holidays from CD HotList: New Releases for Libraries!
  • Register for National Library Legislative Day 2018 National Library Legislative Day is a two-day advocacy training event held in Washington, D.C. every year. Attendees spend one day learning effective advocacy techniques and learning about key library issues, like funding or net neutrality, and have the opportunity to attend a reception on Capitol Hill. Armed with talking points, attendees spend day two with their state delegations, meeting with elected officials and telling them about the importance of libraries in their communities.
  • Now that we are in the holiday season with Thanksgiving behind us and the New Year ahead, it’s time to begin thinking about resolutions. There is no better way to kick off 2018 than to come to Austin, TX for Re-think it: Libraries for a New Age! Re-think it is a national conference that brings together academic, public and K-12 librarians, administrators, technologists, architects, designers, furniture manufacturers, and educators. Together, we will re-think the important roles libraries play in the communities they serve.
  • I Love My Librarian Award winners Ten librarians were honored on November 30 with the 2017 I Love My Librarian Award for their outstanding public service contributions. Selected from more than 1,100 nominations submitted by library users nationwide, the winning librarians were recognized for their leadership in transforming lives and communities through education and lifelong learning.
  • Marijke Visser and Nicky Rigg write: “December 2–10 marks CS Education Week, when computer science (CS) activities will be happening in public and school libraries throughout the country. Kids may set aside routine activities to learn basic concepts by coding Lego ornaments, creating light-up LED cards with paper circuits, designing their own version of a Star Wars game, or learning a language like Python. CS Education Week is an annual program that brings together educators, tech companies, youth-serving organizations, and, of course, libraries to focus on inspiring young people to explore CS.”…
  • New York City libraries launch digital privacy initiative  “The New York, Brooklyn, and Queens public libraries are teaming up with the Metropolitan New York Library Council to bring digital privacy and data-security information to New York City’s 8.5 million residents. With support from the NYC Mayor’s Office, the project will train the city’s front-line librarians to be able to answer questions about internet privacy and data security, ensuring that NYC residents can rely on public libraries for trusted and current information.”
  • The internet is dying Farhad Manjoo writes: “The internet is dying. Sure, technically, the internet still works. Pull up Facebook on your phone and you will still see your second cousin’s baby pictures. But that isn’t really the internet. It’s not the open, anyone-can-build-it network of the 1990s and early 2000s. Nope, that freewheeling internet has been dying a slow death—and a vote in December by the Federal Communications Commission to undo net neutrality would be the final pillow in its face.”
  • Lawsuit challenges Escondido library outsourcing A lawsuit was filed November 28 challenging the Escondido, California, city council’s decision to outsource the public library’s staffing and services to Maryland-based Library Systems & Services LLC—a change that is scheduled to go into effect early next year. Filed on behalf of longtime city residents Roy and Mary Garrett, the lawsuit contends state law dictates that public libraries “shall be managed by a board of library trustees” and therefore the council’s decision should be rescinded….
  • Max, the cat who lost the library but won the internet Karin Brulliard writes: “The story of Max the cat has already been written—simply, succinctly, and perfectly. This story, printed and taped onto a door of the Macalester College library in Saint Paul, Minnesota, might have ended there. But it got tweeted. It also got Tumblr-ed. And Reddit-ed. Having been shooed away from the library, Max sprinted straight toward internet fame.
  • Public libraries encourage patrons to get moving Alyson Iuchs writes: “Libraries going through recent construction or renovation are focusing on design elements that encourage patron movement, such as workstations that alternate between sitting and standing positions. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans spend almost 90% of their lives indoors, which is why it is critical to build healthy indoor environments. This can be as simple as adding more natural light and design spaces to connect us to the outdoors.”…