When the economy faltered, people turned to libraries for guidance. For many of the newly laid off, library staff were the first responders to their anxiety and confusion.
With troops returning from Iraq and promised upcoming withdrawals from Afghanistan, there has been an uptick in the development of materials on the ?Wounded Warrior??a term that seems to be used for returning veterans who More...
When 500 gamers gathered at the New York Public Library for an all-night scavenger hunt designed by Jane McGonigal, they connected to the future through the riches of the past via the tools of today.
It is closing time at the library. Do you know where your teen collection is? Ten years ago, the answer would be easy?in the lockers, bedrooms, and backpacks of the teens who use your library. More...
Shake the view that service to the poor is a gift from above...
People living with substandard housing are in need of innovative library service, and these libraries are stretching to bridge the gap.
A day-long experiment spikes user interest, drives readers to great books, and fosters community online.
The Spanish Speaking Library Assistant at Long Island?s Patchogue-Medford Library, NY, Ramos goes way beyond her job description to empower immigrants in their new country.
Open 57 hours a week over six days, the Naturita Community Library, CO, continually creates a vibrant and responsive community center for Naturita and the surrounding small towns. There patrons tap into technology, distance education,
As budgets tighten, the pressure is on to introduce fees or develop new revenue streams. An LJ survey shows such efforts mean little to the bottom line but can boost community connection and more.
News highlights from LibraryJournal.com Anti-tax Ballot Measures Alarming Coloradans Public services in Colorado, including library services, could be devastated if three seemingly simple-and, to critics, complex and deceptive-tax rollback measures pass in the November 2 More...
NC Live adds new search toolsNew web site in the worksPartnerships key to outreach The State Library of North Carolina (SLNC) which has been a pioneer in training librarians to help job seekers, is now More...
Hosting public discourse in librariesTEDx offers a popular formulaPersistence in face of state budget cutsTEDx events, spinoffs of the annual non-profit conference known as TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design), have finally come to the library, as More...
Head back toBookSmack!for more storiesThe inaugural Empire State Book Festival goes down April 9 and 10 in Albany, NY. You likely don't live within a stone's throw, but we're talking it up as a beautiful More...
Presentations from Brooklyn to Portland; Beaufort, SC, to OmahaAuthenticity in P.R. styleFood and drink draw crowdsSure, libraries reach out to children, teens, parent, and seniors, but what about twentysomething and thirtysomething adults, many of whom More...
Open communication and asking good questions are keyConsider online engagement as program participationUse photos to help the library document local eventsIs it too late to jump on the 2.0 bandwagon, using tools like Facebook, Flickr, More...
Experiential training model focuses on "connecting behavior skills"Developed by San JosePL and California State LibraryInspired by Paco Underhill's research "Everybody, stand up." That's how Infopeople's Cheryl Gould prompted more than 300 librarians to their feet More...
Two neighborhoods without healthy groceriesFree delivery the day after the orderSix-month pilotIn Baltimore, a city with much poverty and several "food deserts" without access to healthy food, the Baltimore City Health Department has launchedthe Virtual More...
Whistler library closes, Vancouver stays openLoan periods extendedInternational Living Room in Richmond branchWell, Vancouver, British Columbia may be the official home of the 2010 Winter Olympics, but more than half the medals are being awarded More...
Extends opportunity to watch popular moviesSome libraries already charge for DVDs$1-per-night chargeIn Princeton, NJ, the DVD-rental company Redbox has kiosks located at two supermarkets and a Walmart-and outside the Princeton Public Library, part of a More...
$950,000 grantGoes beyond information to specific helpState grant addresses concentrated poverty, lack of EnglishWhen the Queens Library at Long Island City opened in June 2007, the 18,000 square foot building boasted both a full-service public More...
Foundation pays special attention to home state of Washington$400,000 will leverage IMLS grantOne library's plan: buy notebook computersThe Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, headquartered in Seattle, pays special attention to its home state and, with More...
Libraries are not so unlike market giants Netflix, Amazon, and Pandora. That is, they all thrive when librarians succeed at helping users make the next choice. Despite our significantly different business models and missions, we More...
Not long ago, a mother blogged about her visit to a newly opened public library in Darien, CT. Though she appreciated its soaring ceilings, the fireplaces and cozy nooks, the presence of a café, and More...
Started as community organizer for libraryLearned both how neighborhoods and City Council workLibrary advocacy remains a priority for himJimmy Van Bramer, the Chief External Affairs Officer for the Queens Library (the 2009 LJ/Gale Library of More...
Most hours since 1970sOne-day caféCriticism of Donnell lingersIn January, the New York Public Library (NYPL) gave up plansto sell the aging Mid-Manhattan Library, one of the central libraries of its branch system. Now it hasmade More...
WebJunctiontraining followed by regional workshopsOnline sharing, discussionof best practicesLibrary role in workforce developmentpublicizedLibraries have been hosting and helping the unemployed in their job search efforts during this most recent economic downturn. Now it's the librarians' More...
Tutors used all seats at branchPatron complaints led to discovered ordinancePositive staff, patron feedbackMany more seats are available at the Huntsville-Madison County Public Library (HMCPL), AL, in particular the Madison Branch, as paid tutors have More...
Usage still low, but expected to buildDelivery integrated into first-come, first-served philosophyBudget cuts may limit expansionHouston Public Library (HPL), often in the forefront of technology service offerings, has ventured in a new direction by adding More...
In 1998, Nancy Pearl and Chris Higashi, librarians working in the Washington Center for the Book at the Seattle Public Library (SPL), had a brainstorm. Challenged with a grant to develop new audiences for literature, More...
Go back to the Academic Newswirefor more storiesAll Iraq war-themed events cancelledOrganizer laments end of free speechOpposition on blog is key componentAn event scheduled August 14 at the Library of Congress (LC) featuring a controversial More...
Partnerships more valuable in challenging economic timesAnticipating growth in Hispanic populationPhilly addresses crime; WV looks at obesityThe Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) and the Corporation for Public Broadcastinghave partnered to promote community collaborations More...
Goal of pilot: find out what worksCarrier's phone number use to save moneyOutreach includes Spanish-language texting, contests, interactivityThe New Jersey State Library (NJSL), no stranger to innovative programs (read about LJ's 2008 Librarian of the More...
Mid-Continent Public Library (MCPL), Kansas City, MO, in partnership with the Frich Corporation, is developing yet another option for automated materials distribution (see InfoTech, LJ 6/1/09, p. 18, for previous stories). The system, called Library-To-Go, More...
New limit: 50 items$5 charge for ILLNonresident card fees riseFaced with $1 million in service cuts and constraints on its material budget, the Seattle Public Library (SPL) has updated its relatively generous materials loan policy, More...
Go back to the Academic Newswire for more storiesThree Kindles purchasedUsed for titles too new/popular for ILLLesson: contact Amazon directly re permissionFaculty members at Brigham Young University (BYU), Provo, UT, have a new alternative to More...
Project funded by Dollar General; ALA-administeredCost $7500 to produceFocused on explaining borrow/return conceptThe Greenville County Library System (GCLS), SC, has reached out to its unique mix of foreign-born patrons by producing the short film, "Welcome More...
Seeking top personnel for libraries and other nonprofitscalifornialibraries.volunteeermatch.org site launchedLibraries to get training for creating important volunteer postsThe California State Library (CSL) and VolunteerMatch, an online volunteer network, have aligned in an effort 'to strengthen More...
Harford first among four systemsUnlike Alabama project, libraries to use pre-existing equipment, softwareAccess limited to military familiesHarford County Public Library, (HCPL), Belcamp, MD, is launching a new service that connects people with relatives who are More...
HPL to offer classroom space, program information, and referral guidance$4.3 million in grant consists of Microsoft softwareThree tracks of residents targetedThe Houston Public Library (HPL) continues to be a major player in the city's literacy More...
Nine innovative projectsTraining for a call centerProgram for offendersICMA, the professional and educational organization for municipal managers, has awarded $500,000 in grants to nine cities, towns, and countiesfor new library projects, funded through ICMA's partnership More...
It's here. And here (licensed by LJ): More...
Blog, resources help staff and patronsLinks wanted with employment security departmentNew state stimulus siteThe well-wired Washington State Library (WSL) provides a good example of a state library's response to two of the major trends facing More...
Attorneys, housing experts, mortgage expertsAdvice is confidentialGoal to have clinic each monthThe San Diego County Library (SDCL), in partnership with the Housing Opportunities Collaborative (HOC) has been drawing crowds to free counseling sessionson foreclosure issues. More...
New books, DVDs help beat waiting list$5 fee is self-sustainingProgram aimed at clientele that would buy booksWhile some libraries offer high-demand bestsellers for a $1 fee, and a few have nudged fees up to $2 More...
$882,000 in grants to 12 librariesA time of financial turmoilWide array of programs and servicesLast year, the the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Investor Education Foundation, in partnership with the American Library Association (ALA), awarded More...
Alachua County library helps with food stampsVolunteers/staffers read to childrenChild gets a book to take homeIt's no secret that public libraries often serve as gateways for many Americans to government services that require online registration. More...
AfterLJ posted a mention that various libraries were holding public screenings of President Barack Obama's Inaugural Address, we began to hear that many more libraries had scheduled such events. And we just got the first More...
Free one-day eventProgram to include 'speed coaching,'; resume reviewVault.com is web resource for career info, job searchWhile public libraries have a history of providing resources to small business entrepreneurs and people in various stages of More...
Washington, DC, moves up the listCleveland maintains top libraryspotFort Wayne joins library listSeattle, last year's runner-up, has caught up with Minneapolis to share the top spot in Central Connecticut State University's annual ranking of America's More...
Resource is available in five languagesIncludes videos, links, tipsPartner is Seattle Public LibraryThe San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) has launched an online U.S. Citizenship Toolkit. The online resource is available in five languages: English, Spanish, More...
Job Help Centers occupy downtime spaceStaff, volunteers, and partner organizations helpCenters offer classes in various job-seeking tasksIn response to a struggling economy, the Columbus Metropolitan Library (CML), OH, has decided to make better use of More...
Computers enhance contact with personnel overeasOnly military families can reserve timeSoldiers had better broadband than families back homeThe Alabama Public Library Service (APLS) and Gov. Bob Riley are teaming up on the Connecting Families Project, More...
In his recent An Apple a Day, chemist Joel Schwarcz, director ofMcGill University's Office for Science and Society, separates the wheat from the whack nutritional theories being disseminated by the media. As Americans try to More...
The 'Living Library'; movement, allowing library visitors to book half-hour meetings with individuals with special interests, beliefs, or experiences, has arrived in the United States from Europe, with the organizers proclaiming success for an inaugural More...
Latino library usage is 54 percentService most important to draw users inConcern about user privacy is highMore Latinos than previously assumed use public libraries in the United States, according to a new study, Latinos and More...
Residents asks librarians for help with tax forms, child welfare benefitsSome librarians wary of liability, lack trainingCould increase support or chargebacks be a solution?Librarians in the past few years have begun to recognize how much More...
This step-by-step demonstration of how to check your library's homepage for web accessibility is a companion piece to the August 2008 InfoTech feature, Digital Discrimination. WAVE 4.0 is a free web accessibility evaluation tool. It More...
Digital media distributor's 'Digital Bookmobile'; makes Central Park debutNationwide tour planned to promote customer awareness of libraries' offeringsStill pending from OverDrive: Media Console for the MacYesterday, inside New York City's Central Park, a crowd gathered More...
Urban Library Council aims to push faster library innovationLooks at three-to-five year cyclesJohn Seely Brown ('Innovation at the Edge';) leads sessionFor more ALA coverage, check LibraryJournal.com/ALA2008 In a heady, challenging day-long program June 26,preceding the More...
Carnegie library built in 1907Restored interior includes "First Five Years Space"New African American Heritage CenterThe Macon Branch of the Brooklyn Public Library reopened last week after a two-year, $2 million renovation that has burnished this More...
Library staffers relayed information at "tent city"Community suffered from media blackoutIn aftermath, library was key community centerWildfires last October in California hit San Diego County hard, with nearby Riverside, Los Angeles, and Orange counties also More...
15 systems to be selectedProposals due June 1Partnerships required with community organizationsLibraries for the Future (LFF) has received a $450,000 grant from the MetLife Foundation to expand its 'Fit for Life'; (FFL) program, which will More...
Innovations needed tohaltdrop in lendingBetter hours andmore outreachWould a Loyalty Card help?Margaret Hodge, the Culture Secretary of the United Kingdom, on Thursday issued a tough challenge to the Association of London Chief Librarians, asserting that More...
A new report sponsored by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), InterConnections: A National Study of Users and Potential Users of Online Information, 'provides evidence that public libraries and museums are thriving in More...
Machine at transit stationUp to 400 booksIt started in SwedenSelf-service gets a boost with the nation's first Library-a-Go-Go machine, to be installed in April in a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) location, before the fare More...
Report aimed beyond library leadersFive strategies citedLibraries often ahead of other agenciesMore and more, urban public libraries are stepping up to serve immigrants, and a new report from the Urban Libraries Council (ULC), Welcome, Stranger: More...
Ongoing ALA partnershipPLs help with business plan, research, supportNew contest on how libraries impact healthOver seven years, a partnership between the American Library Association's Campaign for America's Libraries and Woman's Day magazine has reminded readers More...
Super Tuesday, when greatest number of U.S. states holds primary electionsSurvey of libraries in handful of Super Tuesday states show wane in election education since DecemberLibrary web sitessound sources of election informationEvidence of Illinois bracing More...
Analog TV ends February 2009$40 coupons for converter boxesLibraries can direct patrons to coupons Residents of the United States have all of 13 months to adjust to a sea change in television broadcasting, and libraries More...
Libraries low on list of go-to sourcesGen Y use libraries more, and even more say they willInternet users more likely to use librariesTo the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the news was 'Survey More...
Electioneducation takesoffat libraries in early primary statesCaucus training sessions, special displays, catalog listings, web pagesFour out often voters turn to Internet for election infoIn our September 15 issue, LJ Publisher Ron Shank challenged libraries to More...
15 years toy lending at one branchNow expanded to all locationCardholders can reserve toys via web siteCuyahoga Cunty Public Library (CCPL), Parma, OH, had been lending children's toys through its Brooklyn Branch for over 15 More...
Youniquely4U program offers discounts at local businessesService created by Checkpoint SystemsPatrons must enroll to participateDoes not infringe on patron privacyCentral Florida's Leesburg Public Library is one of about 100 libraries in a dozen states that More...
With more than half of the litigants in Wisconsin family court representing themselves, the Wisconsin Court System is holding workshops to acquaint public librarians with the latest law resources available for lawyerless litigants. On September More...
From October 2007 through September 2008, Nashville Public Library (NPL) will be the site of a National Public Radio (NPR)/Library of Congress (LC) StoryBooth, which will record the memories of everyday Americans for NPR broadcast More...
Call your soldier… from the library. The Kalamazoo Public Library (KPL), MI, is teaming up with TDS Metrocom, a telephone, Internet, and satellite television provider, and the Freedom Calls Foundation to serve as a permanent More...
Wisconsinites support libraries even when they don't actually use them, according to a recent statewide survey of 627 residents commissioned by the Wisconsin Public Library Consortium.In the survey, Wisconsin Library User (and Non-User) II polled More...
Librarians in two northern Virginia counties may soon be put in the awkward position of having to check immigration status along with library cards. In mid-July, Prince William and Loudoun counties, just outside of Washington, More...
Charming, disarming, and maybe a little stuck on a idealized image of libraries, author and radio host Garrison Keillorhad the audience at the Closing Session of the American Library Association Annual Conference this morning in More...
The tuneful and loud Detroit indie rock trio The High Strung later this month launches its Second National Rock & Roll Library Tour, visiting at least 35 libraries from New York to California.Two years ago, More...
Suburban Mosaic is a community reading program with a message-confronting and understanding issues of social and racial justice. Communities in the northwest suburbs of Chicago have become more diverse, and a group of libraries, schools, More...
Given its goal of raising the profile of libraries in the state, the Maine Library Association (MLA) has begun a 13-week trial effort to underwriting a radio show on the Maine Public Broadcasting Network (MBPN).Every More...
Thanks to three new bookmobiles, the District of Columbia Public Library (DCPL) will begin dedicated bookmobile service in three communities—Anacostia, Tenley, and Shaw—where branch libraries have been closed for reconstruction since December 2004. Last month, More...
The New York Times's Education page on Wednesday included a sensitively-written feature story that explored the journey of prisoners in a Newark, NJ halfway house to the world of reading. There would be an opportunity More...
What is it about generational issues that gets people's hackles up? To see the email and blog fury fly, all I have to do is drop a word like NextGen or Millennial. It seems like More...
More than 300 librarians, publishers, and distributors met in a free-for-all at LJ's annual Day of Dialog, chewing over hot titles and trends in areas ranging from street lit to spiritual living. Hosted by LJ More...
There is a chasm in our society. On one side of it are jobs, resources, and education. On the other side is a growing number of people who lack the basic skills to access these More...
The city library in Stockholm, Sweden plans to place library book dispensers—essentially vending machines for free—to encourage commuters on the city's underground rail system to read. The test will begin at three stations, according to More...
Circulation figures from the Library of Congress’ National Library Service (NLS) for the Blind and Physically Handicapped show that sight impaired and handicapped people are bucking the national trend and on average are reading seven More...
Loriene Roy University of Texas at Austin Most librarians think literacy is an important goal, but Loriene Roy, an Anishinabe (Ojibwe) enrolled on the White Earth Reservation, knows it's a harder sell among America's two More...
Judy Nelson Pierce County Library System, Tacoma Judy Nelson thinks it's important to understand what the community wants for its young people, "which means lots of listening." We need to give taxpayers more good reasons More...
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