Making Room for Innovation
Two library service prototyping spaces, in two very different places, have a remarkable amount in common. Nate Hill runs and operates the 4th Floor in Chattanooga, a large public library loft space operating as a flexible community makerspace and event space. Jeff Goldenson co-ran and operated Labrary, a 37-day design experiment occupying a vacant storefront in Cambridge.
The MLS and the Race Line | Editorial
Many efforts to diversify the ranks of librarians focus on well-intentioned but expensive projects to recruit a small number of aspiring students who may, or may not, become long-term members of the profession. For example, in April the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) gave a grant of $487,652 to support a joint diversity [...]
Penguin Blinks on Agency Model Civil Suit
After coming down to the wire, with a trial scheduled to start June 3, Penguin announced May 22 that it will settle the remaining ebook price fixing class action suits, as well as claims filed by 33 states. The publisher had already settled similar Federal claims with the Department of Justice in December 2012. Under that settlement, Penguin agreed to end its allegedly anticompetitive agreements with Apple and other retailers for a period of two years.
Should “Tweeps” Be in the Dictionary?
Thursday, May 23, 2013, 2:00-3:00 PM ET How does social media impact on our view of dictionaries and the development of the English language? In this webcast, a dictionary editor, a reviewer from Library Journal, and a linguist, lexicographer, and language columnist come together to discuss and debate the topic Register now!
Of Predators and Public Health | Peer to Peer Review
Why would one decide to publish a journal on public health? It sound like a rhetorical question, but it may be more serious than we think. The obvious answer is to improve the health of the public. But if that really is the goal, a publisher in public health would need to try to reach the largest audience of the public that was possible. So a recent announcement from one prominent public health publisher casts doubt on that intent, and the purpose of the journal overall.
For Brooklyn PL, Planned Sale of Branches Promises Opportunity, Provokes Concern
BPL, one of three systems in New York City and the country’s fifth-largest library (by population served), has suffered consistent underfunding of capital needs, with its 59 locations facing a $230 million backlog of deferred maintenance, barely dented by the $15 million annual allotment of capital funding.
Their solution: sell two aging libraries that occupy valuable land, and work with real estate developers to include libraries in residential towers. It’s not uncommon for urban libraries to consider mixed-use buildings, though few face the real estate froth characteristic in Brooklyn.
The MLS and the Race Line | Editorial
Many efforts to diversify the ranks of librarians focus on well-intentioned but expensive projects to recruit a small number of aspiring students who may, or may not, become long-term members of the profession. For example, in April the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) gave a grant of $487,652 to support a joint diversity [...]
Latest Articles
The MLS and the Race Line | Editorial
Many efforts to diversify the ranks of librarians focus on well-intentioned but expensive projects to recruit a small number of aspiring students who may, or may not, become long-term members of the profession. For example, in April the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) gave a grant of $487,652 to support a joint diversity [...]
Penguin Blinks on Agency Model Civil Suit
After coming down to the wire, with a trial scheduled to start June 3, Penguin announced May 22 that it will settle the remaining ebook price fixing class action suits, as well as claims filed by 33 states. The publisher had already settled similar Federal claims with the Department of Justice in December 2012. Under that settlement, Penguin agreed to end its allegedly anticompetitive agreements with Apple and other retailers for a period of two years.
ALA Accountability and Accreditation of LIS Programs | Backtalk
Michael Kelley’s April 29, 2013 editorial “Can We Talk about the MLS?” and the 157 comments posted to that article so far prompted us to consider accountability for the American Library Association’s (ALA) accreditation of graduate programs in library and information science. The ALA Standards emphasize what programs must accomplish in terms of strategic planning and student learning outcomes. ALA does not dictate what those outcomes should be nor does it specify any particular courses that must be offered in an MLIS program. So, what does it mean to be a graduate of an ALA accredited program?
Of Predators and Public Health | Peer to Peer Review
Why would one decide to publish a journal on public health? It sound like a rhetorical question, but it may be more serious than we think. The obvious answer is to improve the health of the public. But if that really is the goal, a publisher in public health would need to try to reach the largest audience of the public that was possible. So a recent announcement from one prominent public health publisher casts doubt on that intent, and the purpose of the journal overall.
NYC Kids Rally for Libraries; City Council Members Urge Full Funding
More than a dozen New York City Council members, the presidents of New York’s three library systems, and several hundred librarians, library staff, supporters, advocates, and children from nearby schools rallied on the steps of city hall to protest $106 million in proposed funding cuts. Council members Jimmy Van Bramer and Vincent J. Gentile also pledged to introduce legislation that would create a baseline of stable funding for the city’s public library services.
Remembering Peter Workman
The New York publishing world—and beyond—turned out in force on May 14 to pay tribute to Peter Workman, whom Barnes & Noble chairman Len Riggio termed “one of the brightest stars, and greatest minds, in the history of publishing.” Few of the nearly 1,000 attendees at the memorial service held at Columbia University would disagree.
IMLS Invites Civic-Minded Techies To Hack Agency Data
The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) announced on May 21 its plans to participate in the first National Day of Civic Hacking on June 1 and 2. Described as a “public-private-people partnership,” the event is being further described as “the largest ever to bring together citizens from around the country to work with local, state, and federal governments—as well as private sector organizations—with the common goal of improving their community through technology.”
Ebooks, Online Drive Trade Sales Growth
The BookStats 2013 survey, co-produced by the Association of American Publishers (AAP) and the Book Industry Study Group (BISG), released some provisional numbers on May 15. (A few statistics are being recalculated, but won’t impact the trend). BookStats found that trade publishing overall saw significant growth since 2011, despite the closures of many brick-and-mortar stores during the same period. Not surprisingly, publishers’ revenue from brick and mortar retail fell 7 percent, but more than made up the ground online, growing 21 percent. Overall, trade net revenue rose 6.9 percent to just over $15 billion in 2012. The number of books sold also grew, by 8.1 percent, to $2.291 billion.
“Ex-Detroit Library Official Timothy Cromer Charged With Taking $1.4 Million in Bribes”
From MLive.com: U.S. Attorney Barbara L. McQuade on Tuesday charged Cromer, the Detroit Public Library chief administrative and technology officer, with taking more than $1.4 million in bribes and kickbacks from library contractors. Cromer, 46, who had earned an annual salary of $145,323, is charged in a 21-count indictment along with contractors James Henley and [...]
Leadership Lessons for Higher Education Administration | Leading From the Library
Thinking about academic library administration as your next career step? When you do, you become a higher education administrator too. Here are some things you may want to know about moving into higher education administration, and some leadership lessons you’ll learn when you do.
Upcoming Webcasts
Should “Tweeps” Be in the Dictionary?
Thursday, May 23, 2013, 2:00-3:00 PM ET How does social media impact on our view of dictionaries and the development of the English language? In this webcast, a dictionary editor, a reviewer from Library Journal, and a linguist, lexicographer, and language columnist come together to discuss and debate the topic Register now!
More Webcasts:
- Data-Driven Libraries Part 2: Understanding Customers Through Segmentation Analytics
- Data-Driven Libraries Part 1: Analyzing Data to Manage Print Collections
- Rejuvenate Your Space: Top Building Trends in Library Design
- Behind the Scenes with Gale Publishing Stories
- Sizzling Spring Cookbook Buzz
- eBooks: Exploring the Rapidly Evolving Options
- Some Fine Romance: Spring Titles 2013
- Perspectives on Academic Patrons: A Closer Look at Takeaways from Library Journal’s Academic Patron Profiles
LJ in Print
Making Room for Innovation
Two library service prototyping spaces, in two very different places, have a remarkable amount in common. Nate Hill runs and operates the 4th Floor in Chattanooga, a large public library loft space operating as a flexible community makerspace and event space. Jeff Goldenson co-ran and operated Labrary, a 37-day design experiment occupying a vacant storefront in Cambridge.
BEA For All: A Librarian’s Guide to BookExpo America 2013
To make the most of BEA, here are the offerings that are best for librarians—not all of them are particularly aimed at our profession, but eavesdropping on “the other side” can be illuminating. Though ebook questions feature heavily, we’re moving on from library availability concerns to debates surrounding secondhand ebooks, the effects on authors, and e-publishing of out-of-print titles.
Featured Posts from LJ Reviews
Video Reviews | May 15, 2013
Reviews of Pina: Dance, Dance, Otherwise We Are Lost, Duke, and Copper, plus a full list of Video titles from the May 15 issue.
Barbara’s Picks, Nov. 2013, Pt. 3: Fiction from Albom, Baldacci, Banks, Child/Preston, Griffith, Hammett, Lynch, Miles, & Smith
Albom, Mitch. The First Phone Call from Heaven. Harper: HarperCollins. Nov. 2013. 272p. ISBN 9780062294371. $24.99; ebk. ISBN 9780062294395. lrg. prnt. CD: HarperAudio. POP FICTION Phones are ringing off the hook in little Coldwater, MI, but the callers are all deceased, stirring emotions from joyous relief to uncertain fear as they report being happy in [...]
Cooking Reviews | May 15, 2013
Columnist Lisa Campbell reviews cooking titles that focus on healthy and tasty recipes.
Poetry Goes (Sort of) Viral, Undying Love for Nick Carraway, and an Unlikely Roadtrip | What We’re Reading
This week, Library Journal and School Library Journal staffers are reading some books very much of the moment: the follow-up to Code Name Verity and the genesis of Baz Luhrmann’s fizzy film. Others are stuck in the past, or someplace in the middle.
Blogs & Columns
The MLS and the Race Line | Editorial
Many efforts to diversify the ranks of librarians focus on well-intentioned but expensive projects to recruit a small number of aspiring students who may, or may not, become long-term members of the profession. For example, in April the Institute … [Read More...]
ALA Accountability and Accreditation of LIS Programs | Backtalk
Michael Kelley’s April 29, 2013 editorial “Can We Talk about the MLS?” and the 157 comments posted to that article so far prompted us to consider accountability for the American Library Association's (ALA) accreditation of graduate programs in … [Read More...]
Of Predators and Public Health | Peer to Peer Review
Why would one decide to publish a journal on public health? It sound like a rhetorical question, but it may be more serious than we think. The obvious answer is to improve the health of the public. But if that really is the goal, a publisher in … [Read More...]
Leadership Lessons for Higher Education Administration | Leading From the Library
Thinking about academic library administration as your next career step? When you do, you become a higher education administrator too. Here are some things you may want to know about moving into higher education administration, and some leadership … [Read More...]
Send Me Your Library Cats | Editorial
Cats are frequently a part of the library landscape. Just as they find a nook in shops, cats find a shelf at many libraries and add their feline charm to the service. Other animals have a library role, particularly therapy dogs. But I’m not sure … [Read More...]
