How Libraries can Build Communities with Minecraft (YALSA blog)
“On Thursday afternoons, in the heart of the Beacon Hill Library in Seattle, you might find an animated group of youth on laptops designing parkour courses, rendering torch lit dungeons or co-constructing capture the flag arenas—all in Minecraft, the popular world-building game. To some, this scene might seem somewhat out of place in a library: Aren’t video games and lively teen banter fundamentally at odds with an institution whose core identity markers are books and silence? Not according to Juan Rubio, the Digital Media and Learning Program Manager for the Seattle Public Library (SPL).”
SJSU-Led Team Explores Blockchain in Libraries (Library Journal)
“A group led by San José State University iSchool (SJSU) Director Sandra Hirsh and SJSU lecturer Susan Alman is exploring how the library field could use blockchain, the open source, secure distributed database system originally developed to validate and record Bitcoin cryptocurrency transactions. Funded with a recent $100,000 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), SJSU is planning an online Library 2.0 conference on the topic on June 7, 2018, and a Blockchain National Forum gathering library leaders, blockchain innovators, and urban planners for mid-2018. This month, the project also launched Blockchains for the Information Profession, a new website that will serve as a landing spot for ideas, conversation, and education on the topic, as well as information about the upcoming conference and forum.”
Micromanaging Library Leaders Rarely Know the Damage They Do [Library Journal] (Library Link of the Day)
“It’s little coincidence that micromanaging bosses lack the basic self-awareness to know the damage they’re doing to staff morale, because they are often completely unaware of their own micromanaging behavior. The good news is that it may be possible for the habitual micromanager to do something about it, but recognizing it must the first step to change.”
Cultural Heritage: Assessment: Europeana Publishes “Impact Playbook: For Museums, Libraries, Archives and Galleries” (INFOdocket)
“Do you need to demonstrate the impact of your work? Are you curious to know what effect it has on people’s lives, and how the daily activities of your museum, library or archive contribute to create that change? Are you looking for tools to help you measure it? If you’ve found yourself asking these questions, we’ve got just the thing to help you out.
The State of Law Library eBooks 2017-18 Part One: The Landscape (LLRX)
“Ellyssa Kroski is the Director of Information Technology at the New York Law Institute and an award-winning editor and author of 36 books. In Part One of a three part series for LLRX, she describes the current landscape of eBooks relevant to the law library field, the benefits and challenges of offering eBooks in law libraries, the different ways to purchase law-related eBooks, and how to get started choosing a solution.”
DPLA Welcomes Digital Maine (DPLA)
“As we prepare to ring in a new year, we are pleased to share the collections of Digital Maine, which joins Oklahoma, Florida, Montana, Maryland, Michigan, and Illinois, as the seventh new partner whose collections have been added to DPLA in 2017. With Maine State Library at the helm, Digital Maine contributes state documents and records, dating back to the Revolutionary War, as well as materials from local libraries and historical societies across the state.”
Demco Software Reinvents its Boopsie Library Mobile App with Demco DiscoverMobile? (E Content)
“Demco DiscoverMobile is the next generation of the Boopsie mobile app. The new app presents library information in the increasingly popular at-a-glance format, streamlining how patrons browse collections, check out titles, and register for upcoming events via their smartphones.”
Community Map of Canada Now Available ( New Stephen’s Lighthouse)
“The Community Map of Canada is the first uniform, detailed and accessible digital basemap of Canada that’s free for everyone to use,” says Alex Miller, president, Esri Canada. “It’s built from data contributions as well as open data from local authorities across the country”
EveryLibrary Prepares To Build a National Base of Library Supporters (Library Journal)
“Marking its fifth anniversary on September 5, EveryLibrary, a nonprofit political action committee dedicated to building voter support for libraries, announced its One Million Americans For Libraries Campaign. The initiative, intended to promote the importance of libraries nationwide, aims to garner one million Likes on EveryLibrary’s Facebook page—allowing it to reach more than seven million Americans every week, inspiring them to sign petitions, attend rallies, and vote yes for library budgets and funding.”
Charleston Advisor Reader’s Choice Awards Names RedLink’s Library Dashboard Best New Product/Service for 2017 ( Library Technology Guides)
“RedLink’s Library Dashboard, which helps librarians and institutions by providing a complete, normalized overview of usage and turn-away statistics, has been named Best New Product/Service in the 2017 Charleston Advisor Readers’ Choice Awards.”
4 ways to extend the library’s presence into the community ( New Stephen’s Lighthouse)
“Meeting patrons where they spend most of their time is a fantastic way to extend the library’s presence into the community and to make the public aware of all the great opportunities they can have at a library. Also, local citizens want libraries to be in places where people can combine the library service with other activities such as shopping or other leisure activities.”
Minnesota: Hennepin County Public Library Launches “MnSpin” Streaming Service Featuring a Curated Collection of Music by Local Artists and Groups (INFOdocket)
“Discover Minnesota musicians on MnSpin, Hennepin County Library’s new music streaming and download platform that will give music lovers and seekers access to 50-plus curated albums by local artists and groups.”
New York City Public Libraries Offer One-Time Fine Amnesty on Kids’ and Teens’ Library Cards ( INFOdocket)
New York, Brooklyn and Queens Library in NYC decided to forgive approximately $2.25 million in outstanding fines.
The Problems With Searching the Deep Web (Information Today)
“A variety of search engines are working to provide improved access to key information otherwise hidden inside of websites or behind paywalls. Methods to get to this deep web are currently still under development—and are not regulated to protect users from unethical practices. Deep web search engines are able to uncover more information and links and improve the results of a search to include an estimated 500% more information than traditional search engines.”
The Best Free Online File Converters for All Your Formatting Needs ( New Stephen’s Lighthouse)
“Have you ever received a file or created one of your own that needed to be in a different format? Whether it’s from PDF to DOC, JPG to BMP, or MP3 to WAV, documents, images, audio and video files can be converted easier than you think.”
LexisNexis Implements Critical Mention’s Broadcast Media Monitoring API
“Critical Mention is the world’s leading aggregator of real-time television and radio content. Every day, Critical Mention collects and indexes online news articles, social media posts, and broadcast programming so that communications and public relations professionals at corporations, non-profits, and marketing agencies can stay on top of their media coverage.”
Las Vegas-Clark County Library District implements Patron Point (Library Technology Guides)
“Patron Point is a totally new patron relationship management system that produces web-driven marketing programs. Combining user demographic and activity-based data with marketing automation technology, Patron Point delivers a new level of personalization to library marketing. ”
The Job Outlook: In 2030, Librarians Will Be in Demand | Editorial ( Library Journal)
“A fascinating new report takes a fresh look at what the workforce is going to look like in the future and which skills will be highly sought after. According to “The Future of Skills: Employment in 2030”, there will be an increased call for librarians, curators, and archivists, among other occupations.”
DPLA Exchange offers library-centered ebook marketplace ( Library Technology Guides)
“The launch of the Exchange represents a major milestone in the DPLA ebook pilot announced earlier this year. The goal of the program is to demonstrate how DPLA can help libraries maximize access to ebooks for their patrons”
Google Directs Users to Library Ebooks from OverDrive (Library Journal)
“OverDrive is enabling Google to display library ebooks prominently in open web search results. Announced in a tweet last month by Google, and reported by media outlets including Slate, Fortune.com, and TheVerge, the new feature displays a “Borrow ebook” option highlighting the searched for title and linking to libraries within a user’s geolocated range.”
A Visit to the Best Buy Teen Tech Center at the Minneapolis Central Library (via Minnesota Public Radio) (INFOdocket)
“The center is loaded with the latest technology, from virtual reality headsets to a green screen to a soundproof recording studio. A bank of computers on one end of the space features photo and video editing software. Nearby is a small music station housing guitars and a keyboard, while a row of printers — big and small and 3-D — churn out banners and photos and chess pieces. The center also includes what some could consider low-tech equipment, like a button maker, T-shirt press and sewing machines. But their purpose is the same as their high-tech cousins — to give members a chance to develop their know-how that could later come in handy.”
Gale and Texas Public Libraries deliver program to give residents access to accredited high school diplomas ( Library Technology Guides)
“Five Texas libraries have partnered with Gale, a leading provider of library resources and a Cengage company, to offer the opportunity to earn an accredited high school diploma and career certificate at public libraries across the state. Qualifying Texas adults can enroll in the Career Online High School program starting today through the following public library systems: Houston, Dallas, Frisco, Grapevine and Sulphur Springs.”
Library Visits Have Gone Way Up Over the Last Two Decades. Here’s Why… ( New Stephen’s Lighthouse)
“Possibly the biggest reason that library visits have grown so drastically in the last two decades is that libraries have become the go-to places for computer classes, help with devices like tablets and e-readers, and access to free ebooks and audiobooks. Over time, people have come to understand that the role of libraries is not on the bleeding-edge of technology, but focused rather on the needs of their communities”
NYPL Unveils Plans for Schwarzman Building (Library Journal)
“At a November 15 board of trustees meeting, New York Public Library (NYPL) administration unveiled the master plan for renovations to its main branch, the Steven A. Schwarzman Building on Fifth Avenue and 42nd Street in Manhattan. The work is part of NYPL’s Midtown Campus renovation, which includes the gut renovation of the Mid-Manhattan Library across Fifth Avenue, currently in progress.These represent the second round of plans for the Schwarzman Building, undertaken after NYPL’s original Central Library Plan (CLP), first announced in 2008, was abandoned in 2014.”
Notable Lectures & Presentations:
Thanks Ohio Library Council! Adopt or Adapt? (Tame The web)
Adopt or Adapt: Approaches to Emerging Tech and Trends
Presenter: Michael Stephens, San Jose State University
“There’s no doubt about it. Library Information Science has become a technology-driven field. Information technology is impacting every industry right now, and libraries are no different. Note the influx of job descriptions for emerging tech librarians, user experience specialists, and others who guide technology-focused projects and departments”
Instagram: Effective Use for Libraries ( Lone Wolf Librarian)
David Lee King on effective use of Instagram for libraries.
VIDEO: Recording of IMLS NDP (National Digital Platform) at Three Meeting
(INFOdocket)
“As IMLS concludes its third year of National Digital Platform funding through the National Leadership Grants for Libraries Program and the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program, the agency takes a look back at what has been accomplished and explores future directions for increasing the digital capacity of libraries and museums.”
New Video Recording: OCLC’s Lorcan Dempsey Speaks at Washington University in St. Louis on “Libraries, Library Users, and Collections” (INFOdocket)
Lorcan Dempsey, vice president of membership and research, and chief strategist at the OCLC discusses “Libraries, Library Users, and Collections”.
TVO: Ontario Hubs: Our Changing Libraries ( New Stephen’s Lighthouse)
“From 3D printers to mental health services, public libraries across the province are evolving to meet a changing society and a digital age. For Ontario Public Library Week, Ontario Hubs presents a round table on the changing role of libraries.”
Smart Spaces for Small Libraries ( Lone Wolf Librarian)
Presentation by Betha Gutsche and Pattie Mayfield
Sex, Drugs and the Public Library [NBC Southern California] ( Library Link of the Day)
“The NBC4 I-Team went undercover for three months to investigate and what we found has the LAPD taking a closer look. Joel Grover reports for the NBC4 News at 11”
Library Blogs Buzz 