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New technology in libraries
Exhibit Hall at American Library Association 2012 in Anaheim California (small portion)I suppose all professional organizations have regular large, national or international meetings where members...
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Research for ordinary people
Scientists in their labs or historians poring over manuscript collections and archives are researchers. Many of them become well known in their profession, and maybe even with the general public....
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How the American public perceives and uses libraries
Circulation desk at Newburyport Public Library The Pew Research Center has lately issued a substantial report called Library Services in the Digital Age. I will explore this important research in depth...
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Libraries, immigrants, and digital literacy
Immigrants to the US generally come with some skills and resources, but not necessarily everything they need to succeed here. For example, many arrive with limited or no facility in the English...
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Movies, technology, and libraries
I’m dating myself again, but I remember when home movies used 8 mm film. Movies available for sale were 16 mm. The latter were mostly made for educational purposes, so only English classes ever had...
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Classical music for children at the library
EMF Encircling the City, Greensboro Public Library, Benjamin Branch For the past three years, the Greensboro (North Carolina) Public Library, in partnership with the Eastern Music Festival, have...
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Reference librarians reach out
Reference interview A librarian sits at the reference desk. Patrons come to the desk, ask questions, and receive answers. That’s the way it’s supposed to work. I have personally served at busy times...
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Reference librarians reach out: low tech this time
Seattle librarian Jared Mills backs his custom-made “Books on Bikes” trailer into its spot at a farmers market. I wish I had read about this before I wrote last week’s post. Except for walking around...
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Government websites you should know about: Medline Plus
Medline Plus is a database made available by the National Library of Medicine. Most library databases require a subscription that only libraries can afford to pay. Because Medline Plus originates from...
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Borrowing from a digital library
I have written numerous posts about the general concept that libraries are about more than books. That doesn’t change the fact that libraries are still very much about books. It’s just that nowadays,...
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3 unusual and unexpected library services
We all know that libraries are more than books, more even than their collections. We expect public libraries to have children’s departments. We expect academic libraries to have reserves. We expect any...
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Earth Day at the library
The Greensboro Public Library’s Kathleen Clay Edwards branch held an Earth Day exhibit on Saturday afternoon, April 5 to coincide with the Guilford County School’s spring break. Earth Day is officially...
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Libraries: a shelter in a storm?
Ruined building, Moore, Oklahoma, May 20, 2013 With the recent observance of the anniversary of a devastating tornado in Moore, Oklahoma, I wondered if libraries provide storm shelters. I found both...
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5 more unusual and unexpected library services
Drones in flight All public and academic libraries offer the same basic services. Many offer unexpected services. In some cases, they are the library’s response to unique local needs. In others, one...
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How the Disabled Benefit from Libraries
Guest post by Helen Mainwaring. Learning, even under the best of conditions, can be tough. In a world that is still reeling from financial meltdown of 2008, it often seems that it is education – and...
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22 ways to use the library
Do you know what’s going on at the library? Even if you’re a regular library user, you may may be missing something interesting. Libraries represent a kind of “third space,” which is neither home nor...
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Surprising place to get healthy: at the library
Healthy Library Initiative home page screen shot As the Affordable Care Act’s flaws become more apparent and politicians bicker over how, or whether, to fix it, where can we look for real leadership on...
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How to take expensive online courses free at the library
Taking an online course? Do you want to take online courses? And know they’re legit? Some companies offer thousands of courses. You can take as many as you want, if you want to pay $20-30 a month for a...
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Library makerspaces challenge imagination
Cincinnati Public Library Makerspace Does it look like we have a whole generation glued to their smart phones and disconnected from their surroundings? Makerspaces encourage collaboration and make...
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More innovative library services
Technological innovation always leads to innovative library services. Libraries quickly embraced personal computers, for example. Probably any library in the country will help patrons learn to use a...
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