Atlas Obscura: “On a shelf just behind the reference desk at the Harmon branch of the Phoenix Public Library, are small pouches of seeds. Like the books and DVDs, they’re available to check out. The library allows visitors to take a few packets of the vegetable and flower seeds home for free just by showing… Continue Reading
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Category Archives: Libraries
Hand-crafted fact-checking matters in an algorithmic world
Inside Higher Education: “It’s International Fact-Checking Day, a project of the Poynter Institute. What a quaint concept! It’s intrinsic to good journalism, but it can’t be done by algorithm or en masse – it’s lovingly hand-crafted work in pursuit of nailing down something that’s often ambiguous and needs to be considered in context and without… Continue Reading
New on LLRX – Our “Small” Project with a Big Impact: Littler’s Knowledge Desk, A Case Study
Via LLRX – Cynthia L. Brown, Director Research Services at Littler Mendelson P.C. discusses the firm’s one-stop-shop for all KM and library research inquiries and needs – the Knowledge Desk. The Knowledge Desk is available to all Littler attorneys and staff for any legal research, traditional library resources, KM requests or questions concerning the legal… Continue Reading
What Are Screens Doing to Our Eyes and Our Ability to See?
Wired: “Our eyes are hardening; we can barely see our phones anymore. We must learn to look at the wider world. The eyes are unwell. Their childhood suppleness is lost. The lenses, as we log hours on this earth, thicken, stiffen, even calcify. The eyes are no longer windows on souls. They’re closer to teeth.… Continue Reading
Yes, Bookmobiles Are Still A Thing
Pew Trusts: “The van comes to a stop just as it reaches the hens. A bleating lamb is the first to greet Sandra Hennessee as she opens the van door and lets in the midday sun. To get here, on an Amish farm in rural western Kentucky, Hennessee headed west from the small town of… Continue Reading
Why The Number Of Independent Bookstores Increased During The ‘Retail Apocalypse’
All Things Considered – NPR – Podcast and Transcript: “Between 2009 and 2015, the number of independent bookstores grew by 35 percent. This happened during the so-called “retail apocalypse,” which has pitted Amazon against every retail outlet in America. We’ve been hearing for years that the independent bookstore business is in rough shape. It turns… Continue Reading
JSTOR’s free read-only access gets simpler
“JSTOR has made its free read-only access more flexible. Now, anyone with a MyJSTOR account can read up to six journal articles online every 30 days. Designed primarily for people who are not affiliated with an institution, JSTOR’s read-only service offers a way for independent researchers to explore more than 2,000 scholarly journals. Need access?… Continue Reading
Recommended Data Elements for Describing Archived Web Content
OCLC: “This is the third and final post reporting on the work of our OCLC Research Library Partnership Web Archiving Working Group. The first post summarizes our work overall and lists some of the conundrums that librarians and archivists have experienced when trying to describe web content. The second post goes into some detail about our… Continue Reading
Overlooked: How the New York Times Covers Librarians’ Obituaries
JSTOR – [See the article referenced, available to read free online: The Portrayal of Librarians in Obituaries at the End of the Twentieth Century]: “Historically, the New York Times’s pages have been male-dominated, and its obituary section is no different. On International Women’s Day, the paper set out to supplement the record by running obituaries for overlooked… Continue Reading
Who doesn’t read books in America?
“About a quarter of American adults (24%) say they haven’t read a book in whole or in part in the past year, whether in print, electronic or audio form. Who are these non-book readers? Several demographic traits correlate with non-book reading, Pew Research Center surveys have found. For instance, adults with a high school degree… Continue Reading
AALL partners with Perma.cc to ensure unbroken links to association publications
“The American Association of Law Libraries (AALL) today announces the organization is partnering with Perma.cc to ensure AALL publications will remain complete and maintain their longevity for the benefit of its more than 4,500 members and those served by their legal information expertise. Perma.cc is a service that helps scholars, courts, and others create citation… Continue Reading
GPO Statement On H.R. 5305, The FDLP Modernization Act Of 2018
“On March 15, 2018, Committee on House Administration Chairman Gregg Harper introduced H.R. 5305, the FDLP Modernization Act of 2018, a bipartisan bill cosponsored by all other members of the Committee to reform the Federal Depository Library Program (FDLP). The FDLP is administered by the U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO). The GPO is pleased to… Continue Reading
