The Scoop

The Scoop is the American Libraries blog and covers a wide range of issues related to libraries and librarians, including conference posts about ALA Midwinter Meeting and ALA Annual Conference. The section also provides news, features, Q&As, photos, videos, slide shows, and other coverage of the industry.

American Libraries to Stream Midwinter Town Hall Meeting
January 17, 2017
In recent months, ALA members have expressed concerns about the effects of the recent election on the positions and advocacy efforts of the Association, and this event was created to provide a forum to continue that conversation. Although the town hall follows the first meeting of ALA’s governing council, all interested conference attendees are welcome to attend and share their feedback, concerns, … Continue reading American Libraries to Stream Midwinter Town Hall Meeting →
Dewey Decibel Podcast: Looking Back
January 4, 2017
You’ll hear clips from Khaled Hosseini (author of The Kite Runner); Alexander McCall Smith (creator of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency series); game designer and writer Jane McGonigal; public speaker Jennifer Kahnweiler; Lois Lowry (author of The Giver); Nick Offerman (from TV’s Parks and Recreation); author, curator, and university professor Sarah Lewis; writer and This American Life regular … Continue reading Dewey Decibel Podcast: Looking Back →

E-Content

The E-Content blog provides information about e-publishing, including news and data about ebooks and other forms of digital publishing and technology.

Digital Content Working Group at Annual Conference
By Erika Linke | July 22, 2016
Michael Blackwell, director of the St. Mary’s County (Md.) Libraries, urged the library community to demand simplicity from content providers and platform developers by putting the user at the heart of the experience and by providing genuine integration of e-content. The e-content field is dynamic, and just as some standards and practices are implemented, new … Continue reading Digital Content Working Group at Annual Conference →
Indyreads: Australia’s New
E-Content Platform
By James LaRue | May 16, 2016
Like the United States and Canada, Australia has struggled with ebook prices that are too high, platforms with unpredictable fees, and licenses that are hostile to libraries, users, and authors alike. Inspired by various examples in the US (the Internet Archive, Douglas County [Colo.] Libraries, Califa Group), the good people at New South Wales established … Continue reading Indyreads: Australia’s New
E-Content Platform →

Latest Library Links

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Ryan Whitwam writes: “Microsoft did everything in its power to get users to take advantage of the free update to Windows 10. It even nagged and fooled people in order to get them on board before it was too late. This didn’t exactly go over well with those who wanted to stick with their old, reliable version of Windows. Microsoft is now calling out anyone who is still using Windows 7, especially those in an enterprise setting. It says the operating system is outdated, and even with patches, it’s not secure enough.”

ExtremeTech, Jan. 17
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President Barack Obama appointed seven museum and library professionals to serve on the National Museum and Library Services Board. They were sworn in January 17 by Institute of Museum and Library Services Director Kathryn K. Matthew. The two librarians are Deborah Taylor, coordinator of school and student services at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore; and Jonathan L. Zittrain, vice dean for library and information resources at the Harvard Law School Library and cofounder of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society.

Institute of Museum and Library Services, Jan. 17
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Four-year-old Daliyah Marie Arana has been reading on her own since age 2. She has now read more than 1,000 books, some even at college level. So when Daliyah asked her local librarian at one of the Hall County (Ga.) library branches if she could be a librarian for a day, her mother Haleema Arana wanted to help her meet her goal. American Libraries spoke to both Daliyah and Haleema to hear more about the experience, Daliyah’s favorite books, and her dreams for the future.

American Libraries feature, Jan. 17
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David Portman writes: “Fans of the latest Star Wars saga Rogue One will notice that digital archiving forms a prominent part in the new film. This is good news, as we can use it as an example of how we are working every day to ensure the durability and security of our content. More importantly it makes our jobs sound much more glamorous. When asked ‘so what do you do?’ we can start with ‘remember the bit in Rogue One?’ However, we couldn’t help but notice some flaws in the Empire’s digital preservation policy.”

Preservica, Dec. 21
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ALCTS has launched a new mentoring program for its members. The ALCTS Mentoring Program facilitates and encourages professional development of members at any stage in their career and in any of the areas related to the work of the division. Applications are now being accepted for the first cohort of mentors and mentees. The application deadline is March 17, with the mentor and mentee pairing process to be completed by May 12.

ALCTS, Jan. 17
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Barbara A. Alvarez writes: “What is an embedded business librarian? An embedded business librarian is a library professional who is rooted in the business community; a librarian who is part of the business community instead of separate from it, who strives to be an equal partner and have an equal voice. Small business owners, professionals, and job seekers see the embedded business librarian as a peer, colleague, and fellow business community member instead of an outsider who solely represents the library.”

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American Libraries feature, Jan./Feb.
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The ALA Executive Board will be hosting ALA Town Hall: Library Advocacy and Core Values in Uncertain Times for members during the Midwinter Meeting in Atlanta. The event will take place on Sunday, January 22, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. in the GWCC Thomas Murphy Ballroom 3–4, immediately following the Council I meeting. American Libraries will be stream it live at facebook.com/amlibraries. The meeting will be facilitated by Cheryl Gorman, senior fellow at the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation.

AL: The Scoop, Jan. 17