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Written on: April 6th, 2010 in Blog Posts
During a late-night online conversation with Laurel-based twitterer @thatselbert over the weekend we briefly digressed into a few comments on the “perks” of working in a library. I don’t think that there’s much of an argument- if you work in a library, publishers want to give you books, sometimes months before they’re available in stores, so that you can write about them and recommend them and contribute to the ‘buzz’ around this or that title- more often than not, perhaps, titles that aren’t going to consume all of the publicity oxygen available.
Now that publishers are starting to prepare their summer releases, and we’re also in conference season, advance copies have been thick on the ground. Here are a few that I’ve read recently that I was impressed by, and I’m hoping that you will get to see these in your Delaware library- most are slated for a May publication date:
Written on: April 5th, 2010 in Blog Posts
Here are some of the books featured in the most recent New York Times Sunday Book Reviews. Click on the titles to see holdings in the Delaware Library Catalog, learn more about the books, or place a hold.
Written on: April 1st, 2010 in Blog Posts
This map marks the cities, towns, communities, and states that have made the decision to either eliminate certified school library positions (indicated in blue) or require one school librarian to work with two (2) or more school library programs throughout the week (indicated in red).
Written on: April 1st, 2010 in Blog Posts, Informal learning, Learning, Learning Journeys
Know up front that I alternate between amazement and criticism of communication technologies. And, my peers evidently agree. So as I report back to you about the Virtual Public Library Association (PLA) Conference, we bounce from “Wow, our panel members are all over the country during this presentation too,” to “The sound is just awful,” and “Why isn’t there streaming video?” However, the topic selection & panel format for the workshops were perfect for this venue. General interest subjects full of in-the-trenches content provided by experts in the field. Keep this in mind as you consider a full day of online learning. A full-day is a very different intellectual commitment than a one-hour webinar.
The real power of the conference emerged in the group learning. Participants from varied libraries gathered at one of the five hosting sites to “attend” together. The shared experience enriched the learning by sparking conversations centered on Delaware libraries and patrons; the idea exchange was huge! And of course, the informal learning that occurs when dedicated individuals congregate almost always results in better service for customers. I heard discussions on everything from speedier ways to get items on the shelves to programs for 20-somethings to library collection building. A special thank you to the staff at the Lewes and Laurel public libraries for including me in this most gratifying adventure.
Written on: March 31st, 2010 in Blog Posts
New Castle County Libraries are delighted to present Ann Patchett, acclaimed author of Bel Canto, on Monday, April 12. Winner of both the PEN/Faulkner Award and the Orange Prize in 2002, Bel Canto is this year’s New Castle County Reads selection. Join us in welcoming Ann Patchett to Delaware.
This will be the literary event you won’t want to miss. A book signing will follow the presentation.
Ann Patchett will do a presentation on Monday, April 12 @ 7 pm at the St. Mark’s School Auditorium. (click here for directions.)
Find out more about Bel Canto at the Delaware Library Catalog- click here to check availability or place a hold. Click here to check availability in the New Castle County library system.
Written on: March 30th, 2010 in Blog Posts
The recently-released report Opportunity for all: How the American Public Benefits from Internet Access at U.S. Libraries is the result of a collaboration between the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the University of Washington, and the Institute for Museum and Library Services. It’s the first large-scale study of who uses the internet in libraries, and what they use it for- nearly 50,000 people were polled by phone, online, and by extended interview.
The report confirms “the unique role that public libraries play in the evolving digital landscape”, with key findings including:
You can read the whole report here, or download from the link below:
OPP4ALL Final Report
Learn More about the study.
Download the complete report.
Written on: March 29th, 2010 in Blog Posts
The New York Times Sunday book review section once again included a tempting array of new books, and just like every week, you can find many of these titles at one of your Delaware libraries.
Jason Turbow’s Baseball Codes investigates the moral code of baseball that underlies the written rule, “dozens of stories from baseball history about situations that are not governed by the rule book but that pertain to the fuzzy notions of rightness and respect” that guide players and umpires alike.
The Whale, by Philip Hoare is “a rhapsodic meditation on all things cetacean” that details the ecology and biology of the world’s most massive creatures, and a sad history of the whaling industry
Jeff Shesol’s Supreme Power is a timely chronicle of President Roosevelt’s “court-packing” strategy, by which the President tried to overwhelm the Court’s challenges to the constitutionality of his New Deal legislation by threatening to expand the bench and fill it with supporters. Shesol’s book is “deeply researched and beautifully written..the most thorough account of this dramatic and still contested event.”
The Irresistible Henry House, by Lisa Grunwald is based on the little-known story of how hundreds of American babies were imported from orphanages and raised on college campuses in the first half of the 20th Century as ‘practice babies’, part of home economics curriculum.
Mrs. Adams In Winter by Michael O’Brien recounts the journey of Louisa Adams (wife of John Quincy Adams) from St. Petersburg to Paris in the winter of 1815. Mrs. Adams herself originally documented the trip in her own Adventures of a Nobody and O’Brien uses the original text as a stepping off point for a broader history of Europe in 1815 and the (other) Adams family’s place in America’s history.
Written on: March 25th, 2010 in Blog Posts, Informal learning, Learning, Learning Journeys
While the public library learning/networking event, our biennial Public Library Association (PLA) Conference, launches in Portland, OR today, many (most?) of us are not there. You know all the reasons. However, cadres of Delaware library staff will be attending…via the PLA Virtual Conference. A select group of live workshops will be broadcast throughout Thursday and Friday.
Virtual learning isn’t new, of course. Pick an interest ~ find information. But, this formalized approach, which the business community has had in place for years, is becoming more readily available for non-profit professionals and our individual informal learning. Let’s talk about the experience. I’ll report back on our Virtual PLA adventure next week. Meanwhile, share an adventure of your own here.
Wondering about the frog picture? It’s a Spring Peeper. Their voices seem especially loud this year and I wanted to take a peek. Imagine, we can virtually always be learning…virtually.
Written on: March 24th, 2010 in Blog Posts
“If you love to read, you’ll probably go to college, maybe for free. You’ll get a better job, get a higher income, live longer.”
is the take-away quote from this story from a recent New York Times. This touching article charts how Jim Brozina, a New Jersey school librarian, read to his daughter every night for more than 3,000 nights- essentially from age 10 until she left for college!
Written on: March 23rd, 2010 in Blog Posts
The fact that there are so many books about social media suggests that, despite claims to the contrary, future and traditional media can coexist and even complement each other. Shelves full of books about the internet have been a public library standard since the ’90s, and thanks to innovative programs and leadership and partnerships with organizations like the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, public libraries are also one of the most reliable sources of digital access for many communities.
There’s no real reason to think that social media, like the many new platforms, services, and cultures that have preceded it will make the printed page obsolete- more likely, trends and revolutions in commerce and culture will continue to flourish, die, explode, and implode, and that they will be documented, recorded, and promoted by all kinds of different types of libraries in all kinds of different types of media.
This list of must-read social media books came to my attention recently, and I was happy to find out that you can find most of them in your Delaware public library. As a service to the upcoming and thriving social media scene in Delaware- a community that now includes prominent local businesses, non-profits, and public servants– I’ve used this list to seed an ongoing “have you read” booklist that will be updated as new and notable titles come out. You can bookmark this link or find the social media reading list link in the “have you read” section of the Delaware Library Catalog
Click below the fold for links to selected titles from the windmillnetworking list: (more…)
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