April 19, 2024

Librarians Discuss Privacy, MOOCs, and More at LITA Top Tech Trends Panel | ALA 2013

Clifford Lynch and Char Booth

With the continuing travels of Edward Snowden keeping the National Security Administration’s (NSA) surveillance habits in the news, the discussion during Sunday’s LITA Top Technology Trends 2013 panel at the American Library Association’s Annual Convention turned frequently to the future of privacy, and the role that libraries might play in protecting their patrons.

Joyce Valenza’s Picks from the Top 25 Websites for Teaching and Learning

Teacher librarian Joyce Valenza reflects on the 2013 Best Websites for Teaching & Learning, the highly anticipated list chosen annually by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL).

3M SelfCheck, NoveList Partner on Reader Recommendation | ALA Annual 2013

3M SelfCheck homescreen with Quick Connect Interface

For libraries that use both services, items checked out using the new Quick Connect interface for 3M SelfCheck will trigger a NoveList search, enabling SelfCheck screens to display reading recommendations limited to items that are owned by the patron’s library.

Choices, Choices… For the Tech-Minded, ISTE May Be More Useful Than ALA

ALA is the most obvious go-to conference, but for the tech-minded, ISTE may be more useful. School Library Journal contributor Sarah Bayliss examines the options.

DCWG: Showcase the Influence of Libraries with National Book of the Month

The American Library Association’s Digital Content and Libraries Working Group (DCWG) has begun exploring an idea that could help publishers better understand the powerful impact that libraries can have for their authors and their bottom line.

Hot Topic at Midwinter: Library Maker Spaces, Ideas for Cheap, Hands-On Fun

From ebooks to digital literacy, there was plenty to debate at the Midwinter meeting of the American Library Association. But the unconference on January 25 revealed clear consensus on one topic: maker spaces. They’re red hot.

ReadersFirst, Vendors Search for a New Lending Model

On a late rainy Monday afternoon at the end of the American Library Association’s Midwinter meeting, 39 leading librarians and library vendors gathered for about 90 minutes around a horseshoe-arrangement of tables on the fourth floor of the Seattle Public Library to discuss how to create a new lending experience. The group came together at […]

Recorded Books Rolls Out IndieFlix Movie Streaming Service

Recorded Books has announced worldwide availability of IndieFlix for Libraries, an online streaming service that will offer access to independent films, shorts, and documentaries to library cardholders on computers, Android and iOS tablets and mobile devices, Roku, and later this year, PS3 and Xbox game consoles. The service will offer patrons unlimited access to films screened at more than 2,000 film festivals worldwide, and interested libraries would pay a flat annual fee using a tiered pricing model based on total materials circulation.

Edge Coalition Releases Tech Benchmarks for Public Libraries

The Edge Initiative released earlier this month the initial version of the benchmarks that it hopes libraries across the country will use to evaluate and measure their public access technology services. The group’s efforts were the subject of a panel at the ALA Midwinter meeting in Seattle on Saturday. The Edge Benchmarks Version 1,0 , […]

Boston University Libraries Pushing Forward With Alma Platform

Roger Brisson, the head of metadata services at Boston University  (BU) Libraries, has been deeply immersed in the cloud-based library services platform Alma from Ex Libris for the better part of two years. BU went live with Alma in November, one of the early adopters, and Brisson, as part of the ALA Midwinter Conference, explained […]