December 3, 2025

Libraries to Play Key Role in Puerto Rico Broadband Plan

In conjunction with Connect Puerto Rico, a subsidiary of non-profit Connected Nation, the Puerto Rico Broadband Taskforce (PRBT) has released a strategic planto enhance the island’s broadband infrastructure and improve digital literacy among its residents. Libraries and public computing centers are expected to play an important role.

What Tech in Schools Really Looks Like

When it comes to the latest technology, some schools are more equal than others.

Chattanooga Only Weeks Away From One Gigabit Per Second; Kansas City Close Behind

Libraries in Tennessee, Kansas, Missouri, are close to entering a dizzying space where they will have so much digital horsepower that they will be able to download and upload files on the Internet at speeds up to one gigabit per second.

Video: Kids Call for Equity at DML 2012

It’s such a rare thing to see kids at a conference. So when I spied a large group of teens huddling in the Parc 55 hotel, I thought it might be a good idea to stick with them. I wasn’t disappointed.

After Survey Shows 86 Percent of Oklahoma Libraries Don’t Offer Ebooks, Librarians Take Action

Oklahoma had the worst showing with 99 out of 115 library systems (86 percent) not offering downloadable media services, according to a recent COSLA survey. But librarians there have been taking action to rectify the situation.

Study Predicts Always-On Generation Will Excel at Multitasking; Lag in Patience and Focus

girls in class looking at their phones

By 2020, teens and young people will excel at creatively juggling multiple tasks, but they’re likely to lag in long-valued skills like staying focused and patiently working through a problem, according to a survey released today by the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project.

OCLC Unveils Website for Small Libraries Beta Project

On February 14, OCLC announced a new beta cloud-based service, Website for Small Libraries (WSSL), with which libraries with fewer than 20,000 items in their collections may construct a low-cost, simple but dynamic website. Features include basic patron and inventory management, including checkouts, returns, holds, and renewals, among other functions.

State Librarians Curious as Bilbary Prepares to Launch Its Ebook Platform

Bilbary is preparing for a soft launch of its ebook platform in early March, and four state librarians who constitute the ebook task force of the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA) are at least curious about its potential.

In One Community, Residents Challenge Library Spending on Ebooks

As libraries expand their digital collections, the issue of how much money should be spent requires a delicate balance. In Illinois, some residents have questioned the Rockford Public Library’s decision to use $303,332, or 25.5 percent of its $1.19 million budget, for ebooks.

COSLA Survey Shows 39 Percent of Public Libraries Do Not Offer Downloadable Media Services

A survey by the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA) shows some deep gaps in the availability of downloadable ebooks and other services. Small and rural libraries are struggling to keep up.