The fourth annual Banned Websites Awareness Day makes excessive filtering an intellectual freedom issue in K–12 learning.
Michigan State Launches SearchPlus for Ease of Use, Interdisciplinary Research
By on August 28, 2014
In an effort to cater to the growth of interdisciplinary research while also simplifying the search experience for undergraduates, the Michigan State University Libraries (MSU) this month debuted Summon from ProQuest as its first web scale discovery service. Branded as SearchPlus by MSU, the discovery layer will offer students and researchers a single entry point for searching the majority of the library’s resources.
Penn State’s One Button Studios Now Used 4,500 Times Per Year
By on August 7, 2014
The two “one button” simplified video recording studios at the Pennsylvania State University (PSU) Library’s Tombros and McWhirter Knowledge Commons have proven exceptionally popular and are now used for about 4,500 recording sessions per year.
Texas Superintendent Adopts Digitized Early Learning Program
By on August 7, 2014
Using a community-wide digital reading program, Superintendent Ruben Alejandro of Texas’s Weslaco Independent School District has made literacy a priority for not only his school district, but for all kids in the community ages zero to three.
California Administrator Creates Digital Stopgap After School Librarian Cuts
By on August 5, 2014
When school librarians began to disappear in this Camarillo, California school district, Jay Greenlinger, the district’s director of instructional technology, found a way for students to find books and information online.
With All “Big Five” Ebooks Now Available, Ebook Vendors Assess the Road Ahead
By on August 5, 2014
Shortly after Simon & Schuster’s June 26 announcement that it had concluded a 15-month pilot test and would make its entire ebook catalog available to all U.S. libraries, Macmillan last week announced that it will make all frontlist ebook titles available to U.S. libraries as well. These moves mark a milestone in terms of the availability of popular ebooks, as Macmillan and Simon & Schuster became the final two of the “big five” publishers to allow U.S. libraries to license and loan all titles in their ebook collections.
Eight Apps to Support Early Reading and Writing | Cool Tools
By on July 28, 2014
It’s never too early to encourage reading. Richard Byrne shares his picks for tools that young readers and writers can use with or without an adult. Includes screencasts demoing three applications: Building Language for Literacy, Reading Bear, and Maily, an iOS app for letter writing.
Librarians, Media React to Launch of Kindle Unlimited
By on July 25, 2014
In a long-expected move, Amazon on July 18 announced the launch of Kindle Unlimited, a new subscription service that will give users unlimited access to a selection of 600,000 ebooks and more than 2,000 audiobooks on Amazon Kindle devices and any device with a Kindle app for $9.99 per month. The online retailer’s financial resources, marketing clout, and massive base of Kindle users alter the competitive landscape for all providers of ebooks, including libraries.
Are Today’s Kids All Thumbs? Touch Matters. Researchers Bring Tactile Learning into Digital Realm.
By on July 16, 2014
Using our hands is critical to learning, and the rise of digital use by young children potentially limits their opportunities to learn about the world around them through touch. The Association of Teachers and Lecturers has found that young children have trouble using toys and blocks because of their overuse of touch-screen devices.
Anticipatory Discovery and One-Click Server Installs Among LITA Top Tech Trends | ALA 2014
By on July 14, 2014
Anticipatory and contextual discovery, open hardware, one-click server installs, mobile-first design, institutional digital assets management, and even biohackerspaces were some of the topics discussed this year at the Library and Information Technology Association’s (LITA) Top Tech Trends panel, held June 29 at the American Library Association (ALA) 2014 Annual Conference.
