On Libraries and New Media, powered by Library Journal and School Library Journal
For libraries, Tumblr is a free marketing tool—and depending on how much effort you want to put into crafting code or purchasing a theme, your Tumblr blog can look as professional as a your library’s website.
There are some specific steps you can take to attract an engaged readership (i.e. followers). It can be a slow first few months as you accumulate an audience and discover where you fit into the community, but the investment is worth it. Here’s a few guidelines to consider.
Library DVD borrowing has fallen sharply during the past year, and library users are rapidly migrating toward streaming services for both music and movies, according to the July 2012 edition of LJ’s Patron Profiles, which examines trends in Media Consumption and Library Use. DVDs are the top format for films loaned by libraries, and 27 percent of respondents said that libraries remain their primary source for movies—down from 36 percent in the first Patron Profiles survey, conducted less than a year ago. “A strong indicator of the changing media landscape is the rise of streaming and disc-by-mail services—both currently dominated by Netflix,” the report states.
The Seattle Public Library (SPL) has partnered with the University of Washington’s acclaimed KEXP radio (90.3 FM) to offer access to KEXP’s collection of approximately 3,200 live, in-studio performances recorded at the station. The recordings—including performances from up-and coming local groups, as well as nationally popular acts such as Arcade Fire, Wilco, Death Cab for Cutie, Norah Jones, and the Black Keys—can now be discovered and streamed via SPL’s online public access catalog.
Transmedia isn’t just a new buzzword that belongs to academics or high-priced media consultants. It’s an approach to storytelling that boasts a range of potential curricular applications that applies to literacy and the content areas.
Libraries across the U.S. are this week launching a digital magazine newsstand being offered by Recorded Books (RB) and Zinio.
Readings by award-winning authors Walter Dean Myers, Jon Scieszka, Charles R. Smith, and J. Patrick Lewis.
The nonprofit Reading With Pictures (RWP), helmed by the ebullient Josh Elder, has partnered with digital comics distributor iVerse Media to set up ComicsPlus: Library Edition, a new service allows libraries to circulate a wide selection of digital comics with both user-friendly and library friendly features.
Joyce Valenza’s tips on using the latest tools to help conference presenters and educators better use the video resource.
A new report from the American Library Association examines the overuse of digital devices and how librarians can steer patrons toward a more balanced diet.
Midwest Tape is preparing to launch a digital platform, called Hoopla, later this year. The platform is the well-known company’s first foray into the digital space.
