April 25, 2024

Survey: Library Ebook Growth Slowing but Still Substantial

Library Journal’s fifth annual Ebook Usage in U.S. Public Libraries report

Ninety-five percent of public libraries currently offer ebooks to patrons, up from 72 percent in 2010, and 89 percent in both 2012 and 2013. However, money remains the biggest impediment for libraries looking to add ebooks or expand collections, according to Library Journal’s fifth annual Ebook Usage in U.S. Public Libraries report, sponsored by Freading. The growth in demand for ebooks has cooled during the past four years, although as the report notes, this “is only because [ebooks] have become less of a novelty and more mainstream.”

Classroom Management Tricks: Timers and a tool to control noise | Cool Tools

As every teacher knows, good classroom management can make the difference between a great class experience and a poor one. While technology doesn’t replace the need for a solid approach to classroom management, tech tools, including these, can certainly help.

The True Cost of Free Internet Services | Next Big Thing

We must be willing to pay for Internet products that enhance learning.

Adobe’s Lax Security Raises Concerns About Student Privacy

Adobe logo

Privacy around what students read, along with other personal data, may be at risk due to software giant Adobe’s transmission of the data without encryption. Student rights are protected under the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), which protects the confidentiality of student records.

Westport Maker Space Expands with Robots, SolidWorks Courses, and Volunteer Training

Westport Robot Reading

The Westport Library’s ongoing efforts to support its Maker Space, including Maker in Residence programs and the recent acquisition of two programmable robots, have helped establish a virtuous cycle in which residents have begun working on their own projects and helping one another independently.

Ryann Uden and Shaun Kelly on “Active Learning in the Library” | TDS14

In “Active Learning in the Library,” presented as part of LJ and SLJ’s virtual event The Digital Shift: Libraries @ the Center, held October 1, Ryann Uden and Shaun Kelly provided advice and suggestions for creating learning environments in libraries, based on Barrington Area Library’s successful model in Chicago.

Librarians, IT Experts Respond to Adobe Spying Accusations

Adobe logo

Adobe this week confirmed reports that it has been logging data on the reading activity of people who use the free Adobe Digital Editions service, and that the company has been transmitting those logs to its servers as unencrypted text files, raising privacy and security concerns.

SLJ Reviews zSpace, a 3-D Platform for the Classroom

Educator Jason Sellers reviews zSpace, which enables users to view and manipulate objects in a unique, immersive experience.

Queens Library Develops Innovative New Tablet Platform Using Superstorm Sandy Donation | TDS14

Queens Library Google Nexus 7 tablets

When superstorm Sandy hit the east coast in October 2012, the Queens Library (QL) in New York was among many northeastern library systems affected. QL persevered, continuing to offer crucial services in storm-ravaged communities while rebuilding damaged branches. The system also managed to turn a generous corporate donation into an innovative new platform for tablet computers, enabling a tech lending program that has since continued to grow.

Nicole Mirra and Antero Garcia on Connected Learning, Civic Engagement | TDS14

Civic engagement and a sense of shared purpose are key to connected learning, educators Mirra and Garcia emphasized in a tag-team presentation during the Digital Shift virtual event “Libraries @ the Center.”