Why the Public Library Beats Amazon—for Now As E-Book Subscription Services Grow Their Catalogs, the Age-Old Institution Trumps All By Geoffrey A. Fowler Updated Aug. 12, 2014 1:46 p.m. ET Amazon, Scribd and Oyster now sell all-you-can-eat ebook subscriptions. But Personal Tech columnist Geoffrey A. Fowler found a free alternative with a much better digital […]
The PEN shortlists were announced recently. I searched our online system to see how many in each category our libraries own–YAY for us, we are making a good number of them available to our readers. My first task was to find out what “PEN” stands for: it’s an acronym for poets, playwrights, essayists and novelist, and […]
On Friday, May 2nd the Northern New York Library Network (NNYLN) will be hosting its 5th annual Archives & Special Collections conference. For $10 you can have a delicious lunch at the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino (Hogansburg, NY) and increase your knowledge and ability to care for those “special” items we all have in our libraries. The […]
I came across a great quote in a journal the other day— “Public libraries are local, neutral, and respected for providing information that represents different viewpoints.” (sadly, I didn’t note to whom I can attribute this gem, so my apologies to the author) Wow I like that sentiment. In the same vein, let’s think about […]
Here’s an interesting list. You may wonder about the inclusion of some of these titles (like, why Moby Dick? Well, an entire chapter about chowder…) but it’s a great “must read” for people who like to read fiction about food. 50 Essential Novels for Foodies By Emily Temple on Nov 25, 2013 10:45am The Epicure’s Lament, […]
I was lucky enough to participate in a webinar recently, on “Dealing with non-Traditional Library Materials,” sponsored by NY3Rs. Wow was it good! It’s especially relevant as I deal with our member libraries and their “special” collections of things. Many of our libraries house great treasures in their buildings. Some are cataloged and included in […]
June is National Effective Communications month, according to Chase’s Calendar of Events. That seems like a good time to think about how we communicate with our patrons and supporters. In earlier days we focused on the “reference interview” with patrons, in which we hoped they communicated what it was they wanted help with. While we […]
I don’t know why it’s called “weeding,” but going through your collection book by book to decide what stays in the collection and what does not is a crucial part of what we in libraries do. Why should we weed our collections? Space is often an issue: it’s recommended that shelves be 75-80% full. Many […]
Recent reports have revealed some interesting trends and activities in libraries. We’re all doing SOMETHING with e-books: more than two-thirds of our public libraries offer e-books, and use is increasing. We could do more, however, if we had the publishers on our side—the cost of e-books prevents us from building e-book collections similar to our […]
Public Library Users Want Both Books and Technology By George Eberhart A new report by the Pew Research Center indicates that free access to technology in public libraries is as important to Americans ages 16 and older as printed books and reference services. “Library Services in the Digital Age” (PDF file), released January 22 by […]
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