Let Them In: Volunteers in Academic Libraries
In the fall of 2012 I was a third year history undergrad at the University of Guelph with a growing sense of angst about…
Big Bookstore School Library Fundraisers
In recent years, it has become an increasingly popular practice to hold school library fundraising events at a large bookstore chain. We have all…
User Experience and Translatability: Compatible or in Conflict?
UX (User eXperience) is not an easy concept to pin down, but there is general agreement that it focuses on the total subjective experience…
Project Goldilocks: Getting Library Learning Space “Just Right”
While there is a lot of discussion surrounding learning commons and you can certainly incorporate current trends, I think that to create productive learning spaces for students, collaboration with students is key.
In Praise of Maker Culture
My library doesn’t have a makerspace. We don’t have a 3d printer, a CNC router, or a laser cutter. We don’t have piles of…
Let’s Give Them Something to Tweet About: Applying Best Practices at Western Libraries
In The Librarian's Nitty-Gritty Guide to Social Media (ALA, 2013), Laura Solomon advises that social media is “incredibly easy to learn but can take a…
Mine the Gap: Leveraging Open Access Through Citizen Engagement in Science
The progress of science is a cumulative process, one that fundamentally depends on the rapid and widespread dissemination of new findings, so that they…
The Chattanooga Zine Library
The Chattanooga Public Library is a champion for the new role public libraries play in the 21st century. There is no place where this…
You’re a New (and Employed) Librarian … Now What?
Congratulations! You just got your first job as a brand spankin’ new librarian! You got a whole lot of support to get you here.…
Size Matters: The Small Library as Place
Wilberforce, Ontario is tucked under the southern border of Algonquin Park in the municipality of Highlands East which has a permanent population of 2,700…
Twitter Folksonomies
Good examples of folksonomies are found in the hashtags used on Twitter, which were originally an innovation of Twitter users. Hashtags are abbreviations, words…
Welcome to Night Vale
Radio isn't dead; it was just sleeping. It was awakened by the internet and podcasts. Welcome to Night Vale is one of the most…
Linked to Learning: the Public Library and Local Schools
Ten years ago, it was standard practice for teachers to bring their students to the public library for a “class visit”. This provided the…