The New Placemakers | New Landmark Libraries 2015
Welcome to the latest round of the New Landmark Libraries (NLL). It’s been four years since the NLL project launched, first identifying 20 public libraries and the following year seven academic libraries from nationwide to help inform and inspire those facing the opportunity of renovating or building a new library. This year, LJ returns to the public library arena to pinpoint the most exciting public libraries completed since that initial foray. We received more than 80 submissions from across the United States and Canada. The exceptional quality of these submissions, from every region, showcases the evolving strength of public libraries today.
Rick Osen, Bellingham Public Library’s Newest Trustee
Rick Osen is the newest member of the five-person board of trustees at Bellingham Public Library (BPL), WA, but he is no stranger to the library world. Osen served as interim dean of libraries and assistant dean for library administration and planning at Western Washington University for 35 years, retiring in 2014. In February he joined chairman J. Robert Gordon, Rachel Myers, Marilyn Mastor, and Tom Barrett to serve a five-year term on the BPL board, and LJ caught up with him to find out more about his transition from academic librarian to public library trustee.
New Hampshire Library Reaffirms Tor Project Participation
Library trustees in the tiny Lebanon Public Library (LPL), NH, agreed on September 15 to resume their association with the anonymous web searching service Tor. The project was halted a month earlier after it drew attention from the federal Department of Homeland Security and concern from local law enforcement.
NEH’s Public Scholar Program: Scholarly Writing for a Popular Audience
The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) will award $1.7 million in grants to 36 writers through its Public Scholar program, it announced on July 29. Open to authors of scholarly nonfiction, whether affiliated with an academic institution or writing independently, the Public Scholar program offers a $4,200 monthly stipend for periods from six months up to one year. Its ultimate goal, according to the NEH, is to “bring humanities scholarship beyond academic departments and university campuses and into book clubs and best-seller lists.”
2015 National Book Award Long-Lists Announced
From Monday, September 14, through Thursday, September 18, the National Book Foundation rolled out its long-lists for the National Book Awards (NBA), which will be presented at an invitation-only awards ceremony on November 18. The long-lists, ten books each in fiction, nonfiction, poetry, and young people’s literature, ranged beyond hard hitters like Lauren Groff’s Fates […]
New Hampshire Library Reaffirms Tor Project Participation
Library trustees in the tiny Lebanon Public Library (LPL), NH, agreed on September 15 to resume their association with the anonymous web searching service Tor. The project was halted a month earlier after it drew attention from the federal Department of Homeland Security and concern from local law enforcement.
Assessing the Ambivalent Liaison | Peer to Peer Review
The drumbeat of assessment has become the cadence of higher education. In libraries, as with any organization, the managerial drive for metrics is reflexive. How do we know if we’re winning? How can we prove it to the boss?
Assessing the Ambivalent Liaison | Peer to Peer Review
The drumbeat of assessment has become the cadence of higher education. In libraries, as with any organization, the managerial drive for metrics is reflexive. How do we know if we’re winning? How can we prove it to the boss?
Latest Articles
Assessing the Ambivalent Liaison | Peer to Peer Review
By Andy Spackman on September 24, 2015 Leave a Comment
The drumbeat of assessment has become the cadence of higher education. In libraries, as with any organization, the managerial drive for metrics is reflexive. How do we know if we’re winning? How can we prove it to the boss?
The Amazing Library Titles Race | Programs That Pop
By Felicia A. Smith on September 24, 2015 Leave a Comment
“The Ass Is Dead! LONG LIVE the Ass!” Do I have your attention?
Good. That is the point of a library instruction workshop game that requires students to unscramble a book title, then search the catalog to find the item’s location and retrieve it from the shelves.
The 2015 New Landmarks: These 22 public library buildings set a high bar | Editorial
By Rebecca T. Miller on September 23, 2015 Leave a Comment
Five years ago, a burning question evolved into what is now the ongoing New Landmark Libraries (NLL) project. Often in conversation with librarians on the verge of construction, I was asked which libraries should be on a “must see” list. Beyond the go-to, big name projects, we at LJ had our favorites recently opened, but our lists were personal and not comprehensive. Hence, the New Landmark Libraries. The national competition was designed to bring forward the excellence in library buildings for celebration, as a tour planner for those approaching a capital project, and as a road map for the next generation of libraries still not even on the boards.
Prospective Students and the Search For Meaningful Library Data | From the Bell Tower
By Steven Bell on September 23, 2015 Leave a Comment
When students and their parents consider their college options they consider many variables, from tuition to aid to amenities. To what extent can access to information about the library have an impact on the decision?
Nurture or Nature? | Office Hours
By Michael Stephens on September 23, 2015 1 Comment
Summer wanes, and it’s back to school for LIS students, their professors, and the folks who support them in so many ways. At graduation ceremonies, we always acknowledge the family members and significant others who help LIS students along the path toward their degrees. Let’s shine a light on the importance of current librarians, administrators, and those who work alongside soon-to-be librarians. Their impact might be just as strong as the support of family and friends.
British Library Declines Taliban Archive, New Hosts Step Up
By Lisa Peet on September 22, 2015 Leave a Comment
The British Library (BL) has turned down a large archive of Taliban-related material due to issues of copyright compliance and concerns on the library’s part that, by hosting the collection, it could be in violation of counter-terrorism laws. On August 28 the BL released a statement explaining that it would neither acquire nor provide access to the digital archive of materials from the Taliban Sources Project (TSP). The collection includes more than 1,000 newspapers and magazines published between 1996–2001, when the Taliban was the ruling power in Afghanistan, as well as volumes of Sharia law and edicts, military documents, maps, transcripts of radio broadcasts, poetry written by Taliban soldiers, and video and audiotapes.
11 Additional Exemplars | New Landmark Libraries 2015 Honorable Mentions
By LJ on September 21, 2015 Leave a Comment
The New Landmark Library Honorable Mentions share an emphasis on light, sustainability, and community connection that will inspire library projects nationwide.
San Diego Central Library | New Landmark Libraries 2015 Winner
By Audrey Barbakoff on September 21, 2015 Leave a Comment
Iconic. That word comes up again and again in descriptions of the soaring new San Diego Central Library. A lattice dome tops the warm wood and concrete nine-story structure, a striking presence in the city’s skyline. It is a fitting tribute to the 30 years of effort and almost unprecedented philanthropy from community members that went into creating the landscape-changing new library.
Cedar Rapids Public Library | New Landmark Libraries 2015 Winner
By Betsy Eggers on September 21, 2015 Leave a Comment
Iowa’s Cedar Rapids Public Library faced disaster in 2008: a “500-year flood” that ruined homes, businesses, and the main, downtown branch of the public library. The library was filled with eight feet of water, which damaged the building and materials beyond repair. A group with a vision saw the silver lining and seized the opportunity to plan for a new library based on three main ideas.
Lawrence Public Library | New Landmark Libraries 2015 Winner
By Audrey Barbakoff on September 21, 2015 Leave a Comment
The Lawrence Public Library, KS, knows how to put a new twist on an old idea. Instead of tearing down or cobbling together an addition to its dark 1970s building, it encapsulated the entire existing structure inside a gleaming new one.
CONNECTING INDIE AUTHORS, LIBRARIES AND READERS
SELF-e is an innovative collaboration between Library Journal and BiblioBoard® that enables authors and libraries to work together and expose notable self-published ebooks to voracious readers looking to discover something new. Finally, a simple and effective way to catalog and provide access to ebooks by local authors and build a community around indie writing! LEARN MORE
Upcoming Webcasts
Driving Community Engagement for Library Makerspaces
By LJ on September 14, 2015 Leave a Comment
Wednesday, October 7th, 2015, 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM ET / 12:00 PM – 1:00 PM PT
Discover how you can create a makerspace within your own library though this step-by-step guidebook. From planning your innovation center to hosting hack-a-thons, guest lectures, game nights and social events in your new lab, this practical primer provides detailed guidance and best practices.
Register Now!
More Webcasts:
- Boundless Libraries: A Look at the 2015 New Landmark Libraries
- Speak Up: Supporting Online Language Learning with In-Person Programs
- The Modern Library: Meeting Users On Their Own Terms
- Have your eBook User Experience Both Ways: New Options for Online and Mobile Access
- Fall Mystery Announcements
- Collection Development Tips & Tools
- Christian Fiction Book Roundup
- Engaging Your Local Writing Community
Blogs & Columns
Assessing the Ambivalent Liaison | Peer to Peer Review
By Andy Spackman on September 24, 2015 Leave a Comment
The drumbeat of assessment has become the cadence of higher education. In libraries, as with any organization, the managerial drive for metrics is reflexive. How do we know if we’re winning? How can we prove it to the boss? Nothing is as … [Read More...]
The Amazing Library Titles Race | Programs That Pop
By Felicia A. Smith on September 24, 2015 Leave a Comment
“The Ass Is Dead! LONG LIVE the Ass!” Do I have your attention? Good. That is the point of a library instruction workshop game that requires students to unscramble a book title, then search the catalog to find the item’s location and retrieve it … [Read More...]
The 2015 New Landmarks: These 22 public library buildings set a high bar | Editorial
By Rebecca T. Miller on September 23, 2015 Leave a Comment
Five years ago, a burning question evolved into what is now the ongoing New Landmark Libraries (NLL) project. Often in conversation with librarians on the verge of construction, I was asked which libraries should be on a “must see” list. Beyond the … [Read More...]
Prospective Students and the Search For Meaningful Library Data | From the Bell Tower
By Steven Bell on September 23, 2015 Leave a Comment
When students and their parents consider their college options they consider many variables, from tuition to aid to amenities. To what extent can access to information about the library have an impact on the decision? Last month I read an … [Read More...]