The PLA Blog | Official Blog of the Public Library Association
Library Advocacy Day Rally Info
Advocacy Day Rally ALA will host a Library Advocacy Day rally at 11 a.m. June 29, 2010, on the U.S. Capitol grounds in Washington, D.C. This one-time opportunity during ALA’s Annual 2010 Conference is a chance for library supporters to demonstrate support for libraries and for first-time advocates to get involved in library advocacy. After [...]
APA Announces Finalists for Audiobook of the Year Award
The Audio Publishers Association (APA) has announced the three titles that are in the running for Audiobook of the Year. They are: “Nelson Mandela’s Favorite African Folktales,” narrated by a full cast including Samuel L. Jackson, Helen Mirren, Don Cheadle, and Alan Rickman; “The Time of My Life,” written and read by Patrick Swayze; and [...]
oranges, pineapple, peas, and more
What is that? That is some of the clearest, most beautiful labeling I’ve ever seen. As libraries ‘mobilize’ their web resources for cellphones and tablet computers, creating quality, meaningful icons is becoming an increasingly important piece of usable interface design. I’ve been doing a lot of research and a lot of sketching as I craft [...]
HealthCampNYC – A Regional Health Unconference Focused on Health Literacy and Community Health
From Lisa Chow, an LJ Mover & Shaker: Following a program at PLA last month on unconferences: Revitalizing Communication and Professional Development Through Unconferences: The Brooklyn Public Library and Darien Public Library Experiments, Brooklyn Public Library is having its first regional health unconference: HealthCampNYC: Using Collective Knowledge to Improve Health Literacy and Community Health. HealthCampNYC [...]
How to Close the Digital Divide? Fund Public Libraries
Check out this concise article from the April 6, 2010, online edition of Education Week. It states that ‘… public libraries may be the only place outside of school where low-income children can use a computer and learn to navigate the Internet’ and also argues against library closings as an answer to community budget woes.
Content-Provider Centered Design
It’s been a while since I’ve done much writing. I’m not sure how people do it. I’ve spent the last few months at San Jose Public Library working on a website redesign (among other things). It isn’t until I find myself at home on a rainy day with a cold that I feel like I [...]
What Two Challenges are Most Critical to Public Libraries? PLA Presidential Candidates Sound Off
A couple of weeks age, we asked the ALA Presidential Candidates to answer the following question: “What Two Challenges are Most Critical to Public Libraries?” You can see their responses here.We also asked the PLA Presidential candidates the same question. (What two challenges are most critical to public libraries?) Here are their responses (250 words [...]
AARP Launches New Online Resources to Answer Health Reform Questions for Older Americans
As a part of its efforts to help older Americans understand the impact of the recently enacted health reform package, AARP has launched new online resources for people with questions about the new law. The AARP Bulletin’s new “Health Care Reform Explained” column – available at www.aarp.org/getthefacts – provides practical answers to questions submitted by [...]
Department of Veterans Affairs Announces National Call Center and Chat Service for Homeless Veterans
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has developed a Five-Year Plan with the goal of ending homelessness among our Nation’s Veterans. One of the Plan’s initiatives is the National Call Center for Homeless Veterans (NCCHV), which provides linkages for homeless and at-risk Veterans, their families and other interested parties to appropriate VA and community-based resources. [...]
PUBLIC LIBRARY ASSOCIATION 13TH NATIONAL CONFERENCE WRAP-UP
After five days of workshops, programs and events devoted to enhancing public library service, best-selling author Sarah Vowell brought the Public Library Association’s (PLA) 13th National Conference to a close. Nearly 8,000 library staff, supporters, exhibitors, authors, and guests gathered at the Oregon Convention Center for various workshops and discussions that focused on such key [...]
