Mind the RA Gap | BackTalk
The inconsistent treatment of readers’ advisory (RA) as a core service for adults in public libraries has led to inconsistent demand for quality RA education, which has further led to inconsistent...
View ArticleSo Much More Than Info Tech | BackTalk
In his Wall Street Journal (WSJ) January 11 op-ed piece, “In Age of Google, Librarians Get Shelved,” public librarian Steve Barker writes, “The role for librarians and public libraries is shrinking”...
View ArticleLetting Go While Hanging Around | Backtalk
It has been a few months since I left the library director position of my dreams and more than 12 since making my intention public. This all adds up to a roller-coaster year of transition. I was a...
View ArticleLibrarians Need Global Credentials | Backtalk
I worked at Zayed University (ZU) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), from 2011 to 2014. I entered that institution as a reference and instruction librarian but also served as campus librarian for a...
View ArticleThe Case for Informed Browsing | BackTalk
Netflix knows something that libraries haven’t figured out yet: how to create categories that help people browse online in an informed yet serendipitous way. Right now, browsing for books online...
View ArticleWe Talked About Failure | BackTalk
The Utah Library Association (ULA) dove headfirst into failure on February 19–20. Along with the Salt Lake City Public Library (SLCPL), ULA hosted Strikethrough: The Utah Library Association Failure...
View ArticleWhy LC Should Drop Illegal Aliens | BackTalk
The Library of Congress (LC) sparked debate recently when it announced that it would no longer use the term illegal aliens as a subject heading. The library maintains that the phrase has become...
View ArticleI Can’t Hear You…but I’m Still Listening | BackTalk
Covering our ears to block out unwanted noise is a universal human response. When we’re children, we literally stick our fingers in our ears, most especially when being told not to do what we’re doing,...
View ArticleFinding Philanthropic Funding | BackTalk
As a librarian, I feel a deep fear of the direct threat to library funding posed by the new administration. However, as a philanthropy professional, I can’t help but feel some small amount of hope....
View ArticleTolerance Is Not Good Enough | BackTalk
In early 2017, a call for chapter proposals began circulating on library Listservs for a forthcoming book titled Tolerance: Social Justice and Activism in Libraries, Moving Beyond Diversity to Action....
View ArticleDo Librarians Discriminate? | BackTalk
Suppose a librarian receives an email from a man named Greg Walsh, wanting to become a cardholder or simply inquiring about the open hours. Would the librarian reply? And, if so, would the reply be...
View ArticleCannabis Literacy | BackTalk
Many states are legalizing the possession, use, and sale of cannabis for medical and/or recreational purposes, even as it remains illegal at the federal level. Whether or not your library is located in...
View ArticleReversing the Slide in Voter Support | BackTalk
The 2018 “From Awareness to Funding” study should inspire deep reflection within the library community about how we have been doing public outreach, voter engagement, and everyday advocacy over this...
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