PLA Gets Grant to Build Digital Literacy Resource for Libraries. The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) awarded a $291,178 grant to the Public Library Association (PLA) to develop an online collection of digital literacy resources. The two year grant, which was given via the Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program, will help PLA partner with the American Library Association (ALA)’s Office for Information Technology Policy and the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (COSLA) to create resources accessible to libraries, patrons, and other community-based organizations.
PLA plans to use the grant funding to gather, evaluate, and promote existing state and public library resources related to digital literacy, develop and implement new ones, identifying gaps and solutions for filling them, and assess and perhaps develop materials for special populations. PLA will launch the online beta resource center at the 2013 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, and plans to continue demonstrations at ALA and PLA conferences throughout 2013 and 2014.
“Distinctive Signifiers of Excellence”: Library Services and the Future of the Academic Library. The 25 Best Teaching and Learning Websites of 2012. AASL ( American Association of School Librarians ) has recently published a post featuring some of the best teaching and learning websites for this year. I have reviewed this post and chekced the websites they included ( most of which have been reviewed here ) and decided to share with you their list. This top 25 websities the AASL included foster " the qualities of innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration. They are free, web-based sites that are user-friendly and encourage a community of learners to explore and discover. " These websites are organized into 6 main categories . " 1- Media Sharing2- Digital Storytelling3-Social Networking4-Content Resources5-Curriculum Collaboration 1- Media Sharing Websites : A- Project : This is a great website for presentations and slides creations.
B- Gamestar Mechanic This website teaches users about the principals of game systems and design. C- Vialogue: D- Popplet D- Jux A- Comic Master B- My Storymaker C- Inanimate Alice A- Quicklyst. Why Libraries Are a Smart Investment for the Country's Future. Across from the United States Supreme Court, two hundred people gathered at the Library of Congress to celebrate Monday — and not because of the court's immigration decision. From suited university presidents to red-shirted Boy Scouts from Cincinnati, these partiers gathered at a symposium to commemorate a troika of American institutions: the land-grant university, the National Academy of Sciences and the Carnegie libraries. The celebration was marked by a keen awareness that libraries have been vital engines of America's social mobility from their earliest days.
Vartan Gregorian, President of the Carnegie Corporation of New York and former New York Public Library president who raised a $327 million to revive the institution in the 1980s, led an afternoon panel discussing libraries' foundational importance to a democratic America. Gregorian's central point: the Library of Congress is and must continue to be the "guardian not only of our nation's memory but of humanity's. " Which Future for Libraries?
Which Future for Libraries? Based on a futures workshop of expert librarians and library stakeholders, four futures of the library and librarians are explored: "The Lean, Information Machine," "Co-location for Community Capacity Building," "Knowledge Navigator," and "Dinosaurs of the Digital Knowledge Era.
" Sohail Inayatullah Professor, Tamkang University and Adjunct Professor, University of the Sunshine Coast. S.inayatullah@qut.edu.au. www.metafuture.org Will libraries becoming increasingly virtual, the librarian becoming a knowledge navigator? Or will libraries disappear as the world goes wifi – will Google become the future library? The library, while appearing to be stable has changed throughout history. The library has entered a contested domain – its definition, its bundle of services are up for grabs – who defines it, who pays for it, what are its basic purposes. Other issues that challenge a stable future for libraries include: • The off-shore Call Centre Library.
20 Best Websites To Download Free EBooks. Ebooks have revolutionized the way book enthusiasts engage with literature. With the ability to read on ebook readers or mobile gadgets, the convenience is unmatched. Moreover, the internet is flooded with platforms offering free or discounted ebooks. For those in search of the finest sources to download free ebooks or even market their ebooks online, here’s an exhaustive list detailing their respective formats and downloading procedures. 20 Places to Sell and Publish eBooks 20 Places to Sell and Publish eBooks "If you are good at something, never do it for free" is the most famous dialogue from movie...
Project Gutenberg More info: Genre: VariousCompatible with: Kindle, .epub, .htmlSign-in required? Project Gutenberg is an esteemed online library offering complimentary public domain books. Hart’s inspiration for this library sprouted when he discovered the print copy of the Declaration of Independence was priced at $1.50, which he deemed excessive. ManyBooks Free-eBooks eBookLobby Smashwords. Libraries of the Future. The Libraries of the Future project was established to help those running academic libraries to plan for the future. The project produced three scenarios which represent possible futures for higher education in the UK: the Wild West the Beehive, and the Walled Garden. These are not meant as predictions but as tools for academic libraries to use to review and hone their organisational strategies. They provide an opportunity to consider how libraries can adapt to the major social, economic and technological changes in the environment for higher education which will be taking place in coming decades.
The project produced a series of resources available to all academic libraries, including a guide to the scenarios themselves and information on how to use them. The project sponsors have also commissioned a series of case studies which will be published in Spring 2012. Librarian.net.