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From The Washington Post: The Federal Communications Commission late Thursday finalized a $3.2 billion program that will provide a monthly discount to millions of cash-starved Americans struggling to pay their Internet bills — the country’s most ambitious effort yet to close the digital divide amid the coronavirus pandemic.

University of Washington iSchool researchers present an overview of the Open Data Literacy project's work to date, and share highlights from a survey of the current landscape of open data in Washington State's public libraries.

On February 22, the University of California San Diego (UCSD) Library launched the inaugural Art of Science Contest, inviting UCSD researchers to submit the most beautiful image “that explains their work in a way that is both engaging and accessible to non-scientists.” The contest runs through March 21; voting will take place from March 29–April 18, with the winning images announced on May 3.

Even before the pandemic emerged, libraries were investing in new technologies designed to save time and improve efficiency by supporting customer self-service, freeing up library staff to focus on more strategic work. COVID-19 has accelerated this trend and in the process, is transforming how libraries function in the 21^st century.

Next week, Sno-Isle Libraries, WA, will hold orientation sessions for its second cohort of aspiring IT professionals—nearly 50 residents of Snohomish and Island counties who will spend the next 25 weeks studying for CompTIA A+ certification, a common requirement for entry-level IT and computer service technician jobs.

From the Federal Communications Commission: The Federal Communications Commission today began seeking comment on several petitions requesting permission to use E-Rate program funds to support remote learning during the pandemic.

“The troublesome tech landscape is a vast and ever-evolving place,” said Callan Bignoli, library director of Olin College of Engineering. Needham, MA, kicking off an hour-long presentation on technology and surveillance—including the recent impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on academic surveillance—at the American Library Association's 2021 Midwinter Virtual Meeting.

Deepfakes, a portmanteau of “deep learning” artificial intelligence (AI) and “fake media,” are becoming more common, and a better understanding of what they are and how they work “is vital in the current information landscape,” said John Mack Freeman, Suwanee branch manager for Gwinnett County Public Library, GA, in an hour-long presentation as part of this year’s Core Top Tech Trends panel at the American Library Association’s Midwinter Virtual Meeting.

Best sellers in engineering and technology, January 2020 to date, as identified by GOBI Library Solutions from EBSCO.

When Slave Biographies: The Atlantic Database Network launched in 2011, it aggregated data on slavery and enslaved people from three scholarly sources. Nearly 10 years later, Enslaved.org: Peoples of the Historic Slave Trade—built on the original project and using linked open data technology for a new, more comprehensive iteration—launched in December 2020.

Project MUSE has released "MUSE in Focus: Roots of the Attack on Democracy,” insurance analytics company ValChoice has extended a free unlimited access subscription for libraries, and Kanopy expects the growth of streaming video services to continue based on a recent survey of librarians.

At a time when more students are learning remotely and many office spaces have remained closed, libraries have been instrumental in making sure that community members without home broadband access aren’t left behind.

Lack of reliable broadband access has long posed challenges for many rural communities. As the pandemic ramps up the need, libraries continue to help with innovative solutions.

Carnegie Mellon University Libraries has developed CAMPI, a new web application that uses computer vision to assist librarians processing digital photograph collections.

AHC Library enables students to access digital course reserves from any device, TLC Migrates to Oracle Cloud, and ProQuest Launches a new text and data mining visualization interface.

Participating public libraries will receive web archiving and access services, training and education, and funds to promote and pursue their community archiving. The Community Webs National Network will also make the resulting public library local history community web archives available to scholars through specialized access tools and datasets.

From Microsoft: Online fraud, hate speech, discrimination and other divisive online risks are on the rise globally, according to results of a new Microsoft study.

Carl Grant, former president of Ex Libris North America and interim dean of the University of Oklahoma Libraries, this summer became managing director of The Revs Institute, a Naples, FL–based not-for-profit dedicated to the research and historical study of automobiles.

Between already tight library budgets and mounting pressures, it is more important than ever to spend wisely and make investments that ensure a strong return. The best way to do so is using data, best practices and proven methodology to make decisions. Learn More
 

Michigan State University will migrate to the open source FOLIO Library Services Platform, and will fully implement FOLIO in 2021, it announced today. EBSCO Information Services will provide hosting, implementation, training, and development support, and will leverage integrations with EBSCO Discovery Service and OpenAthens access management.

After initially exploring the donation of some of its library collections to nearby Wayne State University, Marygrove College ultimately decided to give its 70,000 books and 3,000 journal volumes to the Internet Archive, which digitized the collection and made it available via Controlled Digital Lending.

David Polfeldt, of Massive Entertainment, offers insight on working in the video game industry. Sid Meier tells the story of creating the influential gaming series, Civilization.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) are issuing this announcement to raise awareness of the potential threat posed by foreign-backed online journals that spread disinformation regarding the 2020 elections.

From the arXiv Blog: arXivLabs, a concept developed years ago, acts as a conduit for collaboration. Now, it appears as a physical space on the article record page, and, importantly, sets guidelines for collaborations between arXiv and third parties, ensuring that partners share arXiv’s values of openness, community, excellence, and user data privacy.

From Open Preservation Foundation: We are pleased to announce the publication of the findings report and anonymised raw data from the OPF digital preservation community survey.

When COVID-19 shut down the country in early March, there was a mad scramble for masks, swabs, and…library cards. With doors closed and physical collections in quarantine (embargoed), the only way libraries could connect with patrons was online. But how could new customers or those new to using online collections get access without a library card?

Central Technology (Cen-Tec), developers of the i-circ line of self-check stations, created Point 2 Click, a patent-pending adapter that enables library patrons to use public touchscreen interfaces without ever physically touching the screens. The adapters were developed in response to heightened cleaning protocols as libraries reopen branches during the COVID-19 pandemic.

COVID-19 is accelerating the move to digital amid budget pressures; library vendors share what they hear from customers and how they're meeting rapidly evolving needs.

As universities and colleges across the United States grapple with the best way to proceed with fall terms given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, American Library Association–accredited library science programs are providing a variety of options to their students. Some are going fully online while others are offering hybrid courses with online and in-person components.

On July 27, the Internet Archive (IA) responded to a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by publishers Hachette, HarperCollins, Wiley, and Penguin Random House by filing a brief in the U.S. Southern District of New York that denies all charges of willful infringement.

Linked Data is only as useful as the metadata on which it depends, and poor quality metadata ultimately causes the challenges many librarians hope to address with Linked Data.

As libraries offer essential services during the COVID pandemic, they face the added challenge of protecting the health and safety of staff and patrons. Necessary adaptations include effective and affordable personal protective equipment (PPE) for library staff, sanitization stations for staff and patrons, touch-free checkouts, the replacement of meeting room locks with digital contactless entry devices, and revamped floor plans and public spaces.

ValChoice, an independent data analytics company focused on the U.S. insurance industry, is offering public and academic libraries permanent, unlimited access to online calculators, insurance company ratings, tutorials and “how-to” videos, worksheets, and other tools designed to help users understand how insurance—such as car and home insurance—is priced, and how to decide on policies based on their age, deductibles, coverage limits, and other factors.

Seven experts discussed long-term trends that are becoming even more significant in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In partnership with 10 state libraries, BiblioLabs has announced that more than 4,000 digital comics, graphic novels, and children’s materials will be available for free, unlimited simultaneous use through August 31. In addition, the library partners will be participating in a new Virtual Library Comic Convention scheduled to be held on July 30.

Gale, a Cengage company, today introduced five interactive dashboards for its Gale Analytics demographic data visualization platform.

Online meetings have become ubiquitous for many of us. Once our library started offering Virtual Meeting Rooms to the public via Zoom, we immediately began fielding questions on how to best structure online events. Since how an event is structured has such a large impact on its success, we wanted to share some best practices we’ve learned.

Technological advancements, accessibility needs, and study practices have and will continue to develop at a rapid pace. We find, use, and publish research completely differently than we did 25 years ago.

Many libraries are cancelling their galas and other in-person fundraising events due to the global pandemic. As a member of the Next Chapter Society (NCS), which works with Tennessee’s  Nashville Public Library Foundation to fundraise for the Nashville Public Library (NPL), I worked with my committee to shift our summer activities online.

When the COVID-19 pandemic shut down campuses, libraries helped salvage spring semesters by supporting distance learning. Plans for fall remain in limbo, but academic librarians share what they’ve learned.

In response to coronavirus shutdown orders that have left public library branches closed across the country, Playaway—developer of products including Playaway pre-loaded audiobook devices, Wonderbook read-alongs, and Launchpad pre-loaded tablets—recently began offering its customers the option to ship products directly from the company to patrons’ homes.

As the coronavirus makes internet access even more crucial for schooling, many jobs, and applying for unemployment, library staff have been working on creative solutions to bring access to thousands who would otherwise be without, moving beyond Wi-Fi in parking lots and cultivating external partnerships.

As states and cities suspend coronavirus-related shutdown orders, two library apps—ConverSight LIBRO and CapiraMobile—are introducing curbside pickup features that will enable library staff to fulfill requests for books and other physical materials while maintaining social distancing recommendations and minimizing personal contact with patrons.

As public libraries do more and more in times of crisis to fill gaps in our social safety net, it is time to rethink how publishers and content providers relate and do business with public libraries and their customers. How can those relationships be retooled and reimagined to provide outcomes that are more beneficial for all?

The COVID-19 pandemic has shuttered public libraries nationwide, compelling librarians to quickly deploy virtual alternatives to programming and online learning while boosting electronic collections to meet a growing demand. But these virtual offerings often leave out some of public libraries' most devoted yet vulnerable patrons: those who are unhoused or coping with mental health problems or substance use.

Consider these library (and library-adjacent) crowdsourcing projects as a fun way to connect to the community and make a difference during the COVID-19 outbreak.

With most library buildings temporarily closed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic, some libraries are combining the need for meeting space with the shift to digital service delivery.

The lights are out at libraries across the country, but the WiFi signal is staying strong even during a time of unprecedented closures.

Demand for popular ebooks, digital audiobooks, comics, music, and streaming video has spiked as library branches close and patrons are asked to stay at home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Macmillan yesterday announced that it would discontinue its embargo period, which had prohibited libraries from purchasing ebook licenses for newly published titles for eight weeks.

Nearly four months after Macmillan enacted its 60-day embargo on library ebooks, the state of digital collections is still a subject of intense interest in the field. This played out at the Public Library Association (PLA) conference, held in Nashville, TN, on 25–29, when the panel “Building the Case for #eBooksForAll” saw attendance of close to 300 conferencegoers.

The Panorama Project—a library and publishing industry initiative that aims to quantify the impact that libraries have on book discovery, author brand development, and publisher sales—in February released its 2019 annual report and previewed two initiatives for 2020.

U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) on February 12 introduced the Data Protection Act of 2020, new legislation that would create the Data Protection Agency, an independent federal agency that “would serve as a ‘referee’ to define, arbitrate, and enforce rules to defend the protection of [U.S. citizens’] personal data.”

Public libraries are using new vendor solutions to enhance local schools’ ebook and audiobook collections, creating a new generation of library users.

Corporations, technology companies, and government entities are gathering more data than ever about people, and libraries have an important role to play in educating the public about surveillance, personal information, and online privacy, according to panelists at the Library Information Technology Association’s (LITA) Top Tech Trends panel.

An international team of Medievalists has released a free android and iOS app of Geoffrey Chaucer’s The Canterbury Tales, featuring the digitized Hengwrt Chaucer manuscript and an authentic 45-minute dramatic reading of the General Prologue.

In a candid and occasionally contentious “Ask Me Anything” session on Saturday, January 25 at the 2020 American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia, Macmillan CEO John Sargent discussed the publisher’s two-month embargo period for library ebooks, which went into effect on November 1.

Cornell University Library has put together a suite of privacy services for students and faculty. These include digital literacy workshops, confidential privacy risk consultations, public computers configured to ensure anonymity, and pro-privacy advocacy that will potentially feature a dataset of vendor policies.

By working with local experts on civic open data projects, libraries can become the heart of the smart city.

Global investment firm KKR on December 24 announced the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire ebook provider OverDrive from Japanese online retailer Rakuten.

In a move that further consolidates the market for commercial integrated library systems, library services platforms, and other library software solutions, Ex Libris on December 5 announced that it has signed an agreement to acquire Innovative Interfaces.

Good website design is nearly invisible, and many features can have a significant impact on the user experience without being immediately apparent. Web security is one such feature. All websites should prioritize security. Librarians should take note, and patrons should feel assured of the veracity of the web content they access on a library’s domain, and of the security of any data they share.

The Internet Archive (IA) on November 6 announced that its longtime not-for-profit partner, Better World Libraries, had acquired Better World Books. When libraries and other organizations weed or deaccession titles and donate to Better World Books, selected titles will now be directed into IA’s massive book digitization program.

Disappearing ice, air pollution, the wonders of algae. The best science and technology titles published in 2019.

On November 1, Macmillan enacted its eight-week embargo period for new library ebook licenses. Many libraries have responded by announcing boycotts, as library organizations continue outreach and advocacy efforts.

Lehigh University Library has partnered with software developer Index Data ahead of the library’s planned summer 2020 launch of the FOLIO  open source library services platform.

Dated October 15, ALA’s report to Congress summarizes challenges facing the library field with regard to ebooks, streaming content, the pricing of digital academic journal subscriptions, anti-competitive behavior in digital textbook publishing, and the publishing industry’s capture and use of student data.

The American Library Association and Public Library Association last month launched a public outreach campaign to mobilize opposition to Macmillan’s new eight-week embargo period for library ebook purchases. The campaign has gained traction online, with an eBooksForAll.org petition demanding the cancellation of the embargo garnering more than 103,000 signatures at press time.

The publishing and book retailing ecosystem is changing rapidly, but public libraries continue to offer substantial opportunities to promote authors and books, and it is vital that publishers recognize libraries as important partners, a panel of library leaders said to an audience of publishing executives during Baker & Taylor’s Publisher Summit 2019, held September 24 in White Plains, NY.

Multnomah County Library, OR, (MCL) launched a partnership with Portland State University’s Ooligan Press to publish and distribute print copies of ebooks written by local authors and selected during MCL’s annual Library Writers Project.

Many libraries have established formal or informal policies to ensure the accessibility of licensed and library-created digital content, but libraries also report uncertainty regarding the responsibilities for auditing and enforcing such policies, according to the “LYRASIS 2019 Accessibility Survey Report.”

Last month, the Panorama Project announced that Guy LeCharles Gonzalez would be taking over as Project Lead. The initiative aims to quantify the impact that libraries have on the publishing ecosystem—specifically the digital publishing ecosystem—and Gonzalez brings a new perspective to the project shaped by his 25 year career in the library and publishing fields.

Following an investigation into Santa Cruz Public Libraries’ use of Gale Analytics on Demand, a California grand jury reported on June 24 that the use of data analytics tools by libraries “is a potential threat to patron privacy and trust.”

LinkedIn Learning, which acquired Lynda.com in 2015, recently announced that all users of the platform’s online training programs will be required to create or log into a LinkedIn account to access the content. The new terms of service would also apply to LyndaLibrary users who access the platform through library subscriptions.

Following a year-long test with its Tor imprint, Macmillan today announced a two-month embargo on sales of new ebook titles to libraries across all of its imprints.

Within the past month, Hachette Book Group replaced its perpetual licensing model for libraries with a two-year ebook and digital audiobook lending model. Simon & Schuster eliminated perpetual licensing on digital audiobooks and replaced it with two-year licensing, announced per-circ pricing for select ebook titles, and made additional changes to its library ebook model. And audiobook provider Blackstone Publishing announced a new 90-day embargo on sales to libraries.

Vendors at this year’s American Library Association annual conference in Washington, DC launched new products, debuted significant updates, and announced winners of grants and awards. Here are a few items that LJ had an opportunity to learn about in person.

On Sunday, June 23, Library Ideas will debut Immersive Reality Books, a new line of children’s nonfiction titles featuring integrated virtual reality and augmented reality content.

Ex Libris today announced the acquisition of RapidILL, the resource sharing system developed by Colorado State University Libraries that now provides more than 330 academic libraries in the United States, Canada, Asia, Australia, and New Zealand with interlibrary lending services for articles, returnables, and open access materials.

Establishing what archivists hope will become a recurring, comprehensive training program, the Indiana University Libraries Moving Image Archive hosted the first Biennial Audio-Visual Archival Summer School, May 13–26, in collaboration with the International Federation of Film Archives and the Coordinating Council of Audiovisual Archives Associations.

Students and other researchers face many challenges when they’re searching for information. One of the biggest is sifting through the sheer volume of search results their query generates and honing in on the specific resources that are most relevant to their work.

Libraries are already catalysts for our communities in so many ways. I look forward to finding out about how you’re leveraging those strengths as you plan for the future. And I want to explore how we, as OCLC members, can help transform our own organization to better serve the wider community of library users around the world, both today and into the future. I hope you’ll join us at the regional conference nearest you.

The Panorama Project—a multi-partner library and publishing industry initiative to research the impact that libraries have on book and author discovery, brand development, and retail sales—this week announced the launch of “Panorama Picks,” a free program offering librarians, publishers, and booksellers a topline assessment of regional library demand for recently published ebook titles.

A collaboration between Harvard’s Library Innovation Lab and metaLAB gives library patrons control over light and sound in their work space.

As the cost of textbooks continues to rise, college and university students are citing increasing difficulties when it comes to paying for class materials. Library Journal ’s 2019 Textbook Affordability Survey, sponsored by Taylor & Francis Group, asked academic librarians who acquire digital and print materials for their libraries about textbook cost challenges, faculty collaborations, trends, and possible solutions.

McGraw-Hill and Cengage on May 1 announced an all-stock merger. Paul Gazzollo, senior VP and global general manager of Gale Publishing, a Cengage company, told LJ that libraries can expect "business as usual at Gale"

Kitchener Public Library, Ont., serves a city of about 252,000 people. One of our missions in the community is to ignite conversations. Our premier 85 Queen series, which takes place at and is named for our flagship Central Library location, features in-depth events: not just a reading from a big-name author but an interview conducted by an experienced journalist; not just a screening of a controversial film but a panel of experts to discuss it; and not just an appearance from famous musician but full concert-style performances with storytelling.

This spring, the Huntsville–Madison County Public Library took the term “Maker space” to a different level—more specifically, out of this world—when an unmanned spacecraft flew parts of a project created at its Madison branch to the International Space Station.

The Internet Archive is seeking partners for its Open Libraries project. Recent contributors include Trent University, ON, which donated more than 250,000 books last year during the renovation of its Bata Library, and longtime project partner Boston Public Library (BPL), which donated its sound archives for digitization in 2017.

Earlier this year, OCLC published a great list based on our own original research: The Library 100—Top Novels of All Time. It’s a list of the novels that more libraries have on their shelves than any others.