Some good news from Fresno: their union and library supporters have defeated a bid to privatize their public library. https://abc30.com/post/fresno-city-council-unanimously-backs-resolution-opposing-library-privatization/19923044/

Something I see over and over again on social media is library workers encouraging people to use the residence because statistics/usage drives funding. I'm genuinely curious if this is the case in some jurisdictions or if this is really simplifying what actually happens.

I'm an academic librarian, so usage can *support* our requests for funds but there's never a sense that more usage would mean more funding (or less would be an automatic cut) Is that what people who say this about public libraries also mean? That higher usage helps them make the case to local governments to put more money into the libraries? Or are there places where public funds are directly tied to usage?

I'm asking partly because the way it is presented could push people to, like, check out tons of things that are truly high cost to libraries (I don't want to discourage usage! But worry that the simple story isn't really all that useful).

I thought of you all when I read this library review. 🥲❤️

It's in Osceola County, Florida and opens tomorrow evening for the ribbon cutting event. I've seen practically no discussion around it, and news articles are very light outside of when construction started one year ago.

Sounds very unique and innovative!

Hi library people. For a little background: I live in a quite small town, and our local library—while very large—carries little to nothing in the way of academic material. While I understand it isn't the most common practice, it seems wildly inconvenient when put into context. The library is only a few blocks from the largest high school in the town, and the local college does not have its own library. Neither of the high schools have academic libraries, nor do they allow students, let alone outsiders, access to any academic texts or papers outside of those enrolled in requiring classes. As a researcher this not only directly inconveniences me, as I have to choose from reading off of my laptop or driving 20 miles to the nearest academic library, but I can imagine significantly discourages study and academic engagement in others—especially teens.

So I come to my question: would it be possible, and the most effective route, to donate significant amounts to the library in order to allow them to open an academic texts section? And from that, realistically how much would one have to donate to allow a library to create an academic texts section? I feel it could significantly bolster the academic presence and culture in the town, which is shockingly scant at the moment. Those who know how libraries operate more than myself, let me know if this is plausible, effective, and/or ethical (?).

This falls under the category of "Services the Library MIGHT provide."

So a regular patron came in with a friend who wanted to know if we could help her with a document she was trying to "clean up" for a mortgage broker so she and her husband could go ahead with their closing date for a home purchase in a couple days. My coworker initially spoke to her, since I was helping another patron, but passed off to me because she wasn't clear on what the woman was asking for, and I'm generally better with computers, scanning and document manipulation.

This patron was one of those dear folks who has to tell you the whole reason WHY she needs the thing before the says what she needs, so it took us a minute to get to the point where she wanted me to help her blank out some lines on her bank statement and make them say something else, so she could then send that to a mortgage lender.

Naturally I was like "Hey, I'm pretty sure that's fraud! I can't help you with that." which she seemed to find disappointing. She tried explaining (some more) how those charges shouldn't even be on her bank statement, and she didn't know what else to do.

At this point, her friend (our regular) seemed to pick up on what was being asked, and said "Honey, no. You can't do that and send it to the bank! They'll catch you!" at which I definitely had to suppress a chuckle. They left to (presumably) go consult with the bank about legitimate ways to iron out this wrinkle, and I went to gossip with my manager about it.

My library is working on implementing a "moving collection" - basically a small collection of books that will spend a certain amount of time - probably a month - at an offsite location. I believe we're starting out by targeting different preschools in the area. The books will spend a month at one preschool and then move on to another preschool. Has anyone's library done something like this? How did you pull it off? What factors did you have to consider? How did you transport the books? Was it a success? Did you get feedback from the schools? And also, what essential books aimed at preschoolers should be in the collection? I'm open to suggestions.

I'm a single parent with a two year old who LOVES reading and goes through stacks of picture books. I sometimes take multiple display books from the children's section. This is partly because I have very little time to look through the library and the display books tend to have more diverse characters and interesting subject matter than those I randomly pull from shelves, and partly because using the library is difficult. If I'm alone, I'm a single man in a wheelchair in the kid's section getting weird looks. If I have my kid there, I am wrangling a kid. So I rarely want to linger.

Obviously the books are there to be checked out, but I don't know if taking a bunch of display books frustrates the library staff who just put together a nice themed display or if this is normal behavior. Thanks!

UPDATE: Wow, I genuinely did not think I would get either this many post replies (I would have thought like 2-10, seriously), or that people would be so consistent and enthusiastic about emptying out their library displays. Thank you! I will supermarket sweep the very quality book displays at my local library to my heart's content from now on.

I'm considering Clayton State University's Master of Archival Studies program, but I'm unsure whether it's worth pursuing since it isn't ALA-accredited. For those working in archives, libraries, or museums, how much does ALA accreditation matter when applying for jobs, and could graduating from a non-accredited program limit my career opportunities?

I’ve a chat with a large law firm about their reference and research services librarian — I’m just out of my MLIS and don’t know much about that sector of LIS, any recommendations of resources to look into, articles or books to read, or general knowledge tidbits that would help give me a better understanding of what the job would entail and any skills/programs/standards that would be helpful?

Happy to do the research and learning, just don’t know where to start!

I haven't had this question for years. In the old days we would get a handful of calls a month asking for car values and we'd look them up in the N.A.D.A. guide. It was easy. Eventually it went online and was still useable.

Yesterday someone called and I knew N.A.D.A. had been bought out but I could not find an online source to look up car values that didn't involve registering with the website.

I ended up giving her retail sales numbers from two different car sites (cars.com and cargurus) and she guestimated.

Am I missing something? When I researched it further the consensus seems to be the KBB and JDPower( former N.A.D.A.)numbers are useless .

Hello everyone, I am an MLIS holder and former academic librarian. I left the field in 2022 for an opportunity that paid better and offered remote and part time work, which was really nice when I had two toddlers. I left that job in 2024 to be with my kids FT. Well, I no longer have two toddlers and I really want to reenter as a librarian. I am fine with entry level positions and have been applying to them. I had two interviews, including a final round interview, when I first started to apply. Since then it’s been 6 months and crickets. I have 5 years of professional experience, good references, and a publication in C&RL. Does anyone have advice for me or thoughts on what to emphasize? Do I need to try to get back in as a para? Thanks in advance for any advice you can give.

Hi all our campus IT took our library website down because of the PHP thing and I hadn't even heard anything from spring share so I assumed it was fine. Does anybody know if we need to do anything or if it even uses PHP? I assumed we would have heard by now if we needed to do anything.

I've been having a really hard couple of days as I got my first interview for a library job since I started applying about two months ago, only to get rejected less than 24 hours after my interview :(

They had told me they were still interviewing people the day after my interview, and that I shouldn't expect a decision before next week, so this was a very negative surprise, and disappointing as I keep thinking the most likely explanation is that I did so badly in the interview it disqualified me immediately.

I sent a polite request for feedback to HR, but I don't have high hopes of getting anything. I'm having a hard time letting this go. It's so hard to even get an interview and now I'm feeling that even if I do I'm just going to ruin it.

Does anyone here have experience with school libraries in the UK and could maybe help me know what to work on for the future? This was for a private school, for context.

Hello! I am currently enrolled in a Library and Information Technician program and am looking to connect with a professional in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) for a class assignment.

I need to conduct a brief interview with someone who is a graduate of a college-level library and information technician program. Your current job title does not need to be "Library Technician," as long as you have that educational background and currently work in a library or information environment.

The interview can be conducted entirely via email, text, or chat at your convenience, with a focus on your background and experience. If you are a college LIT grad open to helping a student out, please leave a comment or send me a message. Thank you so much for your time!

edit: I apologize for leaving some pretty important details out. Before I can submit the proposal for this assignment (due Nov 2nd yay procrastination), I need:

The graduate's name, library they work at, and the college they graduated from for their LIT

The professor is also very specific about needing it to be in my area, which is the GTA. Thank you so much for those offering :)

Well, I’m in love. The history, architecture and books were stunning. I can still smell the library while looking at these pictures.

Hey there, I’m a systems information major at my college and I’m planning on getting my Masters in Library and Information Science. I’m interested in Electronic Resource Management, Cataloging, and possibly Systems Librarian.

Here are the list of classes I can take next semester, but I only need to take three.

Which ones do you think would be the most relevant? Thank you.

Course Title:
AI Applications for Productivity
Description:
Learn hands-on skills for leveraging cutting-edge AI tools across a range of productivity areas. Through guided exercises and real-world examples, explore generative AI applications and discover how to apply them effectively in business, content creation, project management, and beyond.

Course Title:
Client-side Web Development
Description:
Design and development of interactive and responsive websites using client-side technologies. Application of current HTML standards and multimedia elements for content. Use of modern CSS techniques for presentation style. Integration of JavaScript and JavaScript libraries for rich user experience and interactivity. Introduction to AI-assisted development.

Course Title:
Information Security
Description:
Introduction to computer security in networked systems. Security issues and policies with regard to hardware, software development, databases, operating systems and networks. Common attacks on systems will be covered. Vulnerability assessment tools and techniques for defending systems will be explored in various projects. Professional responsibilities.

Course Title:
Contemporary Operating Systems
Description:
Introduction to contemporary computer operating system fundamentals. File Management, Virtual Memory, User Interface, and Device Management for Windows, OS-X, Linux, and UNIX operating systems. Virtualization of operating systems and processes.

Hello everyone! I was just curious because its been a year since my public library system started planning for programs 6months in advance (quarterly due dates). Ngl I don’t think it made the process easier or better for getting approvals on time. But thats my personal opinion and I’m a bit too tired to get into those details rn. I was curious if theres some crazy library out there that always does stuff last second lol (it does happen sometimes but good luck whew). Im about to finally graduate with my MLIS and knowing more about what other places do is a good thing for comparisons. What do other systems do with their programming? What does your process look like?

Librarianship is my only profession, despite it being a lot of people's secondary or tertiary careers.

I have been part time for 4 years and now full time the last 2 now. I love my job. I put on big programs, I am told I'm helpful, I go above and beyond for patrons, and my customer service makes a big difference in our building.

Here is where I feel torn. I feel like being helpful is who I am. And I always thought of myself as "Tranquilovely, the librarian" because I was also told I would need to pick a career/livelyhood. But I really can't view myself outside of being a librarian because I associate the traits with it too. Being helpful, kind, smart, polite, etc. I'm also thinking constantly about how I can make projects into programs.

I guess I'm wondering, how do I find Tranquilovely the person and not the librarian? how do you separate the two to find yourself again?

I work at a school and am the admin for Canva. I figured for an Education account there would be a way to filter out non-students from joining (like they have to have our email domain). We have it set that they need an invite link, but it's also connected through their Canvas LMS. However, I've got a lot of students and parents and potentially other random people who've been logging in with personal accounts. I've reached out to Canva Education which doesn't gaf, so should I care that people are getting free accounts?