Librarians Association
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Truly reimagining: less focus on “efficiency” more on vision
From the Library and Information Technology blog piece by Christina Neigel, “What Keeps Me Up at Night:” We increasingly see accountability and responsibility used interchangeably to describe why the activities of organizations must come under significant and measurable scrutiny. Arguments that the only way for government to be accountable for its actions (i.e. demonstrating “efficiency” … Continue reading
What's New
From November 6th – 8th, 2012, students in the Department of Library and Information Studies at the University of Buffalo hosted a wonderful 3-day exposition concerning the future of librarianship. The purpose of Librarians LOUD was to “engage tomorrow’s librarians in the promotion of the profession and to raise awareness of its values by connecting today’s … Continue reading
Buffalo Business First reports that Young Audiences of Western New York (YAWNY) will be joining Literacy Volunteers and Project Flight in occupying space in the Central Library. YAWNY gains larger quarters, access to the library’s 324-seat auditorium and hopefully more visibility on the library’s second floor location, which recently housed a now defunct teen room. … Continue reading
In October NYSUT called for locals to come out in support of Occupy Buffalo in Niagara Square. Several BECPL Librarians Association members including President Tim Galvin, Communications Officer Beth Lewitzky, Central Representative Amy Pickard, Sue Cutrona and Nancy Mueller attended on October 29th. Library Associate Wendy Prabucki also came down to show support.
An ArtVoice article by former employee Peter Scheck points out the irony of holding an elite library fundraising event in the now publicly inaccessible, but particularly well-polished, second floor. (Remaining staff had been prohibited from walking across the newly cleaned floor for several weeks, making it difficult if not impossible to reach work areas that … Continue reading
In the above entitled editorial, E.J. Dionne laments the devaluation of working people in our culture. Sickeningly, we adulate those that accumulate excessive wealth whether or not they contribute to our communities and we barely acknowledge the daily labors of so many.
Recommended
- Bravo to Rod Watson for speaking up for unions. Too bad many union members, like so many politicians that have benefitted from their support, aren’t ready to do the same. Might be a game changer if they were. Read his piece here.
- We heard that Occupy Buffalo participants protested the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library's Nov. 5th "Rare Affair" gala hosted by Chris Collins and friends, but this frenetic video is the first evidence we have seen of it: OCCUPY BUFFALO // NOV 5 // CHRIS COLLINS // A DIRECT AFFAIR
- Checkout this important talk by Eli Pariser if you are concerned about intellectual censorship and/or the objectivity of the online information that you have access to: Eli Pariser: Beware online "filter bubbles."
- Blatant Berry: The Vanishing Librarians. Sorry if you've seen this already, but we think this 2008 opinion piece by John Berry, Editor-at-Large of Library Journal is worth a reread.
- Librarians Who Say Mother**** is a wonderful, morale boosting article about innovative, iconoclastic librarians and the importance of libraries on the Canadian site Hour Community. Here's a blurb: There is something subversive about librarians and libraries. The library remains a place where information isn’t bought and sold. Even if you think of them as being fussy and discreet, what librarians do radically empowers ordinary people, enabling them to use information outside the control of elites.
