LITA Forum in Tweets

October 5, 2009

In no particular order, here are some of the tweets that I thought hit on the big themes of LITA Forum 2009–and some that were funny enough not to leave out. They're very lightly edited at times. My notes are in italic. eligerman first step is to admit you have a problem (On changes to organizational cultures in IT) vkline Running naked through the stacks? Ah… IT perceptions of rogue librarians! mfrisque If you are are always chasing your users you will not catch them. Make environments they want to be in and they will come. (Highly retweeted comment from Liz Lawley's closing keynote. Her library has an eclectically furnished, locally run coffee shop with *real* furniture, not stuff from Demco) bmljenny I would like to propose a moratorium on dumping on reference librarians. Let's dump on gov docs libns instead kurtwagner I was confused whether the session "A Hands On Approach to Conversion" was for lib-tech/LITA or LDS folks 🙂 mgoldner gave up on tweeting because good info and ideas are coming too fast lisacarlucci i'll be ordering dessert first at the #litaforum networking dinner. mosylu what about the things that we're afraid of finding? they're out there too. apropos of nothing, Banned Book week ends today vkline Wouldn't it be nice if our new ideas excited others rather than alarming them. (The future of libraries is IT) jaimebc: At what point will ideas be serious, not "young"? lisacarlucci "dont get caught thinking technology is the answer- its the innovative use of tech thats the answer"- @mgoldner (Likely the most-tweeted quote of the conference came out of a last-minute Lightning Talk by OCLC's Matt Goldner) andrewkpace #litaforum heard at the Forum: "best Forum ever…best *conference* ever…"

LITA Forum: Thinking Aloud About the Cloud

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4h

Libraries have a long history of helping to deliver on a wide variety of development goals, from literacy and school readiness to research productivity and urban cohesion. Their unique potential has been recognized not just by the governments or others that traditionally fund them, but also by a range of other funders, private and public alike. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions has created a dataset to help librarians easily discover examples of private philanthropic grants, as well as other funding sources, that other libraries have been able to leverage.”

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, Apr. 22
24h

Jackie Jennings writes: “It feels like the debate over whether #BookTok is bad has been raging since the moment the term was first coined. I’m starting off with a strong stance: BookTok is indeed bad. However, the problem with BookTok is not crappy books or bogus influencers. The problem with BookTok is TikTok itself. BookTok isn’t actually a community driven by fans, writers, influencers, or even publishers: it’s part of a social media corporation, controlled by the most mysterious, fickle god of all, the algorithm.” Not surprisingly, librarian recommendations can overcome some of BookTok’s limitations.

Jezebel, Apr. 18; Book Riot, Apr. 22
1d

ALA announced the launch of its state Intellectual Freedom Helpline grant program April 22. Over the next two years, 10 pilot program sites will operate a confidential reporting system that will help connect those experiencing censorship attempts with professional support, in-state peers, or referral to ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, as appropriate. State or school library associations or agencies wishing to either establish an Intellectual Freedom Helpline in their state or expand existing efforts may apply for $10,000 grants through July 14.

ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom, Apr. 22
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In celebration of the release of his latest nonfiction title, The Secret Lives of Booksellers & Librarians, bestselling author James Patterson is honoring select American Bookseller Association and American Library Association members with bonuses. He announced plans April 11 to give $200 each to 250 library workers across the country. The deadline for ALA members may nominate members to receive bonuses through April 30. Winners will be announced at ALA’s 2024 Annual Conference in San Diego.
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Catherine Hollerbach writes: “In early 2020, when the world shut down for COVID, many people got interested in houseplants. Anne Arundel County (Md.) Public Library’s Crofton Library embraced this trend and then some!” While preparing to reopen after the COVID shutdown, the library installed plants at the information desk to discourage patrons from sticking their heads through gaps in newly installed acrylic shields. They were well received and cared for, and the library gradually added more plants and built educational tools, programming, and partnerships around the plants.

Public Libraries Online, Apr. 18
2d

Rodney Freeman writes: “I am proud to be a librarian—and rare. Less than 7% of librarians in the US are Black. Libraries symbolize the literacy that was denied to so many of our ancestors. For our enslaved forebears, something as fundamental as learning to read was illegal and dangerous, but they did it anyway. Separate but ‘equal’ schools and ‘colored’ libraries filled with cast-offs from white libraries were key features of the Jim Crow era. Today we are seeing the same impulse to distort access to information into a tool to suppress and control, and to make some people ‘other.’”

Newsweek, Apr. 16
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Lori Birrell writes: “Staff want to feel valued, and they want their work to have an impact. A reorganization process can help leaders to surface such areas of impact and give staff a feeling of empowerment and value. Practitioners considering any sized reorganization are strongly encouraged to consider what models and resources will best support them as they plan and lead this work. Regardless of the model or resources, any reorganization process should be more than just moving boxes and reporting lines around on an organizational chart.”

Library Leadership and Management, Apr. 15

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LITA Forum in Tweets

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LITA Forum: Are We Starting to Get IT?

LITA Forum: Thinking Aloud About the Cloud