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Public libraries are an invaluable institution in the United States, and the digital revolution has posed many challenges for them. With the American Library Association's updated "Library Bill of Rights" and public library services increasingly moving online in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the protection of patron privacy in public libraries is an important and timely topic of study. However, there is a lack of empirical data regarding privacy practices and the challenges that public libraries face. To fill this gap, we conducted an online survey that was sent to more than 12,500 public librarians across the country to study the state of patron privacy practices and challenges in public libraries. This study is the first of its kind on this topic. Our results show that patron privacy protections vary drastically depending on the library's size and service area. This study provides essential knowledge for administrators and policy makers in public libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the last few decades, there have been multiple peer-reviewed articles that suggest academic libraries do not establish appropriate succession plans, nor do they develop the required leadership capacity in their librarians. This article discusses (a) the development of a survey instrument to measure the frequency with which succession planning activities take place in libraries, and (b) the results of a survey study that explored succession planning practices in the Association of Research Libraries (ARL) in the United States. This study utilized a cross-sectional design with a stratified random sample (n = 353) of academic librarians and administrators employed by ARL member libraries. After data analysis, validity and reliability analyses revealed the survey instrument demonstrates acceptable psychometric properties and produced a strong alpha coefficient of.91. Findings also suggest that several factors impact respondents' knowledge of and/or participation in succession planning activities, including their sexual orientation, primary job duties, layers of management in their library hierarchy, and whether or not managers identify and prepare interims for critical positions in their library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article explores the importance of diversity, equity, and inclusion in the music library profession. It acknowledges the presence of racism, sexism, and microaggressions in the workplace and professional conferences. The author emphasizes the need for recruitment and the development of systems that support diversity, equity, and inclusion as librarians from underrepresented communities enter the field. The article also mentions other essays in the volume that cover topics such as training, hiring, faculty status, and collection management. Overall, the article calls for action to address the lack of diversity in librarianship. [Extracted from the article]

The APE2024 was a conference on scientific publishing that took place in Berlin from January 8th to 9th. The conference had two main focuses: the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the integrity/trustworthiness of researchers. Various lectures and panels were held on these topics. In addition, innovative products and offerings from different companies were presented. The German Library Association is celebrating its 75th anniversary and continues to advocate for free access to knowledge and information. A special prize was announced for media education projects that promote democracy and human rights. The campaign "WEITER WISSEN. Mit uns." (CONTINUE KNOWING. With us.) was launched by several scientific libraries to increase the visibility of their offerings and services. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: This study aims to investigate the potential impact and passenger perceptions of integrating multimedia books within airline services, aiming to elucidate the evolving landscape of in-flight entertainment and reading experiences. Design/methodology/approach: A quantitative research methodology was used, using a structured questionnaire distributed to presenters at the International Federation of Library Associations. Findings: Analysis revealed varying passenger interest in multimedia books, with approximately 57.7% displaying engagement, while 40.4% demonstrated limited interest or none. However, a notable majority (60.6%) preferred multimedia books over traditional print books during flights. Furthermore, 90.4% perceived a positive impact of multimedia books on flight reading experiences, leading to increased satisfaction (81.7%) and a high likelihood of recommending airlines offering such content (91.3%). Research limitations/implications: The study's limitations include a specific focus on International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) World Library and Information Congress (WLIC) presenters, potentially limiting broader generalisations. Further research might explore the preferences of a wider demographic range and incorporate qualitative aspects to deepen understanding. Airlines could leverage multimedia books to enhance passenger satisfaction, attract diverse audiences and foster cultural inclusivity within in-flight entertainment. Originality/value: This study contributes insights into the evolving landscape of in-flight entertainment, emphasising the significant potential and positive impact of integrating multimedia books within airline services. It underscores the importance of catering to diverse passenger preferences and enhancing overall satisfaction during air travel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apical vowels are widely observed across Chinese dialects, such as the rime of [sɹ̩55] 'think' in Mandarin Chinese, which is a syllabic approximant homorganic to its preceding sibilant. The apical vowels in Hefei Mandarin differ from those in Mandarin Chinese and most other languages in three aspects: (i) there are three phonetic apical vowels [ɹ̩], [ɹ̩ʷ], and [ɻ̩] while others usually have one or two, (ii) the alveolar apical [ɹ̩] appears after both homorganic and non-homorganic consonants, e.g. [sɹ̩] vs. [pɹ̩], and (iii) there is a phonological contrast between an unrounded apical [ɹ̩] and a rounded apical [ɹ̩ʷ], e.g. [sɹ̩] vs. [sɹ̩ʷ]. The articulatory properties of the three apical vowels were examined in this study using ultrasound techniques and the results revealed that: (i) the commonalities of tongue gestures for the apical vowels include a retracted tongue root, a lowered tongue dorsum or blade, or both, together with a coronal constriction implemented with the blade and/or the tip; (ii) lip gestures are involved in distinguishing the three apical segments; (iii) the three segments each have its distinct articulatory gestures within a speaker that cannot be simply attributed to the influence from their preceding consonants, with [ɹ̩] and [ɹ̩ʷ] involving a grooving in the front part of the tongue and [ɻ̩] involving a retraction of tongue body in the back region of the vocal tract; (iv) the articulatory gesture of [ɹ̩] after a homorganic consonant, e.g. in [sɹ̩], is similar to that after a non-homorganic consonant, e.g. in [pɹ̩], suggesting an independent articulatory target for this segment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presents the results of an online survey that benchmarked the organization of information technology (IT) functions in academic library members of the Association of Research Libraries. The survey investigated whether responsibility for 14 key areas resided in the libraries or in an institution-level information technology department, whether responsibilities have shifted over the past 20 years, satisfaction with services provided, assessment methods used to evaluate information technology services, and top challenges facing library IT. This paper considers the survey results addressing where the responsibility lies, satisfaction with the support, and whether and when the responsibility changed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractMentoring is a dynamic and evolving experience despite cultural, social and environmental influences in the library profession and the organization. The needs of each society and institution determine the criteria for the programme. Minimal information exists in the Caribbean and some areas of Africa on informal and formal mentoring programmes in the library profession. This paper is a comparative study into mentoring in Trinidad and Tobago and Botswana for members of the library associations. The study confined its scope to library professionals. An electronic form which contained a total of nine (9) questions, with some questions having appendages to them, derived from the research objectives was disseminated for a comprehensive comparative analysis of the two societies. The findings revealed similar information in both countries on the need for mentoring in the information profession. Librarians in both countries are not conversant with the concept of mentoring and mentoring programmes that boost library professionals. This study will raise important issues that relate to mentoring programmes for information professionals in this career field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study highlights the present status of medical libraries in Bangladesh. It mainly focuses on the four key areas of medical libraries: Medical Library Services, Research4Life from Bangladesh perspective, Institutional Repository (IR), and Library Automation status. The research study also explores the various key challenges faced by the medical libraries in Bangladesh and finally provides necessary recommendations like a sufficient library budget, implementation of an Integrated Library System (ILS), skilled manpower, more participation in information networking and resource sharing, sound ICT environment, online collection development for the overall development of medical libraries in Bangladesh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article pioneers a new methodological approach to the study of electoral politics by combining an analysis of the politics of reading, library association and the reading habits of electors in an English urban constituency in the early 19th century. By integrating an examination of reading practices and intellectual context into our analysis of electoral contests, political history scholars can go further in their examination of the unreformed electoral system and attempt to gauge the motivations behind voting habits and partisan identification in this period. Using electoral voting data and the records of an urban subscription library, this article explores the interrelation between the Bristol Library Society and Bristol's electoral politics, as well as conducting an analysis of which books were being borrowed and read by electors in a politically tumultuous year. Although few in number compared with the total size of Bristol's electorate, Bristol Library members were among some of the most politically and culturally influential individuals in Bristol society and were active participants in electoral contests in the city, either as candidates, campaigners, civic officials or voters. An analysis of their voting habits reveals that the library's membership reflected the Tory political hegemony that became pronounced in the city's civic politics. Moreover, an analysis of their reading habits in 1812 reveals an interest in political texts that were conservative and anti‐Gallic in tone, that were representative of the political climate in Bristol in 1812, and which contributed to the defeat of candidates for reform in its electoral contests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The German Library Association (dbv) and the Deutsche Telekom Foundation will award the "Library of the Year" prize in two categories on October 24, 2024: "Library of the Year" and "Library of the Year in small municipalities and regions". The award recognizes exemplary and innovative library work using digital offerings and services. The prize is endowed with 20,000 euros and 7,000 euros, respectively. Applications can be submitted until March 31, 2024. An independent jury will select the winners. [Extracted from the article]

The library associations BIB, dbv, and VDB have launched the web portal meinjob-bibliothek.de to provide insights into the various fields of work in academic and public libraries and to inform about training and qualification opportunities. The goal is to inspire young people, university graduates, and career changers to work in libraries. Libraries have undergone significant changes in recent years and now offer diverse offerings and services for all generations. The associations' personnel recruitment commission deals with questions of personnel recruitment and the public perception of the professional image. [Extracted from the article]

The Master's degree is a necessary step for any library and information science professional who wants to advance in the field. This requires potential students to go through the graduate school application process, which often includes additional requirements set by the School of Information (or equivalent college). Application requirements offer some way to potentially measure the likelihood of success should institutions choose to admit certain students. However, it is not a perfect process. There is also considerable overlap in the requirements expected from LIS programs accredited by the American Library Association. These differences are assessed after a careful examination of the admissions webpage of each program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The annual report of the Library and Information Association of Jamaica for the year 2023-2024 provides an overview of the association's mission and purpose, as well as highlights from the year such as conferences and training sessions. The report includes reports from various sections and committees within the association, detailing their activities, initiatives, and challenges faced. The financial report and acknowledgements from the president are also included. The report showcases the association's efforts to provide leadership in the development and promotion of resources in the library, archives, records management, and information sectors in Jamaica. [Extracted from the article]

"Martha Lloyd's Household Book: The Original Manuscript from Jane Austen's Kitchen" by Julienne Gehrer is a valuable resource for researchers studying food and material culture, Austen scholars, and those interested in nineteenth-century women's studies. The book provides a digitized copy of Martha Lloyd's original manuscript, complete with images of the well-worn leather covers, as well as an annotated transcription. Gehrer's annotations focus on food-related details and provide context for the recipes and methods used in the book. The inclusion of both the manuscript and the annotated transcript makes this text useful for junior researchers, those new to working with archival materials, and Austen enthusiasts. [Extracted from the article]

The article is a review of the book "Careers in Music Libraries IV" edited by Misti Shaw and Susannah Cleveland. The book is part of a series that explores the field of music librarianship and provides advice and guidance for professionals in the field. The review highlights several essays in the book, including topics such as technical services in libraries, careers in music archives and special collections, and diversity in music librarianship. The reviewer praises the volume for its comprehensive coverage and recommends it as an essential resource for music library professionals. [Extracted from the article]

Motivation Long-read sequencing technologies, an attractive solution for many applications, often suffer from higher error rates. Alignment of multiple reads can improve base-calling accuracy, but some applications, e.g. sequencing mutagenized libraries where multiple distinct clones differ by one or few variants, require the use of barcodes or unique molecular identifiers. Unfortunately, sequencing errors can interfere with correct barcode identification, and a given barcode sequence may be linked to multiple independent clones within a given library. Results Here we focus on the target application of sequencing mutagenized libraries in the context of multiplexed assays of variant effects (MAVEs). MAVEs are increasingly used to create comprehensive genotype-phenotype maps that can aid clinical variant interpretation. Many MAVE methods use long-read sequencing of barcoded mutant libraries for accurate association of barcode with genotype. Existing long-read sequencing pipelines do not account for inaccurate sequencing or nonunique barcodes. Here, we describe Pacybara, which handles these issues by clustering long reads based on the similarities of (error-prone) barcodes while also detecting barcodes that have been associated with multiple genotypes. Pacybara also detects recombinant (chimeric) clones and reduces false positive indel calls. In three example applications, we show that Pacybara identifies and correctly resolves these issues. Availability and implementation Pacybara, freely available at https://github.com/rothlab/pacybara , is implemented using R, Python, and bash for Linux. It runs on GNU/Linux HPC clusters via Slurm, PBS, or GridEngine schedulers. A single-machine simplex version is also available. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although the existence and importance of prison libraries is noted in United Nations declarations and guidelines from correctional and library associations around the world, no attempt has been made to provide a bibliographic analysis of scholarly literature pertaining to prison library research. This article reports on an analysis of 141 scholarly journal articles published on the topic from 1970 to 2020, focusing on five areas: publication patterns over time, authorship characteristics, subject and geographic focus, publication sources, and languages of publication. The outcome of this analysis revealed that scholarly publishing on prison library–related topics is a slowly growing field, but one dominated by scholars from the United States. Authors are very likely to be publishing about issues local to themselves, in the English language, and in library-related journals. They are very likely to publish only once on the topic rather than building a thematic program of research in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This opinion paper discusses the impact of the Library and Information Science (LIS) course/program accreditation, and implications for graduating students when it excludes an international element. The case study describes the accreditation status of Zimbabwe's LIS training and qualifications, while also gathering insight from international practices. Results reveal the need for a solid support system to the LIS profession from various constituents including LIS curriculum developers, library associations, and an environment that encourages library and information professionals to possess qualifications relevant to their respective markets and innovation. The paper concludes with a recommendation for international accreditation practices, principles and standards that produce well-equipped, versatile LIS professionals. In exploring the process and implications of international accreditation and recognition of library science qualifications in Zimbabwe, the paper holds promise for informing other situations beyond Zimbabwe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2022 the German umbrella association BID Bibliothek Information Deutschland and the Czech library association SDRUK have agreed a three-year partnership to foster relations and promote exchange, study trips, joint conference participation and various projects that advance knowledge and information about the respective partner country. The article presents the concept of the Partner Country Initiative and describes the joint projects for the 2022–2025 period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Parliamentary State Secretary Dr. Jens Brandenburg visited the Frankenthal City Library to learn about their media work. The visit took place as part of the qualification project "Network Library Media Education," which is carried out by the German Library Association with funding from the Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The goal of the project is to strengthen libraries as places of media education and promote media literacy for all generations. So far, over 3,300 library staff have already participated in online seminars and workshops as part of the project. The Frankenthal City Library offers a wide range of media education programs and organizes over 250 events annually for promoting reading and media education. [Extracted from the article]

A survey by the Deutsche Telekom Foundation and the German Library Association shows that libraries are important extracurricular learning spaces and partners in the German education system. Most libraries are well connected and offer educational programs for children and teenagers. They work closely with kindergartens, primary schools, and secondary schools. Many libraries in larger cities also collaborate with makerspaces, student laboratories, or science centers. The promotion of STEM topics and media literacy plays a special role. The survey results show that libraries play an important role in the education system and need more resources to fully realize their potential as learning spaces. [Extracted from the article]

The Düsseldorf Central Library in KAP1 was awarded the national Library Prize "Library of the Year 2023" on October 24, 2023. The award was presented by the German Library Association (dbv) and the Deutsche Telekom Foundation. The Central Library stands out for its innovative realignment and offers numerous digital and analog services. It is an open place of knowledge, participation, and communication, and is used daily by the people of Düsseldorf. The award honors the library as a place that puts books, media, and above all, people at the center. [Extracted from the article]

On October 24, 2023, libraries in Germany celebrated "Library Day". The German Library Association has called on the federal government to allow public libraries to open on Sundays. Until now, it has been legally prohibited for libraries to offer their services on Sundays. Over 700 library directors and employees have signed an open letter to the federal government, demanding a change in the Federal Working Hours Act to be able to open with staff on Sundays. The German Library Association supports this demand, as do numerous individuals from politics, culture, and education. [Extracted from the article]

The City and School Library Lauenburg was named "Library of the Year in Small Municipalities and Regions 2023" on October 20, 2023. The award was presented by Dr. Frank Mentrup, the President of the German Library Association (dbv), and Jacob Chammon, the Managing Director of the Deutsche Telekom Foundation. The library was recognized for its innovative and diverse offerings, including smartphone courses, web programming introductions, and robotics workshops. It received a prize money of 7,000 euros. The award aims to strengthen the image of libraries in the digital world. [Extracted from the article]

Project management as a discipline has been around for decades within such fields as business and manufacturing, however, the library profession has seen slower adoption, along with apparent gaps in training support. In 2018, an American Library Association project team surveyed library professionals regarding their experiences with project management in their organizations and LIS programs. The results highlighted a number of gaps in project management practices in libraries and preparation among library professionals for managing projects. Recommendations are given for ALA Core and for library administrators to address gaps in training and support of project management in libraries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Privacy is a major issue within libraries; however, the general concept of privacy varies across culture, context, and era. To understand what libraries mean when they discuss privacy, this article looks at the codes of ethics from 70 international library associations to find references to privacy. Using a content analysis, several themes emerge as issues that should be considered and asserted when approaching privacy concerns in the library. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much research suggests that exposure to diverse books that feature the lived experiences of people with marginalized or underrepresented identities influences how children perceive their own value and the significance of others who do and do not look like them. Library associations have recently called for greater attention to issues of diversity, equity, and inclusion to be reflected across all aspects of library services and programs. The purpose of this study was to examine the print materials used in public library storytime programs to identify the extent to which storytime exposes children to diverse people. Results indicate that, across all categories examined, books shared in storytimes are lacking in terms of diversity. The authors conclude that librarians need to be much more intentional in their efforts to diversify services and programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article provides an overview of the Libraries Build Business Playbook, a product of the American Library Association's Libraries Build Business initiative (2020–2022), with the aim of introducing a wider audience to this resource and encouraging participation in its further development and use. We situate the Playbook and library engagement with small business initiatives in terms of the role libraries play in economic advancement more generally and entrepreneurship as a means for economic empowerment. We discuss the development and content of the Playbook and its application to the library field; related opportunities, including the Libraries Build Business Community; and ways in which libraries can participate in expanding entrepreneurship programs and resources to be more diverse and inclusive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines both the presentation content and institutional representation of the Rare Books and Manuscripts Section (RBMS) of the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) of the American Library Association (ALA) conference from 2009 to 2021. An analysis of types of presentations and presentation topics reveals that types of sessions and session topics are consistent throughout the years. Presentations with a diversity focus remain low, despite an RBMS commitment to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the section. Multiple presenters from a single institution are common at the conference. There are few local presenters at the RBMS conference, but non-academic institutions are represented at all of the conferences studied. Taken together, these all have an influence on how RBMS creates and thinks about important work, standards, and best practices in the special collections field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In August 2021, the Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA), in partnership with the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), received $100,000 in funding from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program National Forum Grant in the Lifelong Learning project category for Path to Leadership: National Forum to Advance Asian/Pacific Islander American (APIA) Librarianship. Funding from the grant resulted in an online national forum, webinars, and a reunion program. This paper details the planning and implementation of this project. It also includes project evaluation and a proposed curriculum outline to fully develop an APIA leadership program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Librarians have reflected on their literature since state library association journals and newsletters began publication. This trend peaked in the 70s and 80s, and there was a virtual gap in the literature in the following decades. It is crucial to reassess publication trends due to recent changes in the library profession, such as declining membership and ease of publishing online. Print publication trends in state library association journals and newsletters will be examined using OCLC MARC records retrieved in Connexion and compiled in an Excel spreadsheet and graph. In addition, electronic publishing trends will be analyzed by assessing state association websites for the presence of a journal or newsletter, its format, and whether it is open source. Results from the study show that there were changing trends in the frequency of print publishing over the years, and most state associations presently publish an online journal in open-access PDF format. However, OCLC users should update OCLC records to reflect accurate publication dates and make separate records for an electronic format to depict publication trends accurately. State associations should also create a retention plan for electronically published material to avoid losing a historical archive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Applying a content warning to metadata and archival descriptions is a practice that libraries increasingly embrace, even though the American Library Association considers content labeling to be censorship under the Library Bill of Rights. The language used in a content warning, such as offensive or harmful , carries important implications for the responsibility the library assumes and the actions it might take. Before deciding to apply a content warning, libraries should consider a range of questions posed by such warnings and be prepared to respond to the inherent conflict they create with librarianship's commitment to intellectual freedom and anti-censorship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2023 annual conference of the German Medical Libraries Association (AGMB) in Bonn was held under the motto "AGMB 2023: Future – now more than ever". There were numerous lectures and short presentations, posters and workshops. In addition to the report on the conference, the current issue of GMS Medizin – Bibliothek – Information contains four publications of lectures, seven of the eight posters presented, the presentation and appreciation of the award-winning pioneer project in medical libraries 2023 and the announcement of the competition for 2024. Also included are three latecomers to the themed issue "Research-related services of (medical) libraries" 2023 and the current communication from the AGMB board "German MLA (AGMB) News". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"AGMB 2023: Future – now more than ever", this was the theme of the annual conference of the German Medical Library Association (AGMB), held in Bonn from September 18 to 20, 2023. The conference was organized in cooperation by the Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices, ZB MED – Information Center for Life Sciences and Bonn University and State Library. Presentation topics included e.g. library visibility, predatory publishing, systematic literature search, systematic review and management of research data for personal health information. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study conducts a bibliometric analysis of Journal of the Medical Library Association to assess the growth of publication in the journal for the study period i.e. 2013-2022. The paper measures and analyses the distribution of publications in the journal on different parameters like type of publications, the geographical distribution of publications, popular keywords and top-cited publications during the study period. Total 599 documents were retrieved and analysed and found that the year 2020 was the most productive year. Under the type of publications, article was the preferred category with 47.08%. Human and humans were popular keywords. United States is a predominant country (26.48%) and the University of Toronto (16.17%) is a predominant institution. The study is useful for researchers and faculty to understand the pattern of publication of the selected Journal and to conduct an evaluative literature search. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As part of the "Total Digital!" funding program, the German Library Association implemented a total of 855 projects for digital reading promotion from 2018 to 2022, with a budget of five million euros. In doing so, they were able to inspire 14,800 children and adolescents between the ages of 3 and 18 from all over Germany to engage in reading, storytelling, and creating with digital media. The program is primarily aimed at children and young people who face barriers to accessing education. The successor program, "Gemeinsam Digital! Kreativ mit Medien" (Together Digital! Creative with Media), continues to enable projects for digital reading promotion. The German Library Association represents over 9,000 libraries nationwide and advocates for free access to information and the strengthening of libraries. [Extracted from the article]

NHS knowledge and library staff are a highly specialist workforce delivering an economic benefit of £77 million per annum to the health service in England. To achieve their full potential and meet the changing needs of the NHS, it is vital that the workforce remains up to date through the continuing development of their skills, knowledge, and behaviours. This article outlines the work of Health Education England to gain Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP—The Library and Information Association) quality accreditation for the short course offers delivered through the NHS Knowledge for Healthcare Learning Academy. It summarises the benefits of this accreditation for Health Education England, for employers, and for knowledge and library staff participating in the short courses. Learning points from the experience of the accreditation process are described and shared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]