Core Update

Blog Archive

The LITA Blog will now function as an archive of posts by the Library and Information Technology Association (LITA), formerly a division of the American Library Association (ALA). LITA is now a part of Core, but was previously the leading organization reaching out across types of libraries to provide education and services for a broad membership of systems librarians, library technologists, library administrators, library schools, vendors, and others interested in leading edge technology and applications for librarians and information providers. Are you interested in becoming involved with Core or the Core News blog? Core News has more information!

Education

Data Privacy While Working From Home

Today’s guest post is brought to you by our recent presenter, Becky Yoose. Special thanks to Becky for being willing to answer the questions we didn’t have time for during our webinar! Hello everyone from your friendly neighborhood library data privacy consultant! We covered a lot of material earlier this month in “A Crash Course in Protecting Library Data While Working From Home,” co-sponsored by LITA and OIF. We had a number of questions during the webinar, some of which were left unanswered at the end. Below are three questions in particular that we didn’t get to in the webinar. Enjoy! Working from home without a web-based ILS We don’t have a web-based version of our ILS and our County-based IT department says they can’t set up remote desktop (something to do with their firewall)… do you have any recommendations on how to advocate for remote desktop? If I have…

Awards and Scholarships

ALA LITA Emerging Leaders: Inventing a Sustainable Division

In January 2020, the latest cohort of Emerging Leaders met at ALA Midwinter to begin their projects. LITA sponsored two Emerging Leaders this year: Kelsey Flynn, Adult Services Specialist at White Oak Library, and Paige Walker, Digital Collections & Preservation Librarian at Boston College. Kelsey and Paige are part of Emerging Leaders Group G, “Inventing a Sustainable Division,” in which they’ve been charged with identifying measures that LITA can take to improve its fiscal and environmental sustainability. As a first step in their assessment, the group distributed a survey to LITA members that will quantify interest in sustainable measures such as virtual conferences and webinars. Want to help? Complete the survey to give feedback that may shape the direction of our chapter. Group G is fortunate to have several other talented library workers on its team:  Kristen Cooper, Plant Sciences Librarian at University of Minnesota Tonya Ferrell, OER Coordinator at…

News & Noteworthy

The 2020 Census Starts in Two Weeks — Are Your Computers Ready?

Because librarians believe that everyone counts. American Library Association librariestransform.org #LibrariesTransform

Post courtesy of Gavin Baker, ALA Office of Public Policy and Advocacy, Deputy Director, Public Policy and Government Relations On March 12, millions of American households will begin receiving mailings inviting them to respond to the 2020 Census. To get an accurate count, everyone has to respond – if they don’t, our libraries and communities will lose needed funding. As the mailings arrive, patrons may come to your library with questions – and, with a new option to respond online, to complete the questionnaire using the library’s computers or internet. To help you prepare, ALA has a new, two-page tip sheet, “Libraries and the 2020 Census: Responding to the Census,” that provides key dates, options for responding, and advice for libraries preparing for the 2020 Census. For instance, the tip sheet explains these important facts: Ways to Respond: Households can respond to the Census online, by phone, or by mail…

General information

LITA Blog Call for Contributors

lita: empowering libraries through technology

We’re looking for new contributors for the LITA Blog! Do you have just a single idea for a post or a series of posts? No problem! We’re always looking for guest contributors with new ideas. Do you have thoughts and ideas about technology in libraries that you’d like to share with LITA members? Apply to be a regular contributor! If you’re a member of LITA, consider either becoming a regular contributor for the next year or submitting a post or two as a guest. Apply today!

News & Noteworthy

Joint Working Group on eBooks and Digital Content in Libraries

John Klima

John Klima, the LITA Representative to the Working Group on eBooks and Digital Content, recently agreed to an interview about the latest update from ALA Midwinter 2020. Watch the blog for more updates from John about the Working Group in the coming months! What is the mission and purpose of the Working Group on eBooks and Digital Content? Quoting from the minutes of the ALA Executive Board Fall meeting in October of 2019: [The purpose of this working group is] to address library concerns with publishers and content providers specifically to develop a variety of digital content license models that will allow libraries to provide content more effectively, allowing options to choose between one-at-a-time, metered, and other options to be made at point of sale; to make all content available in print and for which digital variants have been created to make the digital content equally available to libraries without…