American Libraries Magazine: Editor's Letter

Of Design, Danes, and Daffodils

Laurie Borman — Mon, 19 Mar 2012 19:49:17 +0000

March/April 2012

By Laurie D. Borman

What is your favorite library space? Perhaps a school library reading nook, or the august reading room from your university days, or maybe the balcony stacks in your hometown? The architectural design—and of course, a facility’s resources—draws you to these places and encourages you to stay awhile.

That’s why American Libraries features new and now library designs in our 2012 Library Design Showcase—to give you ideas to consider for your facility. (Be sure to check back at the end of April to see even more gorgeous renovations and new buildings in our Facilities Showcase Digital Supplement.) The showcase began in 1988, when we featured library furniture that could accommodate the emerging need for computers and wired equipment. The following year the showcase grew to include interior design, from California to Pennsylvania. Many of the designs still look fresh and inviting.

Some of the new spaces shown in this issue expand reading spots in the library, others open up cramped quarters. The designs make me think about a few library spaces I’ve enjoyed and why they are meaningful.

The Royal Danish Library on the Slotsholmen in Copenhagen merges the traditional 1906 building with Schmidt, Hammer, and Lassen’s 1999 black marble and glass Black Diamond. Last summer, I went up the escalators in the Black Diamond, drawn to the lush ceiling painting by Per Kirkeby. Crossing the glass-walled walkway under Kirkeby's fresco into the old building’s wood-paneled traditional space, I thought the library blended historic and modern in a uniquely Danish way.

Sandusky, Ohio, expanded its 1901 Carnegie Library by connecting it with the adjacent Erie County Jail (both are on the National Register of Historic Places) and reopened in 2004. The design created an architecturally elegant combination of Greek Revival and Classical Revival. My visits to the library were back before the merger, when a peaceful summer afternoon in the cool, air-conditioned room slipped by like the pages of my book.

A search for Wi-Fi led me to the Jasper (Alberta) Municipal Library. It was built in the 1920s as a detachment office for the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and as a library it was quaint but tight. Plans are under way for an expansion to open next year. It will include more space for Wi-Fi users, among other improvements. The new footprint still leaves green space for the elk that sometimes graze on the library lawn.

Clerestory windows pour light into the reading room of the Jerwood Centre, built in 2004 in England’s Lake District and noteworthy for its collection of rare first editions. It is adjacent to William Wordsworth’s Dove Cottage where the poet began his writings. But his collection of books and the view of daffodils from his library at Rydal Mount, his home from 1813 to 1850, stand out as the perfect proportions for a collection, connecting poet, poems, and place.

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Treasure Hunt

Laurie Borman — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 14:22:42 +0000

January/February 2012

By Laurie D. Borman

All of you who’ve weeded a collection know the challenges I face. Former American Libraries Editor Leonard Kniffel left me a legacy: file drawers stuffed with materials from his 15 years at the helm of this magazine. As someone new to the American Library Association and to this publication, it’s been somewhat daunting to determine what should stay and what should go. Is it a trifle or a treasure? The project is a deep dive into the history and workings of the ALA, some going back prior to Leonard’s arrival.

Fortunately I have plenty of resources to assist me in assessing documents, including the advice of my new colleagues at ALA, especially at American Libraries, and an ALA Retention Policy.

The folders sometimes detour into the evolution of technologies. A thick American Libraries deadlines file spans handwritten calendars and dot-matrix printouts from the 1980s, typeset calendars from the 1990s, and self-published and color-copier versions. (In the interest of being eco-friendly, we now keep track of deadlines in a network drive.)

Other files overflow with fading faxes and yellowed newspaper clippings—remember Stephen Carrie Blumberg, caught in 1990 with more than 11,000 rare books and manuscripts stolen from libraries? Yes, I have a file on him. Then there are microfiche samples from vendors and a typewritten interview with Booklist Editor Bill Ott on the occasion of Booklist’s 90th anniversary in 1995. Haven’t found any floppy disks or eight-millimeter movies yet, but it wouldn’t surprise me.

What’s remarkable is that these old files speak to professional issues that are still relevant content today. The cover story of AL’s January/February 2012 issue, about interns adding diversity to the library work force, advances a long tradition within the library community of striving for diversity in front of and behind the desk. The diversity folder from the AL cabinet covers a 1991 ALA retreat, and AL colleagues tell me that civil rights struggles began to affect ALA policy in 1938, when the Association took a stand against segregated meeting rooms. In 1970, ALA’s Feminist Task Force was created, and that same year ALA made history by becoming the first-ever professional association to form an LGBT group.

I hope to complete my file deep dive by the time you read this, but my quest for leads on professional trends relevant to you has just begun. I’m plowing through reader surveys, reviewing Google Analytics, and checking blog comments. Have a burning issue you want us to cover? Email me, or say hello at the ALA Midwinter Meeting.

And if you need a 1989 typesetting user’s guide or a flier on how to repair your 1981 Osborne computer, I’ve got the file!

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What You Told Us

Beverly Goldberg — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 14:51:45 +0000

July/August 2011

By George M. Eberhart and Beverly Goldberg

In April, we conducted an online survey of our readers, in order to find out what American Libraries is doing right and what we could be doing differently. A big thank you to the nearly 3,600 participants, who represented all types of libraries (public, academic, school, and special). You answered 31 questions about your preferred formats, and some 2,400 of you took the time to add comments to one or more parts of the survey, giving us some< helpful things to consider. Your input is and will be invaluable.

Although this was not a scientific survey, we learned many things about how you read, what you want and don’t want to read, and how you prefer to receive information. In the summary that follows, we’ve identified some of your more frequent comments and preferences.

In a nutshell:

79% consider American Libraries and AL Direct essential professional reading.
American Libraries is rated high on reliability of information (90%) and relevance (65%).
AL Direct is very highly regarded (“fabulous!” “gold!”) and considered very useful. It rated high on relevance and reliability (76%) and timeliness (88%).
76% like to get their American Libraries content in print.
Print fans want the content to be focused on articles rather than time-sensitive news (which is AL Direct ’s specialty).
Mobile phone access is a key issue (36% say that’s how they like to access content). Tablets and e-readers follow close behind.
Many ALA members do not see a clear difference between the overall ALA website and the American Libraries website.
Most members access the American Libraries website through links in AL Direct.
The digital version of the magazine with page turns that we offer with each print issue was not widely known, but it did generate strong feelings about the technology on both sides of the issue. In general, it’s safe to say this is not a preferred format. Some asked for a PDF version of the magazine, unaware that this option is built into the technology we use.
In general, the message was that we can do more to distinguish the benefits and the features of our digital options.
We also received numerous suggestions for content coverage and will be implementing many of those in the future.

Thank you for your time and ideas! We are always pleased to hear from you, through surveys, email, Facebook, or Twitter.

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An Exit Interview

Leonard Kniffel — Thu, 30 Dec 2010 15:00:00 +0000

January/February 2011

By Leonard Kniffel

What better way to make sure you’re asked the right questions in your exit interview than to conduct it yourself? So after 22 years on the American Libraries staff, 15 of them at the helm, here comes mine:

Why are you leaving AL? I’m listening to a little voice inside that says it’s time to move on.

To do what? Take a four-month leave and write another book.

And then what? Concentrate on public awareness and the @ your library website and forge alliances and partnerships with foundations and related organizations that will help ALA’s advocacy and outreach directly to the public. My next book, Reading with the Stars: A Celebration of Books and Libraries, is scheduled to be published as a trade hardback in April, and I want to promote this book with the goal of helping librarians reach out to funding officials, administrators, and other potential library patrons and advocates.

What is the best work you’ve done? I’m proud of our coverage of disasters—from 9/11 to Hurricane Katrina—and all of our efforts to make library connections to big national and international stories. It took some doing to get exclusive interviews with Bill Gates, Laura Bush at the White House, and Julie Andrews as our special guest to celebrate AL's the centennial. They and many others are in the forthcoming book. Listening to successful people talk about their love of reading and libraries has been enormously gratifying.

What have you done to make a difference? I wrote my first editorial in February 1989 as an associate editor, taking publishers to task for allowing important black literature to go out of print. My faith in the value of libraries has shaped everything I’ve ever done for the magazine, which includes publishing articles by some of the best writers in the profession; some of them are still writing for us.

What advice would you give your successor? AL communicates with readers through six print issues a year, a popular weekly e-newsletter, and a fluid website that includes original news reporting, interviews, video, photo galleries, advertising, JobLIST, and eight blogs. But speed is the key. Change needs to happen quickly in the 21st century as new communication options become available.

Have you had any hidden agendas? I have always preferred “patron” over “user” or “customer” and “library” over “information” and its various incarnations. Another was to get us to laugh about the librarian stereotype, instead of reinforcing it by scolding the media. Still another, perhaps not so hidden, was to expand international coverage.

What do you see as the future? It’s waiting to be invented. The best thing ALA can do is hire creative library and publishing professionals and help them shine. With this, my last issue, I leave that future to them.

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Less Ink, More Words

Leonard Kniffel — Thu, 04 Nov 2010 09:27:16 +0000

November / December 2010

By Leonard Kniffel

American Libraries moves to digital, fewer print issues

With the November/December 2010 issue, American Libraries print moves permanently to bimonthly publication. Monthly print as a viable delivery vehicle for anything that can be called “news” is clearly limited, and publishing to the web allows for faster and more flexible dissemination and is a general industry trend. Although manufacturing and postage costs are certainly a factor in the decision to produce fewer print issues, advertising has also seen a sharp decline over the past year and we have heard from many readers calling for a no-print option in their membership profile.

Moving to web-first publishing in the Drupal content management system has enabled American Libraries to deliver more content faster and at lower cost than ever possible—electronically. American Libraries Direct provides a weekly aggregation of ALA news and news from around the country and the world, along with what’s new on ALA websites.

In 2011, we have scheduled six bimonthly print issues and four quarterly digital supplements. Timing and mailing will be orchestrated to coincide with the dates of ALA’s Midwinter Meeting, Annual Conference, and other major events. Issues should reach members sometime between the first and third weeks in the first month of the issue.

The combined total content delivered to readers through AL Direct is already greater than the total ever published in print. With few exceptions, AL content is currently being published to the web first and then selectively collected or revamped for print. Some articles will appear as web extras, others will appear in the quarterly digital supplements. In-depth interviews will generally be excerpted for print and appear in full online. Most blog postings, videos, photo essays, webinars, and digital-supplement material will be available online only, with links delivered weekly in American Libraries Direct.

The only column that will be discontinued is “The Association’s Associations,” since all ALA division news is delivered weekly through American Libraries Direct and the news release feed on the website. Division and round table leaders are encouraged instead to work with American Libraries to develop content around their professional issues and major initiatives.

AL has already done two advertiser-supported webinars, the most recent one in cooperation with the Office for Research and Statistics, which also used a digital supplement to deliver content to ALA members. The Public Information Office is planning to release next year’s State of America’s Libraries report as an AL digital supplement. Publishing through AL will enable ALA offices to deliver content cheaply and widely, and we are exploring more webinars and digital supplements based on office-created content.

Meanwhile, enjoy the last print issue of 2010, featuring, among other things, a case study of the successful gaming initiative at Houston Public Library, an upbeat article about retirement, and a look back at the history of Chicano librarianship. If you are not receiving the weekly American Libraries Direct, sign up and stay in touch at americanlibrariesmagazine.org/aldirect.

I hope the Q&A below answers any questions you may have about why American Libraries is reducing the number of print issues and moving to the web. If you have others, please feel free to contact me at lkniffel@ala.org.

Q & A

AMERICAN LIBRARIES MOVING TO 6 BIMONTHLY PRINT ISSUES IN 2011

**Q. Why is American Libraries moving from 10 print issues per year to six print issues?**

A. Moving to web-first publishing in the Drupal content management system has enabled the magazine to deliver more content faster and at lower cost than ever possible, electronically. American Libraries Direct provides a weekly aggregation of ALA news as well as news from around the country and the world.

Q. Isn’t it really just a matter of saving money?

A. No, although manufacturing and postage are certainly major costs, and advertising has seen a sharp decline. Many readers are calling for a no-print option in their membership profile. American Libraries print as a viable delivery vehicle for anything that be called “news” is clearly limited. And publishing to the web for faster and more flexible dissemination is an industry trend.

**Q. What will be the dates of the six print issues of American Libraries beginning in 2011?**

A. They will be bimonthly: January/February, March/April, May/June, July/August, September/October, and November/December. Four quarterly digital supplements are also scheduled—Winter, Spring, Summer, and Fall.

Q. When will each issue reach members?

A. Timing and mailing will be orchestrated to coincide with the dates of ALA’s major events in coordination with advertising promotions. Issues should generally reach members sometime between the first and third weeks in the first month of the issue.

Q. Will this change the issue themes that are repeated annually?

A. No, but it will change the timing, and most issues will mail closer to the center of the two-month span. For example, the architectural issue will be March/April, instead of April. That means it will mail March 22, close to the mail date of the former April issue. The May/June issue will be the conference issue and will mail May 24.

Q. Will everything that is published online appear in print?

A. No. With a few exceptions, everything is currently being published to the web and then selectively collected in print. Some articles will appear as web extras, others will appear in the quarterly digital supplements. In-depth interviews will generally be excerpted for print and appear in full online. Most blog postings, videos, photo essays, webinars, and digital-supplement material will be available online only, with links delivered weekly in American Libraries Direct.

Q. What about the frequency of columns, departments, and features?

A. Columnists, including the ALA president, will write six columns per year. Because the presidency changes in mid-year, the columns will run July/August through May/June of the following year. The ALA Executive Director’s quarterly column will be timed to follow Executive Board meetings. The content combined total, however, that will be published online (including blogs, video, interviews, ALA news, and so on) will be much greater than the total ever published in print.

Q. How will the volume and issues be numbered?

A. 2011 begins volume 42. Issues will be numbered 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. Digital supplements will not be numbered, they will be dated. A new statement of ownership will be filed with the Post Office.

Q. What will happen to the columns for the 11 divisions, “The Association’s Associations”?

A. They will be discontinued. All division news is delivered weekly through American Libraries Direct and the news release feed on the website. Division leaders are encouraged to work with American Libraries to develop content around their professional issues and major initiatives.

Q. What about webinars?

A. American Libraries is seeking advertisers to support webinars and has done two so far. The most recent one was done in cooperation with the Office for Research and Statistics, which also used a digital supplement to deliver content to ALA members. The Public Information Office is planning to release next year’s State of America’s Libraries report as a digital supplement to American Libraries. Publishing through American Libraries enables offices to deliver content cheaply and widely, and we are interested in exploring more webinars and digital supplements based on office-created content.

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Banning and Burning

Leonard Kniffel — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 15:24:21 +0000

October 2010

By Leonard Kniffel

I have never been prouder to be a part of this profession than I was on September 11 this year, standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Barbara Jones, director of ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, at the entrance to ALA headquarters here in Chicago, making a simple statement of opposition to book burning. At our sides were Gerald Hankerson of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and Kiran Ansari of the Council of Islamic Organizations of Greater Chicago.

The 9/11 commemoration started taking shape earlier that week as a protest against the threatened burning of the Qur’an in Florida and ended up as a statement to the world that librarians value reading, learning, and tolerance over book burning, fear, and ignorance.

Following a moment of silence for those who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington nine years ago, Jones made a statement to about 50 people who showed up, including ALA staff, media representatives, and a number of passers-by.

“Recently a small group has made international headlines by announcing that they planned to burn the Qur’an as a means to demonize Islam,” Jones said. “Using the threat of the destruction of books to wage a war on ideas that some may disagree with is offensive to the American Library Association, which embraces the diversity of our nation as one of our greatest strengths.”

“Book burning is the most insidious form of censorship, and such an action or threat should not be taken lightly,” Jones said. “Today it might be the Qur’an; tomorrow it might be the Bible. Free people read freely.” Quoting the Constitution, Jones added, “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, as we have here today.”

The four of us then read verses from the Qur’an. It was a fitting prelude to Banned Books Week, September 25 through October 2, and the event drew attention to libraries as guardians of our freedom to read from nearly every major media outlet in Chicago.

But, of course, our stand against censorship and book burning cannot stop the fanatics. Even though the Florida group called off its planned burning, mosques nationwide braced for the worst, and copies of the Qur’an that had been burned and/or shot were discovered on 9/11 in mosques in Tennessee and Michigan.

For every would-be book burner, there are thousands of readers in this country who will speak out for our freedom to read whatever we choose. The outpouring of support for the counteraction ALA took on our front steps on September 11 was heartwarming and came from a disparate group of people and media who embraced libraries’ message of goodwill and education. The price of liberty remains eternal vigilance.

Watch the ALA event on video at americanlibrariesmagazine.org.

The Competition Intensifies

Leonard Kniffel — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 05:00:00 +0000

September 2010

By Leonard Kniffel

Have you noticed that we seem to have entered an era of heightened competitiveness? Lots of wagon-circling and turf-protecting. Libraryland as one big happy family aside, shrinking funds are bringing out the tiger in us.

For example, the decades-long competition between OCLC and rival library vendors came to a head July 28, when for-profit SkyRiver Technology Solutions and Innovative Interfaces filed suit against nonprofit OCLC, charging antitrust violations and unfair competition.

This issue of American Libraries is held together by a subtext of competitiveness, because let's face it, librarians do compete for funding, they compete for staffing talent, and they compete for public approval.

Grant seeking is a marketing process, says Herbert Landau in "Winning Grants: A Game Plan," but his advice also suggests that since some of us will win grants and some of us won't, a competitive strategy is paramount. "Simply stated, you define your library’s need and sell it to one who can fund your project," he advises, noting with optimism that "librarians are their own best grant proposal writers. No outsider can write a proposal as effectively as a 'library insider' who fully understands the institution’s mission and priorities as well as the needs of the community it serves."

In "Reaching Out to Undergraduates: Recruitment via Internships," Sara D. Smith of Brigham Young University posits that many academic libraries continue to predict staff shortages as older employees retire within the next 10 years. But BYU discontinued its master’s of library science program in 1993 and, like other universities with no library graduate program, cannot directly recruit from its own students. Instead the university is using its library internship program as one way to cultivate a future pool of qualified employees who are dedicated to the university. "This program is a good model for other university libraries as they consider reaching out to and recruiting from their own undergraduates," says Smith.

Also in this issue, Bonnie McCune documents the success of a regional approach for librarians competing for "visibility and positioning within the educational and political communities." Enhancing coalitions with other community partners is occurring in Colorado, she says, where a statewide approach to early literacy has been gaining momentum since 2004. McCune holds up the state’s new coalition, Colorado Libraries for Early Literacy, as a template for statewide action.

Relief—or at least reward—does come, however, in American Libraries’ lead feature, spotlighting the "Dynamic Doers" of the profession, this year's crop of ALA award winners, recognized by their peers for the excellence of their work. And hey, we all know there is no competition for awards!

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Unnecessary Choices

Leonard Kniffel — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 16:58:04 +0000

August 2010

By Leonard Kniffel

Members of the American Library Association have been talking a lot about books these days, the future of the book as a delivery mechanism, as opposed to a quaint artifact. Readers of American Libraries have responded by writing some provocative articles for the August 2010 issue about the future of the book in a digital age.

What is often puzzling about these discussions is the assumption that we are being forced to choose between books and digital media—and that we must do it now. But we have also gone through a century of evolving media—movies, radio, television—none of which died as another was born. What they did was, well, evolve, find new niches, and create educational, interesting, and entertaining content that people wanted and needed.

Ralph Raab, a teacher of music, computers, and study skills for 20 years, argues in “Books and Literacy in the Digital Age” that you have to be literate to use the internet effectively and be able to do the kind of extended, focused reading that books make easy and enjoyable—once you’ve learned how.

In “Party On! at Your Book Discussions,” Alan Jacobson, who teaches computer classes and leads film and book discussions, reinforces the notion that millions of people find reading books a thoroughly enjoyable pursuit that should lead not just to discussion but to celebration!

In their article “Up, Up, and Away: A Bird’s Eye View of Mission Marketing,” Donald Dyal and Kaley Daniel observe that “libraries must test their steel with legions of entertainment and information-gathering competitors, and unfortunately many show up in the battle line with marketing strategies borrowed from George Armstrong Custer’s playbook at Little Big Horn.” They are here to change that.

In Trends, librarian Anna Hartman talks about the Read to Your Breed program at her library, which pairs reading-challenged kids with a lovable pooch that likes to listen. Alicia Santamaria explains how Raising a Reader programs connect early literacy skills with school success, delighting children in libraries every day with books, library cards, and book bags. Rocco Staino of the New York Library Association reports on an evening of discussion about censorship with some playwrights who’ve experienced it, including Edward Albee and Terrence McNally. AL Associate Editor Sean Fitzpatrick takes a look at ProQuest’s new platform, and Senior Editor Beverly Goldberg takes stock of the financial situation as many libraries reach the end of FY2010. And just for contrast, Ted Strand talks about how Loyola University Chicago’s bookless, all-digital Information Commons reduces energy consumption while serving as a popular social and study destination for students.

Rounding out the August issue is an overview of the June ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., with emphasis on the spectacular advocacy rally for libraries on the Hill.

Rolling with the Punches

Leonard Kniffel — Fri, 14 May 2010 21:05:29 +0000

By Leonard Kniffel

I don’t know anybody who hasn’t been hurt by this economic debacle that seems to be turning the entire country on its head—any number of countries, in fact. At the American Library Association, we’ve been hit just like everybody else. It is tempting to do a lot of hand-wringing and tooth-gnashing because it seems as if nothing will ever be the same. But honestly, when has anything ever been the same? And we have to ask ourselves, “The same as what?”

When expenses exceed revenue something has got to give, but after it does, forward is the only viable direction. It’s hard to argue otherwise. Responsible employers have to reorganize and adjust during these difficult times. Of course, everybody is learning on the fly these days. Many managers at ALA, including me, have never lived through an economic situation as serious as the one we face today. In the round of staff reductions that occurred at ALA in May, eight positions were regretfully eliminated (following the elimination of 10 last year). Among them was a senior editor at American Libraries, a post occupied by Gordon Flagg, who had been with AL since 1982.

Moving forward as ALA Publishing reorganizes, our top priority is to continue to deliver the professional content that library professionals need and want, when they need it most. Part of our plan for reorganization involves the shift to web-first publishing, which we undertook in January. In 2011 we will be moving to six bimonthly print issues of AL, which will contain as much to read as ever but will be less costly to produce and mail. In addition, we are planning to lower the institutional subscription rate. We will continue to produce quarterly digital supplements that will be delivered electronically, and, of course, the AL Direct e-newsletter will fly into your e-mailbox every week.

Meanwhile, the June-July issue features “10 Tips for Tracking Trends,” in which Elisabeth Doucett previews her forthcoming book from ALA Editions with advice on how to stay relevant by riding the ever-changing wave of social trends.

In “Build Your Own Instructional Literacy,” Char Booth shares ideas about how librarians can acquire teaching skills on the cheap, and with libraries bulging with patrons trying to learn new skills to increase their chances on the job market, the time is right. And in “The Myth of Browsing,” Donald Barclay takes a fresh look at academic library space in the age of Facebook.

In “Trends | Perspectives,” Pat Eschmann of the Wisconsin Library Foundation explains how libraries in her state created the “Say Cheese!” library snapshot day around her state’s iconic dairy product, and Alan S. Inouye of the ALA Washington Office explains the urgent need for the National Broadband Plan.

And in “Mastering Moderation” Steven Bell talks about how to be a good moderator, a skill that will be on display in Washington D. C. in June during ALA’s Annual Conference; check out our preview and restaurant guide. Nearly all the content in the June-July issue is, of course, available at americanlibrariesmagazine.org.

Tell Us a Story

Leonard Kniffel — Tue, 20 Apr 2010 15:17:10 +0000

May 2010

By Leonard Kniffel

There’s nothing quite so satisfying as a good story well told. We all tell stories, and libraries are the best places in the world to share them. With a growing national trend toward taking advantage of the cultural and literary programs, personalized professional learning assistance, and community social hub that good libraries offer their constituents, it’s still all about stories.

In the May issue of American Libraries, Dave Isay, founder of StoryCorps, explains why libraries have always been at the core of this extraordinary ongoing oral history project. Previewing his AL-sponsored program at the American Library Association’s Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., in June, Isay notes, “If we take the time to listen, we’ll find wisdom, wonder, and poetry in the stories of the people all around us.”

In “A Literature of Risk,” young adult literature expert Michael Cart offers a preview of his forthcoming ALA Editions title, Young Adult Literature: From Romance to Realism, tying adolescent wellness to reading good stories that inspire empathy.

In “From Children’s Literature to Readers Theatre,” Elizabeth Poe explains how her forthcoming ALA Editions book of the same name fosters readers theater as a tool for librarians in teaching literacy skills and the importance and power of literature to help children develop an understanding of the world they live in.

Major studies and reports released in March and April and summarized in this issue support what we already know about the growing need for library services. The State of America’s Libraries, published by the American Library Association during National Library Week, indicates that research suggests a “perfect storm” of growing community demand for library services and shrinking resources to meet that demand.

Jill Nishi of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation reports that a new survey conducted by the foundation and the Institute of Museum and Library Services indicates “unprecedented demand for free computer and internet access,” a demand that the foundation foresaw over a dozen years ago when it began “to help transform the way patrons access information at the library.” A survey of U.S. college and university faculty conducted by Ithaka S+R, however, suggests that libraries in these institutions of higher learning have some work to do before the library is perceived as the “electronic hub” of information services it needs to be.

Also in this issue, librarian Alan Jacobson explains how volunteers can help fill the gaping holes caused by funding reductions, staff cuts, and reduced hours. Jacobson does not maintain that professional staff can somehow be done away with and replaced by volunteers, but he does argue that a well-managed force of unpaid library lovers can help staff keep services flowing to an ever-more-eager public. And librarian Patrick Ragains looks at “Fixing the Federal Depository Library Program” and explains why new models for delivering government information must be developed.