Did you know that fan fiction can pay? I read “Amazon’s new Kindle Worlds gives authors a way to sell fan fiction without legal hassles” and learned that dedicated (and talented) fans can now make a profit from writing fiction based on their favorite shows. I used to read fan fiction but I’ve never written it myself. Some of the stuff I used to read was good enough to sell.
I wonder what shows (or rather, which fans) will lead in the effort?
Posted in General.
– June 19, 2013
According to this American Library Association report (which I found via LibraryScienceList.com), the Texas State Library (TSL) is ranked as the third most social media-friendly state library in the country.
To determine which state libraries are doing the best job of managing their social media presence, we gathered usage stats for each of the 50 libraries on the top social media platforms. Points were assigned based on the amount of activity and number of followers and weighted to put more emphasis on the platforms that were used by the most libraries. The maximum possible score was 100, with 28 points possible for Facebook, 22 for Twitter, 21 for Flickr, 20 for YouTube, 5 for LinkedIn, 3 for Pinterest, and 1 for Google Plus.
TSL scored 83.5 out of the possible 100 points. You can follow them on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn.
Posted in News.
– June 17, 2013
I missed sharing these earlier this year.
The source news release:
National Library Week PSAs featuring Caroline Kennedy appear on the Disney Channel
CHICAGO — New public service announcements (PSA) of National Library Week Honorary Chair Caroline Kennedy are currently appearing on the Disney Channel. Approximately 1.4 million viewers see the PSAs every time they air.
Kennedy appears in the PSA with the star of Disney Channel’s “Austin and Ally,” Laura Marano. They discuss the value and opportunities available at libraries.
Librarians can watch the PSAs from the National Library Week website and link to the PSAs or embed them on their own websites, blogs or Facebook pages.
An advocate for reading, literacy and libraries, Kennedy has written or edited 10 bestselling books on American history, politics and poetry. Her latest book, “Poems to Learn by Heart” from Disney-Hyperion, an imprint of Disney Publishing Worldwide, with original illustrations by award-winning artist Jon J Muth—is a companion to her New York Times No. 1 bestselling collection “A Family of Poems.”
In addition to the video PSAs, free customizable print and digital PSAs featuring Kennedy are also available on the National Library Week website. Print PSAs are available for librarians to download and feature National Library Week theme, Communities matter @ your library, for use in local newspapers, library newsletters, websites and blogs. ALA offers customization of the print PSA; a library’s logo can be added at no cost.
The PSAs complement National Library Week products offered by ALA Graphics. In addition to a poster and bookmark, a mini poster and downloadable graphics are available.
Other promotional tools for National Library Week include a sample proclamation, press release and letter to the editor, as well as scripts for use in radio PSAs. Two other radio PSAs in mp3 format are also download-ready.
National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation’s libraries and librarians and to promote library use.
The American Library Association’s Campaign for America’s Libraries (www.ala.org/@yourlibrary) is a public awareness campaign that promotes the value of libraries and librarians. Thousands of libraries of all types – across the country and around the globe – participate. The Campaign is made possible by ALA’s Library Champions.
Posted in General, Resources & Tips.
– June 14, 2013
The Library Journal’s The Digital Shift Blog compiled this great list of library Tumblrs:
Posted in General, Resources & Tips.
– June 12, 2013
It turns out that you can now sell your own copies of classic books with your custom-designed covers. PaidContent reports that a new initiative from from DailyLit/Plympton, the Harvard Book Store and the Creative Action Network will let people create their own covers for public-domain books which can then be sold in print and digital. The initiative is called Recovering Classics.
Posted in Resources & Tips.
– June 10, 2013
Who are the coolest librarians alive? Flavorwire attempts to answer this with several articles. “10 of the Coolest Librarians Alive” and “Readers’ Choice: 10 More of the Coolest Librarians Alive” list:
An interesting list.
Posted in General.
– June 3, 2013
(reprint from NotJustForTeachers.com)
American Libraries has a great summary of copyright, as in who holds the copyright of any work you create when employed for someone else. “Copyright for Librarians and Teachers, in a Nutshell” is a must-read for anyone who works in a library or school, or anywhere else.
If you create a graphic or whitepaper for your place of employment, do you get to take it with you? Do you own it or does your employer? “The employer holds the copyright when you create the works on the job, using school resources and technology, and receive a regular paycheck with Social Security and insurance deductions.” Now you know.
Posted in Resources & Tips.
– May 20, 2013
Children’s Ebooks
Looking for a source of children’s ebooks… for free? One of the American Library Association blogs has a great post with resources to get your started. “Where to Download Classic Children’s Books for Free.” Resources include:
Digital Public Library
In case you missed it, the Digital Public Library launched on April 18. “The DPLA is leading the first concrete steps toward the realization of a large-scale digital public library that will make the cultural and scientific record available to all.” You can find it at http://dp.la/.
Recommended reading, “Digital Public Library of America will launch on April 18.”
Posted in Resources & Tips.
– May 9, 2013
Need some recommendations for great blogs for and about technology in libraries? Check out this great article on State Tech Magazine: “Required Reading: 6 Indispensable Library Technology Blogs.” The six blogs recommended are:
A few of these were already on my list. The others I will check out for myself.
Do you have any “must read” blogs to add?
Posted in Resources & Tips.
– May 6, 2013
Last month American Libraries Magazine ran a great article entitled “There Are No Free Libraries.” The article focuses on the need for libraries to market their value and impact instead of focusing on the fact that their services and programs are free.
I agree.
The truth is that people don’t value the things for which they didn’t pay. In the case of libraries, I should clarify that most people don’t see the value of libraries beyond being a source for “free” reading material and (sometimes) internet access. The rest — the business resources, the research, the other services — that gets lost.
“The best messaging promotes our real-world value.” A good suggestion. So this is where we point out that the economic benefit of libraries in Texas was $2.4 billion in 2011 alone. According to an article in Library Journal, “Collectively the libraries cost less than $0.545 billion, for a return on investment of $4.42 for each dollar spent.”
Posted in News.
– April 22, 2013
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