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Weekly News Digest
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April 2, 2024 — In addition to this week's NewsBreaks article and the monthly NewsLink Spotlight, Information Today, Inc. (ITI) offers Weekly News Digests that feature recent product news and company announcements. Watch for additional coverage to appear in the next print issue of Information Today.
CLICK HERE to view more Weekly News Digest items.
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EveryLibrary's National Library Week 2024 Celebrations
For National Library Week 2024, EveryLibrary is teaming up with the Drinks in the Library podcast to host three live author events online. RSVP to get access to one, two, or all three of the events, beginning with a conversation between author Alexander McCall Smith and EveryLibrary director John Chrastka on April 10.Also during National Library Week, EveryLibrary is marking the first anniversary of Fight for the First, an online platform providing tools and support to communities looking to take action against book bans in the U.S. In its first year, Fight for the First has amassed more than 64,000 members who have created 88 petitions and gathered 73,000-plus signatures.
ALA Releases Its Schedule for National Library Week 2024
ALA unveiled its plans for National Library Week 2024. National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature Meg Medina is the honorary chair, and the theme is Ready, Set, Library!, “which illustrates the idea that in an always-online world, libraries give the community a green light to connect with others, learn new skills, and focus on what matters most,” the organization shares.April 8 is Right to Read Day, “a day for readers, advocates, and library lovers to take action to protect, defend, and celebrate the right to read. [The] State of America’s Libraries Report [will be] released, including the Top 10 Most Challenged Books.” April 9 is National Library Workers Day, “a day for library staff, users, administrators, and friends groups to recognize the valuable contributions made by all library workers.” April 10 is National Library Outreach Day, “a day to celebrate library outreach and the dedicated library professionals who are meeting their patrons where they are.” April 11 is Take Action for Libraries Day, “a day for all library advocates to affirm their participation in 2024 elections.” For more information, read the press release.
Gale Launches Four New Primary Source Archives on Interdisciplinary Research Subjects
Gale introduced four new archives on the Gale Primary Sources platform. “These archives unlock perspectives on interdisciplinary subjects, including the histories of LGBTQ+ communities in North America, the treatment of disabilities in society, refugeeism and relief work during the Cold War period and the environmental impact of colonial policies in Africa and Asia—all topics that represent some of the fastest-growing areas of research and teaching,” Gale states. The archives are also available for text-mining analyses within Gale Digital Scholar Lab.The new additions are: - Archives of Sexuality and Gender: Community and Identity in North America, the sixth installment of the Archives of Sexuality and Gender series
- History of Disabilities: Disabilities in Society, Seventeenth to Twentieth Century, the first collection in the History of Disabilities series
- Environmental History: Colonial Policy and Global Development, 1896–1993, the second installment of the Environmental History series
- Refugees, Relief, and Resettlement: The Early Cold War and Decolonization, the second installment of the Refugees, Relief, and Resettlement series
For more information, read the press release.
ALA Offers Input on the State of Federal Budget Funding for Libraries
On March 29, ALA issued a statement on the FY2024 federal budget, noting that two library programs received level funding—the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) from IMLS and the Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) program from the Department of Education—and two received modest increases over FY2023 levels: the Library of Congress and National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled. However, the FY2024 budget process stalled in October 2023; all funding is currently maintained at FY2023 levels.“The White House FY 2025 budget proposal is a different story,” says Emily Drabinski, ALA’s president. “ALA is alarmed by cuts to IMLS funding. As we turn towards the FY 2025 budget process, we know we’re in for tough road ahead—everyone is. It’s up to us to make sure funding for America’s libraries is secure. The best way to do that is to tell our stories and show how resources are being used to meet needs in our communities.” “The national #FundLibraries advocacy campaign for FY 2025 will launch as soon as the House and Senate Appropriations Committees announce their internal appropriations deadlines (expected in the coming weeks),” ALA shares. For more information, read the press release.
BiblioCommons Analytics Platform Debuts to Help Libraries Track Digital Data
BiblioCommons introduced the BiblioCommons Analytics Platform, “a one-stop shop for libraries to gain insight into and improve their patrons’ online experiences.” This new feature is now part of all BiblioCommons products. It “delivers extensive custom data on how public library patrons navigate, search, place holds, engage with booklists and other library content, and much more,” the press release states. “For example, if a hold is placed, library staff will see the item title, device used, and availability. To maintain privacy, this data is fully anonymized and cannot be traced back to an individual person.”For more information, read the press release.
Nexbib and Occuspace Join Forces to Help Libraries Track Their Daily Foot Traffic
Nexbib partnered with Occuspace, which provides real-time occupancy monitoring technology, to give libraries “valuable insights into visitor flow, allowing them to optimize space and resource utilization and enhance the overall experience for visitors.” Occuspace’s technology collects anonymized “data on how many people are present in a specific area at any given time. This information is crucial for libraries, which often experience fluctuations in foot traffic throughout the day.”For more information, read the press release.
OCLC Acquires the cloudLibrary Digital Content Provider
OCLC acquired cloudLibrary, “a platform that offers access to a wide variety of digital content through libraries. The acquisition will help OCLC support public libraries in their efforts to successfully manage accelerated shifts to digital collections.” Through its mobile app, cloudLibrary offers library patrons access to ebooks and audiobooks, magazines and newspapers, comics, and streaming media services. Library staffers can use its web portal to manage their subscriptions.OCLC notes that it “acquired the assets of the Digital Solutions Group of Bibliotheca, based in St. Paul, Minnesota. This group is responsible for the cloudLibrary platform. Staff members of the Digital Solutions Group are now part of the OCLC staff.” For more information, read the press release.
Springshare Unveils Product to Send Welcome Postcards to New Residents
Springshare is introducing LibPost outreach postcards, “a new product that uses demographic data to identify new residents in a library’s service area and welcome them to the community with a postcard from the library.” Libraries can create their own postcards or use Springshare’s design service. They are sent to new residents on a quarterly basis to encourage them to sign up for a library card and to take advantage of the library’s programs and services.The press release continues, “Springshare users who subscribe to both Patron Point and LibPost can track how many new residents sign up for library cards as a result of their postcard campaign, enjoy a seamless library card registration process, and send branded welcome emails.” For more information, read the press release.
Bibliotheca Launches Self-Service Kiosk and Mobile App
Bibliotheca is rolling out the selfCheck 3000, its latest premium self-service kiosk, and a new cloudCheck mobile app.“The selfCheck 3000 builds on the market-leading capabilities of previous generations, adding functions and features to improve usability, serviceability, and customer experience,” the press release notes. “It offers modular components that allow libraries to adjust as needs change and a larger table to accommodate patron materials. The newly updated quickConnect software provides a clean, modern user experience with updated themes, icons, and guidance animations.” The new kiosk is designed to work “seamlessly with cloudCheck mobile, Bibliotheca’s new groundbreaking solution that empowers patron choice and library efficiency by providing a consistent user self-service experience across kiosks, cloudCheck tablets, or the mobile checkout app.” For more information, read the press release.
IXL Learning Purchases Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com
IXL Learning acquired Dictionary.com, “the premier online English-language dictionary, as well as Thesaurus.com, home to the world’s largest collection of synonyms and antonyms. From mastering vocabulary to unraveling the origins of words, more than 40 million people rely on Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com each month to hone their literacy skills,” the press release states. “The acquisitions strengthen IXL Learning’s portfolio of renowned language and literacy products,” including Rosetta Stone, IXL Language Arts, Vocabulary.com, SpanishDictionary.com, and inglés.com.For more information, read the press release.
Yahoo Buys the Artificial Intelligence-Powered Artifact News Platform
According to Reuters, “Yahoo said … it had acquired Instagram co-founders’ AI-driven news platform, Artifact, and will incorporate its technology across the U.S. web services provider’s news and other sites.” Yahoo noted that “Artifact’s AI-powered recommendation engine and other features will help scale its news operations and deliver personalized content to audience.”For more information, read the news item.
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Brandi Scardilli
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