New UNESCO Collection of Best Practices for Prsion Libraries

The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning has made public a series of 16 case studies on best practices by prison libraries in different parts of the world:

"Education is a fundamental human right, of which prisoners should not be deprived. Lifelong learning opportunities in penitentiary contexts can empower individuals by equipping them with the tools to create new lives and livelihoods for themselves after release. Through fostering personal growth, and economic and social reintegration, prison education can result in lower rates of recidivism and promote more cohesive societies. In this context, gender-sensitive and human-centred approaches are key."

"Across the globe, inspiring efforts to promote prison education, including through the development of prison libraries, are being spearheaded by prison authorities, non-governmental organizations, civil society groups, international organizations and educational institutions, among others. This online collection seeks to showcase innovative and effective practices in this area, while sharing key impact data and personal stories that illustrate the transformative power of lifelong learning opportunities that are available to individuals who are incarcerated."

UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization.

Clarivate Report on Artificial Intelligence in Libraries

Library software company Clarivate has published its Pulse of the Library 2024 report based on feedback from 1,500 respondents from across the world, covering academic, national and public libraries:

According to the report:

• Most libraries have an AI plan or one in the works - Over 60% of respondents are evaluating or planning for AI integration.
• AI adoption is the top tech priority - AI-powered tools for library users and patrons top the list of technology priorities for the next 12 months, according to 43% of respondents.
• AI is advancing library missions - Key goals for those evaluating or implementing AI include supporting student learning (52%), research excellence (47%) and content discoverability (45%), aligning closely with the mission of libraries.
• Librarians see promise and pitfalls in AI adoption - 42% believe AI can automate routine tasks, freeing librarians for strategic and creative activities. Levels of optimism vary regionally. 
• AI skills gaps and tight budgets are top concerns - A lack of expertise and budget constraints are seen as greater challenges than privacy and security issues - Tight budgets: Almost half (47%) cite tight budgets as their greatest challenge. Skills gap: 52% of respondents see upskilling as AI's biggest impact on employment, yet nearly a third (32%) state that no training is available.
• Regional priorities differ - Librarians' views on other key topics such as sustainability, diversity, open access and open science show notable regional diversity.

Clarivate is the purveyor of library technologies such as Sierra, Innovative, Alma, Primo, ProQuest, Web of Science and Journal Citation Reports.

Importance of Narrative on Library Websites

Library researcher Lorcan Dempsey, who used to work for the international library technology and research organization OCLC, has written about an emerging trend he calls the "narrative website":

He documents how some libraries have been using their websites to tell a story about how they provide services throughout the lifecycles of research, learning and civic engagement for their various users:

"A challenge for the library is that its identity and perceived value is still very much bound up with the collections-based library. Which in turn entails a rather static, external view of information."

"This gap in perception highlights the critical importance of storytelling about the library, its developing role and its positioning. The library's strategy, for example, is an important opportunity to tell stakeholders – staff, users, and funders – the library story. By story here, I am meaning a communicated awareness of what it sees as important to it, in terms of direction, understanding of user needs, inclusivness. In fact, this seems a rather important strategic emphasis. This is not straightforward, as traditional views of the library are very entrenched (...)"

"There is now an advantage in contextualising and describing more of what the library does, more actively motivating and promoting its services, and considering modern design and layout as part of storytelling intent, to draw in users. I have been interested to see signs of a shift towards this more integrated website narrative, mapping user needs and telling a more holistic story about what the library does and can do. We are seeing a trend to the narrative website."

 Dempsey highlights 3 institutions, one of which is the University of Ottawa Library.

Canadian Federation of Library Associations Statement on Copyright Myths

The Canadian Federation of Library Associations (CFLA) has published a statement that takes issue with misinformation that targets the library community with regards to the fair dealing exceptions in Canadian copyright legislation.

Fair dealing is an exception allowed under the Copyright Act. It allows use of limited portions of a copyright protected work without permission or payment of copyright royalties for purposes such as  research, private study, education, satire, parody, criticism, review or news reporting.

As the CFLA writes:

"Libraries purchase access to content including books, periodicals, and data and pay publishers hundreds of millions of dollars each year to provide students with digital access to these works. Libraries and librarians support education in colleges and universities across Canada and they support authors through their purchases."

"That important message is being drowned out by the barrage of accusations from author groups and publisher organizations that libraries are threatening the economic viability of authors. Nothing could be further from the truth."

"Those hundreds of millions of dollars in access and subscription fees, paid by libraries, should be going to authors of the licensed works. Copyright is not part of that transaction and tweaking the Copyright Act won’t change the economic plight of Canadian authors."

"The Copyright Act primarily protects the rights of authors and other rights holders. Some of these  rightsholders are complaining about a  sliver of balance which offers limited rights to the users of the works. Long included in legislation, and affirmed by our highest court, that sliver reflects the public interest in copyright – so that people, individuals, students, can make use of a work for a very limited number of purposes, including research, criticism, review, parody, education, and news reporting."

"For more than a decade, the education sector and their libraries have been the target of unfounded claims of harming authors’ incomes — despite being among the largest purchasers of Canadian literary works. These attacks center around changes to the Copyright Act in 2012, which added the term 'education' to the list of allowable purposes for fair dealing. The attackers also oppose the right of post-secondary institutions to manage their copyright obligations without a contractual intermediary that forces students to pay for the right to photocopy course materials they never use and to pay twice for course materials they do."

New Université de Montréal Library School Thesis on Services to Inmates

The Université de Montréal website Papyrus just published the text of Romy Otayek's Master's Thesis on library services to Quebec prison inmates, Portrait actuel des services de bibliothèque dans le milieu carcéral québécois (text in French).

It is an infrequently studied topic in Canada:

"The presence of a library in a prison environment brings benefits to prisoners. It is a source of leisure, education and access to information in a highly secure and limiting environment. The prison library is supported by the statements of the United Nations for the treatment of prisoners, the UNESCO Public Library Manifesto and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) which highlight its benefits. Studies have been conducted in different countries in the presence, management and roles of the prison library in different types of correctional institutions. However, very few studies have been published in Canada and none in Quebec since 1973. Thus, the research aims to draw a portrait of the library services offered in detention facilities under Quebec's jurisdiction. The realization of this descriptive research has been done through a documentary research and a survey with the people managing the libraries using an online questionnaire. The results of this study show that all establishments offer library services in detention centres under provincial jurisdiction in Quebec. The results show that prisoners cannot use services on site or directly access documents in almost all establishments. In addition, there is a lack of diversity in the document supports, few activities are proposed, and no technological resources are accessible. These results enrich a section of librarianship that is little treated by providing current data on the situation in the province’s detention facilities. They shed light on an often invisible segment of the population for whom the library is important and pave the way for future research on the subject." [English abstract]

 Other Library Boy posts on the topic:

• New UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning Book on Prison Libraries (October 28, 2019): "The UNESCO Institute for Lifelong Learning has published the first UNESCO publication on prison libraries, highlighting their contribution to the personal development and education of incarcerated adults and young people (...) The open access e-book was launched at the most recent conference in August of the  International Federation of Library Associations in Athens."
• Most Recent Issue of the Canadian Law Library Review (March 8, 2023): "Check out the feature article on p. 9 by Danielle Noonan Readers’ Advisory Services in Canadian Prisons: 'Library services in Canadian prisons have often been influenced by American standards. There is little research on libraries in Canadian prisons, and of that research it is evident that readers’ advisory services in prisons are nearly nonexistent. The following article  overviews 1981 and 1984 recommendations to the Correctional Service of Canada and a 2003 national survey about the operation of prison libraries. Through a comparison of the  American Library Association’s criteria and the current state of Canadian prison libraries, this article identifies the issues and proposes solutions that would enable prison librarians  to meet the recommended standards for readers advisory services in prisons'."

International Federation of Library Associations Guidelines for Library Services to Prisoners

The International Federation of Library Associations (IFLA) has published the fourth edition of its Guidelines for Library Services to Prisoners.

From the "Purpose for the Guidelines" section of the document:

"The objective of this document is to provide a tool for the planning, implementation, and evaluation of library services to prisoners. The document is intended to serve as a model guide for the development of national guidelines for prison libraries. The guidelines are applicable to all places of incarceration, regardless of the term used to describe the facility. They are therefore applicable to adult and juvenile prisons, detention centres, and jails ... and can be adapted to reflect local circumstances and needs (...) A section of minimum standards is included in recognition that many countries will not be able to comply with these broader guidelines. It is hoped that these minimum standards will be achievable in most contexts and will provide a starting point for environments where prison libraries are not commonly available or well-supported."

"The guidelines provide a tool for planning new libraries and for the evaluation of existing libraries and can be used in the absence of any local guidelines or standards. In addition to being a practical tool for the establishment, operation, and assessment of prison libraries, these guidelines shall serve as a general statement of principle for the fundamental right of prisoners to read, learn, access and acquire information. The guidelines are aimed at librarians, library administrators, prison authorities, legislative and administrative branches of government, and other agencies/authorities that are responsible for administering and funding prison libraries."

Founded in 1927, IFLA has member library associations and institutions in 150 countries. 

Library Initiatives to Change Terms Describing Indigenous People

The Conversation, a website that seeks to share news from the academic and research communities with the general public, published an article last week on how Libraries in the U.S. and Canada are changing how they refer to Indigenous Peoples:

"The two largest agencies responsible for the language we use to discover books in libraries in North America — the Library of Congress in the United States, and Library and Archives Canada — are changing how they refer to Indigenous Peoples."

"Recently, the Library of Congress announced that by September 2022 a project would be underway to revise terms that refer to Indigenous Peoples."

"Beginning in 2019, Library and Archives Canada made changes within Canadian subject headings, starting with replacing outdated terminology with 'Indigenous peoples' and 'First Nations,' and adding terms that specify Métis and other specific nations and peoples."

The article describes these and other initiatives to modernize the often awkward and outdated terminology, and touches on some of the limitations of these approaches.

New Issue of IFLA Journal on COVID and Libraries

The most recent issue of the IFLA Journal, published by the International Federation Of Library Associations, is devoted to how the COVID-19 pandemic brought about innovation in libraries.

There are feature articles from around the world on issues ranging from national and parliamentary libraries, to school and academic libraries, and from onboarding of new employees during the pandemic to how libraries dealt with COVID disinformation.

New Issue of IFLA Journal on Indigenous Librarianship

The most recent issue of the IFLA Journal, published by the International Federation Of Library Associations, is devoted to Indigenous librarianship issues:

"The IFLA Journal special issue on Indigenous Librarianship strives to position libraries and librarianship through an indigenous worldview and ways of knowing. Each article takes is own perspective on the topic, exploring issues such as colonization, reconciliation, representation and imagery, digital access, and resource management. The issue is the result of collaboration with IFLA Journal and the Indigenous Matters Section of IFLA."

Among the articles are:

• Indigenous librarianship: Theory, practices, and means of social action
• Transformation of library and information management: Decolonization or Indigenization?
• Are we there yet? Visualizing Indigenous culture in today’s library
• Library services and indigenous peoples in Latin America: Reviewing concepts, gathering experiences
• Indigenous resource management systems as models for librarianship: I waiwai ka ‘āina
• The dangers of libraries and archives for Indigenous Australian workers: Investigating the question of Indigenous cultural safety
• Reconciliation in Australia: The academic library empowering the Indigenous community
• Indigenous knowledge in Sudan: Perceptions among Sudanese librarians
• A framework for the integration of indigenous knowledge into libraries in South Africa
• Sharing stories: The Saskatchewan Aboriginal Storytelling project

Diversity Statements in Canadian Academic Librarian Job Advertisements

The International Journal of Information, Diversity, and Inclusion has published an article by York University librarian Norda Bell entitled An Exploratory Study of Diversity Statements in Canadian Academic Librarian Job Advertisements:

"Diversity statements signal an organization’s culture, values, and commitment to diversity and inclusion. Yet, diversity statements are often perceived as somewhat superficial “boilerplate” or basic statements created to comply with employment equity requirements, especially in job advertisements. With the objectives of understanding the presence of diversity statements in job advertisements, differences between types of libraries, and the types of diversity statements and messages contained in these statements, this study analyzed the diversity statements of 50 online job advertisements for Canadian academic librarian and archivist positions (...) Other findings around land acknowledgements, gender identity, and sexual orientation and others are discussed. Recommendations for further studies are included."

Recent Articles on Adapting to COVID-19 in Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and Research

The features section of the most recent issue of Partnership: The Canadian Journal of Library and Information Practice and Research is devoted to how Canadian libraries adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Articles include:

• Lists of Opportunities: My Experience as a School Librarian During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Data in the Time of COVID-19: How Data Library Professionals Helped Combat the Pandemic
• From Bricks and Mortar to Bits and Bytes: Examining the Changing State of Reference Services at the University of Toronto Libraries During COVID-19
• Not Virtual Enough: A Virtual Library’s Challenges During the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Manitoba Public Libraries Response to the Early Stages of COVID-19
• Library Instruction in Pandemic Times: Early Morning Webinars

Library and GLAM Sector Submissions to 2021 Pre-Budget Consultations

 The website Librarianship.ca has published an article on Library and GLAM Sector Submissions to 2021 Pre-Budget Consultations:

"In December 2020, the the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance resumed its Pre-Budget Consultations in Advance of the 2021 Federal Budget."

"Prior to the proroguing of Parliament in August, the Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) and the Canadian Urban Libraries Council (CULC)—the national voices for Canada’s research libraries and major public library systems—had published their recommendations for consideration in the next federal budget."

"In November, the Standing Committee published the briefs submitted by other associations and organizations representing Canada’s GLAM (galleries, libraries, archives, and museums) sector."

There are excerpts from budget submissions from many associations including:

• Canadian Association of Research Libraries
• Canadian Federation of Library Associations (with which the Canadian Association of Law Libraries is affiliated)
• Canadian Museums Association
• Canadian Urban Libraries Council 
• Centre for Equitable Library Access 
• National Network for Equitable Library Service

The Museum of Obsolete Library Science

 I came across an article Step Inside The Museum of Obsolete Library Science published in the journal of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

A great read:

"There's a popular misconception that librarians as a profession are conservative. Not politically conservative, but literally conservative—wanting to keep old stuff. Actually, nothing could be further from the truth—we are often on the cutting edge of using new technologies, and always looking for the most efficient, up-to-date way to help our patrons. Thomas J. Watson Library, for example, paid for the Museum's first T1 line to bring the internet into the building, and our Lita Annenberg Hazen and Joseph H. Hazen Center for Electronic Resources, founded in 1997, was the first dedicated electronic resources center in an art museum. We are forward thinking, technology-savvy, and driven to find the most modern way possible to fulfill our patrons' needs."

"However, the dirty little secret is that sometimes the old stuff, while no longer useful, is actually cool. When I started working in Watson Library in 2003, there were still remnants of the old world. Dot matrix printers, green-screen interfaces for our ILS (Integrated Library System, the back end of the online catalogue). We still had a card catalogue as well, although it had not been added to since 1990. As we continued to modernize, many of the artifacts were being discarded, as they were no longer useful. Fortunately, former Watson Librarians Erika Hauser and Dan Lipcan and I decided we should preserve some of this material culture, and the Museum of Obsolete Library Science (MOLISCI) was born. Here are some highlights."

New Document on Competencies for Librarians in Canadian Research Libraries

 The Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) has released the final version of Competencies for Librarians in Canadian Research Libraries which is intended "to assist with personal and organizational goal setting while providing a context for recruitment and professional development":

"The competencies may be applied in CARL libraries for strategic planning or restructuring purposes, or in the development of mission and vision statements. Schools of library and information studies may consult them for curriculum development purposes or to prepare graduates for job interviews. Employers may find them useful for recruitment of new librarians, in training and development, and to assist those transitioning into new roles within the research library."

"The Competencies represent a range of knowledge, skills (often cited in the document as 'Knowledge of...' or ‘Ability to…’), and mindsets (often cited in the document as ‘Understanding…’) for librarians in research environments. Librarians will learn and develop their own competencies over a period of time and not all competencies will necessarily apply to every position. Individual libraries may want to place more emphasis on select aspects only, depending on their unique environments, the nature of individual academic or research librarian positions in question, or as levels of specialization in the profession evolve. To build flexibility throughout, CARL has taken an aspirational approach in developing the Competencies document with firm grounding in the fundamental principles of the profession. The aim is to match a set of aspirational values to the knowledge, skills and mindsets that are required for success in academic librarianship in Canada."

Library Community Submissions to 2021 Pre-Budget Consultations

The website Librarianship.ca has posted an article on Library Community Submissions to 2021 Pre-Budget Consultations.

The Canadian Association of Research Libraries (CARL) and the Canadian Urban Libraries Council (CULC) recently submitted their proposals to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Finance’s Pre-Budget Consultations for the year 2021.

CARL is focusing on closing the gap in broadband connectivity between groups and regions in the country, whereas CULC is putting emphasis on access to e-content for libraries, support for vulnerable populations, support for Canadian publishers and booksellers, as well as better broadband connectivity.

OCLC Launches New Model Library Research Program

 OCLC, an international library services cooperative, recently launched a new research program called The New Model Library:

"As a part of OCLC Research’s work in documenting how libraries as organizations operate, adapt, and evolve, the OCLC Research team met with global library leaders to discuss emerging library models in response to the changes caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Highlights address new and evolving library practices, offerings, and policies and collaborations with other libraries, associations, consortia, and community agencies. Leaders reflect on their long-term vision for libraries as a result of changing practices and environments (...)"

"The objective was to talk to approximately 30 global library leaders in North America, Europe, including UK and Ireland, the Middle East, and Asia Pacific to identify their visions for the new library models that will emerge as they look at opportunities for converting their short-term responses to the COVID-19 pandemic into positive, long-term change. Library leaders from national and public libraries (e.g., City Librarian/Deputy Librarian/Director/CEO/President) from different regions of Europe and Asia Pacific and the US (north, south, east, and west) and in rural and urban communities; and academic libraries (e.g., Dean/Director/University Librarian/Associate University Librarian) representing public, private, secular, and non-secular research, baccalaureate/4-year colleges, associate’s colleges, technical/community colleges from different regions of the US (north, south, east, and west)."

Law Society of Saskatchewan Librarians in the Public Library

Alan Kilpatrick, a reference librarian with the Law Society of Saskatchewan, has posted video and notes from his recent lightning talk presentation on Embedded Law Librarians in the Public Library. 

It was part of the 2020 Canadian Association of Law Libraries Virtual Conference:

"Since January 2019, Ken Fox and I, Reference Librarians with the Law Society of Saskatchewan, have attended the main branches of the Saskatoon Public Library (SPL) and the Regina Public Library (RPL), respectively, as embedded Law Librarians, one afternoon and evening a month. We provide on-site legal information assistance: guiding patrons towards online and print sources, highlighting resources for further learning, teaching basic research skills, and, when necessary, suggesting referrals to organizations that provide legal advice. I am here to talk about our experiences and to update you on what we have learned."

"Over the past five years, the Law Society of Saskatchewan has explored the role libraries and information professionals can play in improving legal information access through a variety of initiatives, such as Saskatchewan’s Access to Legal Information project. Like many courthouse libraries, we are open to the public, encourage the public to visit or contact us, and provide public visitors with information assistance. However, we have long strived to establish a more direct connection with members of the public searching for legal information. While brainstorming among our team, we realized that the public library could be an ideal place to better connect with the public."

Statements from the Canadian Library World On Racism, Injustice, and Violence

The website Librarianship.ca has put together a list of statements made by the Canadian library, archives, and museum community on racism, injustice, and violence.

The statements and commitments come from local, regional and national groups.

There is also a list of statements from US and international library organizations.

Statements From Libraries and Library Organizations Re: Racism and Increased Violence

Gary Price who runs the infoDOCKET website is compiling a list of Statements From Libraries and Library Organizations Re: Racism and Increased Violence in the context of the ongoing protests against anti-Black racism and police brutality in the US and other countries.

The list will be updated.

One of the libraries included is the Toronto Public Library.

Its statement, which explains the institution's "Commitment to Ending Structural Racism and Building a More Equitable Society", includes a Black Lives Matter reading list that suggests many Canadian and international materials for people who want to understand more.

Global Library Reactions to COVID-19

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) has created a webpage devoted to COVID-19 and the Global Library Field:

"The information and resources below are provided on a non-exhaustive basis but will be updated regularly. It is based on publicly available information, and that submitted to updates@ifla.org. We welcome additional ideas, references, suggestions and corrections to this address."

The page is divided into sections on topics such as:

• Understanding COVID-19 and its spread
• Library closures around the world
• Managing different approaches to restrictions
• Staying safe at home and work
• Providing services remotely
• Managing remote working
• Reassigning library resources
• Actions by Associations, National Libraries and Library Partners