...this Getting Started with Discord Toolkit for the ICfL in 2021. If you have questions about what Discord is, or how to use it in your library, start here. Discord... (Search hits: 0 in body, 0 in title, 0 in categories, 0 in tags, 0 in other taxonomies, 0 in comments. Score: 1137.43)

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) for libraries participating in the IDEA. School Library FAQ Public Library FAQ School Libraries What does it cost [...]

American Rescue Plan Act Funding IMLS ARPA OverDrive Funds from the Idaho Commission for Libraries The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) of [...]

Public Library Participation Idaho public libraries with existing OverDrive access can gain access to and borrow items from the IDEA collection through a [...]

In Idaho, public library boards are not advisory boards. They are governing boards. A governing board of trustees sets library policy; sets and oversees the library’s budget; hires, supervises, evaluates, [...]

(Author's Note: This post was originally published in the June 9th issue of The Scoop, the Youth Services Newsletter of the Idaho Commission for Libraries.)

The title of this post is direct, blunt and confrontational. It’s meant to be. It’s also a piercingly honest take on our profession. Metaphorically burying our heads in the sand will only serve to bury us and all of librarydom in the end. Hiding from the truth won’t make it disappear.

I lifted the title straight from K.G. Schneider’s reality-checking blog post, "The User Is Not Broken: A Meme Masquerading as a Manifesto." If you haven’t read it yet, you should. In fact, even if you’ve already read it, you should read it again. Follow up with Michelle Boule’s corollary post," We Are Broken, Not 'Them,'” to round it out further.

Reading through Schneider’s manifesto (and Boule’s additions), you probably had one of two reactions to their assertions. You might already be rallying behind the call to arms as you print copies to post up on staff bulletin boards, forward links to all your library friends, or even just ponder the implications. You might not have agreed with everything on the list (chances are you don’t) but you probably found most of it rings true.

On the other hand, you might have responded by generating a mental litany of objections or dismissals, shrugged it off as unimportant, or maybe simply felt your eyes glaze over halfway through. You reassure yourself that libraries, librarians and library services don’t need to evolve drastically because there hasn’t been a drastic drop-off in usage. Things don’t need to change because that’s the way we’ve always done it and it works fine, thank you very much. Libraries will persevere because libraries have always persevered.

For the most convinced and assured, there’s not much to be said that would persuade them otherwise. But those in disagreement with the manifesto, while still skeptical, remember this – your ignorance will not protect you. Society is experiencing radical shifts as a result of technology, globalization and other upheavals. The library as a static, rigid institution will be marginalized, minimized and eventually extinct if it fails to embrace profound change.

The library is only as adaptable as its employees and policies. Everyone in an organization must express a willingness to try the new and progressive for large, positive changes to be possible. Everyone, especially management, must be willing to take risks and accept that some changes will falter or fail along the way. Approach the library as a user who is not entrenched in library lingo or culture, with intent to remove or reduce the obstacles and policies that clutter their way.

Ultimately though, this is all so much talk. And as they say, talk is cheap. It’s up to you to shed ignorance, take action, instigate change, and evolve your library.

The Nintendo 3DS was officially released Sunday. After listening to my husband extol its virtues ad nauseam over the last year, I was excited to see if the device lived up to the hype.

Oh, and then some.

The first device (as far as I know) to offer "glasses free" 3D viewing of games and movies, the quality is better than I originally expected. While the resolution suffers to some extent, the 3D effect is surprisingly good. In addition, if 3D viewing makes you queasy, dizzy, or ill, you can simply turn it off.

The original line-up for games on the 3DS is not as spectacular as hard-core gamers might want. Users can play around with other neat aspects of the 3DS, though, while they wait for the release of more games. Take 3D pictures of your friends. Connect via wifi to interact with other users, locally and worldwide. In addition, the 3DS offers "background connectivity" which allows consoles to connect with other consoles in range without requiring any user input.

Another cool feature is the Activity Log which tracks not only game play, but also steps taken while carrying the 3DS. These steps add up to play coins which can be used to unlock special features and access additional content.

Like the Wii, a virtual console is offered for games as well as Mii capabilities. One of the fun things about the 3DS is the ability to take pictures of yourself and friends and then have the console convert them into Miis.

The 3DS comes pre-loaded with a variety of other features and games, several of which take advantage of the camera technology. The 3DS is backwards compatible, allowing users to play DS and DSi games as well as allowing users who are in range to play games together, even if only one user owns the game.

This is all great, you say, but besides being a fun toy and having some pretty cool effects, what does the 3DS really offer us as librarians and educators? Let me present to you my favorite part of the new console: Augmented Reality. Some of you may already know about this feature, but I just discovered it last night when my husband pulled out a pack of cards about the size of playing cards and started throwing them on the floor. The AR features of the 3DS allow you to play games that incorporate 3D features into the background scenery. Several cards create models of video game characters that can be rotated and and turned as well as allowing these models to interact with the table or floor where the cards rest (for example, an archery game simulates the bending and shifting of the platform that the cards rest on).

While a number of the original DS games tended towards educational ends, this is an entirely new and exciting feature. I can't stop thinking about all of the ways this can be used in education, library programming, and even at home. I can't wait to get to play around with it some more.

I was actually anxious to get my hands on the Coby Kyros tablet in the gizmo garage and give it a try. These tablets are android based and retail for [...]

I'd heard the term Agile Development before, but the term seemed so daunting... what kind of code did I need to know?  Did I need to program?  What kind of [...]

by Staci Shaw, Marina Rose, and Jeannie Standal A student comes into the library to research the country of Turkey for a class assignment. They need to [...]

The NASA @ My Library program has come to a close and we are no longer circulating kits. Use this [...]

Info2Go! is our series of monthly webinars showcasing current topics in Idaho libraries. The focus is on providing a platform for the library community and our partners to share [...]

Special Projects Library Action Team Keeping Idaho Libraries Curious Read the Curiosity Report A huge thank you for being part [...]

...rudeness “Fit” in hiring practice If you fit in you have inside knowledge To fit in, neurodiverse folks come up with strategies, which is more work that we’re doing Grit... (Search hits: 0 in body, 0 in title, 0 in categories, 0 in tags, 0 in other taxonomies, 0 in comments. Score: 591.47)

All public libraries in Idaho receiving public money (including EOR funding) and governed by the provisions of chapter 26 or chapter 27 of Title 33, Idaho Code, must comply with [...]

Libraries participating in the ShareIdaho program share the costs of the statewide contract. Fees are determined by the library type (public, academic, special/private, school) and the library's total patron [...]