Thursday, September 18, 2014

1:00 pm ET/12:00 pm CT/11:00 am MT/10:00 am PT

National Geographic ranks Chattanooga one of the top 50 smartest cities in the world, in part for its citywide high-speed internet connectivity. The New York Times reports that Kansas City, the first city to get Google Fiber, is in a pioneering mode of experimentation to take advantage of this revolutionary capacity.

What challenges and opportunities does the Gigabit City present for public libraries? Join us as leaders from the Kansas City and Chattanooga Public Libraries share their experience, their experiments, their challenges, apprehensions and thoughts about what high speed connectivity may mean for libraries in the future. 

Find out more and register!

 Knight News Challenge: Libraries

The Knight News Challenge: Libraries is open for entries until September 30 at 5 pm ET.   Knight is looking for inspiring proposals that address this question: "How Might We Leverage Libraries as a Platform to Build More Knowledgeable Communities?" Knight's theme for this initiative is intentionally broad to encourage the most diverse range of innovative ideas that expand the capacity of libraries to serve people and communities in the knowledge age. Knight is hosting a virtual office hour from 1-2 pm on September 15. Find out more.  

Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition

On October 2 (9 am - 2 pm), the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition (SHLB) presents a symposium that will explore the diverse ways anchor institutions (such as libraries) are meeting their bandwidth needs through fiber and wireless technologies drawing upon a variety of funding sources. Participants will hear about libraries using white spaces, schools using fixed wireless, fiber sharing options, community partnerships and more. The program is available long-distance via a live webcast. More information is available at the SHLB website.

Families Learning Summit:  Call for Proposals

Early Childhood Education:  E-Books or Print?

School Library Journal sparked concerning "print versus e-books" in early childhood education. A key finding is that, "Children's librarians and school librarians can play - and should play - a huge role in  modeling what it looks like to read with children and to help build discriminating tastes in quality books, e- or otherwise. We need twenty-first-century librarians to become what (some) have come to call "media mentors" for children and families."  Read more.

Self-Published Books in the Library

The Santa Clara County Library District has expanded its patrons' access to self-published e-Books through a unique partnership with JukePop, Inc., a Silicon Valley company specializing in self-publishing.  The partnership which provides free access to 800 self-published books on the Library's website has increased website traffic, connected up-and-coming authors with new audiences and increased use of e-Books in the Library's collection. 

Top Innovation and check out the treasure trove to be found in ULC's Innovations Resource Center.

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New Central Library in Calgary

This week Calgary Public Library gave its community a glimpse of the design for a magnificent new central library that will be completed in 2018.  Take a look and find out more!

Tuscaloosa Joins ULC

Welcome to Mary Elizabeth Harper, Executive Director of the Tuscaloosa Public Library, AL, newest member of the ULC community.