Have you seen one or two articles about Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the news lately? Or maybe one or two thousand? AI is already changing how people work, and that includes library staff. That's why we're kicking off our summer 2023 training season with a deep dive on AI in the library.
The Galecia Group is excited to sponsor PLAID3, a free virtual summit dedicated to exploring the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) in public libraries. This groundbreaking event, taking place on March 28th, aims to bring library leaders together to discuss and discover how AI can enhance library services, collections, and operations.
As a leader in library technology and innovation, The Galecia Group's mission has always been to empower public libraries with the tools and knowledge needed to adapt and thrive in an ever-evolving landscape. PLAID3 is a natural extension of this vision, as it provides an opportunity for library professionals to learn about AI, its applications, and its ethical implications in a supportive and interactive environment.
Library funding can be a challenge in the best of times -- and that's why EveryLibrary's Library Advocacy and Funding Conference in September is going to be so important! (Disclosure: we've been proud partners and supporters of EveryLibrary for quite some time!)
As a kid, one of my favorite stories was O. Henry's "The Ransom of Red Chief," about a ransom plot gone awry: the kidnappers are so overwhelmed by the young "victim's" mischievous antics that they end up paying the child's parents to take him back. And readers of a certain age might associate ransom with a comedy of errors, perhaps John Goodman's character throwing a satchel of dirty laundry during a fake ransom drop gone awry in "The Great Lebowski."
Followers of our blog know that we're big fans of the Institute for Museum and Library Science (IMLS) library survey data releases -- these are the most comprehensive sources of data about public libraries in the United States. So we were very excited this week to see that the FY2017 survey results have been released on the IMLS.gov website!
Not sure how to get started analyzing PLS data? Check out this video where we introduce the data included in the survey and associated documentation.
When a disaster strikes, information can be just as valuable as water, power, or critical supplies! Learn more about how your library can provide information and access following a disaster.
Providing Public Internet Access At The Library
One of the most critical requirements after a disaster is the restoration of communications with the outside world, and these days, that means the Internet. While first responders, whether at the local, state, or federal level, may have their own data and communications infrastructure, libraries can still provide access for responders, volunteers, and survivors. Internet access is critical after a disaster for:
Because Internet access is so important during a disaster, it may be necessary to expand opportunities for leveraging the library’s connectivity.
"Peer analysis" is a tool used in finance, management, and even sports -- and you do it unconsciously all the time. We're simply finding the similar items in a large dataset by one or more dimensions, and then seeing how they compare in other dimensions. In other words, if you're the director of a small library in Ruraltown, Nebraska, you don't want to compare your library's collection numbers to those larger library systems in Omaha and Nebraska.
With the news this week that the Trump Administration is trying to destroy the Institute for Museum and Library Services - for the third year in a row - library advocates across the United States snapped into action. ALA fired up a "send an email to your representative" tool as well as an interactive table for looking up your representative's and senator's respective votes on past library funding bills. As BookRiot says, not hyperbolically: "[d]efunding the IMLS would effectively end all federal funding of public libraries."
Are you going to build a community digital project, like a new online app or map for your city or region? Make sure to check out the project toolkit from the US Census Bureau's "The Opportunity Project" for some great tips and resources! The toolkit includes helpful explanations of the chief steps of planning, building, and supporting a digital product or service - and since it's provided by the Census Bureau, there are tons of links to data sources from federal, state, and local sources.
Something big is coming in 2020 - and we're not talking about the presidential election or the Olympics... it's the decennial US census! And libraries have a critical role to play to ensure that their communities are represented in the census data, and the resulting program dollars that will flow. Thankfully, the US Census Bureau and other organizations are working together to help everyone be counted fairly.