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Lankes to Present 1st Annual ASIS&T President’s Lecture

I’m honored to give the inaugural President’s Lecture to ASIS&T September 19 at 10 am Eastern Time.

From the ASIS&T site:

ASIS&T is delighted to announce the launch of the Annual ASIS&T President’s Lecture. The Lecture will be open to the public and delivered via Zoom to ensure that all who wish to may attend.

The inaugural ASIS&T President’s Lecture will take place September 19 at 10 am Eastern Time (find your time here) and be presented by R. David Lankes, Virginia and Charles Bowden Professor of Librarianship at the University of Texas at Austin.

Click here for more information and to register: https://www.asist.org/2024/07/24/lankes-to-present-1st-annual-asist-presidents-lecture/

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A Longhorn Amongst the Tulips

With the generous support of the Dutch Library Association (thank you Klaas Gravestejin), I am headed to the Netherlands for a few weeks. There I’ll be spreading the word on the importance of centering librarianship on the communities we serve.

I am so looking forward to meeting with my Netherland colleagues. The country has long been a center of innovative librarianship. From Delft to Utrecht to Amsterdam to Tilburg to the amazing National Library of the Netherlands it is honestly more pilgrimage than a trip. I even get to catch up with folks like Irene Harmsen and the cohort of Community Librarians.

I am so looking forward to seeing colleagues and making new connections.

My current public event schedule:

29th MayInnovatie Dag Prodent Fabriek Amersfoort
4th JuneVisit Dutch StoryHouse  Cultura & Zo Nootdorp
6th JuneNational Members Netherlands Library Association for PL at Beeld and Geluid Hilversum

I’ll be posting slides and updates (and probably pictures of canals) here.

A special thank you to Erik Boekesteijn of the National Library for making this happen. Honestly, hanging with him is the real highlight of the trip.

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On the Passing of Fred Roper

I just learned that Fred Roper has passed away. Fred was a previous dean of the School of Library and Information Science at the University of South Carolina. When I joined as director in 2016, Fred was not only welcoming, but extremely generous with his time. He was an invaluable mentor in my first true administrative role.

We would have regular breakfasts to talk about the school, and he was always forthcoming with advice and learned experience. He always said he would never offer advice unless I asked…he mostly stuck to that. In the end his advice was always welcomed and sought after.

I leave it to others to write about his academic achievements, his love of Chapel Hill, his award winning baking abilities, and his deep caring. I can only remark on how I will miss our discussions and his giving nature. I send my deepest condolences to his spouse Jon, and to the entire South Carolina community. Today we lost a great one.

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Expect More now in Arabic

Thanks to Mahmoud Rashwan, Expect More is now available free in Arabic. You can download the PDF on the Expect More page or directly here.

Here’s a brief biography of Mahmoud, the translator:

“As a passionate advocate for Guided reading and lifelong learning, I have served as a High School Librarian since 2002. My mission is to foster a love for reading, critical thinking, and information literacy among school community members.

I work closely with both students and teachers to facilitate access to information in a wide variety of formats and guiding students through research for their projects, I’m here to empower our school community.

One of my passions is introducing young adults to literature. I spend quite a lot of time daily discussing with students how to choose their readings to improve their skills and increase their knowledge. There’s nothing quite like seeing a student’s eyes light up when they discover a new favorite book!

I hold a master’s degree in library and information science from University College London [MLIS UCL2020].

I believe that a librarian isn’t just a keeper of books; we’re navigators, linkers, and champions of knowledge. If anyone needs a book recommendation or has a research question, we are here with a warm smile and a wealth of resources! ?”

Thank you for all your kindness and work Mahmoud! And if there are any publishers looking for print and/or distribute this translation, please let me know and I can put you in touch with Mr. Rashwan.

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Libraries of the Future, Wildest Dreams

Erik Boekesteijn made a fantastic video on some library thinkers talking about the library of the future. It was an honor to be on the virtual stage with Nick Poole, Jane Cowell, Sandy Hirsh, Futurist Lidewij Edelkoort at the Computers in Libraries 2024 conference.