Launch of Digital Public Library of America

The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) is a large-scale, collaborative project with the goal of  creating "a unique and consolidated digital library platform, ensuring America’s cultural and scientific record is free and publicly accessible online through a single access point, available anytime and anywhere.” The new platform delivers digital collections found in American archives, libraries, museums, and cultural heritage institutions to students, teachers, scholars, and the public.

In addition to performing as a one stop search engine to disparate collections, the portal also includes special features such as a dynamic map, a timeline that allows users to visually browse by year or decade, a feature to browse items by subject, and an app library that provides access to applications and tools created by external developers using DPLA’s open data. Noteworthy contributors include the Library of Congress, HathiTrust, and the Internet Archive. The project wasofficially launched in April 2013.

Library 2.013 Conference

Here is the official call for presentation proposals for the Library 2.013 Worldwide Virtual Conference, October 18 - 19, 2013 (in some time zones the conference will conclude on the 20th):

This fully online, participatory conference presents a unique opportunity to showcase the excellent research and work that done every day, with a focus on peer-to-peer presentations. How does your library manage digital collections? Is your library mobile friendly? Do you have a story to tell about maker spaces? Your participation as a presenter can help to steer the global conversation about the future of libraries.

Everyone is welcome to submit a presentation proposal and participate in this free event. There are no registration fees and no travel requirements. The entire conference will be held online via web conferencing, with presentations held in multiple languages and scheduled around the clock over the course of the two days.

The Library 2.013 Worldwide Virtual Conference presentations will cover eight subject strands, addressing a wide variety of timely topics, such as MOOCs, e-books, maker spaces, mobile services, embedded librarians, green libraries, and more! Doctoral students will also have their own strand for presenting their research. Plus, there will be a new strand dedicated to virtual library tours.

The Library 2.013 Conference Strands:

• Digital Services, Preservation, and Access
• Emerging Technologies and Trends
• Learning Commons (for school libraries and/or academic libraries)
• Management of Libraries and Information Centers in the 21st Century
• User Centered Services and Models
• Library and Information Professionals – Evolving Roles and Opportunities
• Doctoral Student Research
• Library and Information Center “Tours”

To view examples of presentation topics for each subject strand, click here. Your presentation does not have to fit into the conference strands to be considered – the strands exist for the convenience of those interested in finding particular themes.

Proposal acceptances will be communicated on a first-come, first-served basis starting June 15. If your proposal is accepted, you will be provided with the ability to schedule a presentation time that is convenient to your time zone and work schedule. Early proposal submission and acceptance will give you the most flexibility for scheduling your presentation. The deadline to submit presentation proposals is September 30.

Click Here to Submit a Proposal

The Library 2.013 Worldwide Virtual Conference is our third installment of the Library 2.0 conference series, sponsored again by founding partner San Jose State University School of Library and Information Science. Last year’s Library 2.012 conference featured 150 fully online presentations given by scholars and information professionals worldwide. If you missed any of the presentations, you can still accessrecordings of the presentations. A wealth of information was also shared during the inaugural Library 2.011 conference, and a list of those recordings can be found here.

For more information about the conference and how you can get involved as a partner, sponsor, volunteer, and advisory board member, please visit: http://library2013.com.

Please do share this call for proposals with your colleagues and friends. We look forward to receiving your presentation proposals!

Original Blog post can be found at: StateTech Magazine

Here are six library related blogs that you should subscribe to if you wish to keep up to date with new technologies in libraries.

TechSoup for Libraries

This blog is part of a larger network of IT resources and funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. This particular blog focuses keenly on the most current technology issues facing libraries. For example, recent posts covered responsive web design, how technology can empower people with disabilities and tips for improving digital literacy.
Visit the blog: http://www.techsoupforlibraries.org/blog

Denver Public Library Technology Blog

Denver’s public library is more than 120 years old, but it’s still on the cutting edge of information technology. It offers technology classes to Denver residents, and a staff member recently blogged about improvements to the library’s Wi-Fi. This blog is great for librarians who are looking for fresh ideas and technologists who want to find out what industry leaders are up to.
Read the blog: http://denverlibrary.org/category/blog-categories/technology-blog

Disruptive Library Technology Jester

Run by Peter E. Murray, a technologist and a librarian trained in systems analysis, the Disruptive Library Technology Jester blog has a tagline that sums up the site perfectly: “We're disrupted, we're librarians, and we're not going to take it anymore.” This blog is an enormously valuable resource for the 21st-century librarian.
Read the blog: http://dltj.org

ALA TechSource Blog

The American Library Association is probably the single best resource for librarians in the country, and their technology-specific blog measures up. Five authors contribute on a regular basis, creating a diverse and well-rounded source of modern solutions for today’s problems.
Read the blog: http://www.alatechsource.org/blog

American Libraries Magazine

This blog is published by the American Library Association and is a fabulous resource for experienced librarians and casual enthusiasts alike. The site isn’t updated daily, but it does highlight some of the most interesting and important news in the library community.
Read the blog: http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/news

Free Range Librarian

Blogger and librarian K.G. Schneider spent time writing for ALA TechSource and served as the Internet Librarian columnist for American Libraries. She writes with energy, and, although not every post is focused on library technology, her musings are worth your time if you are at all interested in the future of libraries. Read the blog: http://freerangelibrarian.com

Other Blogs:

• Code4Lib
• The Digital Shift
• Walking Paper
• Matthew Reidsma
• Library as Incubator Project
• New York Public Library Labs
• The Ides
• Special Projects Library Action Team (SPLAT)
• Pasadena City College's Student Library Technology Blog
• LibraryTechTalk
• Tame The Web
• Phil Bradley's Blog
• iLibrarian