by Faye D. Fischer In celebration of Women’s History Month we wanted to take a look at some of the women who shaped the library profession. It may seem that librarianship has always been a female dominated profession, but access to the profession had to be earned. According to a census taken by the Oxford University Press “Today, 83 percent …
by Faye D. Fischer You may have heard that the Utah State Library for the Blind offers a variety of specialized services to blind and print disabled patrons in several states. We provide braille material and talking book library services to patrons from the east to west coast at no charge. But do you know that we also record our …
by Faye D. Fischer January; the month named after the Roman god of beginnings and transitions. This moniker makes it sound like it should be magical opportunity to rejuvenate and set goals. Yet, in our corner of the world it is also the darkest, coldest, and bleakest month of the year—which feels more like a call for sweat pants, and …
by Katie Larsen The Utah State library has accepted an invitation to join the Utah Health Literacy Coalition (UHLC). UHLC is an interagency coalition that includes representatives from the University of Utah, Network of the National Library of Medicine, Salt Lake County Library, local public health centers, and others. This group of individuals are teaming up to work toward one BIG goal, to improve the health …
This year has been amazing for the Utah State Library. We want to share with you some of the notable things we have done in 2022. Utah State Library for the Blind Lisa Nelson and her team at The Utah State Library for the Blind participated in a pilot program with the National Library Service for the Deaf and Blind …
by Faye D. Fischer Thanksgiving is here! Hopefully you can find a little quiet time for reflection in the whirlwind of the holiday and focus on all there is to be grateful for. I notice that I always feel a little bit better when I think about what I have instead of what I don’t. Research on gratitude is still …
by Faye D. Fischer Earlier this year Marie Erickson and the Resources Team worked to make some updates to our collection policy. A well-developed collection plan helps a library use their resources in ways that support and maintain their mission and avoid ending up with a collection that reflects bias or passing trends. It is more important than ever to …
Earlier this year the Utah State Library Board elected Rebekah Cummings as the new board chair. Rebekah Cummings is the Interim Director of Digital Matters at the University of Utah Marriott Library where she coordinates digital humanities research, teaching, and support. Prior to her current position, Rebekah was the Assistant Director of the Mountain West Digital Library and the Data …
by Faye D. Fischer Preface: Every library has a ghost story. The State Library is no exception. The following is an adaptation of true events. Some liberty has been taken, but many of the staff walk a little faster past the stacks at dusk and dawn or report feeling like they are being watched when they work late at night. …
by Faye D. Fischer and Hannah Jones Many of you have heard of Book Buzz, the Utah State Library program for loaning out sets of books to book clubs, libraries, schools, community centers, and other groups. But do you know how much the program is growing? We want to share some exciting updates with you! Our collection is growing. Since …
by Faye D. Fischer There is something that happens when you can feel that cool edge in the air, and the leaves begin to change; a primal physiological shift telling you to settle in and slow down. It’s time to gather the harvest and start baking again! It’s time for soups and stews and the hearty meals you just didn’t …
by Faye D. Fischer and Amanda Rock Liz Gabbitas, USL Digital Equity and Education Program Manager and Cristina Reyes, USL’s Rural Services Program Specialist, hosted community events for rural Utahns focused on digital equity. Lots of families attended both events and had a great time. In exchange for ice cream treats, kids shared information about their computer skills while adults …