“Public Libraries Leading the Way” is a regular column in Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL). Essays in this series highlight a technology-based innovation or approach to problem solving from the public library perspective. Columns published to date:

• 2019
  • The Democratization of Artificial Intelligence: One Library’s Approach, by Thomas K Finley (Frisco Public Library)
  • Online Ticketed-Passes: A Mid-Tech Leap in What Libraries Are For, by Jeffrey Davis (San Diego Public Library)
  • On Educating Patrons On Privacy And Maximizing Library Resources , by Thomas Lamanna (Cherry Hill Public Library)
  • VR Hackfest, by Chris Markman, M Ryan Hess, Dan Lou, and Anh Nguyen (Palo Alto City Library)
• 2020
  • Google Us! Capital Area District Libraries Gets Noticed with Google Ads Grant, by Sheryl Cormicle Knox, Trenton M. Smiley (Capitol District [MI] Public Library)
  • LibraryVPN: A New Tool for Protecting Patron Privacy, by Chuck McAndrew (Lebanon [NH] Public Libraries)
  • Intro to Coding Using Python at the Worcester Public Library, by Melody Friedenthal (Worcester [MA] Public Library)
  • Harnessing the Power of OrCam, by Mary Howard (St. Clair County [MI] Library System)
  • A Collaborative Approach to Newspaper Preservation, by Ana Krahmer and Laura Douglas (Denton [TX] Public Library)
  • Journey with Veterans: Virtual Reality Program using Google Expeditions, by Jessica Hall (Fresno County [CA] Public Library)
• 2021
  • We Can Do It for Free! Using Freeware for Online Patron Engagement, by Karin Suni and Christopher A. Brown (Free Library of Philadelphia)
  • Utilizing Technology to Support and Extend Access to Students and Job Seekers during the Pandemic, by Daniel Berra (Pflugerville [TX] Public Library)
  • Service Barometers: Using Lending Kiosks to Locate Patrons, by Will Yarbrough (Chesapeake [MD] Public Library)
  • Delivering: Automated Materials Handling for Staff and Patrons, by Carole Williams (Charleston County [SC] Public Library)
• 2022
  • Gathering Strength to Combat Access Inequality: How a Small Rural Public Library Supported Virtual Access for Public School Students, Staff, and their Families, by Julie Lane (County of Prince Edward [Ontario, Canada] Public Library and Archives).
  • The First 500 Mistakes You Will Make While Streaming on Twitch.tv, by Chris Markman, Kasper Kimura, and Molly Wallner (Palo Alto [California] Public Library)

Call for Proposals for Future Columns

To propose a topic, use this proposal form, which will ask you for:

• Your name, email address, and preferred pronouns
• A brief (75-150 word) summary of your proposed column that describes your library, the technology you wish to write about and your experience with it.
• Issues to which you could contribute a column

Columns are in the 1,000-1,500 word range and may include illustrations. These will not be research articles, but are meant to share practical experience with technology development or uses within the library. 

If you have questions, contact Ken Varnum, Editor, at varnum@umich.edu.