When you cut off your most fruitful source, how can you keep up with professional news?

I faced this question when I recently decided to leave Twitter (do I really need to explain?). While I still post podcast-related links for marketing purposes, I rarely read anything other than replies and direct messages. However, reading and interacting on Twitter was one of the prime ways I got links to stories related to the profession, particularly after the premature (and unnecessary) death of Google Reader, so how can I continue to keep up with things?

Google Reader may be dead, but its underlying technology, RSS, remains alive and well. It's easy to find a great RSS reader, and I've tried several. Currently, I use Reeder, but I also like NetNewsWire, and I alternate between the two. These are the libraryland RSS feeds I currently subscribe to: Circulating Ideas 👀, RA for All, librarian.net, Information Wants to Be Free, Library Technology News, and a few others that don’t post often.

Other than social media, how can one stay up to date on professional news? You're reading it right now: newsletters! For updates on library and publishing news, I subscribe to these newsletters: Today in Library Tabs (TILT), As in Guillotine, Super Library Marketing, firstCLUE, PW Preview for Libraries, some Book Riot ones such as Check Your Shelf, Library Journal (their site is gross with logins and intrusive ads, so I’m not linking to them), and I get a lot from ALA and the divisions I belong to, like Booklist.

Last but not least? Podcasts! I have a list of Podcasts of Interest to librarians on the site, so check those out.

In Circulating Ideas 234, I spoke with John Hubbard, (transcript available here), who created Library Link of the Day 20 years ago as a way to distribute professional news among his colleagues and friends: an alternative to passing along a physical magazine with a routing list where you checked off your name once you’ve read it (and maybe flagged some articles you thought were particularly good). I personally receive Library Link of the Day via email, but an RSS feed is also available.

Are there RSS feeds, newsletters, podcasts, or other ways of consuming industry news that I’m missing? Make with the clicky on the button below to leave a comment!

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CI234 Show Notes

John Hubbard

John Hubbard is a librarian at Washington University in St. Louis, where he is excited to be leading the development of the main search interface: a discovery layer known as Primo.

John has worked with library technology for over twenty years, with an emphasis on taking an evidence-based and user-driven approach in order to offer the best library user experience. He has previously worked at the University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee, Haverford College, and the University of Pennsylvania. His past responsibilities include acting as a library webmaster, coordinating electronic resources, providing library reference services, performing bibliographic instruction, technical writing, and a little light cataloging. John received his library degree from Drexel University and his undergraduate degree at Macalester College.

He was once interviewed by National Public Radio about librarian stereotypes; has delivered presentations on the benefits of emerging and disruptive technologies; and currently operates the Library Link of the Day. He was also named a Library Journal “Mover & Shaker,” as one of the innovators “who are transforming libraries for the future.”

Mentions

Change management [Wikipedia]
“Research fraud catalyzed the anti-vaccination movement. Let’s not repeat history.” [The Verge]
“Vocational awe and librarianship: the lies we tell ourselves”, Fobazi Ettarh [In the Library with the Lead Pipe]
“Vocational awe is always harmful”, Meredith Farkas [Information Wants To Be Free]
“Overdue Fines: Advantages, Disadvantages, and How Eliminating Them Can Benefit Public Libraries”, Sabrina Unrein [iSchool Public Libraries Initiative at Syracuse University]
“What is a discovery layer?” [OH-TECH]
“Documenting the Conversation: A Systematic Review of Library Discovery Layers” [ACRL]
Library Vendor Mergers & Acquisitions [Marshall Breeding]
Telnet [Wikipedia]
FOLIO
Library of Congress subject headings [LOC]
“Library of Congress Changes Illegal Aliens Subject Heading” [American Libraries]
“The Uncanny Valley of Search” [John’s blog]
“Why ‘Uncanny Valley’ Human Look-Alikes Put Us on Edge” [Scientific American]
World of Warcraft
Glider bot [Wikipedia]
Gold farming [Wikipedia]
Sword of Dookapak!
“How Google’s $150 billion advertising business works” [CNBC]
Right to be forgotten [GDPR]
Library Link of the Day
“10 Stories That Shaped…” [LISnews]
Controlled digital lending [Wikipedia]
“Book publishers, Internet Archive spar over fate of digital-book lending lawsuit” [Reuters]
Wayback Machine [Internet Archive]
“The Twitter Archive at the Library of Congress: Challenges for information practice and information policy” [First Monday]
Paywall [Wikipedia]
“It’s not your imagination: Shopping on Amazon has gotten worse” [Washington Post, via MSN]
John’s blog

Circulating Ideas facilitates conversations with the innovative people and ideas inspiring libraries to grow and thrive in the 21st century. Brought to you with support from listeners like you.

Library Link of the Day, with John Hubbard