Author name: Rebecca Bolger

1998: Average copyright date of technology books (600s section in Dewey Decimal System) in Colorado’s public school libraries

August 2014

These days, it is not uncommon for children to be adept at using the Internet, cellular phones, and/or digital cameras. They might be hard-pressed, however, to find literature in their school libraries that adequately discusses the modern-day use and significance of these technological advancements. Based on results from the 2013-14 Colorado School Library Survey, the […]

Top 3 animals and people you can check out at libraries

January 2014

Did you know that some libraries loan – or provide access to – animals and people, for the general well-being of their patrons? Students at Harvard, Yale, and Emory can de-stress and momentarily escape the rigors of academic life by checking out a library therapy dog. At Harvard Library, for instance, students can borrow Cooper, […]

Colorado public libraries reported 39 challenges to materials and services in 2012

December 2013

Public libraries reported only 39 challenges to their materials and services in 2012, through LRS’s annual Public Library Annual Report. The number – down 35 percent from 2011 – is the lowest in at least nine years. More than half (51%) of the challenges pertain to books, though audiobook-related challenges rose by a substantial 550 […]

Top 4 portable electronics loaned by libraries

November 2013

In 2011, Time Magazine featured an online article that enthusiastically proclaimed loaner iPads as one of the “best freebies” ever offered by public libraries. Today, public libraries across the country continue to loan tablet and e-reader devices, as well as other portable electronics, like laptops, GPS units, and MP3 players. At the Hooksett Public Library […]

October 2013

Image Credit: Pew Research Center On October 1, 2013, open enrollment began under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), and approximately 2.8 million Americans visited Healthcare.gov to compare and apply for health coverage. For many, the online portal is the easiest and quickest way to accomplish these tasks and find related resources. Unfortunately, this option is […]

15% of American adults don’t use the internet

October 2013

Image credit: Pew Internet Despite the fact that an increasing number of job applications and other important resources are being offered solely online, not everyone in the U.S. uses the internet. This simple fact has been emphasized countless times in years past, through discussion of the “Digital Divide.” Most recently, in the report Who’s Not […]

The average copyright year of history/geography books in Colorado’s school libraries is 1995

September 2013

It’s difficult to imagine K-12 schools not teaching students about the tragedies that unfolded on September 11, 2001. Indeed, Colorado K-12 students attending public schools do learn about that day’s events during their history/social studies classes, but they will likely encounter problems if they try to search for additional information about the event in their […]