EDITOR'S NOTES
Cents and Sensibility *
by Dick Kaser
If money makes the world go around, then libraries are no exception to the general rule. This issue focuses on money matters and the financial sense librarians must exert in dealing with vendors, using funding platforms, and navigating the nexus of grant-making agencies.
Michael Blackwell, project and communications coordinator for ReadersFirst, and his colleagues have chosen CIL as the venue to publish the results of the group’s massive study of ebook availability, pricing, and lending models in the U.S. and Canada. Because it covers so much ground, the report occupies a good portion of the issue. I hope you will read and study it with interest; there are many implications for anyone who is building a collection of ebooks.
Library finances neither begin nor end with ebook and other acquisitions. Most new projects that librarians want to launch depend on finding the funds to do it, even if that involves holding a bake sale. But in today’s tech-enabled world, a cookie sheet and wax paper may no longer be necessary.
Ashli Wells and Amber McKee walk you through the steps they followed while at Cumberland University to fund a new library facility by using a crowdfunding platform.
Grants remain a primary way of funding new and innovative library initiatives, digitizing special collections, and conducting efforts to reach underserved populations. The money is out there, but it can be tricky to identify the right funding agency and win the award. Senovia Guevara will get you started with her beginner’s guide to funding resources.
The need for sense-making isn’t limited to funding scenarios. In his EdTech essay on sports metaphors, Chi Nwogu makes a convincing case that the best way to teach statistics is to engage students with activities centered around something they are already interested in—namely, sports.
I think you will also find columnist Terence Huwe’s article on cybersecurity and Jessamyn West’s piece on inclusion to be most sensible.
*With apologies to Jane Austen, may you enjoy the read.
Dick Kaser, Executive Editor
kaser@infotoday.com
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