As the year ends, we always like to take a moment to reflect on the past 12 months and what we’ve learned.
A favourite part of this is sharing the most popular newsletter links, which inspire our team and, hopefully, our readers too. And while admittedly our own blog was a little neglected this year, we love to see all of the other writing and discussions about libraries happening online.
Over the past 12 months we published 22 issues with over 286 posts, resources and publications shared. And if there was a theme with these articles that most resonated with our readers, it would be making sense of ourselves, our communities and the technologies available to us.
Our top 10 most clicked articles in 2024 are:
10. 10 New Infographic Ideas To Prove the Value and Power of Your Library – Super Library Marketing | Angela Hursh
Libraries continue to feel the pressure to demonstrate the many different ways they support their communities. The Super Library Marketing Blog has had some excellent advice to offer about telling engaging stories of library engagement. In this post, Angela explores using infographics in library marketing, including storytelling, strategy sharing, tutorials, showcasing impact, and more.
9. Why are librarians up in arms over ebooks? – RTE | Cathal McCauley, Maynooth University; Martin Bradley and Stuart Hamilton, Local Government Management Agency
Ebooks remain a hot topic in the library sector, and the popularity of this post reflects it. It looks at how libraries in Ireland are tackling the many challenges and opportunities of ebooks, including restrictive licensing terms, limited availability, and high costs – all issues that resonate with libraries everywhere.
8. The Death of Search – The Atlantic | Matteo Wong
AI was undoubtedly the issue of 2024 and many library and info pros are heavily invested in how this will impact how we discover and use information. In this article, Matteo Wong does a great job of summarising what’s at risk when search becomes a process of extraction and we lose our ability to take a more exploratory approach.
7. Verifying facts in the age of AI – librarians offer 5 strategies – The Conversation | Tracy Bicknell-Holmes, Elaine Watson and Memo Cordova
As we all continue to try and make sense of the AI hype, some of our favourite posts were of other library professionals sharing their approaches and advice. Library pros have a vital role when it comes to information and AI literacy. Here, library professors from Boise State University shared some advice to help readers verify information.
6. British Library reveals £400,000 plan to rebuild after “catastrophic” ransomware attack – The Stack | Jasper Hamill
Although the ransomware attack at the British Library was back in late 2023, the fallout and learnings from this hack continued throughout 2024. There was much to learn from the way the British Library handled this situation and the details of their recovery that they shared here and in other posts on their blog.
5. Gen Z and millennials have an unlikely love affair with their local libraries – The Conversation | Kathi Inman Berens and Rachel Noorda
Some of the (many) mysteries of Gen Z and millennials were revealed in this study by Kathi Inman Berens and Rachel Noorda from Portland State University, including a healthy use of public libraries and an interesting preference for books in print over ebooks and audiobooks.
4. Deep Dive in Five with Sandra Hirsh on The Future of Libraries – SJSU NewsCenter | Julia Halprin Jackson
The Library 2035 project is a fascinating look at the future of the library sector and this interview with Sandra Hirsh touched on many of the exciting opportunities, strengths and challenges for libraries in the next decade.
3. Confronting Shiny Object Syndrome in Libraries – Katina Magazine | Tony Zanders
In a year that the shiniest of objects that is AI continued to shine, Tony Zanders wrote about why library professionals should stop getting distracted by the latest tech trends. He instead proposes a more risk-based approach to prioritising fundamental skills in libraries.
2. Psychological Safety in Libraries and the Veneer of Niceness – Librarian by Day | Bobbi L. Newman
Bobbi L. Newman explores the tension between psychological safety and the “veneer of niceness” in libraries. While libraries often promote a welcoming environment, this emphasis on niceness can stifle difficult conversations, creativity, and problem-solving. This article offers some welcome strategies to foster psychological safety, such as embracing failure, celebrating differences, and encouraging constructive disagreement.
1. 5 Ways Artificial Intelligence Is (Quietly) Changing Libraries – Hackernoon | Zac Amos
Our most read article of the year provided an interesting external perspective on how AI technologies are already changing libraries. Moving (slightly) beyond the current hype, Zac Amos provided some real world examples of how libraries use AI to improve operations, enhance user experiences and support library staff in their work. But, while AI offers many benefits, libraries must carefully consider its limitations and ensure it aligns with their mission to serve the community effectively.
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In what was quite a challenging year, we remain deeply appreciative of the library bloggers and contributors who share their ideas, challenges, and invaluable insights, offering support to fellow library and information professionals in their work.
We wish everyone a joyful New Year and a fantastic start to 2025. We’ll be back in the new year with our 250th issue of Newslet for Libraries.
If you’d like to start receiving the newsletter when it returns in 2025, you can subscribe here: libraries.newslet.org