Net Neutrality has become a hot button topic for the private sector and government alike lately. Companies like Netflix, Amazon, and Google are taking a stand against changing net neutrality laws. We recently looked at the impact of repealing the Open Internet Order (OIO) for libraries, but this issue extends into almost every facet of life in the 21st century.

Net Neutrality is the concept that the whole internet runs at the same speed no matter what. Under President Obama, the FCC enacted the Open Internet Order (OIO) in 2015 to regulate Internet Service Providers (ISPs) like Comcast, Verizon, and AT&T. From video chat to torrenting and everything in between, there are countless applications and websites that take full advantage of the universal speeds. According to ALA, libraries and their users have benefitted from this framework.

For many students, the hardest part of writing a paper is getting started. Oftentimes either can’t settle on a topic, or they feel overwhelmed by the volume and complexity of the information out there. We asked librarians to write to us about how Credo helps their students start their research, and this is what we heard back:

Every month we showcase some of the new and updated titles in our Academic, Public, and Student Core Collections. Click here for a full list of July titles!

Early last year we relaunched our Mind Map visual search tool, and the feedback we’ve received from subscribers has been great. We’re hearing more stories of how librarians use the Mind Map feature in their instruction and reference help. Mary Timmons of Monroe Community College says, “I love the Mind Map - it gives students who just have an idea for a topic a way to focus and narrow the search to give better, and easier, research material that concentrates on what they want to do.” Here are some other stories from librarians about where and how they use this popular feature:

By Sol M. Lopez, MLIS

ALA annual is so large and broad in scope, and yet manages to offer a handful of specialized workshops for every possible area of the profession. Learning about issues that impact minority academic librarians, what different types of libraries are doing on diversity, inclusion, and equity were among the highlights of my experience. 

We understand your library wants to post fun content to social media but that you might not have the time to dedicate to writing it, so we’d like to help!

As children we were promised flying cars, hoverboards, and conveyor belts to shower and dress us each morning. Until now, you’d be forgiven if you were disappointed that all we’ve gotten so far are increasingly sophisticated ways to argue with strangers and hail rides. Library Extension, the browser tool that gives you a heads up when your local library has the book you’re about to buy, changes everything.

One of the most common concerns we hear from librarians regards how difficult it can be to engage with faculty. This was a distinct takeaway from our booth survey at ACRL, and is something we explored in one of our most popular webinars of last year. 

Brian Coutts and Rosemary Meszaros of Western Kentucky University recently joined us to explore the role of the librarian as scholar. Brian is this year's winner of the Reference and User Services Association's (RUSA) Isador Mudge Award. View the recording here (plus slides).