Épisodes

  • Daisy Livingston, "Managing Paperwork in Mamluk Cairo: Archives, Waqf and Society" (Edinburgh UP, 2025)

    Daisy Livingston, "Managing Paperwork in Mamluk Cairo: Archives, Waqf and Society" (Edinburgh UP, 2025)
    Aug 30 2025
    Archives are not only sources for history but have their own histories too, which shape how historians can tell stories of the past. In Managing Paperwork in Mamluk Cairo: Archives, Waqf and Society (Edinburgh UP, 2025), Daisy Livingston explores the archival history of one of the most powerful polities of the late-medieval Middle East: the ‘Mamluk’ sultanate of Cairo. Relying on surviving original documents, Livingston focuses on archival practices connected to waqf, the pious endowments that became one of the characteristic features of late-medieval Islamic societies. By centering a close exploration of documents connected to processes of endowment and property exchange, this book sheds light on a startling culture of document accumulation that was shared by the diverse social groups involved in founding and managing endowments: sultans and emirs, qadis, legal notaries, and scribes. Emphasizing the documents’ life cycles from production, to preservation, to disposal and loss, it argues for the use of surviving documents to tell their own archival histories. Daisy Livingston is Associate Professor of Medieval Islamic History in the Department of History at Durham University. As a historian of the medieval Middle East, in particular Egypt between the tenth and sixteenth centuries, her research focuses on various aspects of documentary culture, especially histories of archiving. Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom (2022) and The Social Movement Archive (2021), and co-editor of Armed By Design: Posters and Publications of Cuba’s Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (2025). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    58 min
  • Jimi Jones and Marek Jancovic, "The Future of Memory: Jimi Jones and Marek Jancovic" (U of Illinois Press, 2025)

    Jimi Jones and Marek Jancovic, "The Future of Memory: Jimi Jones and Marek Jancovic" (U of Illinois Press, 2025)
    Aug 21 2025
    We're pleased to welcome Dr. Jimi Jones and Dr. Marek Jancovic, authors of The Future of Memory: A History of Lossless Format Standards in the Moving Image Archive (U of Illinois Press, 2025), to the New Books Network. In this book, Jimi Jones and Marek Jancovic document the development and adoption of JPEG 2000, FFV1, MXF, and Matroska while investigating the social and material aspects of their design and the forces driving their journeys from niche to ubiquity. Drawing on interviews with archivists and developers, Jones and Jancovic reveal the archive as a dynamic space where deeply entrenched social practices produce disagreements but also resourceful collaborations. They contrast the unprecedented rise of archivist-driven standardization and controversies around non-standard technology with the historical dominance of the film and broadcast industries. Throughout, the authors clarify the role of tech companies, software developers, film pirates, hackers, and other players with poorly understood roles in the process. A timely look at the state of audiovisual preservation, The Future of Memory provides a history of recent innovations alongside a snapshot of a field in the midst of profound technological change. Your host is Dr. Adam Kriesberg, Associate Professor at the Simmons University School of Library and Information Science. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    59 min
  • Liz Fischer, "Network Analysis for Book Historians: Digital Labour and Data Visualization Techniques" (Arc Humanities Press, 2025)

    Liz Fischer, "Network Analysis for Book Historians: Digital Labour and Data Visualization Techniques" (Arc Humanities Press, 2025)
    Aug 14 2025
    Researchers and archivists have spent decades digitizing and cataloguing, but what does the future hold for book history? Network Analysis for Book Historians: Digital Labour and Data Visualization Techniques (ARC Humanities Press, 2025) explores the potential of network analysis as a method for medieval and early modern book history. Through case studies of the Cotton Library, the Digital Index of Middle English Verse, and the Pforzheimer Collection, Liz Fischer offers a blueprint for drawing on extant scholarly resources to visualize relationships between people, text, and books. Such visualizations serve as a new form of reference work with the potential to offer new, broad insights into the history of book collecting, compilation, and use. This volume gives a realistic look at the decision-making involved in digital humanities work, and emphasizes the value of so-called "mechanical" labour in scholarship. Liz Fischer is an independent scholar and full-time consultant working with GLAM institutions on data and AI. Fischer's current research focuses on applications of network analysis to book history. Liz's general interests include medieval & early modern English book history, craftsmanship, antiquarianism, and digital humanities, and areas of specialty in the DH world include network analysis, collections-as-data, workflow automation, and web development. Check out the Atlas of a Medieval Life: The Itineraries of Roger de Breynton, discussed in this episode! Jen Hoyer is Technical Services and Electronic Resources Librarian at CUNY New York City College of Technology. She is co-author of What Primary Sources Teach: Lessons for Every Classroom (2022) and The Social Movement Archive (2021), and co-editor of Armed By Design: Posters and Publications of Cuba’s Organization of Solidarity of the Peoples of Africa, Asia, and Latin America (2025). Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    47 min
  • Paul A. Thomas, "Inside Wikipedia: How It Works and How You Can Be an Editor" (Rowman & Littlefield, 2022)

    Paul A. Thomas, "Inside Wikipedia: How It Works and How You Can Be an Editor" (Rowman & Littlefield, 2022)
    Jul 25 2025
    In this book, Paul A. Thomas—a seasoned Wikipedia contributor who has accrued about 60,000 edits since he started editing in 2007—breaks down the history of the free encyclopedia and explains the process of becoming an editor. Now a newly minted Ph.D. and a library specialist at the University of Kansas in Lawrence, he outlines the many roles a Wikipedia editor can fill. Some editors fix typographical errors, add facts and citations, or clean up the prose on existing articles; others create new articles on topics they find interesting. In Inside Wikipedia: How It Works and How You Can Be an Editor (Rowman & Littlefield, 2022), Thomas goes behind the familiar Wikipedia article page and looks at the unique brand of collaboration that is constantly at work to expand and improve this global resource. James Kates is a professor in the Department of Communication at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater. He has worked as an editor at The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and other publications. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    56 min
  • Emily Leachman and A. Garrison Libby, "A Complete Guide to Training Library Staff: From Onboarding to Offboarding" (Bloomsbury, 2024)

    Emily Leachman and A. Garrison Libby, "A Complete Guide to Training Library Staff: From Onboarding to Offboarding" (Bloomsbury, 2024)
    May 20 2025
    Written for library managers and training leaders, A Complete Guide to Training Library Staff (2025, Bloomsbury) presents a comprehensive lifecycle for staff development with a focus on tools and techniques to build a sustainable training program, set staff up for success in their positions, and develop a positive and supportive community across the library. Authors Emily Leachman and A. Garrison Libby spearheaded their library's movement to largely online trainings, which are inclusive of staff at all branch locations.This practical guidebook helps managers and trainers develop a comprehensive plan that allows new staff to quickly become acquainted with the operations of the library, provides ongoing training to make staff aware of new procedures and services, and creates a collaborative and supportive training environment to empower staff to learn and lead. Guests: Emily Leachman is the Assistant Director for Public Services at Central Piedmont Community College, USA. She serves as the chair of the library’s internal training committee. Her previous publications include a chapter in Sustainable Online Library Services and Resources: Learning from the Pandemic (Bloomsbury Libraries Unlimited, 2022). Leachman is an active member of the North Carolina Library Association and the North Carolina Community College Library Association. When not at work, she is an avid quilter. Garrison Libby is the Head of Research Services at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, USA, where he supports a team leading research and instructional services. Prior to that, he spent many years working in public service, instruction, and leadership roles in community college libraries. He has published articles in Internet Reference Services Quarterly and Virginia Libraries, as well as a chapter in Sustainable Online Library Services and Resources: Learning from the Pandemic (Libraries Unlimited). Host: Dr. Michael LaMagna is the Information Literacy Program & Library Services Coordinator and Professor of Library Services at Delaware County Community College. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    57 min
  • Sara E. Wolf, "Teaching Copyright: Practical Lesson Ideas and Instructional Resources" (Bloomsbury, 2025)

    Sara E. Wolf, "Teaching Copyright: Practical Lesson Ideas and Instructional Resources" (Bloomsbury, 2025)
    May 16 2025
    The teaching of copyright and related concepts can easily be overwhelming to instructors who are experts in their field but may have little to no detailed understanding of copyright law. They require reliable, accessible information to coach students on copyright-related matters. In Teaching Copyright: Practical Lesson Ideas and Instructional Resources (Bloomsbury, 2025), Sara Wolf provides explicit guidance based on U.S. copyright law in the teaching of copyright and related concepts to learners at schools, colleges, and universities. Instructors are supported with time-saving resources such as lesson templates, scenarios, practice activities, and a downloadable test question bank.Additionally, Bloom's Taxonomy labels lessons, activities, and assessment items to enable an appropriately diverse set of learning for students. Instead of reducing copyright to simple recall, the lessons and information in this text will help instructors develop higher-level thinking about copyright and assist them in measuring learners' abilities not just to remember, but also to analyze and evaluate copyright dilemmas. Guest: Dr. Sara E. Wolf is an Associate Professor of library media and educational technology at Auburn University. Host: Dr. Michael LaMagna is the Information Literacy Program & Library Services Coordinator and Professor of Library Services at Delaware County Community College. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    40 min
  • Academic Librarians: A Discussion with Karen McCoy

    Academic Librarians: A Discussion with Karen McCoy
    May 15 2025
    The library is an important partner in academic success for students and professors. So why do so many people overlook this key resource? Karen McCoy takes us inside her job on two college campuses, unpacking what librarians do, and why she’s so happy to help everyone find exactly what they need. Our guest is: Karen B. McCoy, who is a librarian currently living in Northern California. Most days, she can be found answering reference questions or conducting information literacy sessions in both the Sierra College Library and American River College Library. Outside of her librarian career, she maintains a blog where she interviews other authors. She has reviewed books for Library Journal and Children’s Literature, and she sold a feature article to School Library Journal entitled, “What Teens are Really Reading.” She also contributed a chapter to Now Write! Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror. Her debut novel, The Etiquette of Voles, releases in June 2025 through Artemesia Publishing/Kinkajou Press. Our host is: Dr. Christina Gessler, who is a freelance editor for scholarly projects. She is the producer of the Academic Life podcast. Playlist for listeners: Book Banning and The National Coalition Against Censorship Once Upon A Tome That Librarian Understanding Disinformation The Grant Writing Guide Where Does Research Really Begin Archival Etiquette Becoming The Writer You Already Are Project Management for Researchers Find Your Argument The Guide To Getting Unstuck Dealing with the Fs Welcome to Academic Life, the podcast for your academic journey—and beyond! You can support the show by downloading and sharing episodes. Join us again to learn from more experts inside and outside the academy, and around the world. Missed any of the 250+ Academic Life episodes? Find them here. And thank you for listening! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    54 min
  • Gina Seymour, "Youth Social Action in the Library: Cultivating Change Makers" (Bloomsbury, 2025)

    Gina Seymour, "Youth Social Action in the Library: Cultivating Change Makers" (Bloomsbury, 2025)
    May 10 2025
    Learn how to take an apolitical, unbiased stance to support students as they pursue research, literature connections, maker activities, and civic engagement projects in their communities, nationally, and globally. In Youth Social Action in the Library: Cultivating Change Makers (Bloombury, 2025), Gina Seymour outlines school and public library programs, activities, and collaborative projects that will help students learn how to accomplish their goals in their communities. Highlighting the role of the librarian in fostering critical thinking and problem-solving skills, the book explores controversial topics to qualify and expand best practices. By incorporating the programs in the book, librarians can help students learn how to have reasoned arguments inside and outside of the classroom and to become responsible members of society. UN Sustainable Development Goals are addressed, making this book not only based in community but global in scope. Numerous examples of youth activism from volunteering to protest marches are explained and are broad enough to be applied not only to current trends but also to future causes. Gina Seymour is Library Media Specialist at Islip High School, NY, USA. An author and national speaker, she was named to Library Journal’s Movers & Shakers list (2017) as a “Change Agent.” She was an AASL Social Media Superstar Finalist in the category of Social Justice Defender, and she was awarded the Suffolk School Library Media Association’s School Librarian of the Year in 2014. She is author of Makers with a Cause: Creative Service Projects for Library Youth and shares her work, musings, and reflections on her blog GinaSeymour.com and on X @ginaseymour. Dr. Michael LaMagna is the Information Literacy Program & Library Services Coordinator and Professor of Library Services at Delaware County Community College. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
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    41 min