David Lee King and Michael Porter join American Libraries’ roster of columnists

CHICAGO — American Libraries welcomes David Lee King and Michael Porter to its stable of columnists. The two librarians will co-author a new column called Outside/In, which will debut in print beginning with the January/February 2012 issue but will be available online this month.

King (pictured, top) is digital branch and services manager for Topeka and Shawnee County (Kan.) Public Library. Porter (bottom) has worked for more than 20 years as a librarian, presenter and consultant for libraries and is currently leading the effort of the nonprofit Library Renewal.

The Outside/In column will bring information about what’s happening in the larger world of tech trends (outside) to see how they apply to libraries (in). Readers can expect practical information, news and tips about emerging Web and technology trends.

King and Porter join a roster of columnists that over the years has included Andrew Pace, Karen Schneider, Walt Crawford, Jennifer Burek Pierce and Wayne Wiegand.

“King and Porter’s paradigm-bending viewpoints on Web technology trends will help libraries jump-start their services in new ways,” American Libraries Direct Editor George Eberhart said. “I am looking forward to reading their tips and recommendations. We may even try some of them here.”

King and Porter formerly published the Internet Spotlight column for Public Libraries magazine. Their new American Libraries column will join the magazine’s other regular commentary, including Rousing Reads, Will’s World, Internet Librarian and Technology in Practice.

American Libraries, the premier source of news and information about the library and information science profession and published by the American Library Association, continues its 104-year tradition of keeping readers informed in print and (increasingly) online about the profession’s most current concerns. American Libraries publications include:

• six print issues of American Libraries and at least four digital supplements per year;
• American Libraries Direct, the award-winning weekly e-newsletter;
• americanlibrariesmagazine.org, a continually updated, comment-enabled website;
• a growing family of blogs, including “Inside Scoop,” “Ask the ALA Librarian,” “Censorship Watch,” “Global Reach” and Christopher Harris’s “E-Content”;
• JobLIST: Your #1 Source for Jobs in Library & Information Science & Technology
• a Twitter feed and Facebook page;
• and video archives at ALFocus with coverage of conferences and events, interviews, profiles and more.