Tina Coleman's blog

Celebrate National Library Workers Day! It’s fun!  It’s the day for students, library staff, users, administrators and Friends groups to recognize the valuable contributions made by all library workers.  You’ve probably planned parties and events to celebrate those who visit, contribute to, and create materials for the library… but what about you?  Staff are one of the most valuable resources in a library and many of you have probably already worked in libraries or have a good idea of the challenge that it is.

After two and a half years of planning, the Library Support Staff Certification (LSSC) Program will finally launch.

On January 25, 2010, ALA-APA will accept applications from potential candidates interested in achieving the Library Support Staff Certification (LSSC). The LSSC Program is the first national, voluntary certification program for library support staff.

(via the ALA Student Member Blog) The American Library Association (ALA), acting on a resolution adopted by its Council on Jan. 19 during the ALA’s Midwinter Meeting, has created the “Haiti Library Relief Fund” to collect monetary donations to help rebuild libraries and archives that were destroyed or damaged during the devastating earthquake on Jan. 12.

Follow the wrap-up coverage from Midwinter 2010:

• American Libraries offers a host of post-Midwinter coverage, including the Inside Scoop blog, AL Focus videos, and the wrap-up edition of AL Direct
• More videos will be posted to ALA's YouTube Channel as they are available
• See Midwinter in pictures by following the alamw10 tag and Midwinter 2010 Group on Flickr
• And you can also see the photos as well as follow the #alamw10 Twitter tweets via the Midwinter Tracker

Post-Midwinter coverage also continues in the Blogosphere:

• Andy, from the Agnostic Maybe blog posts his recap of the Midwinter Meeting
• Bookeaters Anonymous hosts the musings of an Emerging Leader
• Comic Book Resources offers a 'stranger-in-a-strange-land' observation of Midwinter

AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION MIDWINTER MEETING - Boston,Massachusetts.  January 14-19, 2010.  Notes by James B. Casey Given the bad economy, it is not surprising that attendance was somewhat depressed at this Midwinter Meeting. The historically and culturally interesting City of Boston and its relatively close proximity to such major population centers as New York and Philadelphia realized relatively high attendance at the January 2005 Mid Winter (13,232), but attained significantly less registration (16% less) in the  tight budget environment of January 2010.  According to announcements made by ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels on January 19, 2010, the total registration reached 11,095 by Monday, January 18.  Registration for Midwinter in Denver was 10,220 by Monday, January 26, 2009,  13,601 for Philadelphia 2008, Seattle in 2007 was at 12,230 and San Antonio in 2006 at 11,084.  Future Midwinter Meetings will be held at San Diego (2011), Dallas (2012), Seattle (2013) and Philadelphia (2014).  Future Annual Conferences will be at Washington, D.C. (2010), New Orleans (2011), Anaheim (2012), Washington (2013) and Las Vegas (2014).

ALA President Camila Alire appeared on the Today Show along with Newbery Medal winner Rebecca Stead (When You Reach Me) and Caldecott Medal winner Jerry Pinkney (The Lion & the Mouse) this morning.