IFLA Stars Glitter in Helsinki

August 16, 2012

The World Library and Information Congress in Helsinki, Finland, concluded August 17. A look at the worldwide movers and shakers of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. Photos by Carlon Walker.

The Helsinki exhibition center welcomes IFLA delegates.

OCLC President and CEO Jay Jordan, honored in Helsinki with the IFLA Medal.

Dominican Republic First Lady Margarita Cedeño de Fernández (right) and Deoborah Jacobs of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation pose for photographers after Fernández accepted the $1 million Access to Learning Award.

Winston Tabb of the United States was made an Honorary Fellow, IFLA’s highest honor.

Library Boulevard, presenting clever ways to promote your library.

IFLA Treasurer Donna Scheeder of the United States at the closing session.

US delegate Ann Okerson serves on the IFLA Governing Board.

Promoting the Campaign for the World’s Libraries, Silvija Tret Jakova of Latvia, Li-Hsiang Lai of Taiwan, Michael Dowling of the American Library Association, and Claudette Thomas of Jamaica.

Zola Maddison, WebJunction project coordinator, was selected as an associate for the two-year IFLA International Leaders Programme.

Past IFLA president Ellen Tise of South Africa accepts the prestigious IFLA Honorary Fellow award, the federation’s hightest honor.

Jonathan Kelley of the American Library Association promotes the FAIFE Book Club.

Matti Huhtamies, of Antrinen Oiva Architects, guides visitors through Helsinki University’s new main library

Helsinki University’s new main library, to open in September.

Library Heroes Shelter Evacuees from the Summer of 2012

A look at some of this summer’s wild weather events and how libraries responded

Salsa Throwdown at San Antonio Public Library

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Jackie Jennings writes: “It feels like the debate over whether #BookTok is bad has been raging since the moment the term was first coined. I’m starting off with a strong stance: BookTok is indeed bad. However, the problem with BookTok is not crappy books or bogus influencers. The problem with BookTok is TikTok itself. BookTok isn’t actually a community driven by fans, writers, influencers, or even publishers: it’s part of a social media corporation, controlled by the most mysterious, fickle god of all, the algorithm.” Not surprisingly, librarian recommendations can overcome some of BookTok’s limitations.

Jezebel, Apr. 18; Book Riot, Apr. 22
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ALA announced the launch of its state Intellectual Freedom Helpline grant program April 22. Over the next two years, 10 pilot program sites will operate a confidential reporting system that will help connect those experiencing censorship attempts with professional support, in-state peers, or referral to ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, as appropriate. State or school library associations or agencies wishing to either establish an Intellectual Freedom Helpline in their state or expand existing efforts may apply for $10,000 grants through July 14.

ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom, Apr. 22
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In celebration of the release of his latest nonfiction title, The Secret Lives of Booksellers & Librarians, bestselling author James Patterson is honoring select American Bookseller Association and American Library Association members with bonuses. He announced plans April 11 to give $200 each to 250 library workers across the country. The deadline for ALA members may nominate members to receive bonuses through April 30. Winners will be announced at ALA’s 2024 Annual Conference in San Diego.
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Catherine Hollerbach writes: “In early 2020, when the world shut down for COVID, many people got interested in houseplants. Anne Arundel County (Md.) Public Library’s Crofton Library embraced this trend and then some!” While preparing to reopen after the COVID shutdown, the library installed plants at the information desk to discourage patrons from sticking their heads through gaps in newly installed acrylic shields. They were well received and cared for, and the library gradually added more plants and built educational tools, programming, and partnerships around the plants.

Public Libraries Online, Apr. 18
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Rodney Freeman writes: “I am proud to be a librarian—and rare. Less than 7% of librarians in the US are Black. Libraries symbolize the literacy that was denied to so many of our ancestors. For our enslaved forebears, something as fundamental as learning to read was illegal and dangerous, but they did it anyway. Separate but ‘equal’ schools and ‘colored’ libraries filled with cast-offs from white libraries were key features of the Jim Crow era. Today we are seeing the same impulse to distort access to information into a tool to suppress and control, and to make some people ‘other.’”

Newsweek, Apr. 16
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Lori Birrell writes: “Staff want to feel valued, and they want their work to have an impact. A reorganization process can help leaders to surface such areas of impact and give staff a feeling of empowerment and value. Practitioners considering any sized reorganization are strongly encouraged to consider what models and resources will best support them as they plan and lead this work. Regardless of the model or resources, any reorganization process should be more than just moving boxes and reporting lines around on an organizational chart.”

Library Leadership and Management, Apr. 15
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Megan Bennett writes: “Two decades ago, while Daily Show Senior Correspondent Dulcé Sloan was doing summer shows at a community theater in Quakertown, Pennsylvania, the library was her main hangout spot. In the small town of 9,000 people, it was a place to gather with other young actors—and the only place with internet access. American Libraries spoke with Sloan before her closing session at the Public Library Association 2024 Conference in Columbus, Ohio, about her new book, her journey in stand-up comedy, and her memories of libraries.”

American Libraries Trend, Apr. 17

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IFLA Stars Glitter in Helsinki

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