2015 ALA Annual Must-Dos

Focus on the future

As community centers and technology hubs, libraries are always forward-focused. ALA’s Center for the Future of Libraries presents various sessions concentrated on the Library of the Future. Hear experts from Google, Steelcase, and the Long Now Foundation discuss trends in libraries and the latest on innovative learning, online search, and literacy.

Catch the speakers

The conference starts on a high note at the Opening General Session (June 26) when litigator Roberta Kaplan offers insights into how the 1996 Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) was defeated, how the law got overturned 17 years later, and how change can be made through the legal system. Hear from bestselling authors and experts from film, journalism, and pop culture, including Haifaa al-Mansour, Edwidge Danticat, Joshua Davis, Sonia Manzano, Nick Offerman, Gloria Steinem, and Sarah Vowell. Don’t miss Sarah Lewis at the ALA President’s Program, as well as thought leaders like danah boyd, Eli Neiburger, and Maryanne Wolf at the division presidents’ programs.

Professional development

Continue the conversation on the transformation of libraries and your profession at:

Preconferences and more than 500 programs, discussions, and sessions covering digital content and ebooks, technology in libraries, innovation, books and authors, transformation, leadership, library advocacy, community engagement, and library marketing.
Look for the many informal peer-to-peer opportunities such as the Unconference (June 26) and Library Camp (June 29) where you can explore ideas, share inspirations, and reflect with your colleagues.
Networking Uncommons: A Wi-Fi-enabled space for impromptu sessions, follow-up conversations, and small get-togethers.

Book pride

Awards and honors
The Pride Parade won’t be the only pomp and circumstance in San Francisco this June. Award celebrations include the fourth year of the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction, as well as the Newbery-Caldecott-Wilder Awards Banquet, Coretta Scott King Book Awards Breakfast, Stonewall Book Awards Event, Margaret A. Edwards Luncheon, and Michael L. Printz Program and Reception.

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Enhance your experience
Be present for the installation of Sari Feldman as the new ALA president and the new 2015–2016 division presidents at the Inaugural Brunch (June 30).

Need a break from stimulating conversations and networking opportunities? Stretch out and relax in the Think Fit Meditation Room (June 27–29).

Exhibit hall

Visit the publishers, Book Buzz Theater, and PopTop Stage to meet and hear from authors, get books signed, and pick up ARCs; chat about the latest products and services with more than 900 exhibitors; glean useful tips and info from the poster sessions; indulge at the What’s Cooking @ ALA Demo Stage; enjoy the Graphic Novel/Gaming Stage; stop by the Gaming Lounge to explore resources for your library programs; check out the DVD/Video Pavilion for a showcase of recorded materials for libraries of all types; see work by and meet the artists and illustrators behind your favorite comics, games, and graphic novels and see their work in Artist Alley; and close out your conference by celebrating at the Wrap Up/Rev Up (June 29).

Stay connected and informed

Check out the ALA Annual Conference Scheduler to receive updates, plan and organize your conference time, get tailored recommendations, and create a shareable calendar. Look for the mobile app of the Conference Scheduler on May 14.

Show your pride

With LGBT Pride Month in June, ALA’s Annual Conference and Exhibition coincides with the 45th Annual San Francisco Pride Celebration and Parade, on June 27–28. The tagline this year is “Equality without exception,” a belief that ALA shares.

The events are sure to add an extra layer of excitement for attendees, but here is some logistical information to keep in mind.
All the available slots for ALA Annual Conference attendees to participate with the San Francisco Public Library in the Pride Parade on Sunday, June 28, 10 a.m.–2 p.m. were rapidly filled.

Many streets will be closed at times during the day. Anticipating that the city will be very busy, ALA has reduced the number of properties needed to hold meetings. In addition to the three buildings of the Moscone Convention Center, only six other hotel properties will be used for meetings. ALA has also reduced the number of shuttle bus routes and will increase the number of buses on each route. Be sure to plan extra travel time in your schedule on Sunday whether riding a bus or walking.

Special activities will also be scheduled in the exhibit hall throughout the day on Sunday. Kicking off Show Your Pride in the Exhibits will be a free continental breakfast in the exhibits from 9:30–10:30 a.m. Exhibitors will provide special giveaways and bring in authors and promotions as part of the celebration. Additionally, the exhibits will close at 4 p.m. on Sunday to help relieve outbound shuttle traffic from the convention center. Visit alaac15.ala.org/pride-week for up-to-date information. For more on the San Francisco Pride celebration, visit sfpride.org.

Latest Library Links

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Emily Weak writes: “Something I always hear from hiring managers is that they want to build a resilient, diverse workforce. Sometimes we say we want a resilient workforce, but what we mean is that we want staffers who are willing to go above and beyond, or to do more with less. These concepts are deeply entrenched in librarianship, but I think we’re beginning to see how they can cause problems. Instead of trying to hire people who will do more with less and who will thrive amid adversity, let’s think about resilience as an organizational feature.”

American Libraries column, Nov./Dec.
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Elisabeth B. White writes: “How can librarians ensure their instruction materials are as accessible as possible? One way is through Universal Design for Learning Guidelines, a set of best practices to improve teaching and learning and create inclusive and equitable educational experiences for all students. The guidelines include three principles that instructors must provide via multiple means: engagement (the ‘why’ of learning), representation (the ‘what’ of learning), and action and expression (the ‘how’ of learning). However, to create a truly equitable educational experience, school library workers need to consider accessibility principles as well.”

American Libraries feature, Nov./Dec.
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Elisa Shoenberger writes: “The comics I grew up reading were those in the newspapers, and they were called the funny pages for a reason. In time, I began exploring the wider world of comic books, covering a wide variety of genres from superhero comics to horror. But I do have a fondness for the seeming simplicity of one to four-panel comics in the newspapers and webcomics for humor. For this list, I’ve put together my tribute to the funny pages. Most of the comics are short form comics, but a few are longer narratives.”

Book Riot, Nov. 11
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Jay Peters writes: “Bluesky gained more than 700,000 new users in the last week and now has more than 14.5 million users total, Bluesky COO Rose Wang confirmed to The Verge. The ‘majority’ of the new users on the decentralized social network are from the US, Wang says. The app is currently the number two free social networking app in the US App Store, only trailing Meta’s Threads. Instagram-bootstrapped Threads, which recently crossed 275 million monthly users, is still significantly larger than Bluesky. But the independent platform has seen a lot of growth in recent weeks.”

The Verge, Nov. 11
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André Salkin writes: “A militant but peaceful protest movement is underway at Carlos Gilbert Elementary School in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It started with a student petition and escalated to administration hearings, picket lines, and sit-in demonstrations. The movement’s aim? More library time. At the head of the protests is sixth grader Rainier Long, 12, an avid reader who was outraged to learn Carlos Gilbert Elementary would be cutting library time in half—to 30 minutes a week—this year to make more time for technology education.”

Santa Fe New Mexican, Nov. 9
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Timothy Peters writes: “Today’s organizations are making a concerted effort to demonstrate greater inclusivity in their workplace practices, processes, and larger cultures. Research has shown diverse organizations are more innovative, adaptable, and regarded as better places to work by current and potential employees. Systems thinking frames the organization as a single, interconnected and interdependent system, and abandons many of the traditional organizational concepts which stand in the way of inclusion. Through its emphasis on holism, fostering productive relationships, multidirectional communication, and transparency, systems thinking creates an organizational culture that actively includes and empowers.”

Library Leadership and Management, Oct. 2
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Small and rural libraries don’t always have the same resources and opportunities that urban libraries do. But they still have big ideas about how to serve their communities, and as we hear in Episode 98, they find ways to realize them. At Burlingame (Kans.) Community Library, sensory spaces and a new loanable resource collection are improving the lives of patrons with disabilities and their families. Meanwhile, at North Liberty (Iowa) Library, staffers are moderating discussions on hot-button topics that are getting community members to open up, listen to one another, and connect.

AL: The Scoop, Nov. 11