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May 23, 2016 120 × 165 2016 ALA Annual Conference Preview

Michael Eric Dyson Photo: Nina Subin

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9h

Isabela Weiss writes: “Hundreds of people on January 27 protested the termination of the Susquehanna County (Pa.) Library’s administrator and demanded for the protection of LGBTQ+ books. A majority argued that Administrator/Librarian Kristina Ely’s termination was a political move to enable library board members censor books they feel are inappropriate or offensive. On Dec. 16, the Board of Trustees of the Susquehanna County Historical Society and the Free Library Association laid off Ely by a 6–4 vote during an executive session. Their decision sent shockwaves through the board, as several members were absent that day due to illness.”

WVIA-TV (Pittston, Pa.), Jan. 28
12h

Jason Koebler writes: “[More than 2,000] datasets aggregated on data.gov, the largest repository of U.S. government open data on the internet, have disappeared since Donald Trump was inaugurated as president. Because data.gov is an aggregator that doesn’t always host the data itself, this doesn’t always mean that the data itself has been deleted. Archivists who have been working on analyzing the deletions and archiving the data it held say that while some of the deletions are surely malicious information scrubbing, some are likely routine artifacts of an administration change, and they are working to determine which is which.”

404 Media, Jan. 30
17h

Jon Brookin writes: “US Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.) announced a Congressional Review Act resolution January 27 that would nullify the hotspot rule issued by the Federal Communications Commission [allowing libraries and schools to use E-rate funds to purchase Wi-Fi hotspots for lending]. The FCC voted to adopt the rule in July 2024 under then-Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, saying it was needed to help kids without reliable Internet access complete their homework.” Cruz claimed the rule “undermines parental control” and “heightens the risk of censoring kids’ exposure to conservative viewpoints.”

Ars Technica, Jan. 28; ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, July 18, 2024; US Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Jan. 27
1d

The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions’ Libraries Serving Persons with Print Disabilities Section (LPD) is producing Guidelines for Inclusive Library Services for Persons with Print Disabilities. The Guidelines are designed to serve as a tool and a resource for libraries, librarians, and library staff, enabling them to begin to provide, continue to provide, or enhance existing accessible and inclusive library services for persons with print disabilities in their library communities. LPD is seeking feedback on the draft document by March 7.

IFLA, Jan. 31
2d

Heidi Yarger writes: “Memorizing poetry has allowed me to focus on the words in front of me, bit by bit, in profound ways. Much like aspects of librarianship, the process is iterative and reflexive. As I’m learning a new poem, I often find myself re-reciting the lines I’m trying to get down throughout the day in moments when I would’ve checked my phone. I must stay present and attentive to each word. I truly feel the process has been good for my health these last few months.”

ACRLog, Jan. 29
2d

“Sociologist, author, and New York University professor Eric Klinenberg believes that libraries are the greatest social infrastructure our country has. ‘I don’t know of another institution that has the capability to make such a diverse set of people feel dignified and welcome when they walk in the door,’ Klinenberg told attendees at the outset of United for Libraries Virtual, a three-day virtual conference hosted by United for Libraries July 30–August 1, 2024. American Libraries highlights some key takeaways from the conference.”

American Libraries feature, Jan./Feb.
5d

Kali Jaye writes: “In 2019, the World Health Organization recognized burnout as an occupational phenomenon, describing it as ‘a condition resulting from chronic workplace stress that hasn’t been successfully managed.’ Burnout is what’s happening when you’re exhausted even though you sat at a desk all day, you’re starting to hate your job, and you’re wondering what’s wrong with you and why you can’t just get it together. So how can we, as individuals and organizations, best prevent and respond to burnout? The opposite of burnout, according to [psychology researcher Christina] Maslach and colleagues, is engagement.”

Scholarly Kitchen, Jan. 27; World Health Organization, May 28, 2019

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