Author Archive: Alison Marcotte

Columbus (Wis.) Public Library created a pilot art bench project in which local artists were asked to paint seven benches that were later distributed throughout town. The project received funding from the Libraries Transforming Communities initiative.

Columbus Public Library Gets Benched

By Alison Marcotte | August 24, 2015

Stemming from a Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC) initiative, the library began a pilot art bench project, buying seven benches and distributing them to local artists, who painted them to either reflect Columbus in general or to reflect a bench’s location (such as a pool-themed bench near a community pool). The funding came from the remainder … Continue reading Columbus Public Library Gets Benched →

World Boxing Council world heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder with Tuscaloosa (Ala.) Public Library patron Jaden Williams during Wilder’s book signing. (Photo: Vince Bellofatto)

A Knockout Event

By Alison Marcotte | August 4, 2015

Wilder, also known as “the Bronze Bomber,” signed copies of the children’s book Deontay the Future World Champ, written by Tony Bowers and illustrated by Dan Monroe. The book, which is based on Wilder’s life, covers the importance of having a focused and healthy lifestyle to reach one’s goals. Three hundred patrons attended the event, … Continue reading A Knockout Event →

Richard Frieder (standing), community engagement director at Hartford Public Library, facilitates a community dialogue among neighborhood residents and Hartford police officers on the topic of community violence and public safety. The dialogue took place in June 2015 at Hartford Public Library's Barbour Street branch. (Photo: Judy Wyman Kelly)

Hartford Public Library Builds, Strengthens Community–Police Relationships

By Alison Marcotte | August 3, 2015

HPL is one of 10 public libraries in the US that have been participating in ALA’s Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC) initiative since April 2014. The initiative, in collaboration with the nonprofit Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, is an 18-month community engagement training program where libraries learn how to address challenges facing their community. (Read more … Continue reading Hartford Public Library Builds, Strengthens Community–Police Relationships →

A still from "Unmask the Story Within You," by Luis Morales and Jamie Larson, winner of the 2015 CSLP Teen Video Challenge.

Unmasking Talent: Teens Create Summer Reading Videos

By Alison Marcotte | June 25, 2015

“I found out through one of the librarians at the Glendale (Ariz.) Public Library,” said Larson, who is part of the library’s Teen Library Council. “Luis and I take a media production class at school, and so we thought it would be really fun to do.” CSLP is a collective effort to bring high-quality summer … Continue reading Unmasking Talent: Teens Create Summer Reading Videos →

The April announcement of the Soon to Be Famous Author Project winner took place at the Illinois Library Association in Chicago. Front, from left: Denise Raleigh, Michael Alan Peck, and Cris Cigler. Back, from left: Donna Fletcher, Julie Stam, Lucy Tarabour, Nikki Zimmermann, and Jennifer Amling.

Soon to Be … Awarded

By Alison Marcotte | June 12, 2015

“A group of us who knew each other gathered spontaneously outside of the room after the talk and just got jazzed about it and said, ‘We really should do something,’” says Sue Wilsey, communication manager at the Helen Plum Memorial Library in Lombard, Illinois. What resulted was the Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project, … Continue reading Soon to Be … Awarded →

Seabiscuit with jockey George Woolf and trainer Tom Smith after winning the Pimlico Special, November 1, 1938. (Photo: Keeneland Library)

And They’re Off!

By Alison Marcotte | June 5, 2015

“This is the job of my dreams,” says Becky Ryder, director of Keeneland Library. Founded in 1939, the public research and reference library is one of the largest sources of equine industry information. It holds hundreds of thousands of thoroughbred-related books, articles, and photographic negatives, such as the Daily Racing Form’s archives and materials on … Continue reading And They’re Off! →

Latest Library Links

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Caitlin Hobbs writes: “There are now a lot of ethical schools of thought out there—more than just Socrates—and it can be a little scary to try to get through them, especially considering the jargon they use. Here, I’ve put my degree to good use by collecting some books on ethics, written with the common person in mind, to help get you started with ethical thinking.”

Book Riot, Aug. 2
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As of August 8, ALA has begun accepting education program proposals for its next Annual Conference and Exhibition, to be held in Chicago June 23–27, 2023. Proposals will be accepted through a single submission site for all ALA divisions, round tables, committees, and offices. The deadline to submit content is midnight Eastern on September 16. For more information, consult the FAQ at alaannual.org.

ALA Conference Services, Aug. 5
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Roy Rivenburg writes: “More than half of America’s 9,000 public library districts now lend nontraditional objects, says Maria McCauley, president of the Public Library Association. Many have also revamped their event calendars to include such programs as punk rock aerobics, speed dating, cow milking demonstrations, and indoor miniature golf. The beyond-books trend began, depending on who is asked, either a decade ago in Sacramento, California, or in the 1800s, most notably in Braddock, Pennsylvania, a Pittsburgh suburb whose library featured a boxing ring, eight billiards tables, a swimming pool, a bowling alley, a game room, and a 964-seat music hall with cushioned opera chairs.”

The Christian Science Monitor, Aug. 3; American Libraries feature, June 2017
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On August 9, the ALA Executive Board issued a statement in response to proposed state legislation that would censor library materials or put at risk the library workers who provide access to information, including information about reproductive health care. “ALA stands committed to the free, fair, and unrestricted exchange of ideas and the right of library patrons to seek information free from observation or unwanted surveillance by the government or other third parties, in accordance with the law and the US Constitution,” the statement reads. “The passage of [recent state legislation prohibiting abortion]—and proposals to adopt similar legislation in other states—has prompted concerns that provisions within those bills may be used to pursue criminal or civil charges against library workers.”

AL: The Scoop, Aug. 9; ALA, Aug. 9
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ALA will hold its 2022 Virtual Volunteer Fair from 3–5 p.m. Central on September 14. The fair is an opportunity for ALA members to speak with committee members and staff liaisons in breakout rooms and learn about the ALA groups that are offering volunteer opportunities. ALA members can drop in and out of the event as needed, but registration is required. A schedule and list of breakout sessions will be sent to registered attendees prior to the event.

ALA Governance, Aug. 8
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Nell Clark reports: “An ornate pencil drawing of a dragon; a floral postcard congratulating a 40th birthday, never mailed; a silver crochet hook. All of these items share a connection: They were left behind in books returned to the Oakland (Calif.) Public Library. Librarian Sharon McKellar collects the found artifacts and posts them in a collection titled Found in a Library Book. McKellar was fascinated by the things she’d find at the library and the anonymous glimpses into people’s lives they offered. She thought the public may be interested too, so nearly 10 years ago she began adding found items to the library’s website.”

NPR: Morning Edition, Aug. 2
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Alec Schemmel writes: “A public library in Oregon plans to hold a donation kickoff Thursday to launch a local high school’s gender-affirming closet, which will offer clothes, makeup, and accessories to transgender students. Driftwood Public Library in Lincoln City, Oregon, has set up a wishlist for those who can’t attend Thursday’s donation drive. Included on the wishlist were chest-binders and TransTape, fake eyelashes, makeup, underwear, and other clothing. ‘Many students that are transgender and/or nonbinary are not supported by their parents nor can showcase it with their daily clothing choices,’ reads the Driftwood Public Library’s website. ‘These students will be able to go into the closet and take anything that they may need to identify however they are comfortable within their clothing. It will also have makeup brochures and different resources that they can reach out to.’”

KOMO-TV (Seattle), Aug. 3

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