Author Archive: Chase Ollis

Meet the 2025 I Love My Librarian Award Honorees

By Chase Ollis | December 17, 2024

This year, ALA received nearly 1,300 nominations from library users across the country. Nominations highlighted librarians’ outstanding service in expanding access to literacy and library services, outreach to their communities, and supporting the needs of the most vulnerable. “Librarians nationwide make positive impacts on their communities every day, and the inspiring stories from this year’s … Continue reading Meet the 2025 I Love My Librarian Award Honorees →

A collection of headshots of the 2024 I Love My Librarian Award Honorees

Meet the 2024 I Love My Librarian Award Honorees

By Chase Ollis | December 18, 2023

“While much of the national conversation surrounding libraries has fixated on book censorship, and as library workers across the US continue to face historic levels of intimidation and harassment, librarians’ efforts to empower their patrons and provide vital services for their communities shines a spotlight on the enduring value of libraries in our society,” said … Continue reading Meet the 2024 I Love My Librarian Award Honorees →

Meet the 2023 I Love My Librarian Award Honorees

By Chase Ollis | January 17, 2023

“Even in these unprecedented times, and as our nation’s library workers face historic levels of intimidation and harassment due to an ongoing wave of book censorship, librarians continue to empower their patrons, teach critical literacy skills, promote inclusion in their space and collections, and provide vital services for their communities,” said ALA President Lessa Kanani‘opua … Continue reading Meet the 2023 I Love My Librarian Award Honorees →

I Love My Librarian Awards Celebrated Virtually

By Chase Ollis | January 22, 2022

This year’s recipients include three academic librarians, three school librarians, and four public librarians, including one prison librarian. “These 10 honorees are inspiring examples of what is possible in our profession,” said ALA President Patricia “Patty” M. Wong during the ceremony’s opening remarks. “Their stories are a testament to the profound leadership, compassion, and expertise … Continue reading I Love My Librarian Awards Celebrated Virtually →

Composite of headshots of the 2022 I Love My Librarian honorees

Meet the 2022 I Love My Librarian Award Winners

By Chase Ollis | January 10, 2022

“Even in these unprecedented times, our nation’s librarians continue to empower their patrons, promote inclusion in their spaces and collections, and provide essential services for their communities,” said ALA President Patricia “Patty” M. Wong in a statement. “Congratulations to this year’s I Love My Librarian Award winners, who impact the lives of those they serve … Continue reading Meet the 2022 I Love My Librarian Award Winners →

Community Colleges of Spokane (Wash.) librarians Melinda Martin (left) and Heather Morgan at an Assessment in Action RoadShow delivered to community college librarians in Washington state.

On the Road Again

By Chase Ollis | July 18, 2018

The program offers daylong, immersive workshops in a variety of disciplines that can be brought to institutions around the world upon request. Led by experts in the field, these traveling workshops help academic librarians learn new skills and strengthen existing competencies to tackle the greatest issues facing the profession today. The program reaches hundreds of … Continue reading On the Road Again →

The Human Rights Campaign Foundation’s Welcoming Schools and the National Education Association organized national I Am Jazz school and community readings in May. Photo: Human Rights Campaign

Standing Up for Our Communities

By Chase Ollis | June 21, 2017

Underserved communities need libraries now more than ever, and among the most vulnerable communities are youth who identify as LGBTQ+. Unfortunately, library services to this group are, at the moment, “woefully inadequate,” despite the social and legal progress the community has made over the past several years. Yet libraries must take on and live up … Continue reading Standing Up for Our Communities →

Latest Library Links

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ALA’s Games and Gaming Round Table is now accepting applications for the “Game On!” grant, which provides $2,000 to help a library or libraries develop gaming programs or collections for their communities. The grant has doubled in size over 2024 thanks to a $1,000 donation match from Cards Against Humanity, whose support will continue through 2029. The deadline for applications is March 10, and the grant winner will be announced at GameRT’s “ALA Play” event at the 2025 ALA Annual conference in Philadelphia in June.

ALA Games & Gaming Round Table, Jan. 12
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Jackie Partch writes: “Graphic novels are wildly popular with kids–and librarians also know that they can help build visual literacy skills, increase reading confidence and strengthen vocabulary knowledge. Kids who read graphic novels also show increased reading motivation. So why not offer a graphic novel book group at your library? [At our system,] librarians who want to offer a Graphic Novel Club participate in a planning session each summer. We brainstorm a list of potential titles beforehand, and during the session we narrow down that list to 12-14 titles and divide them up to write short booktalks.”

ALSC Blog, Jan. 9
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Emily Jaeger-McEnroe writes: “Many information evaluation methods include values like objectivity and authority that imply that only traditional scholarly sources are acceptable for inclusion in scholarly work. Although this is often a desirable outcome, it can bias research to exclude groups traditionally disenfranchised from scholarship, such as Indigenous, racialized, queer, and disabled communities. The CRAAP (Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy, and Purpose) test, originally created in 2004, is a commonly taught method of source evaluation. This article presents a few simple modifications to the CRAAP test that provide a means to evaluate marginalized information and prevent its exclusion.”

College & Research Libraries News, Jan.
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Kelly Jensen writes: “One of the trends we’ll see in book censorship over 2025 is the increased use of unprofessional, politically driven book review websites like BookLooks to make decisions in professional library and educational settings. BookLooks is the most well-known website for unprofessional, biased book reviews. That’s because it is a tool created by a former Moms for Liberty member and continues to be the tool they put their weight, energy, and time behind. But if your knowledge ends there, you’ve got a lot of catching up to do.”

Book Riot, Jan. 10
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Peter Hepburn writes: “When I look back at previous columns and reflect on my term as treasurer, which ends June 30, I realize just how much has happened—and been accomplished—over the past three years. For one, I’m proud of finishing the work started under my predecessor, Maggie Farrell, on the financial piece of the ALA Operating Agreement, which governs the relationship between ALA and its membership divisions. I’m also pleased with the progress made in improving communication within the Association on finances. I am not, however, greatly encouraged by the current financial health of the Association.”

American Libraries column, Jan./Feb.
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Alison Marcotte writes: “Welcome to the Valley of the Sun, the Big Saguaro, the Silicon Desert. Phoenix is known for its picturesque landscapes, hearty succulents, and scorching heat, but come January 24–27 the city will usher in a different kind of vibrancy and warmth: the community, creativity, and connections of ALA’s LibLearnX conference. LibLearnX 2025 will bring together authors, thought leaders, and subject matter experts at the Phoenix Convention Center for educational programs, awards, celebrations, and networking opportunities. This year’s programmatic theme is ‘Reimagine, Refocus, Reset: Charting a Path for the Future.’”

American Libraries feature, Jan./Feb.
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Clare Starkey, Haley Lykins, and Kelli Hansen write: “In the spring of 2024, Special Collections at the University of Missouri [in Columbia] hosted a series of field trips for every sixth grader in the local public school district, more than 1,300 students. This workshop gave students a chance to experience ancient writing technologies from across Africa and Asia while interacting with primary sources, to complement the school curriculum on ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, and China. This post will cover the advantages and pitfalls of hands-on teaching on a large scale, and strategies to make the most of a shoestring budget and a small staff.”

TPS Collective, Jan. 2

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