Author Archive: Crystal Carrazco

Midwinter 2019 Top 10 Tweets—Day 2

By Crystal Carrazco | January 27, 2019

Me entering #ALAMW19 for the first time pic.twitter.com/Y3cJpb4iSR — Kelly Knox (@kelly_knox) January 26, 2019 We started the day with listening to the amazing Sylvia Acevedo. “Libraries change lives. I know you do; you changed mine.” -Sylvia Acevedo #alamw19 😍😭😍😭😍😭 pic.twitter.com/HWRgPRKsYh — Abby Johnson (@abbylibrarian) January 26, 2019 The exhibits were open for a full … Continue reading Midwinter 2019 Top 10 Tweets—Day 2 →

Midwinter 2019 Top 10 Tweets—Day 1

By Crystal Carrazco | January 26, 2019

While it’s the first day, some people are still flying in and Find The Librarian is still being played by some folks. I love flying to ALA conferences because I can identify all the different species of librarians at 100 paces and so it’s great for my field journal #alamw19 — Beth DeBold (@eliza_audacis) January … Continue reading Midwinter 2019 Top 10 Tweets—Day 1 →

Midwinter 2019 Top 10 Tweets—Day 0

By Crystal Carrazco | January 25, 2019

First, we are excited for those of you who are joining us for your first ALA conference! #alamw19 So excited for my first ALA conference! Ready to learn, share and create something amazing! — Jenna James (@SoulSearchingJJ) January 25, 2019 Before you left the house, you had to make sure you packed the essentials. … Continue reading Midwinter 2019 Top 10 Tweets—Day 0 →

Top Ten Tweets–Monday (Day 4)

By Crystal Carrazco | February 13, 2018

The morning began with the Youth Media Awards, which left everyone in the crowd cheering and crying over the winners and honorees. It’s happening! They’re taking photos and making calls RIGHT NOW!! #alamw18 #alayma — Abby Johnson (@abbylibrarian) February 12, 2018 https://twitter.com/sujeilugo/status/963202854495268864 It was awesome to get to present the YALSA Excellence in Nonfication award … Continue reading Top Ten Tweets–Monday (Day 4) →

Top Ten Tweets–Sunday (Day 3)

By Crystal Carrazco | February 12, 2018

It began with Junot Diaz’s amazing speech and Q&A. Thanks to Junot for his inspiring words for librarians of color! – and for attending the @reformanational fundraiser last night. 🇩🇴 #alamw18 pic.twitter.com/9Eba9PPmMH — Madeline Peña (@madelinepena) February 11, 2018 Afterwards, a few lucky folks got a picture with him! https://twitter.com/JoChenCham/status/962822448528875520 In the Networking Uncommons, people … Continue reading Top Ten Tweets–Sunday (Day 3) →

Top Ten Tweets–Saturday (Day 2)

By Crystal Carrazco | February 11, 2018

Saturday brought some snow to #alamw18. (Kelly, in our defense, the weather forecast is always wrong.) https://twitter.com/kellyblanchat/status/962541874618642432 It also brought great sessions. “Every student deserves to go to a school with a school librarian” @MrSchuReads #alamw18 #MISchoolLibrary #MichiganLiteracy pic.twitter.com/lso6JYWaZH — Kathy Lester (@LibraryL) February 10, 2018 Including our auditorium speakers, Dave Eggers and Elizabeth Acevedo. … Continue reading Top Ten Tweets–Saturday (Day 2) →

Top 10 Tweets–Friday (Day 1)

By Crystal Carrazco | February 10, 2018

When you see the hotel has prepared for librarians: It's almost as if there are a bunch of librarians here. #alamw18 #librarylife pic.twitter.com/81Xj8epuNE — Ariel Factor Birdoff (she/they)✡️📚🏳️‍🌈BLM ACAB (@Madam_Pince) February 9, 2018 But then you remember… Conference life is so different from regular life… #alamw18 — Lessa Nani Pelayo-Lozada (@Lessa4Libraries) February 10, 2018 If … Continue reading Top 10 Tweets–Friday (Day 1) →

Top 10 Tweets—Thursday (Day 0)

By Crystal Carrazco | February 9, 2018

“Twas the night before #alamw18” sounds like the perfect beginning to an old fable. Well. It wouldn’t be the night before #alamw18 without one of these. #mollyandminerva pic.twitter.com/wPZ7SIFOfi — Alison (@thealisonjane) February 9, 2018 Packing is one of the biggest hurdles. Would someone PLEASE make me go pack??? #alamw18 — Writing as I Go (@WritingAsIGo) … Continue reading Top 10 Tweets—Thursday (Day 0) →

Top Ten Tweets — Tuesday (Day 5)

By Crystal Carrazco | June 28, 2017

We kick off the day with waiting in a long line to see Hillary Clinton, which totally made everyone leave inspired. "When I got that library card, it felt like I had been handed a passport to the world." @HillaryClinton #alaac17 pic.twitter.com/Xr8fUw2MuV — Tom Bober (@CaptainLibrary) June 27, 2017 Hillary Clinton … Continue reading Top Ten Tweets — Tuesday (Day 5) →

Top 10 Tweets — Monday (Day 4)

By Crystal Carrazco | June 27, 2017

You get very inspired by every speaker at #alaac17. My last session at my first ALA conference is done. Lots of great ideas from sessions, vendors & friends. Was fantastic! #alaac17 — A. Fickert Paterek (@TrainingPassion) June 26, 2017 Especially from people like Rep. John Lewis. If @repjohnlewis can leave #ALAAC17 & … Continue reading Top 10 Tweets — Monday (Day 4) →

Top 10 Tweets — Sunday (Day 3)

By Crystal Carrazco | June 26, 2017

Even though it’s Sunday, it’s still difficult to navigate all of the events, sessions and exhibit floor. If you like solving mazes, #alaac17 is for you pic.twitter.com/k51ECLXo8q — Samantha Mairson (@SamanthaMairson) June 25, 2017 It’s difficult to not be inspired by Libraries Transform when walking around #alaac17. "Libraries transform!" she says, … Continue reading Top 10 Tweets — Sunday (Day 3) →

Top 10 Tweets — Saturday (Day 2)

By Crystal Carrazco | June 25, 2017

You wake up excited for day two and can’t wait for the day to begin! Headed to #alaac17 ! Can't wait to see you there! 💕 pic.twitter.com/UKqARANvIh — Corrina Allen (@corrinaaallen) June 24, 2017 Then you realize you’ve been making a big mistake—misspelling the hashtag. When you realize you have accidentally misspelled the #alaac17 hashtag … Continue reading Top 10 Tweets — Saturday (Day 2) →

Latest Library Links

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Nick Tanzi writes: “Whenever an emerging technology arises, there are inevitably those who will question the value and relevance of the library. Throughout my career, I have heard some version of the refrain ‘Why do I need the library when I have:’ the World Wide Web, Google, ereaders, the iPad, or ChatGPT. In each instance, the library adopted and/or adapted to these technologies. As we enter the age of artificial intelligence, we can expect the same skeptical voices challenging the relevance of our institutions. A closer look at the library and our brand reveals that their value has only grown.”

The Digital Librarian, Nov. 7
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Shannon Young writes: “In June, Prince George’s County (Md.) Memorial Library System embarked on a partnership with Maryland Public Television (MPT) to develop programs that empower families and caregivers to cultivate healthy media habits. MPT’s Early Learning Media Ambassador initiative is tailored for early childhood educators interested in helping families and caregivers learn how to use media effectively. Material provided by MPT includes Media STEPs, which outline strategies like selecting appropriate content, talking about what children are seeing, exploring new things that they learned, and playing in both virtual and physical environments.”

ALSC Blog, Nov. 9
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Alejandro Marquez and Brady Niemitalo Woods write: “While loneliness is a common experience, it is not evenly distributed. Some are more likely to experience loneliness. Factors include low income, parenthood, singleness, and age. LGBTQ people, minorities, and women are more likely to experience loneliness than the average. Libraries have long served as community spaces where people can connect, learn, and engage with others. Yet in a digital age, the sense of isolation among library users has become a growing concern. In this blog post, we explore the issue of loneliness in libraries and discuss strategies for librarians to address it.”

ACRLog, Nov. 11
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ALA announced on November 11 the candidates running for ALA offices. Lindsay Cronk, dean of libraries at Tulane University in New Orleans; Andrea Jamison, assistant professor of school librarianship at Illinois State University in Normal; and Maria McCauley, director of libraries at Cambridge (Mass.) Public Library are candidates for the ALA presidency for the 2026–2027 term. Larry Neal, library director of Clinton-Macomb Public Library (CMPL) in Michigan, and Joel Thornton, associate dean of collections and scholarly communication for University of Utah in Salt Lake City, are candidates for ALA treasurer for 2025–2028. ALA also announced 21 councilor-at-large candidates. Members interested in running by petition for ALA leadership positions may do so by completing a candidate biographical information form and a petition form with the signatures of no fewer than 200 ALA current personal members (25 members for Council positions) by December 13.

AL: The Scoop, Nov. 11
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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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Alison Marcotte writes: “In 2023, ALA’s Public Programs Office launched the largest grant initiative in the Association’s history—the Libraries Transforming Communities (LTC): Accessible Small and Rural Communities grants. During the first round of funding, 240 small and rural libraries, located within towns with populations of under 25,000 people, received awards of $10,000 or $20,000 to improve the accessibility of their facilities, services, and programs. American Libraries spoke with five libraries that participated in the program’s inaugural year about their projects’ impact on those they serve.” Applications for the third round of LTC funding will be accepted through December 11.

American Libraries feature, Nov./Dec.
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“There is some research that indicates winter is the most stressful season of the year: Our environment gets colder and darker, and winter holidays can be major stressors due to finances, family, and more. To usher in fall’s transition into winter, our November booklist has fiction and nonfiction titles all about kindness. That means a lot of things, such as: practicing kindness towards ourselves to promote self-care and wellbeing, practicing kindness towards others to strengthen empathy towards others, and practicing kindness toward our environment to better sustain our world.”

Denver Public Library, Nov.

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