Author Archive: Judy Czarnik

Council II: Condemning Discrimination against the LGBTQIA+ Community

By Judy Czarnik | June 25, 2023

Andrew Pace, chair of the Committee on Organization (COO), provided an update on the committee (CD#27.1) and introduced the following action items: Modify the charge of the ALA Conference Committee Modify the name, charge, and composition of the ALA Council Orientation Committee Both motions carried. Toni Negro, chair of the Policy Monitoring Committee (PMC), proposed … Continue reading Council II: Condemning Discrimination against the LGBTQIA+ Community →

ALA Council II: Memorials and Resolutions

By Judy Czarnik | January 29, 2023

The agenda for Council III (CD#8.3) as amended with the point of order introduced by Libré Booker, ALA Executive Board member, was approved. Memorials were read for Deanna Bowling Marcum (M#1), Robert C. Delgadillo (M#2), Menahem Schmelzer (M#3), Barratt Wilkins (M#4), Betty Lee Sung (M#5), David Philip Norris (M#6), and Devona Pendergrass (M#7). A tribute … Continue reading ALA Council II: Memorials and Resolutions →

Council III: Actions and Updates

By Judy Czarnik | January 25, 2022

Libré Booker, an Executive Board member, motioned to extend the meeting for an additional 30 minutes. The motion was defeated. The agenda for Council III (CD#8.3) was adopted. Memorials were read for Barbara Froling Immroth (M#1), Mary Redmond (M#2), Kenya S. Flash (M#3), Manuel Urrizola (M#4), Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin (M#5), Teri Lesesne (M#6), and Lauren D. … Continue reading Council III: Actions and Updates →

Council II: Legislation Updates

By Judy Czarnik | January 21, 2022

Joseph A. Thompson Jr., Committee on Legislation chair, presented that committee’s report (CD#20), which includes federal funding, legislation, and advocacy updates. The agenda for Council II (CD#8.2) was adopted. Jim Neal, chair of the Committee on Organization, presented five action items (CD#27), all of which passed. The motions proposed revising the ALA Publishing committee charge; dissolving … Continue reading Council II: Legislation Updates →

Council I: Transforming ALA Governance

By Judy Czarnik | January 20, 2022

The Virtual Council Rules (CD#5) and agenda for Council I (CD#8.1) were adopted, as well as the minutes from the June 2021 Virtual Annual Council meetings (CD#2). ALA Executive Director Tracie D. Hall reviewed Executive Board actions since the June 2021 Virtual Meeting (CD#15) and implementation of the 2021 Virtual Meeting Council Actions (CD#9). Lessa Kanani’opua … Continue reading Council I: Transforming ALA Governance →

Latest Library Links

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Michael Kan writes: “Are you still using ‘chocolate,’ ‘naruto,’ or ‘monkey’ for your passwords? You really need to stop. All three are among the most commonly used passwords, putting your accounts at risk of hacking, according to new data from NordPass. The password manager’s sixth annual list of the top 200 most commonly used passwords is pulled from a 2.5TB dataset of stolen logins taken from various sources.” ZDNet offers tips for creating stronger passwords and improved security measures.

PC Mag, Nov. 14; NordPass, Nov. 13; ZDNet, Nov. 14
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John Sharp writes: “Athens and Fairhope are two fast-growing cities in the fastest-growing areas of Alabama, and there is no mistaking their conservative bona fides. But according to early statistics about library card applications, their libraries appear to be bucking a trend embraced by conservative-leaning groups and the Alabama GOP: Their patrons appear to be trusting the libraries. More than 60% of parents at Fairhope Public Library and Athens-Limestone County Public Library have signed off on all-access passes for their children with no restrictions on library usage.”

AL.com, Nov. 17
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Katie Gaddini writes: “Book bans may have mushroomed in the Trump era of reactionary politics, but they have a well-established history in America. One woman in particular, Norma Gabler, redefined the current strategy and logic behind modern book bans. Called ‘education’s public enemy number one,’ by critics in 1980, Gabler led the crusade against the so-called secular trend in school textbooks throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Even though Norma and her husband Mel worked together, Norma was the public face of their efforts for decades.”

Time: Made By History, Nov. 13
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Many members know Bill Ladewski as executive director of the Reference and User Services Association, an ALA position he has held since 2019. In early September, Ladewski added another title to his CV: director of Member Relations and Services. In this role, he and his team are charged with providing service and information to the Association’s nearly 50,000 members. Ladewski answered our 11 Questions to reintroduce himself to the ALA community.

AL: The Scoop, Nov. 19
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John Warner writes: “I understand what people mean when they invoke the term ‘institutional neutrality,’ but I don’t know how it’s workable in today’s world. Higher education institutions are built upon a foundation of actual values, values that are, by definition, not neutral. The Kalven report, the Rosetta Stone of institutional neutrality produced by a faculty committee at the University of Chicago in 1967, is not a call to make all work emanating from an institution ‘neutral,’ but is instead a call to make the atmosphere for scholarly inquiry and debate as free as possible.”

Inside Higher Ed, Nov. 15
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Angela Hursh writes: “Ever wondered how your library’s email performance compares to others? Benchmarks help you understand how well your emails perform in key areas and identify opportunities for improvement. They also allow you to compare your email marketing performance, set goals, and stay on top of trends. However, the lack of industry benchmarks for email marketing metrics specific to libraries has been bugging me. Metrics from similar industries don’t fully capture the unique aspects of promoting a library. To help libraries accurately measure their email effectiveness, we’ve created the first-ever library email benchmark report.”

NoveList, Oct. 22
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Rachel Hendrick writes: “Students and library vendors are pushing artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in higher education, but there are very few resources that help librarians and scholars separate the wheat from the chaff. Luckily, we here at Choice love a good assessment rubric. (In fact, we made a PDF of our assessment rubric.) Even the least tech-savvy of us can use a very simple AI literacy framework to think critically about whether an AI application is worth your time.”

Choice 360 LibTech Insights, Nov. 13

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