Author Archive: Meredith Myers

Holly Robinson Peete, RJ Peete, and Ryan Peete

Holly Robinson Peete with RJ and Ryan Elizabeth Peete: The Peete Street

By Meredith Myers | June 27, 2016

The girl from 21 Jump Street opened her Auditorium Speaker Series presentation talking about an entirely different street: Sesame Street.

Programs for Diverse Teens

By Meredith Myers | June 27, 2016

Their program, “You Did What? Programs For Diverse Teens,” sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association, was so good it should have had a cover charge and two-drink minimum. Never has a morning meeting been more entertaining and made an audience of librarians wanting more. Programming ideas included an urban lit club; a game … Continue reading Programs for Diverse Teens →

Panelists (from left) Barbara Hoffert, Ari Berman, Elizabeth Lesser, Lydia Reeder, and Chris Smith

Reads Like Fiction: Nonfiction You Can’t Put Down

By Meredith Myers | June 26, 2016

At United For Libraries’ Reads Like Fiction, Nonfiction You Can’t Put Down session, this random collection of words summarized tales from four talented writers telling compelling stories about real life events, moderated by Barbara Hoffert, editor of Library Journal’s Prepub Alert. Ari Berman opened the event discussing with passionate intensity his book Give Us the … Continue reading Reads Like Fiction: Nonfiction You Can’t Put Down →

Storytime Live!

By Meredith Myers | June 26, 2016

Had she not been a children’s librarian, I might have been concerned. But everyone knows children’s librarians are a little silly. And right now, Amy Steinbauer, Children’s Librarian at the District of Columbia Public Library, was taking it to the next level with her tiny friend. Steinbauer, who trained with the improv comedy troupe The … Continue reading Storytime Live! →

Be Our Guest: Create Your Own Pixie Dust at the Library

By Meredith Myers | June 25, 2016

Room W110B was packed tighter than Disney’s Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique on the first day of summer vacation. Instead of magical pixie dust, RUSA chose Dave Cobb to turn everyday librarians into user experience designers, all with the click of his mouse.

Freelance Success Doesn’t Require a Projector

By Meredith Myers | June 24, 2016

With more than 40 years experience as a trainer, educator, and consultant, Wagner doesn’t need to be fancy. She’s honest about that. She’s more concerned with building relationships and maintaining integrity, while helping as many people as she can along the way. It’s why ASCLA chose her to speak about “Freelance Success: Building a Business … Continue reading Freelance Success Doesn’t Require a Projector →

Latest Library Links

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Steve Tetreault writes: “Educators face more pressure and push-back than at any point I can recall. Decision-makers at the national, state, and local levels resist the idea of educators as trained professionals. Too many parents feel entitled to dictate every second of students’ lives, both in and out of the classroom. Even students exhibit widespread attitudes of disrespect and disdain for school. In short: Education is in a dark age. But within that darkness, there are points of light. We are each a star. And if we are willing to connect with others, we can create fabulous constellations.”

Knowledge Quest, Sept. 9
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“Choice and LibTech Insights have published a white paper developed by Sandy Hervieux and Amanda Wheatley, two librarians from McGill University in Montreal with extensive experience in artificial intelligence (AI) and librarianship (long before the wave of generative AI), that offers an innovative framework for AI literacy. ‘Building an AI Literacy Framework: Perspectives from Instruction Librarians and Current Information Literacy Tools’ integrates interviews with many librarians on the ground who are teaching AI and AI literacy to highlight the shortcomings of current models and the needs a new one must address.”

Choice 360 LibTech Insights, Sept. 4
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Betsy Gomez writes: “Award-winning filmmaker Ava DuVernay has been named honorary chair for Banned Books Week 2024, which takes place September 22–28. DuVernay will be joined by youth honorary chair Julia Garnett, a student activist who fought book bans in her home state of Tennessee. A staunch advocate for education and free expression, DuVernay directed two films inspired by frequently banned books: A Wrinkle in Time and Origin. Garnett has been honored for her advocacy for the freedom to read by First Lady Jill Biden and is a leader in the National Coalition Against Censorship’s Student Advocates for Speech program, educating other students about advocacy.”

Intellectual Freedom Blog, Sept. 6
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Kate Knibbs writes: “The Internet Archive has lost a major legal battle—in a decision that could have a significant impact on the future of internet history. The US Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit ruled against the long-running digital archive September 4, upholding an earlier ruling in Hachette v. Internet Archive that found that one of the Internet Archive’s book digitization projects [the pandemic-era National Emergency Library] violated copyright law. Notably, the appeals court’s ruling rejects the Internet Archive’s argument that its lending practices were shielded by the fair use doctrine.”

Wired, Sept. 4
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Anne Ford writes: “From outside, Downtown Reno Library of Washoe County (Nev.) Library System looks like a big square brown box. ‘There’s no pizazz out front,’ says Kristen Ryan, branch manager. So when people walk inside and find a lush central atrium with an abundance of philodendrons, spotted begonias, and other greenery; several towering trees; and a reflection pool, they tend to gasp the same thing: ‘Oh my god, look at all the plants!’”

American Libraries column, May
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“Every year, ALA recognizes the achievements of more than 200 individuals and institutions with an array of awards honoring their service to librarians and librarianship. Winners are chosen by juries of their colleagues and peers and embody the best of the profession’s leadership, vision, and service as well as a continued commitment to outreach and equity, diversity, and inclusion. Award recipients were honored at a June 30 ceremony and reception during ALA’s 2024 Annual Conference and Exhibition in San Diego.”

American Libraries feature, Sept./Oct.
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Rick Anderson writes: “‘Are libraries neutral?’ This is the question that was posed at the ALA Midwinter President’s Program in Denver a few years ago. A diverse panel of librarians was asked to take turns responding to that question, with results that were sometimes very interesting and sometimes fairly predictable. There was a very big problem, though, and it lay in the organizing question itself. One can’t really answer it meaningfully without first asking a clarifying question: ‘neutral’ about what? In some ways neutrality in the library is clearly a very bad idea—and yet in some important ways, it’s absolutely essential.”

The Scholarly Kitchen, Sept. 3

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