Brown prefaced the main event—a conversation between Abrams and ALA Executive Director Tracie D. Hall—by noting how both COVID-19 and police brutality disproportionately affect African Americans and other communities of color. “The coronavirus is new, unlike racism, which is as old as time,” she said. Brown asked if deaths like George Floyd’s could have been … Continue reading An Act of Persistence
An estimated 300 people attended the 6:30 a.m. celebration Monday, January 27, at the ALA Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits in Philadelphia. In keeping with annual tradition, more than a dozen library leaders read selected passages from King’s work to recognize the connection between the library world and King’s advancement of peace and social justice. Keynote … Continue reading Our Collective Will
For a significant number of Americans, the answer is no. Roughly 30% of respondents to a 2018 National Household Survey said they do not have any money set aside for an emergency. In another survey, 40% of Americans reported that they don’t have enough money to cover a $400 emergency expense. At “A Natural Disaster … Continue reading Can You Afford a Disaster?
As part of the News You Can Use series at the American Library Association’s 2019 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Washington, D.C., the program opened with Andrew Pace, executive director for technical research, who highlighted three reports: (1) findings from a global survey on how research institutions worldwide are applying information management practices; (2) a … Continue reading From Wikipedia to Opioids
Virginia Moore, past chair of ALA’s Social Responsibilities Round Table (SRRT) Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Task Force, talked about the origins of the annual Midwinter celebration. “Libraries lead the way,” she said. “Keep the dream alive.” Satia Orange, former director of ALA’s Office for Literacy and Outreach Services, reminded the more than 200 attendees … Continue reading 20 Years of the MLK Sunrise Celebration
Brian Bannon, commissioner and CEO of Chicago Public Library (CPL), and Louise Bernard, museum director of the forthcoming Obama Presidential Center (OPC), spoke on October 26 of their partnership to create deeper engagement between the two institutions and with the city and its people. In May, the Chicago Tribune reported that CPL would embed a … Continue reading Collaborating for Civic Engagement
When Skip Prichard opened the 2018 OCLC Americas Regional Council Conference on October 25 in Chicago, the president and CEO of OCLC ran through a list of changes that have occurred in recent years to the ways in which we live and work. “What influences change is control,” he told the more than 200 people … Continue reading Game Changers for Libraries
“I know that there are so many people in this country, in this world, who feel like they don’t exist because their stories aren’t told or they think their stories aren’t worthy of being told,” she said at the Morial Convention Center. “In this country, we have gotten to the point where we think that … Continue reading Michelle Obama Draws Thousands
An estimated 230 people attended the 6:30 a.m. celebration, joined by more than two dozen library leaders who read passages, made short speeches, and recited poems that recognized King’s legacy and advocated for peace and social justice. The event was sponsored by the American Library Association’s Office for Diversity, Literacy and Outreach Services, the Social Responsibilities … Continue reading “Every Person Matters”
On August 6, Tuliao competed at New York’s Rockaway Beach, where she helped raise more than $1,400 for the American Library Association’s Spectrum Scholarship program, which helps promote diversity in the library profession. “Going to library school meant a lot to me,” Tuliao says. “And those scholarship monies are not always there, so it’s an … Continue reading Bookend: Making a Splash
An estimated 3,200 conferencegoers arrived well before the 10 a.m. Closing General Session at the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference and Exhibition on Tuesday to hear the former First Lady and 2016 Democratic presidential nominee speak. When Clinton stepped out to a standing ovation, she said that she told ALA President Julie B. Todaro … Continue reading Hillary Clinton Delivers Powerful Talk
Lytle presented new research that suggests there is no evidence of learning from screens for kids at an early age. This is true of infants as well as older toddlers. “If you want more robust learning, you have to have that social component,” she said. She also presented research on video chats such as Skype … Continue reading The Social Component
