Among Sweet’s awards are a Caldecott Honor for A River of Words (Eerdmans, 2008) and, more recently, a 2014 Sibert Honor for A Splash of Red (Knopf), which was announced at the January 27 Youth Media Awards. Video: Melissa Sweet on the Influence of Libraries See, hear, and read more about what’s going on … Continue reading Interview with Melissa Sweet
Topics at this one-hour informal gathering ran the gamut, from conversations about the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) to parental leave policies at various institutions to discussions about child care services, both at professional conferences and on campus. The consensus among attendees was that each employee felt she needed to advocate for herself when arranging … Continue reading Working Parents of Small Children, Unite
“We are in the business of making resources available, and we shouldn’t forget that,” said Emily Gore, director for content of the Digital Public Library of America. Gore was one of five panelists speaking to an estimated 200 attendees at LITA’s popular event reporting on changes and advances in technology. Each panelist and the moderator … Continue reading Top Tech Trends 2014
At a Sunday morning Midwinter session, presenters Chris Prom, Cara Bertram, and Denise Rayman, all from the U of I library, discussed the open-access repository, known as the ALA Institutional Repository (ALAIR), which has more than 3,000 cubic feet of physical records and more than 460 GB of digital records from the various divisions, offices, … Continue reading Preserving the Association’s History
Unlike TED (technology, entertainment, design) talks, TEDx is planned and coordinated at the local level and is meant to give communities, organizations, and individuals the ability to independently host TED-like events. Presenter Teri Skillman, outreach coordinator at the Hamilton Library of the University of Hawaii Manoa, has organized two such events—one in 2012 and the … Continue reading Bringing TEDx to the Library
The one-hour session, titled “HR Confidential: Insider Tips from Library HR Directors,” was presented by Kathryn Kjaer of the University of California, Irvine, and Leo Agnew of the University of Iowa. The search The two HR directors began by explaining what search committees look for. For starters, speak to the job duties, especially the requirements … Continue reading So You’re Looking for a Job: Now What?
During the interview, Spencer entertained an estimated 1,000 conference-goers with humorous and inspirational tales about Hollywood, acting, and growing up poor in Alabama. One day, as she was preparing for her role as Minnie in The Help—the film for which she won an Academy Award for best supporting actress—Spencer said she realized she had the … Continue reading Octavia Spencer Chat Caps Annual
He began by looking at the history of making in the United States. In 1900, 80% of Americans worked on farms; today, only 2% do, Frauenfelder said. So if you worked on a farm back then, you likely lived far away from an urban area and therefore had to learn how to make your own … Continue reading Mark Frauenfelder Makes Stuff Happen
“That is the sound that I would like to go around to all the people who are standing, especially our sister down in Texas,” she said to applause, referring to Texas state Sen. Wendy Davis, who recently filibustered for 11 hours to temporarily block a controversial anti-abortion bill in the state. Women must control our … Continue reading Alice Walker: The Library Has Been a “Haven”
More than 200 conference-goers packed the small room booked for the session, with many peering through the doorway and sitting on the floor. During their presentation, branch manager Richard Le and adult services librarian Mel Gooch, both from San Francisco Public Library, shared what they have found to be dozens of apps that provide innovative … Continue reading 40 Great Apps for Mobile Reference and Outreach
ALA President Maureen Sullivan introduced the bestselling coauthor of Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything by quoting how the Wall Street Journal once described him: “If Indiana Jones were an economist, he’d be Steven Levitt.” Upon taking the stage, Levitt said that he was on cloud nine for about two weeks … Continue reading Freakonomics Author Keynotes the Opening General Session
Announcing the change, LJS publisher Ian Singer said the consolidation of the two editor-in-chief roles coincides with three technology investments the company plans to implement: a migration to the K4 publishing platform; a move toward the WordPress content management system; and a combining of the company’s book review databases. Miller is replacing Michael Kelley, who is … Continue reading Library Journal Has New Editor-in-Chief
