Author Archive: Stephanie Hlywak

From left: ALA Past President Loida Garcia-Febo; PLA Executive Director Barb Macikas; ALA Past President Sari Feldman; Alan S. Inouye, ALA senior director of public policy and government relations; and Tim Cherubini, executive director of the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies, outside the offices of Macmillan Publishers on October 30, 2019. Photo: Daniel Root

Library Advocates Deliver Ebook Petition to Macmillan

By Stephanie Hlywak | October 30, 2019

“I traveled from the nation’s capital to New York City, the publishing capital, to stand for the vast number of readers who will be impacted by this discriminatory embargo,” said Alan S. Inouye, the American Library Association’s (ALA) senior director of public policy and government relations. He was joined by past ALA Presidents Loida Garcia-Febo … Continue reading Library Advocates Deliver Ebook Petition to Macmillan →

Wrapping Up Digital Book World 2019

By Stephanie Hlywak | September 13, 2019

On September 12, Burleigh discussed the robust ebook and audiobook lending ecosystem. Rakuten Overdrive began servicing libraries in 2003, before publishers were fully on board with selling to the market. Fast forward 16 years, and Burleigh said one of the best things libraries do for publishers and authors is to offer discoverability. For every borrower … Continue reading Wrapping Up Digital Book World 2019 →

All Things Considered host Michele Norris addresses attendees at the Association of College and Research Libraries conference in Cleveland April 10. Photo: Laurie DeWitt/Pure Light Images

ACRL Opens with Michele Norris

By Stephanie Hlywak | April 11, 2019

That authority and confidence was on full display as she danced onto stage April 10 at the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) conference in Cleveland to the Ohio Players’ “Love Rollercoaster.” Noting that it was the first time she’d been asked to select her own “walk out” music, Norris joked she would be … Continue reading ACRL Opens with Michele Norris →

Latest Library Links

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For its Halloween-themed episode, Call Number with American Libraries looks at the enduring appeal of zombies and the role libraries have had in continuing their mythos. Episode guests include Ben Rubin, horror studies collection coordinator at University of Pittsburgh Library System, who speaks about the George A. Romero Archival Collection; Amy Dennis, programming and public relations librarian at Tom Green County (Texas) Library System, who describes her library’s zombie doll program for youth; and Seanan McGuire (aka Mira Grant), author of the Newsflesh trilogy of zombie novels.

AL: The Scoop, Oct. 19
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Hannah Arata writes: “It’s that time again! We rounded up some great library craft videos from across the internet that are perfect for Halloween. Whether they are doing in-person events or take-and-make kits, these libraries share their creative crafts for the spooky season.”

Programming Librarian, Oct. 15
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Jeff Somers writes: “Every now and then a particular TV show takes over and commands the all-seeing eye of pop culture for weeks or months at a time—think the first season of Stranger Things, or the height of Game of Thrones. Right now, that show is Squid Game, which has become the most successful Netflix series of all time, not to mention the latest in a wave of South Korean cultural exports captivating a global audience. Some of these 13 books served as inspiration for the series, capture its bleak understanding of the ways social and economic forces conspire to crush the life out of us, and some are similarly pitch-black stories about desperate people fighting for survival in one sense or another.”

Lifehacker, Oct. 18
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Ashley Hawkins writes: “I have a dedicated group of readers who come and see me three times a day to check out books. They check out multiple books at a time and talk to me at length about character motivation, themes, tropes, and creators. I am, of course, talking about my manga readers. My students who read manga and graphic novels demonstrate exceptional reading and writing skills. They demonstrate a higher likelihood of continuing on to be lifelong readers. Despite the results many of us report in our libraries, many school librarians are resistant to providing manga to their students.”

Knowledge Quest blog, Oct. 13
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Registration for the American Library Association’s inaugural LibLearnX conference, to be held virtually January 21–24, 2022, is now open. The conference will feature real-time learning opportunities, networking activities, more than 100 exhibitors, and content on topics including career development, community outreach, digital equity, mental health, and equity, diversity, and inclusion. Learn more about the event at alaliblearnx.org.

ALA Conference Services, Oct. 15
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Dorany Pineda writes: “Gary Paulsen, the acclaimed and prolific author of page-turning children’s novels of adventure and survival, including Dogsong and The Winter Room as well as Hatchet, died suddenly last Wednesday at his home in New Mexico, the Associated Press reported. Throughout his life, Paulsen wrote more than 100 books, sold more than 35 million copies, and was a three-time John Newbery Medal finalist. Teachers and librarians in Los Angeles and beyond were saddened by the news but expressed deep gratitude to a man whose inspiring, plot-driven stories captivated readers young and old. ‘Hatchet was something that was so out of the ordinary,’ said Damitri Boone, children’s librarian at the Inglewood (Calif.) Public Library.”

Los Angeles Times, Oct. 19
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The American Library Association (ALA) announced the return of the Spectrum Doctoral Fellowship Program, which seeks to recruit diverse LIS faculty members. The program, to be run in partnership with University of South Carolina’s School of Information Science, will recruit a cohort of 8-10 racially and ethnically diverse doctoral students focused on advancing racial equity and social justice in library and information science curricula. “There have been many discussions about the lack of diversity in the profession, and that includes the classrooms as well,” said Kevin Strowder, director of ALA’s Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services, in an October 14 statement. An information session for the fellowship will take place November 3; applications for the program open November 4.

ALA's Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services, Oct. 14

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