The Scoop

Total Eclipse of the Library
By Hanako Maki | August 15, 2017
“Eclipse fever has clutched Salem,” says Ann Scheppke, adult services librarian at Salem (Oreg.) Public Library (SPL). Residents of Salem, a city that sits in the path of totality—the geographical strip experiencing darkness caused by the moon casting its shadow on the Earth—and the 100,000 out-of-towners expected to visit will be among the first in … Continue reading Total Eclipse of the Library →
ALA Condemns Racism and Violence in Charlottesville
August 15, 2017
“The ALA expresses our deepest condolences to the families and friends of those lost and injured during this weekend’s protests in Charlottesville, Virginia. We will not forget their efforts to enlighten and safeguard their communities from bigotry while opposing racist, anti-immigrant, anti-GLBTQ, and anti-Semitic violence. We stand in solidarity with the people of Virginia as … Continue reading ALA Condemns Racism and Violence in Charlottesville →
“Everybody Is Somebody in the Library”
By Amanda Davis | August 15, 2017
From looking at this scene, one would never guess that the previous day, white nationalists had held a rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, an attack that left one dead and many more injured. This latest occurrence of racial intolerance would not dampen the mood at NCAAL, though. In fact, it would do just the opposite and … Continue reading “Everybody Is Somebody in the Library” →
Sparking Interest in Archives and History
By Amanda Davis | August 14, 2017
Katrina Spencer, literatures and cultures librarian at Middlebury College in Vermont, spoke on the topic of silences and erasures in black history in her presentation, “How to Get Youth to Sign Up for Blackness: Black History Month and Beyond.” She began by saying, “It’s going to be biased; it’s going to be personal,” then related … Continue reading Sparking Interest in Archives and History →
Spider-Man, Inspiration, and Literacy
By Amanda Davis | August 14, 2017
Reynolds released his seventh novel, Miles Morales: Spider-Man (Marvel), on August 1, just days before visiting Atlanta to speak to a packed house of librarians about black boys, literacy, and vulnerability at the National Conference of African American Librarians on August 10. While preparing his remarks, he tuned in to an episode of the Steve … Continue reading Spider-Man, Inspiration, and Literacy →

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NCAAL Opens in Atlanta
By Amanda Davis | August 11, 2017
After listening to opening remarks from BCALA President Denyvetta Davis and an invocation from Reverend Lorraine Jacques White, attendees rose to participate in an a capella performance of “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” also known as the “Negro National Anthem.” The lyrics urged listeners to “march on till victory is won,” and this line in … Continue reading NCAAL Opens in Atlanta →
Next Steps on Net Neutrality
By Ellen Satterwhite | August 4, 2017
As part of a coordinated Internet Day of Action on July 12, librarians, library supporters, and others called on the FCC to keep the current net neutrality rules and shared their worries that an internet with “slow lanes” would hurt libraries and the communities they serve. More than 1,640 alerts were sent through ALA’s action … Continue reading Next Steps on Net Neutrality →
Degrowth Is Coming
By Edgardo Civallero | August 4, 2017
Generally speaking, human beings have been aware of these boundaries throughout history, if only to protect existing resources. Our lives depended on it—and still do. But societies have come to view themselves as independent of that abstract entity known as “nature” and believe that human beings can handle their environment at their convenience, using and … Continue reading Degrowth Is Coming →
Dewey Decibel Podcast: Fighting Fake News
August 1, 2017
Host and AL Associate Editor Phil Morehart talks with Joanna Burkhardt, fake news expert, professor and director of the University of Rhode Island branch libraries, and author of Teaching Information Literacy Reframed: 50+ Framework-Based Exercises for Creating Information-Literate Learners, about the history of fake news and its pernicious presence in today’s media landscape. Next, Dewey Decibel … Continue reading Dewey Decibel Podcast: Fighting Fake News →
Comics in the Classroom: Beyond Maus and Persepolis
By Amie Wright | July 28, 2017
One prominent theme at this year’s SDCCEL was how to “level up” comics readership and support in schools and libraries. How do we move beyond excellent but well-known titles like Persepolis and Maus to include more diverse titles and ensure systematic buy-in with key stakeholders like principals and school board members? The July 20 session … Continue reading Comics in the Classroom: Beyond Maus and Persepolis →
Retrial for Former Librarian in Sessions Laugh Case
By Timothy Inklebarger | July 19, 2017
Chief Judge Robert Morin of the District of Columbia Superior Court was set to sentence Fairooz, an antiwar activist with the group Code Pink, on Friday, July 14, but instead declared a mistrial. Fairooz, who has worked as a librarian in Arlington, Virginia, and Fort Worth, Texas, confirmed the judge’s ruling in an email response … Continue reading Retrial for Former Librarian in Sessions Laugh Case →
Accessible at All Ability Levels
By Athina Livanos-Propst | July 4, 2017
Their research focused on a middle-school librarian in South Carolina. The rural school supported 14 students with special needs. The school had achieved success with a mix of differentiated instruction, learning the students’ backgrounds and preferences, and making the students themselves more visible to the rest of the student community. A variety of potential strategies … Continue reading Accessible at All Ability Levels →

Latest Library Links

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Girls Who Code founder Reshma Saujani writes: “Computing skills are the most sought-after in the US job market, but girls across the US are being left behind. What started as an experiment with 20 girls in a New York City classroom has grown to a movement of 40,000 middle and high school girls across the states. In 2017, we’re expanding our movement with the launch of a 13-book series as an invitation for girls everywhere to learn to code and change the world.” To request a free Girls Who Code Starter Kit for your library, including tips for leaders, giveaways, and more, email: schoolandlibrary@us.penguingroup.com

District Dispatch, Aug. 16
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April Dawkins writes: “When my niece was in 6th grade, she was informed by her teacher that she had to choose a book on her Lexile level for her next checkout from the library. When she told her librarian her Lexile level (1350), they checked the catalog. What were her choices? Anything from the Leatherstocking Tales by James Fenimore Cooper. That was it. Do you want to turn off a student from reading? Tell them they have to read 19th century American fiction for fun.”

Intellectual Freedom Blog, Aug. 15
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Leah Shaffer writes: “In recent years, libraries have broadened their scope of offerings to the local community to involve more making activities like 3D printing and sewing. Some libraries even have a facilitator for maker projects. At Millvale Community Library in Pennsylvania, maker program coordinator Nora Peters saw an opportunity to better connect the activities of the maker space with the library’s mission to promote literacy. So, she set out to build a bridge between making and reading by creating maker activities for children’s books.”

KQED Mind/Shift, Aug. 15
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A registered sex offender allegedly caught August 11 filming a 13-year-old girl at the Poulsbo (Wash.) Library was charged with first-degree voyeurism in Kitsap County Superior Court. Travis Wade Moore, 44, was confronted in the children’s section of the library by a Poulsbo Police sergeant and admitted he had struggled with urges and that he was excited by filming the girl. Poulsbo Police were called to the library Friday at about 3:40 p.m. after receiving reports of suspicious behavior.

Kitsap (Wash.) Sun, Aug. 15
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Teens all around the world can start casting their votes for their favorite titles for the 2017 YALSA Teens’ Top Ten now through October 14. The voting page, hosted by DOGObooks, showcases all 26 nominees with their respective book covers and summaries, as well as the opportunity for teens to leave comments about their favorite titles. The top ten titles will be announced the week following Teen Read Week, October 8–14. All teens aged 12–18 are eligible to vote and can vote for up to three of their favorite titles.

YALSA, Aug. 15
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The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) has announced its list of 2017 Top Ten Summer Learning Programs from its Teen Programming HQ contest. Each winner will receive a gift pack of YALSA books and swag. The recipient of the $50 Amazon gift card, who was chosen randomly from all entrants of the contest, is Donna Bishop.

YALSA, Aug. 15
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Hanako Maki writes: “When animals fall silent, the temperature drops, and a 70-mile-wide strip of land spanning 14 states from Oregon to South Carolina goes dark in the daytime, it can mean only one thing: a total solar eclipse. August 21 marks the first time since 1918 that a total solar eclipse will pass over the US from coast to coast, and many libraries are gearing up for the cosmic event.”

AL: The Scoop, Aug. 15