American Libraries Marks ALA’s 140th Anniversary

February 2, 2016

After the 1894 ALA Annual Conference in Lake Placid, New York, attendees took an excursion by train and steamboat to Sagamore House on Lake George, where this photo was taken.

American Libraries is celebrating the 140th anniversary of the American Library Association (ALA) in 2016.

We are marking the occasion in print and online with features that showcase the Association’s rich history, including:

a Pinterest board chronicling a visual history of ALA
special ALA history-themed Throwback Thursday (#tbt) photos on Facebook and Twitter
blog posts from Wayne A. Wiegand on ALA’s greatest moments throughout history, such as this first entry detailing the original “congress of librarians” and the beginnings of the Association
a look at ALA’s national newsmaking moments, online at americanlibraries.org in June
a timeline of important events in the Association’s history in the June issue of American Libraries

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Latest Library Links

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Catherine Hollerbach writes: “Library workers are finding the joy in library work they have missed over the past few years. What is more joyous than finding that book you read as a child and sharing it with your kids? Or finding just the right story that pulls on your heartstrings or takes you on an adventure? Sometimes, it’s a song in storytime that brings on a smile or a chance to learn about a fantastic wine or how to fix a car.”

Public Libraries Online, Sept. 25
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Matthew Gault writes: “In a time of devastation and loss, some people in Asheville, North Carolina, are turning to the public library for comfort and communication [after Hurricane Helene]. Cell services have created a communications blackout in much of the state, but Asheville’s downtown library is offering something incredible: free Wi-Fi.” ALA’s is accepting donations to its Disaster Relief Fund; the Chapter Relations Office is collaborating with state chapters in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina to identify affected libraries and facilitate the distribution of money from that fund.”

Gizmodo, Oct. 1; ALA Chapter Relations Office
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Lucy Podmore writes: “While preparing for our yearly celebration of Banned Books Week, how many of us have been asked why we are celebrating banned books? Based on my experiences the past four years, I have come to the decision that it is time to reframe that celebration for my Texas high school campus. Central to this reimagined celebration has been the introduction of the Freedom Walk, an event designed to emphasize the fundamental rights of students to access a diverse range of information and literature in their school library.”

Knowledge Quest, Sept. 30
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Elyse Graham writes: “In July 1941, President Franklin Roosevelt appointed William Donovan, to start up a new intelligence agency, as it was growing more evident that the US might not be able to keep itself free of the war in Europe. His great innovation was a branch called Research and Analysis, in which analysts trained among library stacks read everything they could, from novels to newspapers to trash, and turned what they read into intelligence insights. US intelligence quickly discovered that libraries didn’t have the most basic information that the country needed in this crisis.”

Time, Sept. 25
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“Rising awareness of the consequences of knowledge injustice, further technological advances, sharpening political polarization, and the pandemic are some of the factors that have impacted the information environment” since the original International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions Trend Report was published in 2013. A new edition, published September 30, explores seven key trends in the information and knowledge landscape, from what we understand by knowledge itself, through technological, political, and environmental dimensions. The report also looks at what can happen when these trends meet and interact.

IFLA, Sept. 30
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Taylor Inman writes: “After Flathead County (Mont.) Library Board of Trustees directed staff to no longer celebrate Banned Books Week, one longtime staff member took matters into her own hands, making a sign and displaying banned books outside the library during her days off. Sierra Benjamin said she’s tired of the drama surrounding Banned Books Week, noting that a protest of the board’s decision last year resulted in no change. [Board Chair David] Ingram said he didn’t know of Benjamin’s display outside the library this week, but that she is free to do whatever she likes in her off-time.”

Daily Inter Lake (Kalispell, Montana), Sept. 27
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Jasmine Shumaker and Joe Lee write: “Whether you are just starting out in the profession or are a mid-careerist with years of experience under your belt, mentorship is a vital component of librarianship, just as it is in other fields. For library workers who are Black, Indigenous, and people of color, creating successful mentorship relationships is more than a boon: It’s a necessity. The thought of implementing cross-status, cross-departmental mentorships may seem daunting, especially if they have never been tried at your institution before, but it doesn’t have to be complicated.”

American Libraries column, Sept./Oct.