Kate DiCamillo interview

Kate DiCamillo, author of The Tale of Despereaux and Because of Winn-Dixie, sat down with Booklist's Ilene Cooper to talk about seeing her creations become major motion pictures, the surreal moments that came along with the Despereaux phenomenon, and her latest projects. Also, there's tons of laughing.

June 12, 2009

Kate DiCamillo, author of The Tale of Despereaux and Because of Winn-Dixie, sat down with Booklist’s Ilene Cooper to talk about seeing her creations become major motion pictures, the surreal moments that came along with the Despereaux phenomenon, and her latest projects. Also, there’s tons of laughing.

Legendary author Avi speaks to Booklist about Poppy and Ereth—his newest and most autobiographical book—as well as how he ended up with his famous name, how his lack of a distinctive style helps him as a writer, his thoughts on how the Newbery Award could improve, and which of his books is the “best.” Hint: It’s a trick question.

Judy Krug Memorial

A memorial video to intellectual freedom legend Judith Krug, the long-time director of the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom and Freedom to Read Foundation, featuring messages from colleagues, interviews featuring Judy, and photos of Judy from throughout her career. Transcript (opens in new window or tab).

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ALA has selected 46 participants for its 2025 class of Emerging Leaders (EL). The EL program allows library staff and information workers to participate in project planning work groups, network with peers, gain an inside look into ALA structure, and have an opportunity to serve the profession in a leadership capacity early in their careers. ELs will take part in a day-long session during the 2025 LibLearnX conference in Phoenix this January and work for six months, culminating in a poster session at ALA’s Annual Conference and Exhibition in Philadelphia, where they will highlight results of their project planning work.

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On December 9, ALA announced a $25 million bequest by James W. Lewis, of Washington, D.C. The gift, the largest individual bequest in ALA’s history, will fund scholarships for aspiring librarians with demonstrated financial needs. Throughout Lewis’s career at Merrill Lynch, where he leads the Lewis Group as senior vice president and senior relationship manager, he has demonstrated his commitment to libraries and their communities by generously volunteering his time, including as a member of the Board of Visitors at the library of his alma mater, Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. He also served as a Library Trustee Board member at District of Columbia Public Library for 10 years.”

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Catherine Savage, Roz Topolski, and Ashley Johnson write: “In a healthy democracy, voters have confidence in the electoral process, are well informed about the issues, and know that their voice matters. Unfortunately, rampant misinformation and disinformation have left voters unhappy and confused these days about what to believe and whom to trust. Providing a space for civic engagement is an important part of what public libraries do. To that end, the community engagement team at Vernon Area Public Library District in Lincolnshire, Illinois, retained a political scientist in residence as a key component of a yearlong series of election-related offerings.”

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Kate DiCamillo interview

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Avi interview

Judy Krug Memorial