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The Scoop

Take the American Libraries Go-Green Survey
March 9, 2010
LJ, SLJ Sold to Media Source
March 2, 2010
Passing the (Library) Buck in Michigan
February 24, 2010
Exclusive Interview with FakeAACR2
February 23, 2010
TechSource Webinar Available Online
February 17, 2010

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Julie and…

Julie Powell, author of Julie and Julia, talks to AL Focus at the 2010 ALA Midwinter Meeting about Julia Child, Meryl Streep, the merits of writing at the New York Public Library, and her new book Cleaving. More ALA videos available at https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/al_focus/videos.
February 15, 2010
Marilyn Johnson on Libraries

Marilyn Johnson, author of This Book is Overdue: How Librarians and Cybrarians can Save Us All, talks to AL Focus about how she came to write the book and why the work of librarians is more important than ever. More AL Focus videos at https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/al_focus/videos.
February 15, 2010
Job-Hunting Tips From the ALA Placement Center

Caitlin Williams, a career development consultant and coach in San Jose, California, talked with AL Focus at the 2010 ALA Midwinter Meeting about some important things to keep in mind for job-hunters in this tough economy, including the need to strategize, the importance of showing off your skills, and what type of professional development activities will help to impress a potential employer. More AL Focus videos at americanlibrariesmagazine.org/al_focus/videos.
February 15, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Gets New Owner
February 12, 2010
A Chance to Show Off: Library Snapshot Day
February 5, 2010
Midwinter 2010 ALA President’s Program

After her president's program at the 2010 ALA Midwinter Meeting, ALA President Camila Alire and Yohannes Gebregeorgis, founder of Ethiopia Reads, discuss family literacy in the United States and Worldwide and what librarians can do to support Ethiopia Reads. More ALA videos at americanlibrariesmagazine.org.
February 1, 2010
YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction Award

New in 2010 is YALSA's Excellence in Nonfiction Award. Award Committee Chair Angela Carstensen discusses the award and its winner, Charles and Emma: The Darwin's Leap of Faith. See the full list of nominated titles at ala.org/yalsa. More ALA videos at americanlibrariesmagazine.org.
February 1, 2010

Latest Library Links

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Bobbi L. Newman writes: “This week, an article from the BBC caught my attention: ‘Without support, many menopausal workers are quitting their jobs.’ Supporting employees going through menopause is important for those experiencing it and for everyone’s wellbeing. It reflects a commitment to employee wellbeing and a strategic approach to workforce management. Libraries can adopt strategies to support employees experiencing menopause, enhancing their wellbeing and workplace productivity. Remember, with all wellbeing, the goal is to support and empower staff to make the choices that best improve their health. Here are some practical approaches.”

Librarian by Day, Apr. 19; BBC, Apr. 9
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Libraries have a long history of helping to deliver on a wide variety of development goals, from literacy and school readiness to research productivity and urban cohesion. Their unique potential has been recognized not just by the governments or others that traditionally fund them, but also by a range of other funders, private and public alike. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions has created a dataset to help librarians easily discover examples of private philanthropic grants, as well as other funding sources, that other libraries have been able to leverage.”

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, Apr. 22
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Jackie Jennings writes: “It feels like the debate over whether #BookTok is bad has been raging since the moment the term was first coined. I’m starting off with a strong stance: BookTok is indeed bad. However, the problem with BookTok is not crappy books or bogus influencers. The problem with BookTok is TikTok itself. BookTok isn’t actually a community driven by fans, writers, influencers, or even publishers: it’s part of a social media corporation, controlled by the most mysterious, fickle god of all, the algorithm.” Not surprisingly, librarian recommendations can overcome some of BookTok’s limitations.

Jezebel, Apr. 18; Book Riot, Apr. 22
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ALA announced the launch of its state Intellectual Freedom Helpline grant program April 22. Over the next two years, 10 pilot program sites will operate a confidential reporting system that will help connect those experiencing censorship attempts with professional support, in-state peers, or referral to ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, as appropriate. State or school library associations or agencies wishing to either establish an Intellectual Freedom Helpline in their state or expand existing efforts may apply for $10,000 grants through July 14.

ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom, Apr. 22
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In celebration of the release of his latest nonfiction title, The Secret Lives of Booksellers & Librarians, bestselling author James Patterson is honoring select American Bookseller Association and American Library Association members with bonuses. He announced plans April 11 to give $200 each to 250 library workers across the country. The deadline for ALA members may nominate members to receive bonuses through April 30. Winners will be announced at ALA’s 2024 Annual Conference in San Diego.
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Catherine Hollerbach writes: “In early 2020, when the world shut down for COVID, many people got interested in houseplants. Anne Arundel County (Md.) Public Library’s Crofton Library embraced this trend and then some!” While preparing to reopen after the COVID shutdown, the library installed plants at the information desk to discourage patrons from sticking their heads through gaps in newly installed acrylic shields. They were well received and cared for, and the library gradually added more plants and built educational tools, programming, and partnerships around the plants.

Public Libraries Online, Apr. 18
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Rodney Freeman writes: “I am proud to be a librarian—and rare. Less than 7% of librarians in the US are Black. Libraries symbolize the literacy that was denied to so many of our ancestors. For our enslaved forebears, something as fundamental as learning to read was illegal and dangerous, but they did it anyway. Separate but ‘equal’ schools and ‘colored’ libraries filled with cast-offs from white libraries were key features of the Jim Crow era. Today we are seeing the same impulse to distort access to information into a tool to suppress and control, and to make some people ‘other.’”

Newsweek, Apr. 16

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