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The Scoop

Executive Director Apprises Staff of Tight Financial Outlook
September 30, 2009
2009 Banned Books Read-Out

Each of the top 10 most challenged books were represented at the 2009 Banned Books Read Out, which kicked off Banned Books Week September 26 at Chicago's Bughouse Square (across the street from the Newberry Library.) This video features ALA President Camila Alire, authors Cecily von Ziegesar (Gossip Girl) and Lauren Myracle (ttyl), and a reading from Chicago Public Library's Teen Volume Reader's Theatre troupe. More ALA videos at alfocus.ala.org.
September 29, 2009
Banned Books Week: Puppet Book Banners

Chad, Rustle, and Mooch, the Crash Pad puppets, misinterpret the meaning of Banned Books Week, trying to throw some books with objectionable content--including Of Mice and Men, The Grapes of Wrath, The Joy of Cooking, and the phone book--out of the library, until Herb points out the error of their ways. More ALA videos at alfocus.ala.org.
September 23, 2009
IFLA World Library and Information Congress 2009

Scenes from the IFLA World Library and Information Congress in Milan, Italy, including music from the Concert for IFLA, held August 25 in the Duomo, and interviews with: Jesus Lau, delegate from MexicoOutgoing IFLA President Claudia Lux Paula Restrepo Duque of EPM Foundation, which won the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's Access to Learning AwardDeborah Jacobs of the Bill and Melinda Gates FoundationNew IFLA President Ellen TiseBarbara Ford, delegate from the United States
September 17, 2009
A New Pipeline, Direct to the Public
September 16, 2009

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A New Pipeline, Direct to the Public
September 16, 2009
ALA Connect for Non ALA Members

One in a series of introductory screencasts created by the ALA Emerging Leaders Group I FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://connect.ala.org
September 15, 2009
ALA Connect for LIS Students

One in a series of introductory screencasts created by the ALA Emerging Leaders Group I FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://connect.ala.orgALA Connect offers the opportunity for users to create member communities- communities that any ALA member can participate in. This provides a great opportunity for LIS students and alumni to congregate in an unofficial sort of way, network and build those professional relationship!
September 15, 2009
Keeping Up with Connect: What’s Going On

One in a series of introductory screencasts created by the ALA Emerging Leaders Group I FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://connect.ala.orgThere's so much happening on ALA Connect, you may feel a bit overwhelmed trying to find your way. But with a few easy features, you can quickly put your finger on the pulse of ALA Connect.From the ALA Connect homepage you can browse upcoming events, view most recently created member communities, follow comments recently made, and more. Let's take a closer look.
September 15, 2009
Finding New Groups that Might Interest You

One in a series of introductory screencasts created by the ALA Emerging Leaders Group I FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://connect.ala.orgALA has over two thousand divisions, committees, task forces and round tables, and Connect offers an additional 500 member created communities- and this number is growing every day. So how does one find new groups that might interest them? This is Finding New Groups in ALA Connect
September 15, 2009
What’s New with My Groups: Finding and Featuring Group Information on ALA Connect

One in a series of introductory screencasts created by the ALA Emerging Leaders Group I FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://connect.ala.orgIt's easy to track your groups' conversations and work with ALA Connect. Once you're logged in to ALA Connect, your groups' newest information is displayed right on your homepage, alongside information from other active groups and communities. For more information on getting the latest from other groups, check out the What's New with Other Groups screencast.
September 15, 2009
What’s New with Other Groups

One in a series of introductory screencasts created by the ALA Emerging Leaders Group I FOR MORE INFORMATION: http://connect.ala.orgThis is What's New with Other Groups in ALA ConnectJust like on Lost, it's always good to know what Others are up to. In ALA Connect, groups can publish content so that anyone can view it. That way, they can share what they are doing with you, and you can find out what's going on with them.
September 15, 2009

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

View more Latest Library Links