Skip to main content

The Scoop

Annual Videopalooza
July 28, 2009
Paula Poundstone at Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me!

AL Focus visited ALTAFF Spokesperson Paula Poundstone July 9 before a taping of National Public Radio's Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me! attended by 500 librarians. The conversation covered Poundstone's role as ALTAFF spokesperson, her kids' reading habits, The Three Stooges, the dreaded acronym game, and the horrors of math. Transcript to come.
July 27, 2009
Christie Hefner Interview

Before her Opening General Session speech at the 2009 ALA Annual Conference, American Libraries spoke with former Playboy Enterprises CEO Christie Hefner about her message to librarians, her memories of Judith Krug and the important First Amendment battles they fought, and what helped her to succeed in what some would call a man's job. Transcript to come.
July 27, 2009
Tracy Kidder Interview

AL Focus catches up with author Tracy Kidder before his Auditorium Speaker Series presentation at the 2009 ALA Annual Conference. Kidder discusses his new book, Strength in What Remains, as well as his ideal vision for libraries--and you will want to hear what he calls libraries and librarians. Transcript to come
July 27, 2009
Cokie Roberts Interview

Before her PLA President's Program speech at the 2009 ALA Annual Conference, journalist Cokie Roberts spoke with AL Focus about the new revised and expanded edition of her book We Are Our Mother's Daughters, as well as the state of libraries and the future of journalism. Transcript to come.
July 27, 2009

[sam id=3]

Cokie Roberts Interview

Before her PLA President's Program speech at the 2009 ALA Annual Conference, journalist Cokie Roberts spoke with AL Focus about the new revised and expanded edition of her book We Are Our Mother's Daughters, as well as the state of libraries and the future of journalism. More ALA videos at alfocus.ala.org.
July 27, 2009
Tracy Kidder interview

AL Focus catches up with author Tracy Kidder before his Auditorium Speaker Series presentation at the 2009 ALA Annual Conference. Kidder discusses his new book, Strength in What Remains, as well as his ideal vision for libraries--and you will want to hear what he calls libraries and librarians. More ALA videos at alfocus.ala.org.
July 27, 2009
Christie Hefner Interview

Before her Opening General Session speech at the 2009 ALA Annual Conference, American Libraries spoke with former Playboy Enterprises CEO Christie Hefner about her message to librarians, her memories of Judith Krug and the important First Amendment battles they fought, and what helped her to succeed in what some would call a man's job. More ALA videos at alfocus.ala.org.
July 21, 2009
Wanda Urbanska Interview

After her speech at the 2009 ALA Annual Conference, Simple Living host Wanda Urbanska spoke with American Libraries editor Leonard Kniffel about her work with libraries and how librarians can advocate for green choices to administrators charged with monitoring the bottom line. More ALA videos at alfocus.ala.org.
July 21, 2009
Wanda Urbanska at the 2009 ALA Annual Conference

Wanda Urbanska's complete Auditorium Speaker Series presentation at the 2009 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. Urbanska discussed the "disease" of overconsumption and the idea of simplicity as a lifestyle, and offered suggestions for how to incorporate these ideas into libraries--and help the environment at the same time. The presentation includes a brief question-and-answer segment, which evolved into discussion on how to advocate for environmentally friendly options to administrators who are charged with focusing on the bottom line. More ALA videos at alfocus.ala.org.
July 21, 2009
Sylvia Ivie at the Coretta Scott King Book Awards

Sylvia Ivie, presenter of the first Coretta Scott King Book Awards, spoke to AL Focus at the 40th anniversary celebration about what the Awards have developed into and why they're still necessary. More ALA videos at alfocus.ala.org.
July 20, 2009
Membership Sends Gay Marriage, Antiwar Resolutions to Council
July 20, 2009

Latest Library Links

14h

Joe Árvai writes: “As artificial intelligence (AI) creeps further into people’s daily lives, so do worries about it. At the most alarmist are concerns about AI going rogue and terminating its human masters. But my own research as a psychologist who studies how people make decisions leads me to believe that all these risks are overshadowed by an even more corrupting, though largely invisible, threat. That is, AI is mere keystrokes away from making people even less disciplined and skilled when it comes to thoughtful decisions.”

The Conversation, Apr. 12
17h

Tess Prendergast writes: “As someone who teaches contemporary children’s literature, I have been following the surge of picture books about climate and environment topics for several years. While there has been some great scholarly research about such books, I have devised a simple framework for grouping these kinds of books. This four-tiered categorization may help you decided what to read, suggest, or display in various scenarios and for different audiences.”

ALSC Blog, Apr. 11
2d

Max Eddy writes: “It’s a nightmare scenario: You’ve protected all of your online accounts with two-factor authentication (2FA), but then your phone is broken, lost, or stolen, and you’re locked out of everything. Past You’s effort to protect Future You has made Present You’s life a living hell. 2FA is supposed to keep attackers and scammers out of your online accounts, but what if something happens to your second factor? With a little planning, you can reduce that risk and still keep your accounts safe.”

New York Times Wirecutter, Apr. 12
2d

Nik Altenberg writes: “About 100 librarians and their supporters rallied outside San Francisco Public Library’s Main Library on April 9 to demand the city hire security guards for every branch. Workers decried a lack of security at most of the city’s branches and said they are often forced to de-escalate volatile situations and step into the role of providing security themselves. The rally is the latest in a series of union actions [from 10 unions representing more than 25,000 city workers across city departments] seeking to draw attention to what they say is a pervasive understaffing crisis.”

KQED-TV (San Francisco), Apr. 9
3d

“Two years after Brooklyn Public Libraries’ (BPL) launch of Books Unbanned, an initiative to protect the freedom to read for young people, In Their Own Words: Youth Voices on Books Unbanned gives new insight into the impact of censorship on teen and young adults across the US and how restrictions and other barriers to access build upon and reinforce each other. The new report, published April 11 by BPL and Seattle Public Library, analyzes 855 stories shared by young people who signed up for a free Books Unbanned ecard from April 2022 through December 2023.”

Seattle Public Library, Apr. 11
3d

Samantha Guss, Sojourna Cunningham, and Jennifer Stout write: “Recruitment and retention are both critical to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in academic libraries, and failing to improve retention has and will continue to derail these initiatives. Research that addresses retention tends to focus on proposed strategies, such as stay interviews (structured interviews aimed at strengthening employee and employer relationships) and mentorship programs. But there is no agreed-upon definition of retention that would allow us to assess these strategies. We should recognize that involuntary staying can be just as negative an outcome for the individual and the organization as leaving, setting the stage for legacy toxicity.”

In The Library With The Lead Pipe, Apr. 10
4d

Jackie Edwards writes: “As spring rolls around, seasonal allergies can flare up among library workers, resulting in symptoms like sneezing; runny or stuffy nose; itchy eyes, ears, and nose; coughing; and asthma. Not only are these symptoms detrimental to well-being and productivity, but they can also mean you’re less able to provide excellent customer service to library users. Fortunately, by purifying the air, preventing mold, and keeping your work area clean, you can improve indoor air quality and combat allergies in your library.”

Library Worklife, Apr.

View more Latest Library Links