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The Scoop

ALA Council: Who, What, Why, and How

Members of ALA Council discuss what Council actually does and why you should consider getting involved. More ALA videos at alfocus.ala.org.
February 6, 2009
Ingrid Law interview

Just one day before winning a Newbery Honor for her book "Savvy," author Ingrid Law sat down with Booklist and spoke about the origin of the term, how she wanted to write a book about magic without the word "magic," talking to children about their own secret powers, and the how librarians inspire her. Bonus: Law also gives us a sneak peak of her next book, a sequel to "Savvy."
February 4, 2009
Buildings and Landscapes
February 3, 2009
Midwinter Wednesday: Council Commends Obama, Urges Peace
January 28, 2009
Midwinter Tuesday: Heard, Overheard, and Smelled
January 28, 2009
Midwinter Tuesday: Heard and Overheard
January 27, 2009
Midwinter Tuesday: It’s a Girl @ your library
January 27, 2009
Midwinter Tuesday: Treasurer Urges New Business Development
January 27, 2009
Midwinter Monday: Muhammad Yunus on Defeating Poverty
January 27, 2009
Midwinter Monday: Youth Media Awards
January 26, 2009
Midwinter Sunday: Planning and Budgeting for the Unknown
January 25, 2009
Midwinter Sunday: Top Tech Trends
January 25, 2009

Latest Library Links

16h

Seung Min Kim writes: “President Donald Trump’s abrupt firing of top officials at the Library of Congress has morphed into an enormous fight over the separation of powers. Republican leaders have delivered rare pushback against the president, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and other Republicans have been talking with the White House about a potential path to détente.” The Associated Press reported that it is unclear whether Trump’s nominee for acting librarian of Congress, Todd Blanche, is currently in that role or if Principal Deputy Librarian Robert Newlen is in charge. The Authors Guild has created a petition demanding the reinstatement of fired Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter, and library colleagues from around the world have expressed their support for American librarians in facing federal and other challenges.

Associated Press, May 16, May 15; Authors Guild, May 13; ALA International Relations Office, May 20
20h

Cali Lichter writes: “For five years, Lowell (Mich.) Area Schools (LAS) Library Media Director Christine Beachler says she has been the target of untruthful, personal social media attacks. After a video of Beachler during a library tour in February, posted by self-described parental rights advocate Stefanie Boone, went viral, she says it pushed it over the edge. On May 13, Beachler filed a civil lawsuit in 17th Circuit Court, asking for damages and for Boone to take down all her posts referencing Beachler.” A GoFundMe campaign has raised more than $25,000 to support Beachler’s legal fees.

WZZM-TV (Grand Rapids, Mich.), May 13, 14
2d

Ginny Monk writes: “Ebook contracts for libraries often come with terms that mean the library has to repurchase the book after it’s been borrowed 26 times or every couple of years, whichever comes first. Connecticut Senate Bill 1234 wouldn’t allow simultaneous restrictions on the loan period and the number of times people can borrow the book.” The Connecticut legislature gave final approval to the bill May 15, sending it to Gov. Ned Lamont for his signature. If he does sign it, the bill will only take effect if one or more other states with a total population of 7 million pass similar legislation. Connecticut library associations celebrated the bill’s passage.

Connecticut Mirror, May 15; Connecticut Library Consortium, May 15
2d

While ALA welcomed the preliminary injunction ordering the administration not to implement President Trump’s executive order to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services, it raised alarm over the administration’s cancellation of the $2.75 billion Digital Equity Act grant program as of May 9. The congressionally authorized program was designed to close the digital divide by establishing grants to support broadband access and digital skills training for underserved communities. ALA is collecting information regarding Digital Equity Act grant cancellations to identify the impact of this loss of funding for libraries, and urges library workers who have received grant termination notifications to report their program cancellation and share the impact this loss of funding will have on their library.

ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, May 15
2d

Rachel Rosenberg writes: “All public library staffers must work with children and teens at some point. But for those who are newer to the profession, it can feel daunting, because youth services aren’t required courses in library school. These six books touch on the vital aspects of working with young people, including building community engagement, creating learning environments, and planning storytimes and easy crafts. They also offer examples of how to support children in challenging situations.”

American Libraries column, May
3d

Brea McQueen writes: “At this point in the year, almost everyone on campus seems to be thinking about the end of the term. But this span of time doesn’t necessarily look or feel the same to everyone. Some of us who have disabilities move through time a little differently, experiencing it as particularly nebulous and abstract. The phrase crip time, coined by scholar and author Alison Kafer, acknowledges that folks with disabilities may experience spans of time in nonlinear ways that don’t align with the normative, societal understanding of time.”

American Libraries column, May
3d

Carrie Smith writes: “In July 1925, the US was transfixed by State of Tennessee v. John Thomas Scopes, also known as the Scopes Monkey Trial. Held in Dayton, Tennessee, the proceedings examined whether high school teacher John T. Scopes violated the law by teaching evolution in a state-funded school. Then, as now, the trial served as a prism for societal debate around education and intellectual freedom. The Scopes trial archive at the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives at University of Tennessee, Knoxville includes transcripts, photos, and ephemera from locals and attorneys involved in the case.”

American Libraries feature, May

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