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The Scoop

Honoring Lois Ann Gregory-Wood

On July 2, 2008, ALA Council adopted a resolution to recognize the 40 years of service of Lois Ann Gregory-Wood. Beginning in ALA's distribution office October 11, 1968, Gregory-Wood went on to serve in a variety of positions leading up to her current role as Council Secretariat. The Council congratulated her on her outstanding work ethic, customer service, and promotion of ALA's missions. A photo montage of the celebration is available in this short video. More videos at alfocus.ala.org.
July 23, 2008
King of Conference

David Lee King of the Topeka and Shawnee County (Kans.) Public Library offers a first-person travelogue of his experience at ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, California. In between searching for swag in the exhibit hall and crashing the Open Gaming Night and OCLC Blogger's Salon, he takes a peek at Council, gets lost while traveling to a session, and shows us what geeks do at Disneyland. More videos at alfocus.ala.org.
July 23, 2008
Jamie Lee Curtis

Actor and author Jamie Lee Curtis entertains an audience of children and parents June 30 at the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, California. After warming up the crowd with her baby impersonation, Curtis reads from her new book "Big Words for Little People." Afterwards, she explains how she found the idea for her first book, and then speculates on why celebrities are often compelled to write children's books. More videos at alfocus.ala.org.
July 23, 2008
Booklist Adult Books Readers’ Forum: the Post-9/11 Novel

Booklist Senior Editor Keir Graff (My Fellow Americans) leads a panel of distinguished authors discussing the burgeoning genre of post-9/11 literature June 29 at the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, California. Carolyn See (Golden Days) speaks about conflating personal and global catastrophe, Janette Turner Hospital (Due Preparations for the Plague) talks about her visit to Ground Zero and how it influenced her book, and Ellen Gilchrist (A Dangerous Age) expresses her certainty that someone will one day write the definitive 9/11 book. More videos at alfocus.ala.org.
July 23, 2008
2008 ALA Annual Conference Opening General Session Video

This video, played during the Opening General Session of ALA's 2008 Annual Conference in Anaheim, California, highlights the value of public awareness to the library profession. ALA presidents past and future join others in explaining how investing in partnerships, working with celebrities like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Julie Andrews, and using new media platforms like YouTube can result in major media exposure and increased awareness and usage of libraries. More videos at alfocus.ala.org.
July 16, 2008

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Speaking Technically 2008

Seven leading publishers shared their insights on the future of reference databases at American Libraries' second annual "Speaking Technically" panel at ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim. Moderated by American Libraries Direct Editor George Eberhart, the panelists talked about their new products and ideas for enhanced services. The panel was comprised of representatives from Gale/Cengage Learning, Alexander Street Press, Ebrary, EBSCO Publishing, Greenwood Publishing Group, Capital IQ, and ProQuest. More videos at alfocus.ala.org.
July 16, 2008
Annual 2008 Wrap-up

Over 22,000 attendees soaked up the rays in Anaheim, California June 26-July 2 at the 2008 ALA Annual Conference. This brief compendium of conference highlights includes such luminaries as Jamie Lee Curtis, Dean Koontz, Lisa Loeb, Wes Studi, Vernon Jordan, Ron Reagan, Khaled Hosseini, Diahann Carroll, and events like the Parade of Bookmobiles, the Book Cart Drill Team Championship, and a musical number by the members of RUSA. More ALA videos available at alfocus.ala.org.
July 15, 2008
Your ALA Annual Conference & You!

Gee willakers! Check out this swell 1950's-style educational film that gives you the A-B-Cs of having a jim-dandy time at Annual Conference. It's packed with so many super tips that every Billy and Sue out there will exclaim, "Golly! Can we watch it again?" Yes indeedy, you can! (Stick around afterwards for a few bloopers, too.) More ALA videos available at alfocus.ala.o
April 29, 2008
Illinois State Librarian Visits School for National Library Week

Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian Jesse White visits Chicago's Walt Disney Magnet School April 14 and answers questions from students to kick off National Library Week 2008. More ALA videos available at alfocus.ala.org.
April 18, 2008
National Library Week: College Reference Desk

"Can athlete's foot catch on fire?" "Do you guys need any tutors for football?" "Do you have anything to eat?" These and other urgent academic library reference questions are answered in this final National Library Week (April 13-19) homage to the 72.8 million reference questions answered by academic librarians each year - that's almost twice the attendance at college football games. Shot at Morton College Library in Cicero, Illinois, and starring Shad Kunkle - who grew up in Iowa, which gives him every right to wear that sweatshirt. More ALA videos at alfocus.ala.org.
April 8, 2008
PLA Conference 2008

Comedian and Keynote Speaker Paula Poundstone kicks off this overview of the 2008 Public Library Association Conference (March 25 - 29) in Minneapolis, explaining why her new book took nine years to write. Other highlights include Nancy Pearl discussing her Book Buzz program, Room to Read CEO John Wood on his plans to establish 20,000 libraries across the developing world, and some amazing Japanese drumming from Mu Daiko. More ALA videos at alfocus.ala.org.
April 4, 2008
National Library Week: Monkey Wars

Imagine there was a movie at your local multiplex called "Monkey Wars: Part 6." Sounds like the greatest movie ever, right? But what would you do if you had not seen Parts 1 through 5? One solution is given in this celebration of National Library Week (April 13-19). Hint: Americans go to school, public, and academic libraries 50% more than they go to the movies. Starring Shad Kunkle and shot in part at Morton College Library in Cicero, Illinois. More ALA videos at alfocus.ala.org.
March 27, 2008

Latest Library Links

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Florian Kastner writes: “JPG was developed to compress photos with lossy compression, which greatly reduced file sizes–a decisive advantage in the early days of the internet when storage space and bandwidth were still scarce resources. With the enormous progress in computer and software technology, the possibilities for image compression have also developed further. Today, modern image formats offer far better compression without compromising image quality. For many photographers, designers, and website operators, it’s becoming increasingly unattractive to rely on the outdated JPG format.” AVIF, JPEG XL, WebP, and HEIC/HEIF are likely to take its place.

PC World, Sept. 27
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Nick Dedeke writes: “In an earlier article, I discussed a few of the flaws in Europe’s flagship data privacy law, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Building on that critique, I would now like to go further, proposing specifications for developing a robust privacy protection regime in the US. If a country like the US developed a different privacy approach, it would bring choice and a new perspective into this important segment of protection of the privacy of data subjects.”

Ars Technica, Sept. 28
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Brian Stephens writes: “Lack of high-speed internet is a significant problem in almost 75% of communities served by the nation’s K–12 schools, according to Funds For Learning’s annual E-Rate Applicant Survey. A key change to the E-rate program’s rules aims to narrow the ‘homework gap’ by making Wi-Fi hotspots that schools and libraries loan to students and patrons eligible for E-Rate discounts. For funding year 2025, Wi-Fi hotspots are eligible for Category One discounts. However, schools and libraries must follow a slew of requirements in order to take advantage. Here’s a closer look.”

THE Journal, Sept. 24
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Danielle Costello writes: “Unsurprising to anyone who has ever known me, when I think about my favorite games, I have a very hard time deciding on a rank order. Favorites to me exist on a wide, joyful, and ever-increasing plane. Since I’m hoping to keep this list to a reasonable length, I’m sharing some of my favorite categories of games and some standout examples. Please enjoy!” The list includes examples of board games, role-playing games for groups and individuals, and video games in several genres.

ALA Games & Gaming Round Table, Sept. 30
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Catherine Hollerbach writes: “Library workers are finding the joy in library work they have missed over the past few years. What is more joyous than finding that book you read as a child and sharing it with your kids? Or finding just the right story that pulls on your heartstrings or takes you on an adventure? Sometimes, it’s a song in storytime that brings on a smile or a chance to learn about a fantastic wine or how to fix a car.”

Public Libraries Online, Sept. 25
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Matthew Gault writes: “In a time of devastation and loss, some people in Asheville, North Carolina, are turning to the public library for comfort and communication [after Hurricane Helene]. Cell services have created a communications blackout in much of the state, but Asheville’s downtown library is offering something incredible: free Wi-Fi.” ALA’s is accepting donations to its Disaster Relief Fund; the Chapter Relations Office is collaborating with state chapters in Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina to identify affected libraries and facilitate the distribution of money from that fund.”

Gizmodo, Oct. 1; ALA Chapter Relations Office
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Lucy Podmore writes: “While preparing for our yearly celebration of Banned Books Week, how many of us have been asked why we are celebrating banned books? Based on my experiences the past four years, I have come to the decision that it is time to reframe that celebration for my Texas high school campus. Central to this reimagined celebration has been the introduction of the Freedom Walk, an event designed to emphasize the fundamental rights of students to access a diverse range of information and literature in their school library.”

Knowledge Quest, Sept. 30

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