"It's no wonder that I grew up not merely a storyteller, but a storyteller bewitched by notions of abandoned children" explained Wicked author Gregory Maguire matter-of-factly at the first of ALA Annual's Auditorium Speaker series for 2009. Telling how he was placed in an orphanage for a time after his mother Helen Maguire died giving birth … Continue reading Gregory Maguire’s Wicked Beginnings
At the BIGWIG Social Software Showcase July 13, eight presenters gave brief talks on trends in social software in a “speed-dating” format, where each presenter had 10 minutes to talk to a roving audience. I was most interested in hearing Jason Griffey's talk on Google Wave, a product that, I admit, I hadn't paid much … Continue reading BIGWIG Showcase: Google’s New Wave Changes Everything
ALA's Social Responsibilities Round Table celebrated its 40th anniversary July 13 at the Alternative Media Reception co-organized with the Alternative Press Center. The party, held at Hyde Park's funky Experimental Station, included a Mediterranean food buffet, impromptu speeches, jazz from the three-piece combo Brian Sandstrom and Friends, three kinds of vegan cake, and some far … Continue reading SRRT Turns Forty
With healthcare costs eating up chunks of shrinking library budgets across the country, the ALA Council during its last meeting in Chicago overwhelmingly passed a resolution supporting affordable, universal healthcare, including the option of a single-payer healthcare program. This is essentially a reaffirmation of a resolution adopted by ALA in June 2006. ALA policy states … Continue reading ALA Council Supports Universal Healthcare
At the final session of the ALA Council today, Committee on Legislation member Bernard Margolis reported that due to the location of Annual Conference 2010 in Washington, D. C., National Library Legislative Day, held annually in May, will become Library Advocacy Day instead. The event is being planned for June 28 during the conference. The switch … Continue reading Legislative Day Will Become Advocacy Day for D.C. Annual 2010
Steve Lopez, Los Angeles Times columnist and author of The Soloist, told the Closing Session crowd how he met Nathaniel Anthony Ayers, and how their relationship grew and the story developed into the book. “The deal with writing a column is, it’s like having a pet monster that’s always hungry,” Lopez said. “You have to … Continue reading The Story Behind The Soloist
As my final bit of Annual coverage (though with other AL staffers also blogging, a few more stories may be forthcoming), I’d like to share my now-traditional review of relevant—and wholly irrelevant—quotes. “We have everything Strom Thurmond ever owned, including his pajamas.” – Emily Gore, Clemson University Libraries head of digital initiatives, discussing the library’s … Continue reading Heard and Overheard at Annual
“I am a library slut,” admitted mystery author Lisa Scottoline. “That means I will go to any library that will have me,” to give thanks to librarians, who changed the direction of her life. Scottoline, an Edgar Award-winner for her 1994 novel Final Appeal (HarperTorch), ebulliently told her Monday-morning Auditorium Speaker Series audience that she … Continue reading Lisa Scottoline: Confessions of a Library Slut
A delegation of directors of provincial-level libraries in China attended the ALA Annual Conference after spending 10 days at a training program at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s Mortenson Center. They’re taking part in a continuing professional education program covering library management, public services, and digital library development. Following the conference they’ll be traveling … Continue reading From China to Chicago
With healthcare costs eating up chunks of shrinking library budgets across the country, the ALA Council during its last meeting in Chicago overwhelmingly passed a resolution supporting affordable, universal healthcare, including the option of a single-payer healthcare program. This is essentially a reaffirmation of a resolution adopted by ALA in June 2006. ALA policy states … Continue reading ALA Council Supports Universal Healthcare
A packed meeting room awaited a panel of techie librarians to address the question of whether Library 2.0 has lived up to its promise at July 14 LITA and the Internet Resources Services Interest Group session “The Ultimate Debate: Has Library 2.0 fulfilled its promise?” The panel couldn’t exactly agree on what Library 2.0 was, … Continue reading Lib1.0 Committee Still Out on Lib2.0 Promise
Ohio libraries have been spared the proposed budget cuts that had threatened to lower their state funding by 30%. However, the biennial budget passed by the state legislature July 13 still includes a reduction in library funding of some 11%. The budget legalizes racetrack slot machines and cuts several state programs to close a projected … Continue reading Ohio Budget Deal Includes Less Severe Funding Cut
