Braunstein, digital humanities librarian at Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, and co-lead of Digital by Dartmouth Library, wants to help both crossword puzzles and libraries shed their reputations for stuffy elitism and exclusion. Braunstein started doing crosswords as a child with her grandfather, who emigrated from Moldova; the games were his way of learning … Continue reading Bookend: Clues You Can Use
I am honored to be on the ballot for ALA president for the 2022–2023 term. When I began my career in college as assistant to the Slavic cataloger at University of Pittsburgh, little did I know that libraries would afford me experiences unlike any other field. I have worked in academic, special, public, and state … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Stacey A. Aldrich
Our Association is facing internal and external challenges that can only be overcome by strong leadership and collaborative effort. I bring proven leadership and experience in corporate, nonprofit, and library settings to help navigate these challenges. I was a 2010 Emerging Leader and have served three terms on Council. I was a member of key … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Ed Garcia
As your president, I will lead with the Association’s core values, centering equity, strengthening advocacy, and promoting organizational excellence through connection and collaboration. I have and will continue to seek out, listen to, and act on the varied perspectives and experiences of our members to move ALA forward. As a 14-year member, past ALA Executive … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Lessa Kanani’opua Pelayo-Lozada
Klara and the Sun is a powerful commentary on the ethics of technological advances and artificial intelligence. What inspired you to address those themes? It was an opportunity to have a narrator with an interesting perspective. The Artificial Friend is almost like a baby at the beginning: completely fresh, completely open, but taking things in … Continue reading Newsmaker: Kazuo Ishiguro
Though this year’s event was the final meeting, it was a consequential one with more than 7,100 participants and marquee speakers such as Ruby Bridges, Ethan Hawke, Ziggy Marley, Cicely Tyson, Emmanuel Acho, US Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), and new US First Lady Jill Biden. Many sessions centered on two major themes: equity, diversity, and … Continue reading 2021 Midwinter Wrap-Up
American Libraries caught up with Acho ahead of his January 24 appearance at the American Library Association’s 2021 Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits Virtual to discuss his series and book, as well as equity in professional sports and the power of libraries. Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man—the name of your YouTube series and book—is such … Continue reading Newsmaker: Emmanuel Acho
“During an unprecedentedly challenging year, librarians have risen to the occasion, providing much-needed resources to their communities from a safe distance,” said ALA President Julius C. Jefferson Jr. “Congratulations to this year’s I Love My Librarian Award winners, who have worked tirelessly to assist, engage, and empower the people they serve.” Honorees will each receive … Continue reading Meet the 2021 I Love My Librarian Award Winners
Many of this year’s elements will be familiar, including a slate of speakers from the worlds of literature and activism, the announcement of prestigious literary awards including the Newbery and Caldecott medals, and the Symposium on the Future of Libraries. There will be a mix of livestreamed sessions, some of which have been designed for … Continue reading 2021 Midwinter Preview
ALA Headquarters Move After 57 years on East Huron Street in Chicago’s River North neighborhood, ALA headquarters relocated to Michigan Plaza at 225 N. Michigan Avenue. ALA Welcomes New Executive Director Tracie D. Hall began on February 24 as the American Library Association’s (ALA) new executive director (ED). The 10th ED—and the first female … Continue reading 2020 Year in Review
It also has led to repercussions at Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library and Museum in Staunton, Virginia. When, in 2015, Princeton students staged a 32-hour sit-in demanding that the school remove Wilson’s name, “we had a huge drop in funding,” says Robin van Seldeneck, the Virginia library and museum’s president and CEO. “We had people saying, … Continue reading Tarnished Legacies
Since May, the REopening Archives, Libraries, and Museums (REALM) project—an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)–funded collaboration between OCLC and the research and development organization Battelle—has been studying surface transmission risks of common library and museum materials. Results from the first five rounds of tests, illustrated in this infographic, show that the virus’s survival … Continue reading REALM Test Results
