Voting for the 2015 ALA Elections begins on March 24. Get to know the four candidates for the 2015–2016 ALA presidency as they introduce themselves and their campaign goals to voting ALA members. Meet the Candidates for ALA President: James LaRue By James LaRue Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Joseph Janes … Continue reading Meet the Candidates
I have spent my career as librarian, community leader, newspaper columnist, radio and TV show host, writer, teacher, and a leader of statewide, regional, national, and even international efforts in positioning the library for tomorrow. If we are to survive and thrive in that tomorrow, we must shift public perceptions of our roles. As ALA President, … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA President: James LaRue
The second thing people say when they hear I’m running for ALA president (after “yay!” or “really?”) is “why?” Why am I running, and, more pointedly, why me? Fair questions. One of the president’s most important roles is to tell our story, to be the voice of libraries, librarians, and librarianship to the world. The … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Joseph Janes
Presidential initiative To paraphrase Eli Neiburger, deputy director at Ann Arbor (Mich.) District Library: “Libraries aren’t about what we buy,” they are about what we do, and library staffers are the doers. As president, I will challenge ALA to embark on a large-scale public relations campaign demonstrating that it’s the staff that makes a library. … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA President: JP Porcaro
Our primary Association, the American Library Association, is critical to the success of the profession in general and is critical to the present and future success of libraries, library workers, and library supporters. Although the Association has always managed dozens of issues simultaneously as well as speaks to the needs of members, ALA has chosen … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Julie Todaro
The second-wave feminism movement from the mid-20th century opened doors for women in educational and career advancement, particularly in academia, thanks in large part to Title IX legislation that prohibited discrimination at higher educational institutions. In 1972, the year Title IX was implemented, women held only 4.6% of high-level administrative positions at research libraries. By … Continue reading A Career of Our Own
Having split her youth between South Carolina and Brooklyn, New York, her books explore themes of gender, class, and race, as well as history and family. She received the Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults in 2005. In an email to American Libraries, she discussed the importance of capturing the childhood experience, the significance of diversity … Continue reading Newsmaker: Jacqueline Woodson
Evans loves involvement with the community. “We don’t have an arts council, we don’t have a chamber of commerce, we have little Delight library.” The declaration signing party was so successful, Evans told Stripling that she plans to repeat it “for at least another 15 years” when she’ll be ready to retire. She’s 73.
Ruth Baleiko, the Miller Hull Partnership Odegaard Undergraduate Library, University of Washington, Seattle “Digital downloads, ebooks, personal content, and live programming compete for space with books, periodicals, microfilm, audio, and video in today’s libraries. The library of the future will be shaped in ways that support and enhance navigation and exchange of these new forms … Continue reading The Future, Today
State and local government workforces have faced significant reductions since 2009. In 2011 alone, state and local governments cut nearly 250,000 jobs. While some hiring has occurred lately, reductions have been significant and are unlikely to grow to pre-recession levels. Securing a library job can be challenging. Competition is fierce, and the skill sets of … Continue reading The Future of MLS
At the same time, school librarians continue to serve their communities by linking children, young adults, and teachers with both the information they need and the skills to use it. We’ve identified three trends that we see as most affecting the role of the school librarian in the near future. Information on demand In … Continue reading The School Librarian as Learning Alchemist
We’ve selected five trends from the collection to highlight. Visit the trend library to learn more about each and to see the expanding collection of trend information. Anonymity Long a hallmark of internet culture, anonymity is a selling feature for new mobile apps such as Whisper and Secret. Information shared via anonymous apps includes emotional … Continue reading Trending Now
