The American Library Association got a brand-new president June 29, when Roberta Stevens of the Library of Congress entered the ballroom at the Renaissance hotel in Washington, D.C., dancing to the tune of “Celebration,” along with the incoming presidents of the 11 ALA divisions and four of her favorite authors: Marie Arana, Brad Meltzer, Sharon … Continue reading Our Authors, Our Advocates
Toni Morrison “For me, there are certain kinds of books that I like to read on an iPad, because you just turn the pages and enjoy yourself. Then there are other books where I really need the book, because I am part of that book. It’s not just reading, it’s making notes in it, and underscoring, … Continue reading Speaker Sound Bites: D.C. 2010
Without consulting a crystal ball, Thomas Frey, executive director and senior futurist at the DaVinci Institute, writes and speaks about a promising future for those libraries strongly connected to their communities and quickly adaptable to the changing world around them. Tom Sloan, executive director of the DuPage Library System in Geneva, Illinois, asked Frey to discuss … Continue reading The Future of Libraries: Interview with Thomas Frey
Christopher, a bubbly 7-year-old, has come to the La Mesa branch of San Diego County (Calif.) Library to read to Sunny. With book in hand, Christopher sits down and begins. As he reads, he and Sunny cuddle together. Sunny, an 80-pound collie, is a certified therapy dog and with his handler, Gloria Laube, he visits … Continue reading Good Dog. Sit. Listen.
The child-care room buzzes with activity at the end of the school year. Children laugh and parents chat about their summer plans. When the librarian from Seattle Public Library comes in, the children gather around for story time. As she closes the book at the end of the story, the excitement mounts. Everyone knows this … Continue reading Raising A Reader Gets Children Started Early
I’d like to admit something to you upfront: I love books. I don’t mean the “isn’t-the-new-Stephen-King-great” type of love. I’m talking about a real passion here: I love the way the binding cracks the first time you open a new hardcover book; the little globules of glue that cling to the corners of the binding; … Continue reading Books and Literacy in the Digital Age
An avid colleague once told me that facilitating a book discussion is the most fun we can have at work. She was right. However, she didn’t mention the three Rs of any professionally done book discussion: reading, rereading, and research. As lovingly dedicated book laborers, we do most of this in our off-time with little … Continue reading Party On! at Your Book Discussions
At some point in my life, I realized that making lists belongs on my list of top 10 favorite things to do,” says American Libraries Senior Editor George M. Eberhart, “and that’s how I came up with the idea for The Librarian’s Book of Lists.” To be released this summer by ALA Editions, the book … Continue reading Top 10 Lists in The Librarian’s Book of Lists
You just found out you’re going to moderate a conference program or webcast. Congratulations. Now what? What exactly are you going to do? If what you do is emulate what you’ve seen most moderators do at library conferences, both physical and virtual, chances are you’ll politely ask attendees to take their seats before you start … Continue reading Mastering Moderation
ALA’s Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., June 24-29, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center (WWCC) and surrounding hotels offers a full program agenda and an array of guest speakers culminating with members converging on Capitol Hill to express their support for library-friendly funding and policies to the U.S. Congress. The effort is designed to … Continue reading Annual Conference 2010 Preview
In addition to a record snowfall, something else fell upon the inside-the-beltway community in the winter of 2010: The National Broadband Plan. For technology policy wonks, even the name of the plan makes your mouth water. And, yes, here in Washington there was a kind of crazed anticipation leading up to the plan's release. But … Continue reading Why Librarians Should Care about the National Broadband Plan
“Wisconsin Libraries Say Cheese! A Day in Pictures” is part of the ongoing Campaign for Wisconsin Libraries, a statewide effort to create a collective voice for Wisconsin academic, public, school, and special libraries. The campaign focuses on developing and communicating effective messages about the importance of all types of library service in Wisconsin. Inspired by … Continue reading Wisconsin Says “Cheese!”
