The last full day of conference was full of celebration and fun, although bad weather finally came to Boston. Early risers attended a celebration in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and winners were named at the Youth Media Awards, and speeches were given after awards were won.
In the days following the devastating 7.0 earthquake that all but toppled Haiti’s capital city and other population centers, news is slowly becoming available about how Haitian libraries and their staff members fared. The library community elsewhere is responding by starting multiple initiatives, which the coincidental convergence of librarians in Boston at the January 15–18 … Continue reading Library Community Rallies to Aid Earthquake-Stricken Haiti
The fun and excitement continued on Sunday at ALA's Midwinter Meeting 2010. Some conference attendees spent the day shuttling between venues in relatively warm weather, while others browsed the exhibit hall visiting book signings. The ALA store and the Uncommons proved to be places that attendees like to spend time, and as always attendees enjoyed … Continue reading Sunday at ALA Midwinter 2010
Saturday was an exciting, fun filled day at the ALA's midwinter conference. Early risers were treated to the first installment of the Sunrise Speaker series with author Elizabeth Gilbert. On the exhibit floor many attendees took the opportunity to stop by the multiple book signings, which took place throughout the day. And there was much … Continue reading Saturday at ALA Midwinter 2010
Friday, at ALA's Midwinter Meeting 2010, was a day for new sights, discussions, grand openings, and games. Librarians and library lovers met and mingled at happy hours while admiring the Boston skyline. Others attended the opening of the exhibit floor, eager to see the displays. And later in the evening, attendees played games while forging … Continue reading Friday at ALA Midwinter 2010
Facing widespread criticism for its firing of the library staff, the entire board of trustees of the Swanton (Vt.) Public Library resigned January 12 after ratifying a year’s worth of decisions it had made in apparent violation of the state’s Open Meeting Law. The following morning the town’s governing selectboard rehired the four staff members, … Continue reading Swanton Library Reopens with Rehired Staff; Trustees Resign
The abrupt firing of the director of the Swanton (Vt.) Public Library, followed by the dismissal of the assistant director, has led to what initially appeared to be a walkout by the remainder of the staff and the subsequent closure of the library. The board of trustees terminated Director Marilyn Barney and Library Assistant Jody … Continue reading Vermont Library Remains Shut a Week after Trustees Fire Director
Katherine Paterson, two-time Newbery Award winner for Bridge to Terabithia and Jacob Have I Loved, has been appointed the 2010–11 National Ambassador for Young People's Literature by the Center for the Book of the Library of Congress and the Children's Book Council's Every Child a Reader initiative. Paterson succeeds Jon Scieszka, who became the first-ever … Continue reading Newbery Award Winner Named National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature
In 1940, author Wesley Adamczyk was deported at age 7 from his native Poland to Siberia with his family. He was among more than a million poles who were exiled, imprisoned, or enslaved at hard labor. His father was murdered by the soviets in the Katyn Massacre; his mother died of disease and starvation while … Continue reading Author Wesley Adamczyk Documents World War II Soviet Deportation of Poles to Siberia
American Libraries Editor in Chief Leonard Kniffel interviewed Mohammad Abbas, head of the new Library Department of the Iraqi Coucil of Representatives (ICOR, the nation's parliament in Baghdad) August 24 during the World Library and Information Congress of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions in Milan, Italy, and by e-mail in the days following. American … Continue reading Newsmaker: Mohammad Abbas
Coping with change–especially shrinking budgets and growing demands–is the focus of several pieces in American Libraries' January-February issue, and just the act of reading them has inspired me to approach 2010 with new resolve. All of us who work for the advancement of library services in this country are going to need what James LaRue … Continue reading Resolutions and Rollouts
What makes a library inspiring to its users? The key component is the relationship it builds with the people it serves. Seattle Public Library is a showcase for this attribute. In 2008, just in time to face what has become a global financial crisis, the library completed the 10-year "Libraries for All" campaign, which resulted … Continue reading Inspiration, Seattle-style
