A couple of years ago I was giving a keynote presentation at a state library conference in the Upper Midwest when a librarian came up to me with a copy of my first book, Snowballs in the Bookdrop, published in 1982. She wanted me to autograph it with a personal greeting, but I hesitated when I … Continue reading Treasure or Trash Heap?
National Public Radio correspondent Michele Norris visited the Nashville Public Library to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the library’s Civil Rights room and collection. A crowd of approximately 200 people gathered as Norris led a discussion on race, class, and civil rights in post-Obama America. She also talked about her new book, The Grace of … Continue reading NPR’s Michele Norris Celebrates Nashville’s Civil Rights Collection
As anyone who has followed this column knows, I read a lot of mysteries. Sure, I love to follow the careers of my favorites—Michael Connelly, George Pelecanos, Daniel Woodrell, among many others—but the thing I enjoy most about reviewing mysteries for Booklist is happening on a stunning first novel by an unknown writer. Over the … Continue reading Two Debuts That Will Thrill
In 2011, I was elected as president of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), the global voice of the library and information profession. With my term having ended at the World Information and Library Congress this past August, I wanted to share some thoughts on why libraries remain as relevant as ever … Continue reading Changes and Connections
Often statistics tell a story that spurs us to action. Consider: Only 13% of African-American male 4th graders and 11% of African-American male 8th graders scored at or above proficient on national reading tests; Barely half of all African-American males graduate from high school, and only 5% go to college; Black male teens are eight … Continue reading It’s Time to Act
In an alternative universe, I’m a film historian. I got hooked in college, where multiple film society screenings were shown almost nightly for a couple of bucks apiece. Heaven. And among all my genres of interest (terrible 1950s science fiction, cult stuff, noir, silents, splashy MGM musicals, and on and on), there’s a much less-recognized … Continue reading A Cautionary Tale
As attendees prepare for their travels to Midwinter, Mother Nature creeps up behind them. With temperatures hitting the negatives, flights being canceled, and 13.5 inches of—snow blanketing Philly earlier this week, it’s a ginormous understatement to say this winter storm packs a punch. Hilarity ensues in the biblio-twitterverse as attendees document their struggles. … Continue reading Top Ten (or So) Tweets – Day 0 (Thursday): Facing Mother Nature
With early January's Polar Vortex already fading into distant memory, it is sobering to realize that communities are still struggling to recover from the October 2012 devastation left by Hurricane Sandy. The Category 3 storm destroyed thousands of homes and killed 286 people, 72 in the US alone. “While speedy repair work and first rounds … Continue reading How Libraries Are Faring since Hurricane Sandy
As president of ALA, I advocate for all types of libraries, librarians, and library workers. We are, after all, a community. Together, we can fulfill the promise that all libraries change lives. Yet the promise of libraries is in peril because school libraries are in crisis; a threat to one type of library is a … Continue reading Advocating for School Librarians
Over the next several years, ALA will be leading a major initiative to help libraries of all types utilize proven community engagement tools and techniques to better understand their communities and to encourage community-based innovations in library service. This effort, which is part of the Association’s strategic goal of assisting in the ongoing transformation of libraries, … Continue reading The “Kitchen Table” Conversations and ALA
There is no longer any point in debating the reality of global warming (or, if you prefer to be politically correct, climate change). The handwriting is on the wall: 2012 was the hottest year on record and the polar ice caps are melting at an alarmingly fast rate. Then there’s the new research report from … Continue reading Warming Up to End Times
With the growing cost of higher education, declining library budgets, and the crisis in scholarly publishing, it can sometimes be difficult to feel optimistic. Looking at the creative efforts to address these issues through publishing gives me ample hope. Many academic libraries are working to make the scholarly and creative output of their communities widely … Continue reading Open Access Everything
