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Michael Hochman writes: “There are more than 35,000 booksellers and libraries across America, so we crunched the numbers and calculated the top 10 best cities in the nation for bookworms. We eliminated any city with a population less than 50,000, leaving us with the 764 largest American cities with at least one book-related establishment. We then calculated the ratio of book-related establishments per 100,000 residents in each to determine the cities deemed the top 10 best cities for booklovers in the nation. The top cities are a mix of population centers, college towns, hub suburbs, and a few surprises.”
Jacqui Higgins-Dailey writes: “There was a request for reconsideration waiting for me to research on my first day of work in the collection development department of the Phoenix Public Library. The title was Dinosaurs for Kids by Ken Ham. The request came from a parent concerned about being misled by the book’s title. The book was shelved in 567.9 (dinosaurs) but the book was a biblical interpretation of the timeline of when dinosaurs walked the earth. The parent was concerned that it was shelved with the other books about dinosaurs from a scientific perspective and requested that the library remove the book or shelve it in a religious section.”ACRL has published three new books full of exercises, effective practices, innovative ideas, and detailed case studies that can help you develop your unique leadership potential, lead change within your academic library, and cultivate the skills of new library leaders. Becoming a Library Leader by Shin Freedman and James M. Freedman can help you understand and develop leadership. Developing the Next Generation of Library Leaders by Lori Birrell shows how the library profession can foster skill development. Leading Change in Academic Libraries edited by Colleen Boff and Catherine Cardwell helps you establish flexible decision-making processes.
Wearing a virtual reality headset, Deng Kaiyang saw a four-character idiom with one character missing at the new Jiangxi Provincial Library in Nanchang, China. The 8-year-old used the controllers to shoot a digital arrow at a lantern with the right character to play a word game. Other visitors entered small booths and followed the words displayed on the screen, reading stories or poems aloud, then downloading the works via their cellphones to share with family and friends. In a corridor, children stepped excitedly on a projection piano keyboard to play a delightful tune. Readers borrowed books through a facial recognition system.
The LITA Committee Recognizing Excellence in Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction has released the 2020 Excellence in Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction Notable Lists. The lists are composed of notable children’s and young adult science fiction published between November 2018 and October 2019 and organized into three age-appropriate categories. The annotated lists are posted on the LITA website.
The ALA Film and Media Round Table’s Notable Videos for Adults Committee has compiled its 2020 list of Notable Videos for Adults, a list of 15 outstanding films released on video within the past two years and suitable for all libraries serving adults. Its purpose is to call attention to recent video releases that make a significant contribution to the world of video. The committee selected 15 outstanding titles from among 45 nominees for this year’s list.
Claudette S. McLinn is the 2020 recipient of the ALSC Distinguished Service Award, which honors an individual who has made significant contributions to library service to children and to ALSC. McLinn is the founder and executive director of the Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature in Inglewood, California, and a long-time literacy consultant, advocate, and speaker on library services to children and culturally diverse children’s literature.
AASL President Mary Keeling will hold online office hours at 6:00 p.m. Central on Thursday, February 6, to answer questions regarding equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) in school libraries. The EDI office hours are a part of Keeling’s presidential initiative to expand efforts in AASL to provide a safe, respectful, and inclusive space for diverse voices and perspectives. The session will start with a discussion on #OwnVoices before the floor will open to discuss other topics.ALA President Wanda Brown issued a statement in response to Macmillan CEO John Sargent’s “Ask Me Anything” session at the ALA Midwinter Meeting on January 25. “Today, Mr. Sargent invited conference attendees to ask him anything,” it read. “He talked, and stakeholders from the library community asked questions and engaged. Unfortunately, he has not been listening to us…. Delaying, denying, or limiting access to new titles for libraries means limiting access for readers. We see only one acceptable outcome for this situation: Macmillan must lift the embargo.”
Authors and Olympic ice dancing medalists Maia and Alex Shibutani will promote the value of libraries as honorary chairs of National Library Week, April 19–25. The Shibutanis will shine a spotlight on our nation’s libraries, librarians, and library workers. “Find Your Place at the Library” is the theme for this year’s National Library Week, which emphasizes that everyone is welcome at the library. Maia and Alex Shibutani (aka the ShibSibs) are two-time Olympic bronze medalists, three-time world medalists, Four Continents Champions, and two-time US National Champions.
ALCTS, LITA, and LLAMA have announced that Emily Drabinski and Rebekkah Smith Aldrich will deliver keynote addresses at the Exchange Virtual Forum. The theme is “Building the Future Together,” and it will take place on the afternoons of May 4, 6, and 8. Each day has a different focus, with day 1 exploring leadership and change management, day 2 examining continuity and sustainability, and day 3 focusing on collaborations. Drabinski’s keynote will be on May 4, and Smith Aldrich’s will be on May 8. To get more information about the proposed future for joint projects such as the Exchange, join the conversation about #TheCoreQuestion.
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