2021 Midwinter Preview #alamw21 | American Libraries Magazine

ALA’s 2021 Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits Virtual, originally scheduled for January 22–26 in Indianapolis, was always planned as a transitional event that would lead to an innovative new conference concept in 2022. The pandemic, however, necessitated bigger changes than anticipated, as ALA announced in August that this year’s meeting would be held entirely online. Many of this year’s elements will be familiar, including a slate of speakers from the worlds of literature and activism, the announcement of prestigious literary awards including the Newbery and Caldecott medals, and the Symposium on the Future of Libraries.

American Libraries feature, Jan./Feb.

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Brett Oppegaard, Talea Anderson, and Suzanne James-Bacon write: “A recent Department of Justice final ruling established that government agencies will be required to go beyond simple alt-text descriptions in the suddenly near future and to provide instead what the spirit of the law always has recommended, which was equivalent or comparable access to information. To proactively respond to this upcoming reckoning, we have documented one library’s process for incorporating audio description [the preferred remediation process] into a sample image collection.”

College and Research Libraries News, Vol 86, No. 6 (June)
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Jenni Diaz Garcia writes: “For weeks as a new library worker, I smiled through the fear of feeling constantly a few paces behind. Around the two-month mark, something shifted. I finally had enough context to stop feeling lost and enough confidence to start asking the important questions: Where is this position going? Can it evolve into something else? What does growth look like here, for me? Feeling steady didn’t mean I had all the answers, but it meant I had space to start shaping them.” After a year on the job, Diaz Garcia shares the top lessons she’s learned.

NMRT Notes, June 2
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Anne Ford writes: “Since founding the Internet Archive in 1996, Brewster Kahle has helped preserve nearly three decades of digital history—along with millions of books, audio recordings, videos, images, and software programs. But in 2023, four major publishers successfully sued the Archive, forcing it to remove their copyrighted books from its digital lending library. Now the Archive is under attack again, as a music industry copyright infringement lawsuit against it seeks nearly $700 million in damages related to the Archive’s Great 78 preservation initiative. We discuss with Kahle the lawsuit, the Archive’s future, and the developments making him feel ‘very encouraged.’”

AL Online, June 4
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Lisa Varga writes: “Spring may be over, but library lovers have sprung forward to support federal funding for libraries—and members of Congress are responding positively. Amid headline-grabbing chaos in the federal government, including President Trump’s efforts to wipe out federal funding for libraries, behind-the-scenes work is progressing in Congress to secure funding for libraries in fiscal year 2026. Here’s how the budget process works, how library supporters pitched in during April and May to help ALA achieve its goals, and what to do next to help the Association support libraries across the country.”

AL: The Scoop, June 3
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On June 3, ALA announced $10,000 Building Library Capacity Grants to 16 libraries across the country to serve new Americans. The grants are supported through a three-year grant from the Mellon Foundation. Each year has focused on helping add capacity to different segments of the library community. The grants are intended to bolster library operations and services including literacy and other skill development, developing collections, staffing, expanding outreach, and maintaining and amplifying existing service strategies or adding new ones to make an impact.

ALA Chapter Relations Office, June 3
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Tommaso Bardelli, Sindy Lopez, Tammy Ortiz, and Laura Brown write: “America’s prisons and jails are information deserts. Restrictions on internet access, combined with limited library services and widespread censorship of both print and digital materials, severely restrict incarcerated individuals’ connection to the outside world. Legal information is no exception. Although access to legal information is a constitutionally mandated right, incarcerated people face significant—and often insurmountable—barriers to exercising that right. In this project that was funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services, we examine the national landscape of legal access in prison.”

Ithaka S+R, May 29
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Catherine Hollerbach writes: “In addition to being the state’s capital, Annapolis is a college town bustling with activities. Community members are very involved and committed to supporting the US Naval Academy (USNA) and its students, faculty, and staff. When something happens on ‘the Yard,’ it impacts the community as well. The members of the community surrounding USNA took the removal of nearly 400 books [from USNA’s Nimitz Library] personally, reacting with surprise and concern.” The Associated Press reported May 21 that all but 20 books have been returned to the library.

Public Libraries Online, June 2; Associated Press, April 4, May 21

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