The URL had barely expired November 27 on a bold online petition demanding the restoration of strong school libraries in every American school when another campaign got off the ground to gather 25,000 signatures within 30 days in favor of mandating quality education for America’s children through the provision of fully funded school libraries run … Continue reading Sign Here for School Libraries
An online petition is demanding that the Obama administration mandate the full funding and staffing of school libraries. It’s posted to a new interactive We the People web page, hosted by the White House, where U.S. citizens can petition the government for a redress of grievances as stated in the First Amendment. The petition was … Continue reading Talking Turkey about School Libraries
Last week’s Election Day brought some remarkably good news for many public libraries across the country that sought operating millages and capital bonds for improvements. Seasoned advocates are well aware, however, that those victories were no reason for library boosters to rest on their laurels or stop reaching for the elusive brass ring of fiscal … Continue reading The Brass Ring of Sustainability
Adult literacy continues to be a serious educational and economic issue in the United States. Currently, there are an estimated 32 million adults living with such low-level literacy skills that reading a children’s picture book or understanding the instructions on a medicine bottle pose a challenge. That’s what made the first U.S. Conference on Adult … Continue reading Placing Adult Literacy Front and Center
Minneapolis, the location of the 15th National Conference of ALA’s American Association for School Librarians, is gorgeous and friendly—and the cool temperatures are certainly welcome after my endless Texas summer! I arrived Tuesday evening, and found a group of AASL leaders including Susan Ballard and Debbie Abilock in the hotel restaurant. Two hours later, we … Continue reading AASL Day One: E-ink and Collection Development
How often have you heard people complain in the last few months that our president, senators, and congressional reps are all acting like little children—especially during the shameful national debt ceiling crisis? There we were, on the brink of an unprecedented double-dip recession, and our federal elected officials persisted in pointing fingers at each other, … Continue reading No More Kidding Around
Librarians shouting about funding is fast becoming old news. We need to find new ways to take a stand against library budget cuts. A grassroots push is a terrific advertising tool, and it can be really fun to pull off. It’s a wonderful motivator to get people out and keep them coming back to do … Continue reading Grassroots Advocacy: Putting Yourself Out There
“I want you to live your best life so you can affect the lives of the people you work with and for,” said Satia Orange, retired director of ALA’s Office for Literacy and Outreach Services and opening keynote speaker at the Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services 2011 Annual Conference, October 13–15, in Cleveland, Ohio. … Continue reading Library Outreach Specialists “Reach Out and Up” in Cleveland
“All hands on deck” is the message ALA President Molly Raphael is sending in regards to funding for school library programs. Her Presidential Task Force on School Libraries comprises members from all facets of the library profession, and in that spirit she’s calling on library practitioners to get involved in the crisis affecting school libraries. … Continue reading Message from ALA President Molly Raphael
Reforma, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking, celebrated 40 years of advocacy at its 4th National Conference in Denver, September 15–18. Fittingly, the conference, whose theme was: “Elevating Latino Library Services to a Higher Level,” coincided with the Diez y Seis de Septiembre (the anniversary of … Continue reading Reformistas Gather to Reflect, Recharge as Group Turns 40
“All of you represent assets in your communities that truly make a difference,” Texas State Librarian Peggy Rudd told more than 320 librarians gathered in Frisco, Texas, September 8–11, for the 2011 Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL) Annual Conference. An affiliate of the American Library Association, ARSL is a nationwide network of library … Continue reading A Big Gathering of Small and Rural Libraries
The only recourse after disaster strikes is to recover and learn from it. The library community is well aware of the horror visited upon the Eastern seaboard by Hurricane Irene, and, hearteningly, how communities are strategizing about how they’ll restore library services even as they struggle to repair and rebuild other essential town infrastructure. Transplanted … Continue reading Unavoidable Disasters and Unfathomable Disconnects
