Advocacy Archives | Page 44 of 45 | American Libraries Magazine

Pink Slips – and Rumors – Fly in L.A.

March 17, 2010

The state of fiscal emergency in many libraries, school districts, and academic campuses has lent credence to recent media reports that officials of the Los Angeles Unified School District have approved the dismissal of every certificated teacher-librarian systemwide. According to California School Librarians Association President Rosemarie Bernier, however, the truth is far less dire. Bernier … Continue reading Pink Slips – and Rumors – Fly in L.A. →

Ridiculous, Meet Sublime

March 16, 2010

Remember the old saying assuring us that even fools come in out of the rain? My new corollary is: Even naysayers need shelter from the storm—especially when the naysayers don't realize it. There's one particular naysayer I have in mind: Tommy Wayne Kramer, columnist for the Ukiah (Calif.) Daily Journal. Yesterday, I found myself combing … Continue reading Ridiculous, Meet Sublime →

Congress Extends Library Provision of Patriot Act to 2011

By Beverly Goldberg | February 26, 2010

The U.S. House of Representatives sent Pres. Obama a bill extending three often-contested provisions of the Patriot Act on the evening of February 26, two days before the sections were due to expire. Approved by a vote of 315–97 the night after the Senate passed the bill by voice vote, H.R. 3961 extends until February … Continue reading Congress Extends Library Provision of Patriot Act to 2011 →

Passing the (Library) Buck in Michigan

February 24, 2010

What was thought last fall to be a reprieve for the Library of Michigan has turned out quite differently, as evidenced by the reaction in some quarters to a February 12 status memo about the downsizing of the Library of Michigan. Such memos are often received as innocuous blips on a given organization's radar screen—documentation … Continue reading Passing the (Library) Buck in Michigan →

Florida Man Sues Two Libraries for Religious Discrimination

By Beverly Goldberg | February 17, 2010

A Florida man has filed a religious-discrimination lawsuit against Volusia County Public Library, Director Lucinda Colee, and the county, claiming that VCPL’s New Smyrna Beach branch declined his request to conduct a seminar called “Is Religion Alive in America?” there because library policy bans use of the meeting room for sectarian programming. The February 4 … Continue reading Florida Man Sues Two Libraries for Religious Discrimination →

A Chance to Show Off: Library Snapshot Day

February 5, 2010

The concept of Library Snapshot Day originated in New Jersey, when librarians at the State Library and the New Jersey Library Association put their heads together and dreamed up a clever way for libraries of all types in every part of the country could show off what happens in a single day. To help spread … Continue reading A Chance to Show Off: Library Snapshot Day →

LSSI Loses Challenge to Florida Rule Mandating Full-Time Directors

By Gordon Flagg | February 3, 2010

A judge has dismissed a legal challenge brought by Library Systems and Services (LSSI) against a proposed rule that would require Florida’s public library systems to be administered by a full-time librarian employed by the library’s governing body. Proposed by the Florida Division of Library and Information Services as an amendment to the State Aid … Continue reading LSSI Loses Challenge to Florida Rule Mandating Full-Time Directors →

A New Deal for Privacy?

January 16, 2010

“We need a New Deal about privacy,” said Hal Niedzviecki, author of The Peep Diaries, at the Office for Intellectual Freedom's kickoff for Choose Privacy Week, which will be first observed May 2–8, 2010. Niedzviecki discussed his flirtation with what he called “Peep Culture”—the willingness of people to share and consume the details of each … Continue reading A New Deal for Privacy? →

Washington Office Update, part 1

January 16, 2010

The Washington Office covered a number of topics in its Midwinter update. Due to a scheduled interview on the MCCA/ALA Haiti Relief Fund, I was able to attend the first hour only; Pamela Goodes will be writing about topics discussed after I left. Patriot Act “It’s back, and it’s not real great news, said Lynne … Continue reading Washington Office Update, part 1 →

State Associations Join Call for End to Patriot Act’s Library Provision

By Gordon Flagg | December 9, 2009

As the December 31 deadline for reauthorization of three provisions of the USA Patriot Act approached, more than 30 state library associations had passed resolutions calling for Congress to allow Section 215, which permits the Justice Department to conduct searches of library and bookstore records, to expire. Many state library associations also voiced opposition to … Continue reading State Associations Join Call for End to Patriot Act’s Library Provision →

Gamers take over U.S. libraries

November 18, 2009

Children, teens, and adults showed up in droves to play board games and video games at the biggest National Gaming Day yet November 14, with 1,365 registered libraries participating, easily doubling the number of participants from last year, NGD mastermind Jenny Levine told American Libraries. Libraries who participated in the massive, nationwide, ALA-sponsored event received … Continue reading Gamers take over U.S. libraries →

It’s Not Over Till the Final Check Clears

October 14, 2009

It’s autumn—that time of year when a library official’s fancy turns to thoughts of the next fiscal year. At least that’s what should happen, unless said library official is beleaguered by the specter of revenue-projection shortfalls that could erode carefully laid plans for the current fiscal year. Truth be told, library officials who aren’t feeling … Continue reading It’s Not Over Till the Final Check Clears →

Latest Library Links

11h

ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom and the Writers Guild Initiative are hosting a unique series of writer’s workshops that help participants use writing to reflect on experiences, share insights, identify a path forward, and make their voices heard. The workshops will pair 25 librarians with professional film and television writers. All librarians are invited to apply by December 16. Participants will be randomly selected for the four-session online series taking place from February 1 through March 8, 2025.

Office for Intellectual Freedom, Nov. 20
14h

Cass Balzer writes: “What would you do to keep your child clean, dry, and healthy? Skip meals? Miss bill payments? Take on an extra job? For nearly half of US families with young children, the answer is: All of the above and more. A National Diaper Bank Network study found that in 2023, an unprecedented 47% of families with young children nationwide struggled to afford diapers. In response, libraries have stepped up to distribute these critical supplies. Though they can be challenging to fund and coordinate, these programs are immensely popular and—for many communities—vital.”

American Libraries Trend, Nov./Dec.
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Ana Ndumu writes: “For more than a century, American libraries of all types have helped immigrants integrate, worked with municipalities to cultivate welcoming communities, and supported laws to shape our immigration system. With immigrants making up 13.8% of our population, the US is more racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse than ever before. But for many library workers, staying abreast of the fraught immigration policy landscape is challenging. Laws shift rapidly, with initiatives introduced or eliminated according to political agendas. Here are additional resources library workers can use to educate themselves or network with others administering to immigrant communities.”

American Libraries column, Nov./Dec.
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Michael Kan writes: “Are you still using ‘chocolate,’ ‘naruto,’ or ‘monkey’ for your passwords? You really need to stop. All three are among the most commonly used passwords, putting your accounts at risk of hacking, according to new data from NordPass. The password manager’s sixth annual list of the top 200 most commonly used passwords is pulled from a 2.5TB dataset of stolen logins taken from various sources.” ZDNet offers tips for creating stronger passwords and improved security measures.

PC Mag, Nov. 14; NordPass, Nov. 13; ZDNet, Nov. 14
4d

John Sharp writes: “Athens and Fairhope are two fast-growing cities in the fastest-growing areas of Alabama, and there is no mistaking their conservative bona fides. But according to early statistics about library card applications, their libraries appear to be bucking a trend embraced by conservative-leaning groups and the Alabama GOP: Their patrons appear to be trusting the libraries. More than 60% of parents at Fairhope Public Library and Athens-Limestone County Public Library have signed off on all-access passes for their children with no restrictions on library usage.”

AL.com, Nov. 17
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Katie Gaddini writes: “Book bans may have mushroomed in the Trump era of reactionary politics, but they have a well-established history in America. One woman in particular, Norma Gabler, redefined the current strategy and logic behind modern book bans. Called ‘education’s public enemy number one,’ by critics in 1980, Gabler led the crusade against the so-called secular trend in school textbooks throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Even though Norma and her husband Mel worked together, Norma was the public face of their efforts for decades.”

Time: Made By History, Nov. 13
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Many members know Bill Ladewski as executive director of the Reference and User Services Association, an ALA position he has held since 2019. In early September, Ladewski added another title to his CV: director of Member Relations and Services. In this role, he and his team are charged with providing service and information to the Association’s nearly 50,000 members. Ladewski answered our 11 Questions to reintroduce himself to the ALA community.

AL: The Scoop, Nov. 19

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