ALA Council Archives | Page 6 of 7 | American Libraries Magazine

Council III Provides Updates on Advocacy, Finances

By Amy Carlton | February 14, 2018

Memorials were read for Mae Benne, Edwin Gleaves, Mary Kathleen Hanselmann, Julius Lester, Lora Lander, Gene Dickerson, and Henry R. Stewart Jr. Tributes were offered for the 70th anniversary of the Mountain Plains Library Association, Danita Vance-Cooks, and the 20th anniversary of E-Rate. Vivian Bordeaux, chair of the ALA Council Tellers Committee, presented the report … Continue reading Council III Provides Updates on Advocacy, Finances →

Council II Discusses ALA Reorganization Ideas

By Amy Carlton | February 12, 2018

Policy Monitoring Committee (PMC) member Jennifer Boettcher presented the PMC report (CD#17) with three action items. The first motion proposed that text on politics in American libraries be incorporated into the ALA Policy Manual. The second motion proposed that text on equity, diversity, and inclusion be added to the Policy Manual. The third motion proposed to add definitions of … Continue reading Council II Discusses ALA Reorganization Ideas →

Council I Approves Honorary Membership for Hayden

By Amy Carlton | February 11, 2018

The minutes from the 2017 ALA Annual Conference (CD#2) were approved. Ed Sanchez, chair of the ALA Resolutions Committee, presented a report (CD#10.1) updating Council on progress made since the 2017 Midwinter Meeting in Atlanta to review its charge, scope of work, and training new members. ALA President-Elect Loida Garcia-Febo presented the ALA Committee on … Continue reading Council I Approves Honorary Membership for Hayden →

ALA Members to Vote on Executive Director Qualifications

By Carrie Smith | December 28, 2017

ALA members will decide on a resolution—to be included in the 2018 general election ballot, opening March 12 and closing April 4—determining whether the Association’s executive director should be required to hold an ALA-accredited master’s degree or a Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP)–accredited master’s degree with a specialty in school library media. … Continue reading ALA Members to Vote on Executive Director Qualifications →

Council III: Memorials and Tributes

By Amy Carlton | June 27, 2017

Memorials were read for Eric Moon (M#10), Marija J. Sanderling (M#11), Robert Henry “Bob” Rohlf (M#12), Dorothy Evans (M#13), Joy L. Lowe (M#14), Pauline Manaka (oral acknowledgment), and Amanda Rudd (oral acknowledgment). Tributes were offered for Harry Bruce (T#2), Keith Michael Fiels (T#3), and the 20th Anniversary of Victory in the Communications Decency Act Case … Continue reading Council III: Memorials and Tributes →

Council II: Tribute to Keith Michael Fiels

By Amy Carlton | June 26, 2017

Councilor Vivian Bourdeaux, chair of the Council Election Tellers Committee, reported on the election of new representatives to the Committee on Committees (COC) and the Planning and Budget Assembly (PBA) (CD#12.3). Elected to 2017–2018 COC are Ismail Abdullahi, Roberto Carlos Delgadillo, Martin L. Garnar, and Eboni Henri. Elected to the PBA as chapter councilors for … Continue reading Council II: Tribute to Keith Michael Fiels →

Council I Tackles Climate Change

By Amy Carlton | June 25, 2017

The minutes from the ALA Midwinter Meeting (CD#2.1) were adopted. ALA President-Elect Jim Neal presented the nominations for the ALA Committee on Committees (COC) (CD#12): Ismail Abdullahi, Lauren Comito, Roberto Carlos Delgadillo, Martin L. Garnar, Mel Gooch, Eboni Henri, Jenna Nemec-Loise, and Kimberly Anne Patton. Neal then presented nominations for the 2017–2018 Planning and Budget … Continue reading Council I Tackles Climate Change →

Guns and Libraries

By Karen Muller | June 12, 2017

Libraries are one of them. According to Robert P. Doyle, executive director of the Illinois Library Association, Illinois is the only state to make libraries “gun-free” zones. What does this mean for libraries elsewhere? What steps should we take to ensure libraries as a safe space? In January, at the 2017 Midwinter Meeting in Atlanta, … Continue reading Guns and Libraries →

Library professionals joined the Atlanta March for Social Justice and Women on January 21. Photo: Cognotes

2017 Midwinter Wrap-Up

By Greg Landgraf | March 1, 2017

One response was direct and immediate action, with at least 200 information professionals joining the Atlanta March for Social Justice and Women on January 21. That event was part of the Women’s Marches series of protests, which drew an estimated 60,000 participants in Atlanta and as many as 4.6 million worldwide. Midwinter attendees gathered in … Continue reading 2017 Midwinter Wrap-Up →

Council III Addresses Gun Violence

By George M. Eberhart | January 24, 2017

Memorials were read for J. McRee “Mac” Elrod; Robert “Bob” Alan; Valerie Bross; Sandra “Sandy” Friedman Dolnick; Nettie B. Taylor; Ruth Gordon; John Shuler; Karen Avenick; Robert White; and Warren “Jim” Haas. A tribute was offered to honor Emily Sheketoff for her service as executive director of the ALA Washington Office. William “Bill” Sudduth, chair, … Continue reading Council III Addresses Gun Violence →

Council II Defines ALA Executive Director Search Criteria

By Phil Morehart | January 24, 2017

2017–2018 ALA President-Elect James G. “Jim” Neal introduced CD #35–35.2 and CD #37, which amended the 2015 ALA Strategic Directions by adding a fourth Strategic Direction: Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. The motion to amend passed with no objections. Bill Sudduth, chair of the Council Tellers Committee, presented a report (CD #10.3) on the election of two … Continue reading Council II Defines ALA Executive Director Search Criteria →

Librarian of Congress Thanks Library Community at Council I

By Terra Dankowski | January 22, 2017

Todaro introduced a special guest, Librarian of Congress Carla D. Hayden, who gave remarks and thanked the library community for making her confirmation possible. 2014–2015 ALA President Courtney L. Young, chair of the ALA Executive Director Search Committee, presented the committee members (CD#10.2): Keri Cascio, Diane R. Chen, Joseph M. Eagan, Miguel Figueroa, Dora T. … Continue reading Librarian of Congress Thanks Library Community at Council I →

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Oliver Moody writes: “In the €100 million Oodi library, which looms over central Helsinki like a cruise ship from the future, robots called Tatu, Patu, and Veera trundle back and forth between the shelves and the reading rooms. Against this backdrop, foreign visitors might be surprised to see how many children and teenagers are engaged in an almost unsettlingly archaic activity: reading and borrowing books. In the age of TikTok, Netflix, and Candy Crush, it is not just Finland’s public libraries that are booming, but also demand for their physical paperbacks and hardbacks.”

The Times (London), June 20
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Amit Agarwal writes: “Angus owns a beautiful apartment near the university campus. With the new semester around the corner, he wants to create brochures to attract students as tenants. But here’s the challenge: the university has students from all over the world who speak different languages. Angus needs to create brochures that speak to everyone—from students from Japan to those from France, and everywhere in between. While he could create PDF brochures in multiple languages manually, that process would be both time-consuming and error-prone. This guide explains how you can automate it all.”

Digital Inspiration, June 18
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Emma Roth writes: “A federal judge has sided with Anthropic in an artificial intelligence (AI) copyright case, ruling that training its AI models on legally purchased books without authors’ permission is fair use. It’s a first-of-its-kind ruling in favor of the AI industry, but it’s importantly limited to physical books Anthropic purchased and digitized. Judge William Alsup of the Northern District of California also said in his decision that the company must face a separate trial for pirating books from the internet, and did not address whether AI model outputs infringe copyrights, which is at issue in related cases.”

The Verge, June 24
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Kimberli Buckley writes: “The modern library is a unique ecosystem. It’s rich with stories, resources, and people of all ages. Today’s library staff might include members of at least five different generations—all working under one roof. With such a broad mix of perspectives, experiences, and communication styles, it’s no surprise that misunderstandings might happen, but with mindful communication it doesn’t have to. Mindful communication offers us a way to pause, listen, and connect more intentionally so that no matter your generation or role, you feel seen, heard, valued, and understood.”

Compassionate Librarian, June 22
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Ann Baillie writes: “Your library going through a building renovation can lead to many different, and often conflicting emotions. Building renovations are complicated, and depending on the size and scope of the work, you may need to close to the public for a while. You want to make sure you maintain a positive relationship with patrons while your physical building is closed. But how can you?”

ALSC Blog, June 18
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Nathan Sonnenschein writes: “During my first year as an undergraduate, my community college’s library handed out folders bearing a catchphrase: ‘Faster than Google. Better than Wikipedia. Your college library.’ This gave me the impression that academic libraries saw Wikipedia as a usurper on their terrain. In the decade since, I have been delighted to see many library professionals develop more nuanced approaches to Wikipedia. Still, the belief that Wikipedia has no place in research or scholarship persists. There are real issues, but they do not mean Wikipedia has no valid place in the information ecosystem.”

ACRLog, June 23
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Investing in Prison Libraries: A Cost-Effective Path to Safer Communities and Second Chances, an ALA Policy Perspectives report released July 23, explores the essential role of prison libraries in lowering recidivism by better preparing incarcerated people for their release. According to the report, full funding of prison libraries leads to safer and healthier communities and reduced prison costs. Co-authors Erin Boyington, Amelia Bryne, and Emily Durkin will discuss their findings at ALA’s Annual Conference in Philadelphia in “The Work of Prison Libraries and Why Further Investment is Needed” on Saturday, June 28, at 9 a.m.

ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, June 23

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