Speakers Kick off Midwinter with the ERT/Booklist Author Forum (January 8), an exciting panel moderated by a Booklist editor. Get inspired at the Arthur Curley Memorial Lecture (January 9) where you’ll hear a talk by cyberbullying activist Lizzie Velasquez, best known for her TEDx talk viewed more than 9 million times on YouTube. Attend the … Continue reading Making the Most of Midwinter 2016
Attendees at Midwinter engage in the face-to-face committee work that moves projects forward and builds on virtual collaboration, as well as quality conversations with exhibitors on a less crowded exhibit floor. They will return to their libraries and other institutions with the renewed sense of energy generated by in-person events, as well as new tools … Continue reading ALA Midwinter 2016: Get Ready Now!
Diversity was a major theme of this year’s meeting. It culminated at the Youth Media Awards ceremony, where ALA President Courtney L. Young observed the need for all children to have access to materials that reflect their experiences. “Our country is a melting pot of cultures, yet the percentages of children’s books released each year … Continue reading Midwinter 2015: Members Talk Diversity and Technology
“Let me tell you a story,” he began, reading from his new children’s book, The Rhino Who Swallowed a Storm (Reading Rainbow, 2014). “It’s by one of my favorite authors,” he joked. The book’s plot addresses the issue of finding comfort and support in tough times. Burton said the theme was partly inspired by one … Continue reading LeVar Burton Delights
Segel is the co-author with writer Kirsten Miller of Nightmares!, the first entry in a new book series for kids. Nightmares! follows a young boy named Charlie as he battles the witches, goblins, and more that inhabit his nighttime dreamworld. Segel spent much of his very funny Saturday morning talk at Midwinter, part of the … Continue reading Welcome to Jason Segel’s Nightmare
Sandburg could have been talking about librarians. As societal and technological shifts continue to influence (and create gaps in) who has access to information and how, librarians’ roles as the bridges connecting different and diverse communities to relevant resources becomes more prominent. Big shoulders indeed. Librarians from around the world will arrive in Chicago for … Continue reading 2015 ALA Midwinter Preview
While the ultimate Windy City comfort foods are the oh-so-familiar Chicago-style hot dogs and deep dish pizza, each neighborhood offers its own soothing culinary creature comfort: noodles in Chinatown, tacos in Pilsen, and reinvented diner fare in the trendy West Loop. (All of the spots listed within this guide are within an easy El or … Continue reading Hot Eats for Cold Nights
“When you’ve been so deeply touched by violence, you don’t glorify it. You’re not fascinated by it in any way,” author Ishmael Beah told a captivated crowd of several hundred on Saturday afternoon at the Arthur Curley Memorial Lecture during the 2014 ALA Midwinter Meeting and Exhibits in Philadelphia. Beah grew up in the southern … Continue reading Tales of a Former Child Soldier
Among Sweet’s awards are a Caldecott Honor for A River of Words (Eerdmans, 2008) and, more recently, a 2014 Sibert Honor for A Splash of Red (Knopf), which was announced at the January 27 Youth Media Awards. Video: Melissa Sweet on the Influence of Libraries See, hear, and read more about what’s going on … Continue reading Interview with Melissa Sweet
Flying to Philly is the only thing I don’t look forward to when it comes to Midwinter. Flying is not pleasant business. The indignity of airport screening, waiting to board an overcrowded plane, jamming my carryon into the overstuffed bins. The sole redeeming feature of air travel is my 15 minutes of quiet reading because … Continue reading Fear of Flying
Franklin clearly envisioned that libraries would play an active role in advocacy and the improvement of communities. On January 24–28, librarians from around the country will arrive in Franklin’s native Philadelphia for the 2014 ALA Midwinter Meeting and Exhibits to discuss the future of their profession and its impact on the communities they serve in … Continue reading Philadelphia: 2014 Midwinter Preview
Why do you think story is the tool with which to combat the “real-life horcruxes” of inequality, illiteracy, and human rights violations? A good story opens us up, makes us vulnerable. And in that moment of vulnerability, we can be preyed on or prayed for. We’ve seen stories put to a lot of bad use. … Continue reading How Harry Potter Changed
This Man’s Life
