#alaac15 Archives | Page 4 of 5 | American Libraries Magazine

Top Ten Tweets – Saturday (Day 2)

By Julie Cai | June 28, 2015

Here are some things to expect during an ALA conference: Saturday had a great assortment of inspirational speakers: We didn’t forget about you, #alaleftbehind! Keep up with Annual news with #alaac15!

Anthony Doerr (left) with his book. Bryan Stevenson

Doerr, Stevenson win 2015 Andrew Carnegie Medals

By Laurie D. Borman | June 28, 2015

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the NBA’s all-time lead scorer, Basketball Hall of Fame inductee, and a New York Times–bestselling author, offered the keynote address. His first novel, Mycroft Holmes, about Sherlock Holmes’s older brother, will be published this fall by Titan Books. Abdul-Jabbar said his father was an avid reader who gave him books to find answers … Continue reading Doerr, Stevenson win 2015 Andrew Carnegie Medals →

Lucy Sanna, Bruce Henderson, and Meg Waite Clayton

Experiencing WWII Through Fact and Fiction

By Erika L. Jenns | June 28, 2015

At the PopTop Stage on Saturday, Clayton, Sanna, and Henderson described their books, their characters, and their writing processes. Clayton’s forthcoming book, The Race for Paris, tells the story of female photojournalists during WWII. Inspired by a biography of Margaret Bourke-White, Clayton began work on her novel 15 years ago and refers to it as … Continue reading Experiencing WWII Through Fact and Fiction →

Want to Get Hired?

By Sanhita SinhaRoy | June 28, 2015

The one-hour, standing-room-only program—titled “The Key to Getting Interviews: Great Cover Letters and Résumés”—was led by ALA Human Resources director Dan Hoppe, who has received thousands of résumés and cover letters over the course of his 18-year HR career. A cover letter, he says, is a “call to action” and should be tailored to the … Continue reading Want to Get Hired? →

Gloria Steinem: Rescued by Librarians

By Amy Carlton | June 28, 2015

True to form, Steinem wanted to use her Auditorium Speaker Series presentation to upend the traditional notion of an author speech. She opened by saying, “We have something very special this morning: an hour in this room with a combination of people that has never happened before and never will happen again.” She then expressed … Continue reading Gloria Steinem: Rescued by Librarians →

Comics Creators Call for More Diversity

By Phil Morehart | June 27, 2015

The first panel, titled “His, Hers, and Theirs: Gender and Comics” discussed how gender is portrayed in comics, the visibility of different gender identities, and the lack of representation in comics. Asked when she first became aware of gender in comics, artist and comics historian Trina Robbins (From Girls to Grrrlz, Pretty in Ink) noted … Continue reading Comics Creators Call for More Diversity →

Loriene Roy honored by American Indian Library Association

By Laurie D. Borman | June 27, 2015

Roy, former president of both AILA and ALA, is of the Anishinaabe/White Earth Nation. She was honored by the AILA with its highest award at the event in San Francisco, coinciding with the 2015 ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition. Roy is a professor in the School of Information at the University of Texas at Austin, … Continue reading Loriene Roy honored by American Indian Library Association →

Building the New Nostalgia

By Erika L. Jenns | June 27, 2015

Dale Dougherty, founder and executive chairman of Maker Media; Jennifer Pahlka, founder and executive director of Code for America; John Palfrey, head of school at the Phillips Academy in Andover, Massachusetts; and Meaghan O’Connor, assistant director for programs and partnerships at the District of Columbia Public Library offered insightful remarks. Each tried to answer that … Continue reading Building the New Nostalgia →

Top Ten Tweets – Friday (Day 1)

By Julie Cai | June 27, 2015

Opening day of the 2015 ALA Annual Conference was in good company with the Supreme Court ruling that legalizes gay marriage. Annual is taking place during a very busy Pride Weekend; with this victory, the conference looks to be an especially exciting one. The twitterverse was ablaze with support and excitement! Another important topic tackled … Continue reading Top Ten Tweets – Friday (Day 1) →

Roberta Kaplan Opens ALA Annual with Celebration of Pride

By Amy Carlton | June 27, 2015

Kaplan, a litigator and partner with Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton, and Garrison, and an adjunct professor of law at Columbia University School of Law, rose to prominence with the 2013 case United States v. Windsor, in which the Supreme Court ruled Section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act unconstitutional. In an exclusive interview with … Continue reading Roberta Kaplan Opens ALA Annual with Celebration of Pride →

From Preserving Materials to Facilitating Access

By Erika L. Jenns | June 26, 2015

At the forum, the Center for Research Libraries’ Director of Technical Services Amy Wood delivered a recap of a meeting convened by CRL at the University of California, Berkeley, the day before. At that meeting, representatives from large print serials archiving programs examined data collected on various programs and assessed the progress that has been … Continue reading From Preserving Materials to Facilitating Access →

Nancy Pelosi, Tech Logic to Honor Enoch Pratt Free Library

June 26, 2015

US House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Tech Logic Corporation President Gary Kirk are honoring the Pennsylvania Avenue branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore with Tech Logic’s inaugural People First Award. The award will be presented June 26, at 5:15 p.m., in the Esplanade Ballroom of the Moscone Center during the … Continue reading Nancy Pelosi, Tech Logic to Honor Enoch Pratt Free Library →

Latest Library Links

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Tova Gaster writes: “Library Futures’s new research report, ‘Keeping an Open Mind: Awareness, Use, and Perspectives of OER in Public Libraries,’ takes a first look at how public librarians are using and perceiving open educational resources (OER). Library Futures surveyed public librarians about their use and awareness of OER via the Public Library Association mailing list from January–March 2024 and received 107 usable responses. Our flagship survey revealed that public librarians are very interested in OER, but many lack the resources, education, or support to bring interest into action.”

Library Futures, Nov. 22
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Jack Wallen writes: “Bluesky is a breath of fresh air. You’re not force-fed ads, nor are there algorithmic suggestions to clutter up your feed. Even better, there’s so much positivity. That alone is worth the time to migrate. But how do you get started? It took you years to collect those followers on Twitter. Will it take years to do the same on Bluesky? No. Bluesky’s starter packs are customized collections of accounts pre-loaded with users interested in different subjects.” Librarian Paul Jewell has created an information literacy starter pack.

ZDNet, Nov. 26; Information Literacy Weblog, Dec. 2
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A newly published research study from the American Association of School Librarians’ peer-reviewed online journal, School Library Research, investigates self-censorship of controversial topics in collection development. In “To Add or Not to Add: An Examination of Self‐Censoring Behaviors among School Librarians,” information science professors Jennifer Moore and Alissa Tudor use survey data to examine which controversial or frequently challenged topics school librarians chose not to collect. The research found that there were high amounts of self-censorship around books that dealt with sexual content, abortion, and self-harm.

American Association of School Librarians, Dec. 3; School Library Research, Volume 27
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Frank Strong writes: “Day one of pre-filing of bills for the 2025 Texas legislative session treated us with several attempts to further restrict reading rights for Texans. The headliner of those bills is House Bill 183, which would enable the State Board of Education to review and remove books from all public schools in the state, essentially creating a statewide banned books list. But it won’t be the only one. Below are six more antibook bills you should watch out for—and publicize, and speak out against, and fight—in the new year.”

Anger & Clarity, Nov. 29
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“In today’s society, libraries stand out as among the last truly public institutions. Providing access to resources without financial, social, or physical barriers, public libraries make a unique contribution to promoting individual and collective flourishing throughout the communities they serve. The New York Public Library’s Strategy and Public Impact team and the Humanities and Human Flourishing Project at the University of Pennsylvania’s Positive Psychology Center in Philadelphia have released a new report as part of an ongoing collaboration to study and advocate for the role of public libraries in the communities they serve.”

New York Public Library, Nov.
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ALA’s Games & Gaming Round Table announced the winners of its 2024 Platinum Play Hall of Fame Awards on December 2, representing the best games for library collections or programming released in the last two to 10 years. The “Platys” Class of 2024 includes longstanding favorites such as Splendor and Azul, approachable program-friendly titles like Just One and Exploding Kittens, the tournament-friendly Super Smash Bros. Melee, geolocation game Pokémon Go, and ‘80s throwback RPG Kids on Bikes.

ALA Games and Gaming Round Table, Dec. 2
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Samantha Kretschmer writes: “A staff survey conducted by administration at my library two years ago pointed to a general feeling of discontent amongst staff. The administration formed a Staff Advisory committee, which I was tasked with chairing. The point of this committee was to promote understanding and cooperation between the various branches and departments of the library; to promote productive cooperation between staff, management, and administration; to provide a place for a constructive exchange of ideas; to serve as a channel for staff questions, comments, and concerns; and to help create a community amongst staff.”

ALSC Blog, Nov. 28

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