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

The April announcement of the Soon to Be Famous Author Project winner took place at the Illinois Library Association in Chicago. Front, from left: Denise Raleigh, Michael Alan Peck, and Cris Cigler. Back, from left: Donna Fletcher, Julie Stam, Lucy Tarabour, Nikki Zimmermann, and Jennifer Amling.

Soon to Be … Awarded

By Alison Marcotte | June 12, 2015

“A group of us who knew each other gathered spontaneously outside of the room after the talk and just got jazzed about it and said, ‘We really should do something,’” says Sue Wilsey, communication manager at the Helen Plum Memorial Library in Lombard, Illinois. What resulted was the Soon to Be Famous Illinois Author Project, … Continue reading Soon to Be … Awarded →

Jacqueline Woodson named Young People’s Poet Laureate

By Amy Carlton | June 3, 2015

The role of the young people’s poet laureate is to raise awareness that young people have a natural receptivity to poetry and are its most appreciative audience, especially when poems are written specifically for them. The $25,000 laureate title is given to a living writer in recognition of a career devoted to writing exceptional poetry for … Continue reading Jacqueline Woodson named Young People’s Poet Laureate →

2015 ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition

2015 ALA Annual Preview

May 29, 2015

Annual will also feature a full slate of author programs, award presentations, special events, and other activities. This preview offers a small sample. For a complete listing, visit alaannual.org. Conference highlights The Opening General Session, on Friday, June 26, 4–5:15 p.m., will feature Roberta Kaplan, the litigator who helped invalidate a key section of the … Continue reading 2015 ALA Annual Preview →

The bar at Marlowe. Photo: Eric Wolfinger

Dining in the Golden City

By Jennifer Bush | May 29, 2015

Some are white-tablecloth establishments that present culinary masterpieces with warm formality, while others are so casual they practically toss you your food, a paper plate, and a napkin from out of the side of a truck. It’s impossible to get in and out of San Francisco without having a gastronomic epiphany, or at least a … Continue reading Dining in the Golden City →

2015 ALA Annual Must-Dos

By Mariam Pera | May 7, 2015

Focus on the future As community centers and technology hubs, libraries are always forward-focused. ALA’s Center for the Future of Libraries presents various sessions concentrated on the Library of the Future. Hear experts from Google, Steelcase, and the Long Now Foundation discuss trends in libraries and the latest on innovative learning, online search, and literacy. … Continue reading 2015 ALA Annual Must-Dos →

Emerging Leaders: The Class of 2015

By Phil Morehart | April 21, 2015

Initiated in 1997 as a one-year program under former ALA President Mary R. Somerville and revived in 2006 under former ALA President Leslie Burger, Emerging Leaders recognizes the best and brightest new leaders in our industry. It’s open to librarians under 35 years of age or those new to the library profession of any age … Continue reading Emerging Leaders: The Class of 2015 →

Travel Grants for San Francisco

By Mariam Pera | September 17, 2014

Deadline: October 1, 2014 Penguin Young Readers Group Award Description: Up to four children’s librarians can receive a stipend to attend their first ALA Annual Conference. Award amount: $600 Requirement: Must be ALSC member Administered by: ALSC Sponsored by: Penguin Young Readers Group Deadline: December 1, 2014 Baker & Taylor Conference Grant Description: Two grants for … Continue reading Travel Grants for San Francisco →

Latest Library Links

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Bobbi L. Newman writes: “This week, an article from the BBC caught my attention: ‘Without support, many menopausal workers are quitting their jobs.’ Supporting employees going through menopause is important for those experiencing it and for everyone’s wellbeing. It reflects a commitment to employee wellbeing and a strategic approach to workforce management. Libraries can adopt strategies to support employees experiencing menopause, enhancing their wellbeing and workplace productivity. Remember, with all wellbeing, the goal is to support and empower staff to make the choices that best improve their health. Here are some practical approaches.”

Librarian by Day, Apr. 19; BBC, Apr. 9
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Libraries have a long history of helping to deliver on a wide variety of development goals, from literacy and school readiness to research productivity and urban cohesion. Their unique potential has been recognized not just by the governments or others that traditionally fund them, but also by a range of other funders, private and public alike. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions has created a dataset to help librarians easily discover examples of private philanthropic grants, as well as other funding sources, that other libraries have been able to leverage.”

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, Apr. 22
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Jackie Jennings writes: “It feels like the debate over whether #BookTok is bad has been raging since the moment the term was first coined. I’m starting off with a strong stance: BookTok is indeed bad. However, the problem with BookTok is not crappy books or bogus influencers. The problem with BookTok is TikTok itself. BookTok isn’t actually a community driven by fans, writers, influencers, or even publishers: it’s part of a social media corporation, controlled by the most mysterious, fickle god of all, the algorithm.” Not surprisingly, librarian recommendations can overcome some of BookTok’s limitations.

Jezebel, Apr. 18; Book Riot, Apr. 22
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ALA announced the launch of its state Intellectual Freedom Helpline grant program April 22. Over the next two years, 10 pilot program sites will operate a confidential reporting system that will help connect those experiencing censorship attempts with professional support, in-state peers, or referral to ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, as appropriate. State or school library associations or agencies wishing to either establish an Intellectual Freedom Helpline in their state or expand existing efforts may apply for $10,000 grants through July 14.

ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom, Apr. 22
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In celebration of the release of his latest nonfiction title, The Secret Lives of Booksellers & Librarians, bestselling author James Patterson is honoring select American Bookseller Association and American Library Association members with bonuses. He announced plans April 11 to give $200 each to 250 library workers across the country. The deadline for ALA members may nominate members to receive bonuses through April 30. Winners will be announced at ALA’s 2024 Annual Conference in San Diego.
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Catherine Hollerbach writes: “In early 2020, when the world shut down for COVID, many people got interested in houseplants. Anne Arundel County (Md.) Public Library’s Crofton Library embraced this trend and then some!” While preparing to reopen after the COVID shutdown, the library installed plants at the information desk to discourage patrons from sticking their heads through gaps in newly installed acrylic shields. They were well received and cared for, and the library gradually added more plants and built educational tools, programming, and partnerships around the plants.

Public Libraries Online, Apr. 18
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Rodney Freeman writes: “I am proud to be a librarian—and rare. Less than 7% of librarians in the US are Black. Libraries symbolize the literacy that was denied to so many of our ancestors. For our enslaved forebears, something as fundamental as learning to read was illegal and dangerous, but they did it anyway. Separate but ‘equal’ schools and ‘colored’ libraries filled with cast-offs from white libraries were key features of the Jim Crow era. Today we are seeing the same impulse to distort access to information into a tool to suppress and control, and to make some people ‘other.’”

Newsweek, Apr. 16

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