ALA Treasurer Susan H. Hildreth presented the Treasurer’s Report for FY2019 (CD#13.3). A motion to approve the FY19 Annual Estimates of Income passed. Councilor Martin Garnar then gave the report from the Committee on Diversity (CD#14.1). In his report as president of the Freedom to Read Foundation (FRTF) (CD#22.1), Garnar provided updates on existing and … Continue reading Council II Committee Reports
Reflecting on her experiences, University of Notre Dame digital research and outreach librarian Mandy Havert began the session with brainstorming different parts of the mentorship relationship, asking us to “get to the ‘why’ of mentoring” and ask ourselves “What do I want to learn? What will I do with that knowledge?” and “Who can help?” Whether within … Continue reading Finding the Right Fit: The Mentorship Search
Long before the session was due to begin, every seat was full. Attendees were sitting on the floor and more were standing along the walls. Moderated by Director of the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom James LaRue, this panel featured Nicole Cooke from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Damaso Reyes from The News Literacy Project, Joyce Valenza … Continue reading Fake News or Free Speech: Is There a Right to be Misinformed?
For Alicia Kubas, government publications and regional depository librarian at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, it was the government shutdown in 2013—her first year as a government documents librarian—that made it clear how access to government information can be an issue for citizens, and a cause of cynicism. The content of many government websites … Continue reading Should We Be Cynical or Skeptical?
The discussion at table #20 commenced with a visit from author Cynthia Leitich Smith, who is a citizen of the Muscogee Nation. Cynthia discussed her forthcoming book Hearts Unbroken (Candlewick, 2018). She describes it as a book with diverse characters in a high school musical. It is also reflective of her relationship as a Native teen … Continue reading YA Coffee Klatch
The two immediately began playing a friendly game of one-upmanship. Hayden kidded Ferriero about the Library of Congress (LC) being older (established in 1800) than the National Archives (1934). Then Ferriero mock-complained that in 1935, then–Librarian of Congress Herbert Putnam refused to relinquish LC’s copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution to the … Continue reading The Librarian and the Archivist
You can squeeze a lot into a morning when you start at 4 a.m. Good coffee, great colleagues, and ALA Council make for a memorable #alaac18! pic.twitter.com/906c3lBkuL — Sam Helmick (@GeometricRabbit) June 24, 2018 You talked to a conference newbie. Conference newbie: I’ve never seen so much rainbow hair before!Me: Just wait until you get … Continue reading Top 10 Tweets—Sunday Edition
That will soon change with the publication of her forthcoming autobiography, In Pieces (Grand Central Publishing, 2018). It’s an unflinching, honest account of a life shaped by Hollywood—one marred by childhood abuse at the hands of her actor stepfather but uplifted by perseverance, artistic success, and the love and respect of her family and peers. … Continue reading Putting the Pieces Together
Eig was up for the task. What culminated was Ali: A Life—a 640-page, multiple-award-winning exploration cobbled from more than 600 interviews with 200 sources (including religious leader Louis Farrakhan, fight promoter Don King, and boxer George Foreman) over five years. He shared with Auditorium Speaker Series attendees at the American Library Association’s 2018 Annual Conference … Continue reading Jonathan Eig Pulls No Punches
So what does science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) education for our youngest learners look like? Librarians and early literacy experts explored that question at “STEM for Babies and Toddlers,” an Association for Library Service to Children–sponsored program at the American Library Association’s Annual Conference in New Orleans on June 23. “Science is a way … Continue reading STEM for Babies
Similarly, it was an honor for me to get to hear Dr. Hayden in her own words at the Reference and User Services Association’s (RUSA) President’s Program, “New Dawn for Libraries: A Conversation with Dr. Carla Hayden.” Her wide-ranging conversation with former ALA President Courtney Young gave insight into her career path from children’s librarian … Continue reading Dr. Carla Hayden: In Her Words
All of the panelists said the need for services to immigrants has been increasing, both for traditional library work—collection development in multiple languages and English classes—and for services that focus on civil rights, civic engagement, and social justice. Eva Raison, coordinator of immigrant services at Brooklyn Public Library (BPL), said BPL has added two full-time … Continue reading Serving Immigrants and Refugees in Public Libraries
