#alaac18 Archives | Page 5 of 7 | American Libraries Magazine

Council I Discusses Organizational Effectiveness

By Amy Carlton | June 24, 2018

The minutes from the ALA Midwinter Meeting (CD #2.1) were adopted. Ed Sanchez gave the report from the ALA Resolutions Committee (CD#10.2) on a motion to amend the ALA Policy Manual to update the motion form process for resolutions with fiscal implications. The motion passed. ALA President-Elect and chair of the Committee on Committees (COC) … Continue reading Council I Discusses Organizational Effectiveness →

Author Sue Halpern at Carnegie Awards celebration

The Story behind the Stories

By George M. Eberhart | June 24, 2018

Egan told the audience that, like many other novels, Manhattan Beach was born in a library, specifically the Local History Room of the New York Public Library. She had wanted her next novel to be set in New York City during World War II, but did not know exactly where to start. The library staff … Continue reading The Story behind the Stories →

Authors Sherrilyn Kenyon and Nnedi Okorafor

Diversity in Science Fiction

By George M. Eberhart | June 24, 2018

Nnedi Okorafor, author of the Binti series of novellas about a spacefaring African girl, said that many of her characters have gotten “angrier and more destructive” over time. Binti, however, is “not a badass,” even though she is a superhero. “Her superpower is negotiation,” Okorafor said. “Science fiction and fantasy can offer a distorted lens … Continue reading Diversity in Science Fiction →

Everyday Advocacy

By Terra Dankowski | June 24, 2018

“We were able to get the Tea Party to support our millage increase. That’s probably the first and last time that would happen in Kent County,” he joked to attendees at the United for Libraries President’s Program, “Engaging Elected Officials with Your Library,” at the American Library Association’s Annual Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans … Continue reading Everyday Advocacy →

YA Leading the Way

By Lisa Krok | June 24, 2018

My day began with “Native YA Today: Contemporary Indigenous Voices and Heroes for the 21st Century and Beyond.” The panel was comprised of #ownvoices authors Cynthia Leitich Smith, Joseph Bruchac, and Dawn Quigley. Eric Gansworth’s travel was delayed, so we were graced with the pinch hitter of all time, Debbie Reese—aka the Diversity Jedi herself. Some themes that … Continue reading YA Leading the Way →

Graphic Medicine

By Amy Carlton | June 24, 2018

Czerwiec, senior fellow of the George Washington School of Nursing Center for Health Policy and Media Engagement and the Artist-in-Residence at Northwestern Feinberg School of Medicine, started making comics as a way to process her emotions and take care of herself while working in an AIDS ward in Chicago in the 1980s and 1990s. She … Continue reading Graphic Medicine →

Alison Head, founder and executive director of Project Information Literacy, explains how research data creates a more complete understanding of the information-seeking behaviors of high school and college students.

Memes as News Sources?

By Sally Stieglitz | June 23, 2018

The mixed-methods study considered the significant shift towards a preference for online news resources and looked at how students consider authority and currency when seeking information. Head experienced an epiphany when she observed, based on focus groups, that the students “are really different from me and and how I find news.” As a result, Head … Continue reading Memes as News Sources? →

A New Frontier

By Amy Carlton | June 23, 2018

Fatima Perkins, community outreach and advocacy director at Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging in Cleveland, illustrated the many opportunities libraries will have in coming years to meet needs of older adults and caregivers as demographics shift rapidly. The number of Americans over 65 is projected to more than double from 46 million today to … Continue reading A New Frontier →

Leading a Troubled Nation

By Phil Morehart | June 23, 2018

She discussed this trait and her own journey with the presidents as part of the Auditorium Speaker Series on June 23 at the American Library Association’s 2018 Annual Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans. Like Kearns’s books, her talk was dense with colorful, fascinating anecdotes that humanized our nation’s leaders while revealing how their leadership … Continue reading Leading a Troubled Nation →

The Consequences of the Closet

By George M. Eberhart | June 23, 2018

Fieseler, an Auditorium Speaker at the 2018 ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans on June 23, told attendees his work is a “meditation on the consequences of closeted life in America.” The Up Stairs Lounge was an oasis, Fieseler said, where the mostly secret gay community could get together in a place “safe from the … Continue reading The Consequences of the Closet →

Top 10 Tweets—Saturday Edition

By Heather Cho | June 23, 2018

You’ve gotten used to the New Orleans weather. New Orleans has me like #alaac18 pic.twitter.com/JXLI56qqdn — Matthew Noe is at #ALAAC18 (@NoetheMatt) June 23, 2018 You brought your fashion game. #librarianfashion #alaac18 pic.twitter.com/4ktvbPhVC6 — Erin Schramm (@PaperPickles) June 23, 2018 You ate a good breakfast. Praline bacon? Oh good lord, New Orleans, and yes please! … Continue reading Top 10 Tweets—Saturday Edition →

Disability Advocacy: Making Connections

By Kate Thompson | June 23, 2018

Inspired by the title of James Charlton’s classic work on self-advocacy, three librarians working in the area of services to individuals with disabilities shared their experiences and insights in a panel titled “Nothing About Us Without Us: Engaging the Community in Creating Disability Friendly Libraries” on Saturday at the 2018 ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition. Marti … Continue reading Disability Advocacy: Making Connections →

Latest Library Links

50m

Sarah Hunter writes: “In early 2020, Maia Kobabe (e/em/eir) was wrapping up promotion for eir memoir Gender Queer when e received an email out of the blue from Sarah Peitzmeier, a social epidemiologist working in LGBTQ+ health at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Peitzmeier, a fan of Kobabe’s work, wanted to collaborate with em on an illustrated guide based on her research on current chest-binding practices. The resulting book became Breathe: Journeys to Healthy Binding. American Libraries spoke with Kobabe and Peitzmeier about their new title, their collaboration, and the importance of making evidence-based information about trans health care widely available.”

American Libraries Trend, May
4h

Frank Strong writes: “May 5, many Texas school districts held elections for their boards of trustees. For months I’ve tracked contested races in 23 districts where there have been controversies about books, book bans, and censorship. The results last night were… great, overall!” Thirteen districts definitively rejected slates of candidates supported by Moms for Liberty, 1776 Project PAC, and other procensorship groups. Seven districts had mixed or neutral results, while candidates opposed to the freedom to read won in three. The results “don’t necessarily capture the balance of power in a given district,” but “these elections provide a strong foundation from which we can start restoring sanity to school boards next year.”

Anger & Clarity, May 6
21h

Sarah Ravits writes: “The Louisiana House of Representatives April 30 passed a bill loosening hiring requirements for library directors across the state, a move that could make it easier for conservative local officials to hire supporters of book banning. House Bill 974 (formerly HB-168) by Rep. Josh Carlson (R-Lafayette) removes a requirement that candidates for library director positions have master’s degrees in library sciences, which are accredited by the American Library Association. Librarians and anti-censorship advocacy groups, including the Louisiana Citizens Against Censorship, view this bill as an attack on librarians’ credentials and an attempt to undermine the ALA.”

NOLA.com Gambit, Apr. 30
1d

Kiara Alfonseca writes: “Samira Ahmed, an author of young adult and middle-grade literature, never expected to hire security for events, travel under an alias or face cancellations at schools and libraries. Ahmed told ABC News she faces threats and book bans over her novels—including Internment and Hollow Fires—which have caused a firestorm of criticism for tackling complex issues about race, oppression and politics. Titles highlighting Asian American cultures have been targets among the long and growing inventory of books singled out by critics, prompting concerns about representation in literature.”

ABC News, May 2
1d

Susan D. Ballard and Sara Kelly Johns write: “As school librarians, we are always rethinking how to convey who we are and what we do. To compete and remain viable, we need to work on our brand identity. The feelings and impressions that members of our school community have when they think of our library, and their memories of interactions they’ve had with us—positive or negative—are our school library’s brand. The goal is not so much to transform the school library’s image as it is to build credibility through ongoing improvement and exemplary brand behavior.”

American Libraries feature, May
4d

Cara S. Bertram writes: “As we look forward to book award ceremonies at the ALA Annual Conference in San Diego this summer, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the history of one of the most prestigious children’s book awards, the Caldecott Medal. The idea was first presented in 1935 in a letter by Frederic G. Melcher,” who had established the Newbery Medal in 1921. Melcher’s suggestion was prompted when Professor May Hill Arbuthnot of Western Reserve University in Cleveland communicated the concern that the Newbery was not recognizing literature for the youngest children.

American Library Association Archives, Apr. 29
4d

Kristi Kellogg writes: “Images are an essential component of online content—and it’s obvious why. Images aren’t just pretty—they’re powerful marketing tools that help you stand out. Whether you’re creating a social media post, a webpage, an ebook, a blog post, or something else, adding visuals goes a long way in improving the overall user experience. However, you can’t just pull images off the internet and use them—and it’s your responsibility to determine if and how you can use the image without breaking the law.”

Search Engine Journal, Apr. 6

View more Latest Library Links