conference Archives | Page 2 of 3 | American Libraries Magazine

ALA Announces LibLearnX Will Be Virtual

September 15, 2021

On September 15, the American Library Association (ALA) Executive Board issued a statement about transitioning LibLearnX (LLX), ALA’s upcoming conference, to a virtual-only format. The full statement follows: The American Library Association’s Executive Board announced today that LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience, scheduled for January 21–24, 2022, in San Antonio, will take place virtually. “Given the … Continue reading ALA Announces LibLearnX Will Be Virtual →

Graphic reading "Annual Conference Preview"

2021 Annual Conference Preview

June 1, 2021

FEATURED SPEAKERS Check the Annual Conference Scheduler for dates and times. Opening Session Thursday, June 24, 10–11 a.m. Investigative reporter and author Nikole Hannah-Jones will open Annual Conference. Her work on the 1619 Project, The New York Times Magazine’s groundbreaking exploration of the legacy of Black Americans, won a Pulitzer Prize for Commentary. Listen to … Continue reading 2021 Annual Conference Preview →

Talihina (Okla.) Public Library participates in Play Streets on September 7, 2017. Photo: Talihina (Okla.) Public Library

Rural Libraries and Community Well-Being

By Jamie Santoro | October 6, 2020

The event opened with a meme-filled presentation from author and librarian William Ottens (Librarian Tales: Funny, Strange, and Inspiring Dispatches from the Stacks) and closed with a keynote from renowned librarian and literary critic Nancy Pearl (The Writer’s Library: The Authors You Love on the Books That Changed Their Lives, with Jeff Schwager). The sessions … Continue reading Rural Libraries and Community Well-Being →

Community and Cooperation

By Deborah Doyle | August 11, 2020

With COVID-19 and social justice in mind, keynotes and sessions introduced management tools and strategies, highlighted opportunities for organizations to pivot and imagine a different future, and explored what these changes might mean for the libraries and nonprofits that support them. Realizations and reckoning At the opening keynote session “Integrating Diversity, Inclusion, and Equity into … Continue reading Community and Cooperation →

Screenshot from the session “Listening and Learning about Diversity in Jewish Literature for Children and Teens” (clockwise from top left: moderator Heidi Rabinowitz, librarian Anjelica Ruiz, librarian and author Esmé Raji Codell, publisher Joni Sussman, and author Aviva L. Brown).

Amplifying Diverse Voices in Jewish Librarianship

By Sally Stieglitz | July 7, 2020

In the opening keynote session, “Who Wants to Be a Jewish Reader? A Discussion on Reviewing Jewish Books,” father-and-son book reviewers Jonathan Kirsch and Adam Kirsch started with the premise that Jewish books are “books that Jews want to read, books that Jews feel speak to them in some way.” Adam Kirsch noted that there … Continue reading Amplifying Diverse Voices in Jewish Librarianship →

Graphic: ALA Virtual, Community Through Connection

ALA Virtual Preview

By Sallyann Price | June 9, 2020

ALA Virtual (June 24–26), the organization’s first-ever online-only member engagement event, will offer the programming, speakers, exhibits, and social networking attendees have come to expect from Annual Conference. Join your colleagues in this virtual space to learn, grow, and adapt together in these changing times. Note that all times listed are Central. Featured Speakers Opening … Continue reading ALA Virtual Preview →

11 Questions: Earla J. Jones

January 24, 2019

She previously served as vice president of meeting services at Cygnus Corporation in Rockville, Maryland, and convention coordinator at SmithBucklin, an association management company in Chicago. Jones has been an assistant professor at Northern Virginia Community College since 2005, providing instruction in meeting planning, and was previously an adjunct faculty member at Kendall College in … Continue reading 11 Questions: Earla J. Jones →

11 Tips for Meaningful Networking

By Terra Dankowski | November 1, 2018

How do you make networking effective and meaningful for your career and community? Library professionals affiliated with the American Library Association’s (ALA) New Members Round Table (NMRT) share their strategies for connecting with colleagues and building relationships. 1) Get in the mindset. “You have to go in looking for a positive interaction,” says Athanasia Fitos, … Continue reading 11 Tips for Meaningful Networking →

2018 Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits in Denver. Illustration: Kimberly Sly/Albie Designs

2018 Midwinter Preview

By Greg Landgraf | January 2, 2018

Featured Speakers Opening Session Friday, February 9, 4–5:15 p.m. Marley Dias, who started the #1000blackgirlbooks campaign as a 6th grader, will have a conversation with Patrisse Cullors, artist and cofounder of the Black Lives Matter movement, to reveal the determining factors and mindsets that motivated each of them to take action and how different generations … Continue reading 2018 Midwinter Preview →

Jessica Andrews (as The Force Awakens' Rey) reads The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories by Ken Liu, as recommended by the librarians at Emerald City Comicon's Pop-Up Library.

Bringing the Library to the Comic Con

By Amie Wright | March 7, 2017

Staffed by more than 35 volunteers from 12 library systems around the country, the ECCC Pop-Up Library brought together children’s librarians, teen librarians, academic librarians, and adult services librarians for the common purpose of bringing the library outside its physical space and into a new realm. The Pop-Up Library, open during exhibit hours, offered reading recommendations, research … Continue reading Bringing the Library to the Comic Con →

Attendees make one-page zines with open source materials at MozFest, October 28–29 in London.

MozFest 2016: Comics, Zines, and Open Images

By Davis Erin Anderson | November 7, 2016

I had spent the week leading up to the conference with my colleagues Nate Hill (executive director, Metropolitan New York Library Council) and Matthew Kopel (research and development librarian, Central New York Library Resources Council) preparing our remarks on library, archive, and museum contributions to open image collections, the various options for Creative Commons licenses, and … Continue reading MozFest 2016: Comics, Zines, and Open Images →

MozFest sessions were organized by different themes on each floor.

MozFest 2016: Dispatch from a Librarian

By Davis Erin Anderson | November 7, 2016

I had been telling him about my decision to forgo the first block of sessions in order to paint a robot on a tote bag. At the time, this felt like a renegade choice—most conferences focus on sharing information from experts to participants. Stopping to make something that seemed frivolous was a departure from my … Continue reading MozFest 2016: Dispatch from a Librarian →

Latest Library Links

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Nora Neus writes: “On a recent spring Saturday morning in Uvalde, Texas, young library patrons were learning how to set off a volcano. With help from Michelle Ramirez, outreach coordinator for the Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas, kids carefully poured vinegar into a glass bottle with baking soda. Almost instantly, the concoction bubbled up and overflowed, to shrieks of joy and giggles. But the activity wasn’t just for fun. It was part of a grief counseling session for children following the massacre at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022, that killed 19 students and two teachers.”

American Libraries feature, May 22
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Sheree Strange writes: “Nothing beats a good podcast while doing chores, taking a drive, working out, or even making dinner. And of course, we especially cannot resist podcasts about books. We want to hear about hot new releases, indie titles we missed, and creepy books to keep us awake all night long. Not to mention those coveted author interviews and spicy opinions. Find the best bookish podcasts—and we say “bookish” because not all are limited to solely book talk. A few will cover multiple topics.”

The Uncorked Librarian, May 20
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Chris Reber writes: “Ten students at Landisville (Pa.) Middle School staged a walkout and protest Tuesday morning in opposition to proposed school district policies that they call censorship. The Hempfield School District board of directors is considering a set of policies that would lay the groundwork for reviewing and potentially removing library books deemed sexually explicit or inappropriate for students. The students said the policies would hurt their education and infringe on their civil rights.”

LNP Lancaster Online, May 17
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Jason Scott writes: “While there are plenty of items at the Internet Archive that have no obvious home elsewhere online, there are also cases where we hold a copy of a frequently-available set of material, but we can provide it for much easier distribution and preview, including the ability to download the entire original set of files in one fell swoop. Such it is with the USC Sound Effects Library, a collection of .WAV files taken from rapidly crumbling magnetic tape and presented for reference, enjoyment and even projects.”

Internet Archive Blogs, May 20
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Tate Ryan-Mosley writes: “Robyn Caplan understands the fragility of digital memories intimately. After tragically losing both of her parents in recent years, Caplan treasures the digital possessions she inherited. She cherishes her mom’s iPad, access to their email inboxes, and message threads with both of them. It allows her to see the world through the eyes of her parents, she says. But on May 16, Google announced that starting in December 2023, it would delete personal accounts that haven’t been active in over two years. Photos, emails, and docs attached to inactive accounts will all be eradicated as part of the policy.”

MIT Technology Review, May 19
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David Nield writes: “Your laptop is going to pick up dust, grime, and fingerprints as you use it day to day—and not only does this make it less appealing to look at and work with but it also encourages bacteria to set up home on your portable computer and can reduce its lifespan. Like your bathroom or your car, it’s a good idea to regularly clean your laptop, and it’s not difficult to do. You may already have everything you need for the job, and if not, the necessary supplies can be sourced inexpensively.”

The Verge, May 16
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Andrew Albanese writes: “In response to a troubling wave of book bans, PEN America, Penguin Random House, a group of authors, and a group of parents have filed a federal lawsuit against a Florida school district over the ‘unconstitutional’ removal of books from school libraries. The suit, filed on May 16 in the Northern District of Florida in Pensacola, alleges that administrators and school board members in Florida’s Escambia County School District are violating the First Amendment as well as the 14th Amendment (the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution) because the books being singled out are ‘disproportionately books by non-white and/or LGBTQ+ authors.’”

Publishers Weekly, May 17

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