Thursday, June 27 I flew in Thursday morning, and the rest of the day was dedicated to a Freedom to Read Foundation (FTRF) meeting, which analyzed access to information cases toward ensuring the legal defense of First Amendment rights. Right after, we were joined by many colleagues for refreshments at the FTRF Member Reception, from … Continue reading What I’m Doing at ALA Annual Conference | Loida Garcia-Febo
On April 16, ALA staff members gathered for a reading of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” as part of a worldwide celebration marking its 50th anniversary. ALA was one of 207 sites around the world where King’s letter was being read aloud today. Although part of a larger, international … Continue reading ALA Celebrates 50th Anniversary of “Letter from Birmingham Jail”
Seven years ago, then–ALA President Leslie Burger helped launch the Emerging Leaders program with 117 participants and 23 projects. This year’s class of 55 Emerging Leaders met at Midwinter in Seattle, and will present their projects at the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. Open to librarians and support staff who are new to the profession, … Continue reading Something Old, Something New
The demise of many manufacturing jobs during the recent recession and the continued downturn of Michigan’s economy left Jackson County suffering. Estimates showed that one in four children in the county lived below the poverty line. It was clear something needed to be done and the staff of Jackson (Mich.) District Library felt it could … Continue reading Investing at the Library
Midwinter-goers wanted to make a difference in Seattle, and on Friday they got their chance. As part of the Homeless Outreach project dreamed up and executed by ALA members and staff, a small group of librarian volunteers cooked meals and then served them to area homeless youth. YouthCare, the site of the volunteer project, is … Continue reading Homeless Outreach to Seattle’s Youth
But Williams was holding history in her hands, thanks to an app developed by North Carolina State University Libraries in Raleigh. The Red, White, and Black app allowed Williams to tour campus with an eye on the history of African Americans at NCSU. Where she used to see just another building, she now sees the … Continue reading University’s App Provides Tour of Black History
Over the past few months, the ALA Executive Board has been involved in a range of discussions that reflect some of the more urgent issues facing libraries, and the Association’s strategic priorities. Because the Association, like libraries, must change and evolve to best serve our communities, a series of brainstorming meetings this fall asked both … Continue reading Reenvisioning ALA
Without a doubt, the past decade has experienced a sea change in favor of LGBTQ rights. During the 2012 election, voters decided on a series of landmark ballot initiatives at the state level that championed marriage equality; a sitting president (and vice president) has for the first time voiced support for same-sex marriage; and the … Continue reading Libraries as Safe Spaces
Accessibility is one of those issues that often needs a headline to grab attention. Too often, the headlines we see are about public institutions that didn’t heed warnings and are facing litigation under the Americans with Disabilities Act. This year saw the resolution of two suits filed against libraries lending inaccessible ebook readers, one settled … Continue reading Kindle Fire Adds Accessibility Features
The 40 continuous hours of Library 2.012, the “Future of Libraries” free conference, which ran from October 3 through October 5, featured 150 presentation sessions and more than a dozen keynote addresses from across the globe. Topics ranged from physical and virtual learning spaces to evolving professional roles in today’s world, organizing and creating information, … Continue reading Library 2.012 Conference Explores the Future of Libraries
The trend of establishing and maintaining a personal brand has been a hot topic for some time with the public at large, traceable as far back as 1937 and Napoleon Hill’s self-help classic Think and Grow Rich, if Wikipedia is to be believed. Unsurprisingly, personal branding has also caught on with librarians, notoriously preoccupied as … Continue reading Personal Branding for Librarians
No librarian is an island, and nowhere was that more evident than at the 2012 ALSC National Institute held September 20–22 in Indianapolis. Hundreds of youth librarians from across the country gathered for three days of networking, sharing ideas, and learning from and teaching each other. I sat down with librarians after the very first … Continue reading Thinking Purposefully at the ALSC Institute
