Innovative Approaches to Literacy Archives | American Libraries Magazine

From left: Moderator Liana Heitin Loewus; Elizabeth Rush, library specialist at Northside Independent School District in Leon Valley, Texas; Nawaid Ladak, legislative assistant to Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Tex.); and Dallas Director of Libraries Jo Giudice.

Texas Librarians Help Capitol Hill Slide into Learning

By Megan Ortegon | June 7, 2019

PPA organized the discussion to educate congressional staff about libraries’ role in developing literacy, especially during the summer months, and to encourage members of Congress to look to libraries as leading partners in education. PPA staff worked with the American Association of School Librarians and the Texas Library Association (TLA) to identify librarians in the … Continue reading Texas Librarians Help Capitol Hill Slide into Learning →

Fund Libraries: Tell Congress to Invest in Libraries graphic

ALA #FundLibraries Campaign Kicks Off for FY2020

By Kathi Kromer | March 11, 2019

In a statement issued shortly after the budget was released, American Library Association (ALA) President Loida Garcia-Febo said, “As discouraging as it is that the administration has again proposed eliminating IMLS, the bipartisan support in Congress over the past two years gives us reason to hope.” The president’s proposal slashes IMLS yet again despite his … Continue reading ALA #FundLibraries Campaign Kicks Off for FY2020 →

ALA President Issues Statement on White House Budget

February 13, 2018

In response, American Library Association (ALA) President Jim Neal issued the following statement: “The administration’s FY2019 budget is out of touch with the real needs of Americans and the priorities of leaders in Congress who represent them. The president miscalculates the value of more than 120,000 libraries across America, just as he did in his … Continue reading ALA President Issues Statement on White House Budget →

Your Efforts Are Helping to #saveIMLS

By Jim Neal | September 20, 2017

I am pleased to report that on September 14, the full House of Representatives voted as part of a large spending package (H.R. 3354) not to make any cuts in federal funding for IMLS. This includes all funding for IMLS programs under the Library Services and Technology Act, and for the Department of Education’s Innovative Approaches to … Continue reading Your Efforts Are Helping to #saveIMLS →

Businesses Unite to Fight for Library Funding

May 17, 2017

In a May 17 statement, ALA President Julie B. Todaro praised CCLI, saying, “It’s thrilling to see such significant companies and associations across so many industries come together to fight alongside ALA and librarians for federal library funding.” She added that “libraries mean business,” and that working with CCLI can help ensure “that law- and policymakers fully … Continue reading Businesses Unite to Fight for Library Funding →

Fight for Libraries

By Julie B. Todaro | May 1, 2017

Right now, here are some possible scenarios with regard to the federal budget: We win most: The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), and Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) are funded but partially cut. We win a few: IMLS and LSTA are funded but seriously cut, and IAL … Continue reading Fight for Libraries →

Latest Library Links

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George Takei is best known for his role as Sulu in the 1960s cult-classic TV show Star Trek, but the actor has found even more fame later in life thanks to his prolific social media presence and activist work. In his new graphic novel, They Called Us Enemy (Top Shelf Productions), Takei details his childhood years spent in internment camps for Japanese Americans during World War II. Takei spoke with American Libraries at the 2019 ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., about his book and the profound and lasting danger of not learning from history.

American Libraries: Newsmaker, July/Aug.
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July 20 marks the 50th anniversary of the first crewed moon landing, when Apollo 11’s lunar module deposited astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the surface of the moon. On July 21, 1969, Armstrong became the first person to set foot on the moon. To celebrate, the Academy of American Poets has curated this special collection of classic and contemporary poems inspired by the moon and space travel.

Academy of American Poets
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Anna Gooding-Call writes: “As a librarian, I think I could be forgiven for thinking that not enough people use the library. In fact, I feel this way most of the time. However, I have my days. These are the days when I encounter that 2% of the public that does not know how to be a good library patron. This isn’t just about not damaging the books. It’s about being a good citizen in a unique public space where personal boundaries can feel a bit fuzzy. I’m convinced that this is a lapse in education, so I’m gonna edumacate you right here and right now. If you think you’re a stellar patron, read this anyway.”

Book Riot, July 19
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Elisabeth Cook writes: “Ah, coffee and books: Two of humanity’s great loves. We loved coffee so much we named a table after it. We loved books so much we created a category of books just for that table. But today, we’re going to be mashing these two wonders of the world together and checking out nine of the best coffee books. In other words, books about coffee. Whether you’re looking for the best coffee books for baristas, the best books about espresso, or the best books on coffee in general, read on.”

Book Riot, July 19
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On July 19, 1848, the Seneca Falls Convention convened. Heralded as the first American women’s rights convention, the two-day event was held in the Wesleyan Chapel in Seneca Falls, New York. Despite a minimal amount of publicity, there were an estimated 300 attendees at the inaugural meeting. Many of the convention attendees lived locally, as there were a number of abolitionists living nearby. Convention organizer Elizabeth Cady Stanton and her husband Henry B. Stanton were both well-known abolitionists. Many working in the antislavery movement eventually became a part of the struggle to obtain equal rights for women.

Library of Congress: Today in History, July 19
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Jill Duffy writes: “Email can make us feel like we’re struggling to keep our heads above water. Is your inbox pages long? Do you begin every day reading email, thinking you’ll reply to the most important messages, only to look up and realize an hour has slipped by and you’ve done nothing so far? Are you running out of space for your email every few days? Does email feel like a productivity multiplier, or a productivity killer? Here are 11 tips for making email less of a burden. Let me warn you that these tips are rooted in common sense and don’t provide a magic bullet, which means they won’t blow your mind or become an overnight sensation. But neither will flossing.”

PC Magazine, July 15
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The exclusive screening of the newly released GKIDS animated film Okko’s Inn will highlight the Library of Congress’ “Anime for All” series, which is being presented in conjunction with Otakon, Washington, D.C.’s annual convention celebrating East Asian pop culture (anime, manga, music, movies, video games) and its fandom. “Anime for All” will be held July 25–26, in the Thomas Jefferson Building. The film screening—along with a collection display of rare Japanese graphic art, a panel discussion on the emergence of Japanese hip-hop, and a live Studio Ghibli performance—will showcase the evolution of Japanese storytelling traditions.

Library of Congress, July 17

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