Inside ALA Archives | Page 2 of 44 | American Libraries Magazine

ALA Announces COVID Library Relief Fund

April 9, 2021

These funds are intended to bolster library operations and services, including technology access, collections, digital instruction, staffing, and outreach. Funds can be used to maintain and amplify existing service strategies or add new ones. “Libraries have demonstrated extraordinary innovation over the past year in creating new materials, programs, and service delivery models, but they are … Continue reading ALA Announces COVID Library Relief Fund →

March Virtual Council Meeting

By Amy Carlton | April 1, 2021

Jefferson took a moment at the beginning of the meeting to mark César Chávez Day, celebrated each year on the labor leader and civil rights activist’s birthday, March 31. Amy Lappin, chair of the Chapter Relations Committee (CRC), and Justin de la Cruz, chair of the Committee on Library Advocacy (COLA), presented the ALA Vaccine … Continue reading March Virtual Council Meeting →

Leonard Kniffel outside Notre Dame in Paris

Remembering Leonard Kniffel

March 24, 2021

Kniffel was a librarian, journalist, and author. Before joining the staff of the American Library Association (ALA) in 1988, he worked at Detroit Public Library for 18 years, during which time he earned his master’s degrees in English and library science at Wayne State University. He joined the staff of American Libraries in 1988, becoming … Continue reading Remembering Leonard Kniffel →

ALA Executive Board Supports APALA in Recognizing and Condemning Ongoing anti-Asian Hate Crimes

March 11, 2021

The Executive Board of the American Library Association (ALA) stands in solidarity with the Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) in recognizing and condemning anti-Asian hate crimes. The ALA Executive Board affirms APALA’s March 3 statement in which it writes, “Our Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities have been deeply impacted by attacks that have … Continue reading ALA Executive Board Supports APALA in Recognizing and Condemning Ongoing anti-Asian Hate Crimes →

ALA Announces 2021 Annual Conference Will Be Virtual

January 28, 2021

The American Library Association’s Executive Board announced today that the 2021 ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition scheduled for June 23–29 in Chicago will take place virtually. “We hoped that by this summer, it would be safe to meet again in person. However, that is clearly not the case. Despite the promise of vaccines, the pandemic continues … Continue reading ALA Announces 2021 Annual Conference Will Be Virtual →

Council III Tackles Privacy Issues, Vaccines for Library Workers

By Amy Carlton | January 26, 2021

Memorials were read for Susan S. Lazinger (M#1), Vicki J. Terbovich (M#2), Yvonne J. Chandler (M#3), Luisa Vigo-Cepeda (M#4), Marjorie Lewis (M#5), Judy Yung (M#6), Susana Liu (M#7), and Violette Y. Brooks (M#8). Tributes were read to recognize former Public Library Association Director Barb Macikas (T#1), Patricia Ann Tumulty (T#2), Ona Šimaitė (T#3), Barbara Johns … Continue reading Council III Tackles Privacy Issues, Vaccines for Library Workers →

Council II: Reports and Resolutions

By Amy Carlton | January 25, 2021

Jim Neal, chair of the Committee on Organization (COO), reported on COO actions since ALA Virtual in June (CD#27) and presented five action items, all of which passed: a motion to establish the Council Committee on Sustainability; a motion to discontinue the Library Education Assembly; a motion to discontinue the Exhibits Round Table; a motion … Continue reading Council II: Reports and Resolutions →

Council I: Forward Together Reports Presented

By Amy Carlton | January 24, 2021

The minutes from the 2020 June, September, and December Virtual Council Meetings (CD#2, 2.1, 2.2) were adopted. ALA Executive Director Tracie D. Hall reviewed the Executive Board actions since the 2020 June Virtual Meeting (CD#15) and implementation of the 2020 Virtual Meeting Council Actions (CD#9). Patty Wong, chair of the Committee on Committees, presented the … Continue reading Council I: Forward Together Reports Presented →

ALA Business Advisory Group with headshots of members in a grid

ALA Creates Business Advisory Group

January 15, 2021

The American Library Association (ALA) today announced that Executive Director Tracie D. Hall has appointed 13 members to the newly revived ALA Business Advisory Group. Well recognized for their individual achievements, this group of advisors comes from libraries, civic life, technology, and academia and brings the power of its collective expertise to supporting ALA’s business … Continue reading ALA Creates Business Advisory Group →

ALA Condemns Violence on Capitol Hill, Calls for Advocacy

January 7, 2021

The Executive Board of the American Library Association (ALA) gives thanks for the safety of the staff in our Public Policy and Advocacy Office in Washington and ALA members who work on Capitol Hill, as well as for elected legislators, congressional staff, and other government workers who put themselves in jeopardy to defend the seat … Continue reading ALA Condemns Violence on Capitol Hill, Calls for Advocacy →

2020 Year in Review

January 4, 2021

ALA Headquarters Move After 57 years on East Huron Street in Chicago’s River North neighborhood, ALA headquarters relocated to Michigan Plaza at 225 N. Michigan Avenue. ALA Welcomes New Executive Director Tracie D. Hall began on February 24 as the American Library Association’s (ALA) new executive director (ED). The 10th ED—and the first female … Continue reading 2020 Year in Review →

ALA’s Financial Future

By Maggie Farrell | January 4, 2021

In 2020, the Executive Board, Budget Analysis and Review Committee, Finance and Audit Subcommittee, and member leaders extensively reviewed and discussed the Association’s fiscal management practices and the changes that have exacerbated past revenue gaps and declines. We are fortunate to have our new executive director, Tracie D. Hall, steer operational and staffing decisions as … Continue reading ALA’s Financial Future →

Latest Library Links

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Maryland’s Public Libraries Electronic Literary Product Licenses Access Law goes into effect on January 1, helping to maintain equal access for readers in the state and setting a precedent nationwide. The legislation requires publishers who offer electronic literary products to the public to also offer a license to public libraries at “reasonable” terms that would allow access for library users.

TheBayNet, Aug. 1
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Neil J. Rubenking writes: “It’s easy to notice that you’re too loud on the phone in public, less easy to realize that your settings let any schmo read your social media posts. And yet, protecting your privacy on social media is important, in more ways than you may realize. Perhaps you already know this. Perhaps you keep your privacy settings tuned and never overshare on social media. How about your friends? If they’re careless about their own privacy, their heedlessness can slop over and affect you.”

PC Mag, Aug. 3
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Emily Austin writes: “The experiences of women through the ages have many common threads, but the heroines in different ages are all indelibly marked by their times. Esther from The Bell Jar, for instance, is a product of the “silent generation” and her struggles would be hard to imagine in any other age. Millennial heroines have echoes of Esther’s story and other characters born before them; however, they also embody their own distinct experiences. They span from serial killer apologists to office drones trying to survive a plague, pregnant pizza delivery girls and atheist, lesbian church receptionists.”

The Guardian (UK), Aug. 4
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Eric Schoon writes: “Documentaries are a great way to learn more about the world, but that doesn’t mean you have to pay a premium to watch them. Many YouTubers out there are producing high-quality documentaries that only cost your time and maybe watching an ad or two. Like every other genre of YouTube content, there’s a lot of variety in the documentary space. Regardless of whether you’re into geopolitics or video games, chances are someone has made a video on it. We focused on channels that regularly produce high-quality and distinct documentaries and found some terrific ones to share.”

ReviewGeek, July 31
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Jennifer Harlan writes: “When the days get longer and the mercury begins to rise, the books appear. Sunscreen-dappled paperbacks are tucked into beach bags and backpacks, sprinkled across picnic tables and dropped into the crooks of hammocks. Like their siblings the summer blockbuster and the song of the summer, they come: The season of summer reading has arrived.”

New York Times, July 31
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Adrienne Westenfeld writes: “According to the nonprofit Romance Writers of America, 18% of romance fiction readers are men. Fully one-third of erotic audiobooks are downloaded by guys, another report says. In a billion-dollar industry comprising 23% of the adult fiction market, that’s a lot of dudes. Overall, romance is the second-most-popular genre in American fiction, below only thrillers, yet there’s still archaic stigma about romance novels and the people who read them, rooted in sexism and snobbery. I’m here to tell you that romance novels are for guys—in fact, they’re for anyone who wants to live a more emotionally rich life.”

Esquire, July 27
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Esther Lo writes: “An older transgender woman incarcerated in a West Coast prison wanted to learn how to put on makeup. A simple Google search could have given her 6,440,000 results. But behind bars, she had no access to any of that. With extremely limited and expensive access to the internet, she wrote to librarians through the ‘Reference by Mail’ program. The library receives roughly 300 to 400 handwritten letters a month from people who are incarcerated of various backgrounds requesting all kinds of information.”

KTVU-TV (Oakland, Calif.), July 29

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