Inside ALA Archives | Page 46 of 47 | American Libraries Magazine

Marlo Thomas Steps in to Replace Duchess at ALA Annual Conference

June 16, 2010

Less than 24 hours after Sarah, Duchess of York canceled her appearance at the forthcoming ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., revered actress, author, and children's advocate Marlo Thomas has stepped in to fill her Sunday morning slot. Often remembered for her 1960s television series That Girl, Thomas is more recently known for her work … Continue reading Marlo Thomas Steps in to Replace Duchess at ALA Annual Conference →

Duchess of York Cancels

June 15, 2010

Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York, today canceled her scheduled June 27 appearance at the American Library Association's Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. Although her publicists gave no immediate reason for the cancellation, they told ALA that a statement was forthcoming. Ferguson was recently caught on videotape in the compromising position of trying to sell access … Continue reading Duchess of York Cancels →

Website Now Offers One-Stop Shopping for ALA Online Learning Opportunities

May 18, 2010

ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels today announced the official launch of ALA Online Learning, a new section of the ALA website showcasing all web-based professional development opportunities across the Association. "This new section will allow website visitors to easily find all ALA online training in one place for the first time ever," Fiels said. … Continue reading Website Now Offers One-Stop Shopping for ALA Online Learning Opportunities →

Planning and Budgeting

ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels | May 12, 2010

At the ALA Executive Board’s spring meeting, held April 23-25 at the Association’s headquarters in Chicago, the board spent a significant amount of time discussing the draft ALA 2015 Strategic Plan (PDF file) and the latest revisions made to the plan based on comments provided by over 750 ALA members. The ALA Council agenda includes discussion … Continue reading Planning and Budgeting →

ALA Treasurer Sees Challenges Ahead

May 3, 2010

ALA Treasurer Rod Hersberger, whose term ends after this year's Annual Conference in June, delivered a report today on the American Library Association's financial picture. His assessment is scheduled for publication in the June-July issue of American Libraries, but here's a preview: "Over the last three years, I have tried to share information with ALA … Continue reading ALA Treasurer Sees Challenges Ahead →

Raphael, Neal Elected ALA President, Treasurer

April 30, 2010

Election results just announced: Molly Raphael has been elected 2011-2012 president of the American Library Association, and James Neal was elected ALA treasurer for the 2010-2013 term. Raphael is the former director of Multnomah County Library in Oregon, and Neal is university librarian at Columbia University in New York City. Raphael received 5,857 votes for … Continue reading Raphael, Neal Elected ALA President, Treasurer →

Drupal: The Change We Need

April 28, 2010

"The change we need," according to Tim O'Reilly, keynote speaker on day two of DrupalCon San Francisco, "is DIY on a civic scale. " We've come to rely on what O'Reilly called "vending machine government," where we put tax dollars in and expect services out, but real progress in civic organizations during tough economic times … Continue reading Drupal: The Change We Need →

New from ALA: May 2010

By Mary Ellen Quinn | April 19, 2010

In the latest book on a persistent challenge, Michael Sullivan offers readers’ advisory as a strategy to bring boys to the library and get them to read. Serving Boys Through Readers’ Advisory explains “boys’ lit” and outlines how to use readers’ advisory effectively. Librarians will appreciate the many boy-friendly booktalks and book lists. Indexed. 152p.PBK. … Continue reading New from ALA: May 2010 →

$1-Million Shortfall Results in Another Round of ALA Staff Furloughs

April 7, 2010

ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels summed up the state of Association finances at a general staff meeting in the Chicago headquarters the morning of April 7. “Overall revenues for 2010 are now projected to be 4% less, or just over $2 million,” Fiels said, “than ALA had projected a year ago” (on a total … Continue reading $1-Million Shortfall Results in Another Round of ALA Staff Furloughs →

Author Sarah Vowell Closes Public Librarians Conference in Portland

March 27, 2010

"Education is telling the truth to students," said author and contributing editor to National Public Radio's This American Life Sarah Vowell at the closing of the Public Library Association conference in Portland today. "You have the goods," she added. "You have the places where that person can find that truth." Vowell was responding to a … Continue reading Author Sarah Vowell Closes Public Librarians Conference in Portland →

Libraries, Hospitals Join Forces to Promote Wellness

By Ellyn Ruhlmann | March 22, 2010

Waiting is never easy for a child. For a child in a hospital, though, it’s really a tough go. The looming surgery, the unfamiliar setting, even just the break in routine all pile on anxiety and make minutes seem like hours. Now many libraries are partnering with hospitals to help ease that anxiety as well … Continue reading Libraries, Hospitals Join Forces to Promote Wellness →

Canadian Library Serves Community as Olympics Host

By Shelley Civkin | March 22, 2010

The 2010 Olympic Winter Games are over and the Richmond O Zone celebration site here in British Columbia is being dismantled, but Richmond Public Library (RPL) staff are still reflecting on what it means to host the world. But let me shatter all your illusions right up front: We started out being a library, thinking … Continue reading Canadian Library Serves Community as Olympics Host →

Latest Library Links

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Christina Sterbenz writes: “As calls for censorship in libraries and school districts continue to escalate—and personal attacks on those who oppose these attempts persist—library workers are finding new ways to protect themselves, the books they care so much about, and intellectual freedom in their communities. Some are adjusting their policies on book challenges or trying to improve the dialogue with patrons. Others are fighting back through the judicial system. Even state lawmakers are supporting the right to read with bills to curtail book bans.”

American Libraries feature, Sept./Oct.
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Nomi Hague writes: “Although often exciting and enjoyable, for some children the new school year can also be stressful and anxiety provoking if their names are challenging for their teachers and classmates to pronounce. Some questions that children in these situations might be grappling with are: Will my new teacher be able to say and spell my name? Will the other kids be able to remember my name? Can or should I change my name to make it easier for everyone else?” The books in this list remind children to celebrate their own and other people’s names.

ALSC Blog, Sept. 22
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Matus Formanek writes: “DSpace open-source software supports numerous digital libraries and repositories around the world. With the release of DSpace version 7, a natural question that arises is whether the new version offers enough new functionalities to motivate system administrators to upgrade. Older versions of DSpace have reached the end of their developer support period or are reaching it in mid-2023. Based on our own upgrade experience, we propose suggestions and recommendations on migrating from the previous DSpace 6.3-based environment to the new one.”

Information Technology and Libraries, Sept. 18
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Matt Bloom writes: “A former librarian will receive $250,000 from the High Plains Library District [in Weld County, Colorado] as part of a settlement in a lengthy civil rights dispute over her firing. Brooky Parks lost her job at Erie Community branch in 2021 after promoting anti-racism and LGBTQ history workshops for teens. The programming drew backlash from the district’s board of trustees, which oversees more than a dozen public libraries across Northern Colorado. As part of the settlement, the district adopted new rules to encourage programming that is more ‘inclusive and diverse.’”

Colorado Public Radio, Sept. 22
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Juliana Kaplan and Eliza Relman write: “If libraries can convince people they’re for more than just quiet reading, they might just be able to reshape the new social landscape. Three years into the hybrid and work-from-home world, social time has plummeted. Americans aren’t socializing on weekdays, and are spending even less time with friends. Loneliness is on the rise. And it’s becoming clearer just how important ‘third places’—spaces for socializing outside of work and home—are.”

Business Insider, Sept. 24
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Tate Ryan-Mosley writes: “The AI Insight Forums were announced a few months ago by US Sen. Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) as part of his ‘SAFE Innovation’ initiative, which is really a set of principles for AI legislation in the US. The invite list was heavily skewed toward Big Tech execs. But to dig below the surface, I caught up with one of the other attendees, Mozilla Fellow Inioluwa Deborah Raji, who gave me an inside look at how the first meeting went, the pernicious myths she needed to debunk, and where disagreements could be felt in the room.”

MIT Technology Review, Sept. 25
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Betsy Gomez writes: “Libraries, schools, bookstores, and groups around the world will be calling attention to censorship and ways to fight it October 1–7. ALA and Unite Against Book Bans will mark this year’s Banned Books Week with a slate of programs, a call to action on Let Freedom Read Day, videos from the Banned Books From the Big Chair read out, and more.” Virtual programs will include actor and reading advocate LeVar Burton, author John Green, writer and illustrator Mike Curato, Texas FReadom Fighters co-founder Becky Calzada, and Banned Books Week Youth Honorary Chair Da’Taeveyon Daniels.

Intellectual Freedom Blog, Sept. 27

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