Inside ALA Archives | Page 46 of 48 | American Libraries Magazine

Black Caucus Celebates 40 Years with Tribute to E. J. Josey, Effie Lee Morris

June 28, 2010

With a tribute to its founder, the late E. J. Josey, and children's library services advocate the late Effie Lee Morris, the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) celebrated 40 years of service to African-American librarianship at a gala event at the Historical Society of Washington during Annual Conference. W. Paul Coates, founder … Continue reading Black Caucus Celebates 40 Years with Tribute to E. J. Josey, Effie Lee Morris →

Top Technology Trends at ALA10 Part 2: Imminent Trends

June 28, 2010

Part 2 of the Trends panel focused on trends in the next six months to a year. This is where things seemed to get a little sci-fi-spooky, with predictions ranging from Star Trek–style materialization of common objects (in six months to a year) to computer screens that have better quality display than print magazines. Here's … Continue reading Top Technology Trends at ALA10 Part 2: Imminent Trends →

Top Technology Trends at ALA10 Part One: Current Technology

June 28, 2010

Maybe it was the cavernous ballroom, but this year's ALA10 Top Technology Trends panel seemed to have the biggest attendance I've seen. It was also the most information-dense, so much so that I'll split the coverage into three parts. The Trendsters had three minutes to project trends for each of current, imminent, and long-term time … Continue reading Top Technology Trends at ALA10 Part One: Current Technology →

Council Ends Session Early; Cheers Preliminary Attendance Figures

June 27, 2010

The American Library Association's governing Council tackled a full agenda in record time during its first session and cheered the preliminary figures that might signal a second-in-row record-breaking conference. Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels reported that as of Saturday, June 26, total attendance was 25,444, compared with 27,353 during the same time for the 2009 … Continue reading Council Ends Session Early; Cheers Preliminary Attendance Figures →

ALA Unites to Grant a Wish

June 27, 2010

ALA President Camila Alire hosted a once-in-a-lifetime "make-a-wish" luncheon for a special young lady who decribes herself as "crazy about books and reading." Laura Rodgers, 9, from Lebanon, Indiana, suffers from Mitochondrial Disease and contacted the Association regarding her desire to attend Annual Conference. Neither she nor her mother mentioned the disease, but her social worker called to explain why … Continue reading ALA Unites to Grant a Wish →

Live at the LIVE @ your library Reading Stage

June 27, 2010

Live readings from popular and up-and-coming authors are hosted at the LIVE! @ your library Reading Stage in the exhibit hall at ALA Annual Conference, presented by the ALA Public Programs Office. Thanks to generous support from the National Endowment for the Arts, this year's LIVE! Stage featured a special focus on poetry. Readings from … Continue reading Live at the LIVE @ your library Reading Stage →

Off to Read the Wizard

June 27, 2010

It's difficult to miss the OverDrive Digital Bookmobile, which is stationed in the corner of a large parking lot across the street from the Washington Convention Center. But inside is not just the expected product information. The Digital Bookmobile is also home to a project called Lend Your Voice. "Lend Your Voice is a community-sourced … Continue reading Off to Read the Wizard →

Toni Morrison Opens ALA 2010, Delivers Quote of the Day

June 27, 2010

Nobel Prize–winning author Toni Morrison capped a splendid Opening General Session at the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., yesterday with what has to be the quote of the year. After charming the audience with her recollections about the libraries of her youth, she noted her respect for the technology and the contemporary library, ending … Continue reading Toni Morrison Opens ALA 2010, Delivers Quote of the Day →

Chef-authors heat up the exhibits floor

June 26, 2010

Libraries and foodie culture have an obvious tie: cookbooks. All weekend long, the Cooking Pavilion in the Exhibit Hall will be celebrating that relationship with cookbook authors showing their chops with live demos and talks. I caught the first session, on healthy living through veganism. Dr. Neal Barnard and Robyn Webb talked about the state … Continue reading Chef-authors heat up the exhibits floor →

Research, Research Everywhere

June 26, 2010

A number of poster sessions at Annual provide librarians and library students the opportunity to share research projects. Yesterday, the Emerging Leaders had their turn, at a reception where they showed off the group projects undertaken as part of the EL program. All of the Emerging Leaders' projects are available at connect.ala.org/el10projects, and AL interviews about four … Continue reading Research, Research Everywhere →

Libraries Are a Mirror to Societal Success Says Harvard Law Professor

June 25, 2010

"There are far too many libraries today that are not open seven days a week, weekends, or at night," Harvard Law School Jesse Climenko Professor Charles Ogletree said in an exclusive American Libraries interview during Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. "We have 24-hour jail service and, in some instances, only limited library service. We’ve got our priorities wrong and if … Continue reading Libraries Are a Mirror to Societal Success Says Harvard Law Professor →

Association Staves Off Second Furlough Week

June 18, 2010

ALA Executive Director Keith Michael Fiels told the Association's governing Council and staff this morning that management had reviewed the ALA budget and updated year-end projections. "I am pleased to report that, based on this review, we no longer anticipate the need for a second furlough week for this fiscal year," he announced. Fiels said … Continue reading Association Staves Off Second Furlough Week →

Latest Library Links

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Bobbi L. Newman writes: “This week, an article from the BBC caught my attention: ‘Without support, many menopausal workers are quitting their jobs.’ Supporting employees going through menopause is important for those experiencing it and for everyone’s wellbeing. It reflects a commitment to employee wellbeing and a strategic approach to workforce management. Libraries can adopt strategies to support employees experiencing menopause, enhancing their wellbeing and workplace productivity. Remember, with all wellbeing, the goal is to support and empower staff to make the choices that best improve their health. Here are some practical approaches.”

Librarian by Day, Apr. 19; BBC, Apr. 9
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Libraries have a long history of helping to deliver on a wide variety of development goals, from literacy and school readiness to research productivity and urban cohesion. Their unique potential has been recognized not just by the governments or others that traditionally fund them, but also by a range of other funders, private and public alike. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions has created a dataset to help librarians easily discover examples of private philanthropic grants, as well as other funding sources, that other libraries have been able to leverage.”

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, Apr. 22
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Jackie Jennings writes: “It feels like the debate over whether #BookTok is bad has been raging since the moment the term was first coined. I’m starting off with a strong stance: BookTok is indeed bad. However, the problem with BookTok is not crappy books or bogus influencers. The problem with BookTok is TikTok itself. BookTok isn’t actually a community driven by fans, writers, influencers, or even publishers: it’s part of a social media corporation, controlled by the most mysterious, fickle god of all, the algorithm.” Not surprisingly, librarian recommendations can overcome some of BookTok’s limitations.

Jezebel, Apr. 18; Book Riot, Apr. 22
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ALA announced the launch of its state Intellectual Freedom Helpline grant program April 22. Over the next two years, 10 pilot program sites will operate a confidential reporting system that will help connect those experiencing censorship attempts with professional support, in-state peers, or referral to ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, as appropriate. State or school library associations or agencies wishing to either establish an Intellectual Freedom Helpline in their state or expand existing efforts may apply for $10,000 grants through July 14.

ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom, Apr. 22
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In celebration of the release of his latest nonfiction title, The Secret Lives of Booksellers & Librarians, bestselling author James Patterson is honoring select American Bookseller Association and American Library Association members with bonuses. He announced plans April 11 to give $200 each to 250 library workers across the country. The deadline for ALA members may nominate members to receive bonuses through April 30. Winners will be announced at ALA’s 2024 Annual Conference in San Diego.
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Catherine Hollerbach writes: “In early 2020, when the world shut down for COVID, many people got interested in houseplants. Anne Arundel County (Md.) Public Library’s Crofton Library embraced this trend and then some!” While preparing to reopen after the COVID shutdown, the library installed plants at the information desk to discourage patrons from sticking their heads through gaps in newly installed acrylic shields. They were well received and cared for, and the library gradually added more plants and built educational tools, programming, and partnerships around the plants.

Public Libraries Online, Apr. 18
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Rodney Freeman writes: “I am proud to be a librarian—and rare. Less than 7% of librarians in the US are Black. Libraries symbolize the literacy that was denied to so many of our ancestors. For our enslaved forebears, something as fundamental as learning to read was illegal and dangerous, but they did it anyway. Separate but ‘equal’ schools and ‘colored’ libraries filled with cast-offs from white libraries were key features of the Jim Crow era. Today we are seeing the same impulse to distort access to information into a tool to suppress and control, and to make some people ‘other.’”

Newsweek, Apr. 16

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