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
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
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 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 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
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
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
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
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
"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
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
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
