Inside ALA Archives | Page 49 of 52 | American Libraries Magazine

Roberta Stevens of the Library of Congress Inaugurated 2010-2011 ALA President

June 29, 2010

Friends, family, and colleagues, including new division presidents, helped Roberta Stevens of the Library of Congress celebrate her inauguration as 2010–2011 president of the American Library Association. Instead of a traditional presidential speech, Stevens turned the podium over to four of her favorite authors: Marie Arana, Brad Meltzer, Sharon Draper, and Carmen Agra Deedy. Calling … Continue reading Roberta Stevens of the Library of Congress Inaugurated 2010-2011 ALA President →

Top Technology Trends at ALA10 Part 3: Long-term Trends

June 29, 2010

LITA's trendsters seemed to have some fun—and words of caution—with their predictions for libraries 3–5 years out. All the trend predictions had a clear emphasis on end-user experience over back-end library technology and future-proof, forward-thinking information services over preserving old workflows. For a complete re-cap of the entire panel discussion, see the ustream video. Jason … Continue reading Top Technology Trends at ALA10 Part 3: Long-term Trends →

Council Handles Full Agenda in Early Last Session

June 29, 2010

American Library Association's governing Council sailed through its last Annual Conference session that began early morning to accommodate the Library Advocacy Day rally on Capitol Hill. Council approved six action items from the Committee on Legislation: a measure that urges Congress to commit a minimum of $100 million designated for school libraries in FY20111 and … Continue reading Council Handles Full Agenda in Early Last Session →

Associations of Color Provide Value to Minority Communities

June 29, 2010

"Associations of color can take the responsibility of sharpening their tools for maximal benefit to minority library users as well as those who are trained or in training to support them," said Satia Orange, former director of the American Library Association's Office for Literacy and Outreach Service. She served as keynote speaker for "Sky is the … Continue reading Associations of Color Provide Value to Minority Communities →

ALA Treasurer Says New Business Still Key for Association’s Financial Strength

June 29, 2010

"As we experience the worst recession in 80 years, we need to deal with the immediate challenges of downsizing and getting through tough times," outgoing American Library Association Treasurer Rod Hersberger told the the Association's governing Council. "Through prudent management of our resources, we can leverage the Association's financial strength (to support new business development) and … Continue reading ALA Treasurer Says New Business Still Key for Association’s Financial Strength →

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 →

Latest Library Links

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Jenni Diaz Garcia updates the Christmas carol to reflect the first days of a new library job. She writes: “On the twelfth day at my library job, my library gave to me: Twelve minutes in a lunch line and one very honest thought. ‘Sometimes I get an idea, and it’s exciting and cool to me, but I am not the coolest person I know.’ The secret, I’m learning, is that librarianship isn’t about being the coolest person in the room. It’s about backing your ideas anyway, even when you feel like a slightly panicked baby duck running from one meeting to another.”

New Members Round Table Notes, Dec. 1
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Elizabeth Hutchinson writes: “I want to focus on the people who choose to become school librarians and why their mindset is one of the curriculum’s most undervalued assets. Most people assume school librarians are drawn to books. The deeper truth is that librarians tend to be wired in a way that schools desperately need and frequently overlook. They think differently. They notice what others skim past. They connect ideas that sit miles apart in the curriculum. And in a climate where students, teachers, and leaders are battling information overload, that mindset isn’t a luxury. It’s a strategic advantage.”

Engaging and Empowering School Libraries, Nov. 27
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Nick Potkalitsky writes: “We’re living through a profound shift in how text gets created. For the first time in history, our children will grow up in a world where much of what they read (homework help, explanations, stories, even ‘personal’ messages) might be generated by artificial intelligence (AI) rather than written by humans. Most AI literacy curricula focus on older students. By the time students reach high school, they’ve already spent years passively consuming AI-generated content without tools to evaluate it. The curriculum that follows teaches elementary students practical detective skills for the world they’re actually living in.

Educating AI, Nov. 30
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Jane Jiang writes: “All too often, the library is not fully included in conversations that guide student learning and academic support. When the library is treated as background infrastructure rather than as an active learning environment, the entire academic mission is weakened. Students lose access to research instruction. Faculty lose collaborators who can reinforce critical thinking and source evaluation. Institutions lose a key space where academic integrity, inclusion, and intellectual curiosity are nurtured, and the larger research community loses a vital foundation for sustaining these principles.”

The Scholarly Kitchen, Dec. 2
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Anthony Sinnott writes: “Despite the undeniable advantages of e-books, what at first glance seems like a demonstration of the decline of print, in fact shows a story of the persistence of print. Despite tech advancement, print books stubbornly persist on library shelves. This post explores five core reasons why physical books continue to hold a vital place in the digital library ecosystem.” Also read about the enduring appeal of printed children’s books and the importance of print for communities.

Librarianth, Nov. 28; Jane Friedman, Dec. 2; The Conversation, Nov. 25
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On December 3, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) issued this statement reinstating its terminated grants: “Upon further review, the Institute of Museum and Library Services has reinstated all federal grants. This action supersedes any prior notices which may have been received related to grant termination. Grantees should access the agency’s electronic grants management system for further information.”

Institute of Museum and Library Services, Dec. 3
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Lily Meyer writes: “Everyone from parents to publishers is susceptible to undervaluing board books. It’s easy to dismiss them, as they are intended for children not only too young to read, but too young to even follow a story. Can’t we just show a baby anything? We shouldn’t. Beginning in utero, one of the greatest benefits of shared reading is bonding, and the more engaged parents are in the book they’ve chosen, the greater its impact.”

Mother Jones, Nov. 26

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