Inside ALA Archives | Page 5 of 49 | American Libraries Magazine

Council I: Resolutions and Governance Policy

By Sallyann Price | June 25, 2022

The Rules and Guidelines for ALA Hybrid Council Meetings (CD#5.2) and the agenda for Council I (CD#8.6) were adopted without objection. The minutes from the January (LibLearnX) and March 2022 Council meetings (CD#2.1–2.2) were approved. ALA Executive Director Tracie D. Hall reviewed Executive Board actions taken since the 2022 January virtual meeting (CD#15.1), including the … Continue reading Council I: Resolutions and Governance Policy →

Hepburn Elected ALA Treasurer

April 13, 2022

Hepburn received 8,947 votes in the uncontested election. Hepburn will step into his role as treasurer at the close of the 2022 ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition in Washington, D.C. Upon learning the outcome of the election, Hepburn said, “What an incredible honor to be able to serve our association in this capacity and to … Continue reading Hepburn Elected ALA Treasurer →

Drabinski Wins 2023–2024 ALA Presidency

April 13, 2022

Drabinski received 5,410 votes, while her opponent, Kelvin Watson, executive director of the Las Vegas–Clark County (Nev.) Library District, received 4,622 votes. Upon learning the outcome of the election, Drabinski provided the following statement: “Thank you to everyone who participated in this election. I am humbled and excited to serve as your 2022–2023 president-elect. Thank … Continue reading Drabinski Wins 2023–2024 ALA Presidency →

ALA Stands with Ukrainian Library Community

March 1, 2022

ALA and its divisions support our Ukrainian colleagues and will work with the global library community to answer the appeal from the Ukrainian Library Association to provide accurate information as a means to support democracy and freedom of expression. ALA has adopted into its policies Article 19 of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human … Continue reading ALA Stands with Ukrainian Library Community →

Photo of ALA Executive Director Tracie D. Hall. Text says "From the Executive Director by Tracie D. Hall"

The Table and the Folding Chair

By Tracie D. Hall | March 1, 2022

In this fourth and final column introducing ALA’s newly implemented five-year strategic plan, I want to mine the connection between creating institutional belonging and facilitating the change management critical to organizational sustainability and impact. The first of these begets the second. In addition to the overarching goals of the new Pivot (or change management) Strategy, … Continue reading The Table and the Folding Chair →

2022 LibLearnX Wrap-Up

By Alison Marcotte | February 1, 2022

The lineup also included familiar ALA conference components: high-profile speakers, networking opportunities, and celebrations of libraries, books, and authors. Originally scheduled to be held in person in San Antonio, the conference shifted to an all-virtual format because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Speakers get personal US Sen. Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii) opened the conference in … Continue reading 2022 LibLearnX Wrap-Up →

Council III: Actions and Updates

By Judy Czarnik | January 25, 2022

Libré Booker, an Executive Board member, motioned to extend the meeting for an additional 30 minutes. The motion was defeated. The agenda for Council III (CD#8.3) was adopted. Memorials were read for Barbara Froling Immroth (M#1), Mary Redmond (M#2), Kenya S. Flash (M#3), Manuel Urrizola (M#4), Sylvia Sprinkle-Hamlin (M#5), Teri Lesesne (M#6), and Lauren D. … Continue reading Council III: Actions and Updates →

Council II: Legislation Updates

By Judy Czarnik | January 21, 2022

Joseph A. Thompson Jr., Committee on Legislation chair, presented that committee’s report (CD#20), which includes federal funding, legislation, and advocacy updates. The agenda for Council II (CD#8.2) was adopted. Jim Neal, chair of the Committee on Organization, presented five action items (CD#27), all of which passed. The motions proposed revising the ALA Publishing committee charge; dissolving … Continue reading Council II: Legislation Updates →

Council I: Transforming ALA Governance

By Judy Czarnik | January 20, 2022

The Virtual Council Rules (CD#5) and agenda for Council I (CD#8.1) were adopted, as well as the minutes from the June 2021 Virtual Annual Council meetings (CD#2). ALA Executive Director Tracie D. Hall reviewed Executive Board actions since the June 2021 Virtual Meeting (CD#15) and implementation of the 2021 Virtual Meeting Council Actions (CD#9). Lessa Kanani’opua … Continue reading Council I: Transforming ALA Governance →

11 Questions: Dina Tsourdinis

January 11, 2022

A licensed certified public accountant, Tsourdinis holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in accounting from University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) and is a member of the Illinois CPA Society and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Tsourdinis has worked in finance at several nonprofit and educational institutions in Chicago, including UIC, SOS Children’s Villages Illinois, … Continue reading 11 Questions: Dina Tsourdinis →

2021 Year in Review

January 3, 2022

Wong’s election makes ALA history At the conclusion of the 2021 Annual Conference Virtual, Patricia “Patty” M. Wong began her term as the first Asian American to serve as ALA president. The American Rescue Plan Act and libraries When President Biden signed into law the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 on March … Continue reading 2021 Year in Review →

Image of ALA President Patricia "Patty" M. Wong

Two Decades of ALA-APA

By Patricia "Patty" M. Wong | January 3, 2022

Through your ALA membership, you are already part of ALA-APA. And as president of ALA, I’m also president of ALA-APA, so this work is very close to my heart. I’m proud that the leaders who came before me had the foresight to establish ALA-APA to offer resources for librarians, library staff, and library managers to … Continue reading Two Decades of ALA-APA →

Latest Library Links

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ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom and the Writers Guild Initiative are hosting a unique series of writer’s workshops that help participants use writing to reflect on experiences, share insights, identify a path forward, and make their voices heard. The workshops will pair 25 librarians with professional film and television writers. All librarians are invited to apply by December 16. Participants will be randomly selected for the four-session online series taking place from February 1 through March 8, 2025.

Office for Intellectual Freedom, Nov. 20
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Cass Balzer writes: “What would you do to keep your child clean, dry, and healthy? Skip meals? Miss bill payments? Take on an extra job? For nearly half of US families with young children, the answer is: All of the above and more. A National Diaper Bank Network study found that in 2023, an unprecedented 47% of families with young children nationwide struggled to afford diapers. In response, libraries have stepped up to distribute these critical supplies. Though they can be challenging to fund and coordinate, these programs are immensely popular and—for many communities—vital.”

American Libraries Trend, Nov./Dec.
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Ana Ndumu writes: “For more than a century, American libraries of all types have helped immigrants integrate, worked with municipalities to cultivate welcoming communities, and supported laws to shape our immigration system. With immigrants making up 13.8% of our population, the US is more racially, ethnically, and linguistically diverse than ever before. But for many library workers, staying abreast of the fraught immigration policy landscape is challenging. Laws shift rapidly, with initiatives introduced or eliminated according to political agendas. Here are additional resources library workers can use to educate themselves or network with others administering to immigrant communities.”

American Libraries column, Nov./Dec.
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Michael Kan writes: “Are you still using ‘chocolate,’ ‘naruto,’ or ‘monkey’ for your passwords? You really need to stop. All three are among the most commonly used passwords, putting your accounts at risk of hacking, according to new data from NordPass. The password manager’s sixth annual list of the top 200 most commonly used passwords is pulled from a 2.5TB dataset of stolen logins taken from various sources.” ZDNet offers tips for creating stronger passwords and improved security measures.

PC Mag, Nov. 14; NordPass, Nov. 13; ZDNet, Nov. 14
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John Sharp writes: “Athens and Fairhope are two fast-growing cities in the fastest-growing areas of Alabama, and there is no mistaking their conservative bona fides. But according to early statistics about library card applications, their libraries appear to be bucking a trend embraced by conservative-leaning groups and the Alabama GOP: Their patrons appear to be trusting the libraries. More than 60% of parents at Fairhope Public Library and Athens-Limestone County Public Library have signed off on all-access passes for their children with no restrictions on library usage.”

AL.com, Nov. 17
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Katie Gaddini writes: “Book bans may have mushroomed in the Trump era of reactionary politics, but they have a well-established history in America. One woman in particular, Norma Gabler, redefined the current strategy and logic behind modern book bans. Called ‘education’s public enemy number one,’ by critics in 1980, Gabler led the crusade against the so-called secular trend in school textbooks throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Even though Norma and her husband Mel worked together, Norma was the public face of their efforts for decades.”

Time: Made By History, Nov. 13
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Many members know Bill Ladewski as executive director of the Reference and User Services Association, an ALA position he has held since 2019. In early September, Ladewski added another title to his CV: director of Member Relations and Services. In this role, he and his team are charged with providing service and information to the Association’s nearly 50,000 members. Ladewski answered our 11 Questions to reintroduce himself to the ALA community.

AL: The Scoop, Nov. 19

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