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
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
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
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
