At ALA’s second-annual LibLearnX, presenters shared different approaches and a refreshed outlook for dealing with the swell of book bans and censorship attempts happening across the country. Authors and illustrators took to the stage to offer stories of hope and struggle and showed the power of centering narratives from those who are Black, Indigenous, and … Continue reading 2023 LibLearnX Wrap-Up
Or, as she described it, a “community instigator”—connecting people and their shared experiences through music. “I realized that I’m not alone, I’m not an aberration,” she said. “That thing just goes in a circle, and then that circle becomes bigger than me. It becomes this spiraling thing that starts to hold us all. And it’s … Continue reading Exploring Identity
“Sometimes, parents will ask us, ‘What can we do with a cup?’” said Amy Kraemer, youth services librarian at Keene (N.H.) Public Library (KPL). “Maybe your kid thinks it’s a cup, maybe they don’t. You can fill it up with beans and shake it, make a parachute out of it. Let your kid think about … Continue reading Tinker, Tailor, Little Makers
Smith discussed his journey in crafting his narrative nonfiction book, How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America (Little, Brown and Company, 2021), and his upcoming poetry collection, Above Ground (Little, Brown and Company, March), at his January 29 featured speaker session at the American Library Association’s 2023 LibLearnX … Continue reading Our Collective Histories
That quote from a ninth grader was collected as researchers studied the effects of large-print books on youth literacy. In collaboration with Thorndike Press, Project Tomorrow—a national nonprofit supporting K–12 education—found positive results after introducing large print to students in grades 3–12, particularly those who struggled with reading. Project Tomorrow CEO Julie Evans discussed the … Continue reading Big Print Helps Young Readers
“Our school district is rural,” said Julie Curry, principal of John K. Hubbard Elementary School and chair of the PLS Board of Trustees. “A lot of [students] didn’t have Wi-Fi at home.” So she partnered with the local Pioneer Library System (PLS) to address the learning loss that occurred in children during virtual schooling through … Continue reading Recovering from Learning Loss
The agenda for Council III (CD#8.3) as amended with the point of order introduced by Libré Booker, ALA Executive Board member, was approved. Memorials were read for Deanna Bowling Marcum (M#1), Robert C. Delgadillo (M#2), Menahem Schmelzer (M#3), Barratt Wilkins (M#4), Betty Lee Sung (M#5), David Philip Norris (M#6), and Devona Pendergrass (M#7). A tribute … Continue reading ALA Council II: Memorials and Resolutions
These hypothetical questions may seem more sci-fi than reality, but they’re the kind of futuristic scenarios that Dawn La Valle says libraries should think about and prepare for. “The decisions we make today inform our future tomorrow,” said La Valle, director of the division of library development for Connecticut State Library (CSL) and a Certified … Continue reading Thinking Ahead
The selections were announced during ALA’s 2023 LibLearnX conference January 29 at the Reference and User Services Association’s (RUSA) Book and Media Awards event, sponsored by NoveList. Otsuka’s The Swimmers takes place in an underground pool, and a collective “we” reports the comings and goings of the titular swimmers—regulars who have established their schedules, lanes, … Continue reading 2023 Andrew Carnegie Medal Winners Announced
The Hybrid Council rules (CD#5) and agenda (CD#8.2) were adopted, and the minutes from the Hybrid Council meeting during the June 2022 ALA Conference (CD#2) were approved. ALA Executive Director Tracie D. Hall reviewed Executive Board actions since the June 2022 Hybrid Council meeting (CD#15) and the implementation report on ALA Council Actions (CD#9) taken … Continue reading ALA Council I: Round Table Dues Standardized
Alexandria Library was one of 25 libraries that received an American Library Association (ALA) Resilient Communities grant to help educate patrons on the climate crisis. Representatives from five public and academic library recipients joined to discuss their work in a January 28 program at ALA’s 2023 LibLearnX conference in New Orleans. The Resilient Communities’ six-month … Continue reading Climate Change Chat
Brown spoke of her catalytic experience seeing Martin Luther King Jr. and the importance of telling one’s story at her keynote speaker session January 28 at the American Library Association’s 2023 LibLearnX conference in New Orleans. Brown’s debut novel, My Selma (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, January), recounts her experience growing up in Selma, Alabama, during … Continue reading Taking Care of Our Future
