liblearnx24 Archives | Page 3 of 3 | American Libraries Magazine

Council I: Discussion of Ceasefire Statement Postponed

By Megan Bennett | January 20, 2024

The Hybrid Council Meeting Rules (CD#5) and Council I agenda (CD#8.1) were adopted. The minutes from the June 2023 Annual Conference Membership and Council Meetings and the November 2023 Special Virtual Council Meeting (CD#2–#2.1) were also approved. ALA Interim Executive Director Leslie Burger reviewed Executive Board actions since the 2023 Annual Conference meetings (CD#15) and … Continue reading Council I: Discussion of Ceasefire Statement Postponed →

Khris Hutson, library media specialist at Francis C. Hammond Middle School

Pivot! Pivot!

By Diana Panuncial | January 20, 2024

The average collection date was 2002 and the average circulation rate was 461 books per month. Since Blaylock and FCHMS’s library media specialist, Khris Hutson, began making improvements last January, they have raised the collection date to 2008—and in fall 2023, they recorded 1,277 books circulated per month. This is one of the ways that … Continue reading Pivot! Pivot! →

Michele Norris (r) speaks with ALA President Emily Drabinski on stage at the 2024 LibLearnX Opening Session

Six Words, Countless Conversations

By Greg Landgraf | January 20, 2024

She started the Race Card Project with 200 postcards—printed at Kinko’s on her way to taking her kids to soccer practice—inviting whoever picked them up to share their thoughts on race, in exactly six words. She dropped them at a variety of venues while on a book tour. More than 500,000 personal narratives later, the … Continue reading Six Words, Countless Conversations →

Lauren Johnson, user experience librarian at Nevada State University in Henderson, speaks at the “Bite-Sized Improvements: How to Make Small, Meaningful Changes to Library Space,” session January 20.

Sizing Up Your Space

By Diana Panuncial | January 20, 2024

At “Bite-Sized Improvements: How to Make Small, Meaningful Changes to Library Space,” a January 20 session at the American Library Association’s 2024 LibLearnX conference in Baltimore, library specialist Nanci DeLa Cruz Aguayo and user experience librarian Lauren Johnson shared how they took the process one step at a time. Aguayo and Johnson, both from Nevada … Continue reading Sizing Up Your Space →

Rebecca Stallworth, assistant professor in the School of Library and Information Science at Simmons University in Boston, co-presents “Beyond the Bachelor’s Degree: Supporting First-Generation Students Through Graduate School” January 20 at the 2024 LibLearnX Conference in Baltimore

Eliminating Barriers, Meeting Needs

By Megan Bennett | January 20, 2024

While examining academic library websites in 2022, researchers Danielle Maurici-Pollock and Rebecca Stallworth noted they found 80 different definitions for FGS. The most common definitions refer to the first person in a family to go to college or a student whose parents didn’t attend college, but a range of lived experiences can make the terminology … Continue reading Eliminating Barriers, Meeting Needs →

Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction 2024 winners: The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters and We Were Once a Family by Roxanna Asgarian.

2024 Andrew Carnegie Medal Winners Announced

January 20, 2024

The selections were announced during ALA’s 2024 LibLearnX conference in Baltimore January 20 at the Reference and User Services Association’s (RUSA) Book and Media Awards event, sponsored by NoveList. In The Berry Pickers, an Indigenous Mi’kmaq family is picking summer blueberries in 1962 Maine when their youngest child, 4-year-old Ruthie, disappears. Her 6-year-old brother, Joe, … Continue reading 2024 Andrew Carnegie Medal Winners Announced →

Call Number Podcast: Good Morning, Baltimore!

January 16, 2024

First, American Libraries Associate Editor and Call Number host Diana Panuncial speaks with David Thomas and Tonya Thomas, both chefs and food historians. The husband-and-wife duo is behind Baltimore’s H3irloom Food Group, a culinary organization with a mission of uplifting the Black food narrative through catering and educational events. They discuss their cooking journeys and … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Good Morning, Baltimore! →

2024 LibLearnX Preview

By Diana Panuncial | January 2, 2024

The American Library Association’s (ALA) LibLearnX conference will be held January 19–22, bringing collaborative learning activities, networking opportunities, celebrations, and author talks to the city of Baltimore. Designed for active learning, the conference will offer more than 100 educational programs in returning formats—Accelerators, Ideas Xchanges, Learning Labs, and ShopTalks—created by and for library workers. New this … Continue reading 2024 LibLearnX Preview →

Cast iron bowl of mussels with sliced bread on top

Bite into Baltimore

By Meredith Pratt | January 2, 2024

Don’t know where to start? Check out this list of favorite spots a walk, rideshare, cab, or water taxi ride away from the Baltimore Convention Center and downtown hotels. Many were also featured in Frommer’s most recent list of Best Restaurants in Baltimore. Dig in! Near the Convention Center (Downtown) B&O American Brasserie 2 N. … Continue reading Bite into Baltimore →

A collection of headshots of the 2024 I Love My Librarian Award Honorees

Meet the 2024 I Love My Librarian Award Honorees

By Chase Ollis | December 18, 2023

“While much of the national conversation surrounding libraries has fixated on book censorship, and as library workers across the US continue to face historic levels of intimidation and harassment, librarians’ efforts to empower their patrons and provide vital services for their communities shines a spotlight on the enduring value of libraries in our society,” said … Continue reading Meet the 2024 I Love My Librarian Award Honorees →

Latest Library Links

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Sarah Hunter writes: “In early 2020, Maia Kobabe (e/em/eir) was wrapping up promotion for eir memoir Gender Queer when e received an email out of the blue from Sarah Peitzmeier, a social epidemiologist working in LGBTQ+ health at University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. Peitzmeier, a fan of Kobabe’s work, wanted to collaborate with em on an illustrated guide based on her research on current chest-binding practices. The resulting book became Breathe: Journeys to Healthy Binding. American Libraries spoke with Kobabe and Peitzmeier about their new title, their collaboration, and the importance of making evidence-based information about trans health care widely available.”

American Libraries Trend, May
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Frank Strong writes: “May 5, many Texas school districts held elections for their boards of trustees. For months I’ve tracked contested races in 23 districts where there have been controversies about books, book bans, and censorship. The results last night were… great, overall!” Thirteen districts definitively rejected slates of candidates supported by Moms for Liberty, 1776 Project PAC, and other procensorship groups. Seven districts had mixed or neutral results, while candidates opposed to the freedom to read won in three. The results “don’t necessarily capture the balance of power in a given district,” but “these elections provide a strong foundation from which we can start restoring sanity to school boards next year.”

Anger & Clarity, May 6
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Sarah Ravits writes: “The Louisiana House of Representatives April 30 passed a bill loosening hiring requirements for library directors across the state, a move that could make it easier for conservative local officials to hire supporters of book banning. House Bill 974 (formerly HB-168) by Rep. Josh Carlson (R-Lafayette) removes a requirement that candidates for library director positions have master’s degrees in library sciences, which are accredited by the American Library Association. Librarians and anti-censorship advocacy groups, including the Louisiana Citizens Against Censorship, view this bill as an attack on librarians’ credentials and an attempt to undermine the ALA.”

NOLA.com Gambit, Apr. 30
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Kiara Alfonseca writes: “Samira Ahmed, an author of young adult and middle-grade literature, never expected to hire security for events, travel under an alias or face cancellations at schools and libraries. Ahmed told ABC News she faces threats and book bans over her novels—including Internment and Hollow Fires—which have caused a firestorm of criticism for tackling complex issues about race, oppression and politics. Titles highlighting Asian American cultures have been targets among the long and growing inventory of books singled out by critics, prompting concerns about representation in literature.”

ABC News, May 2
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Susan D. Ballard and Sara Kelly Johns write: “As school librarians, we are always rethinking how to convey who we are and what we do. To compete and remain viable, we need to work on our brand identity. The feelings and impressions that members of our school community have when they think of our library, and their memories of interactions they’ve had with us—positive or negative—are our school library’s brand. The goal is not so much to transform the school library’s image as it is to build credibility through ongoing improvement and exemplary brand behavior.”

American Libraries feature, May
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Cara S. Bertram writes: “As we look forward to book award ceremonies at the ALA Annual Conference in San Diego this summer, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the history of one of the most prestigious children’s book awards, the Caldecott Medal. The idea was first presented in 1935 in a letter by Frederic G. Melcher,” who had established the Newbery Medal in 1921. Melcher’s suggestion was prompted when Professor May Hill Arbuthnot of Western Reserve University in Cleveland communicated the concern that the Newbery was not recognizing literature for the youngest children.

American Library Association Archives, Apr. 29
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Kristi Kellogg writes: “Images are an essential component of online content—and it’s obvious why. Images aren’t just pretty—they’re powerful marketing tools that help you stand out. Whether you’re creating a social media post, a webpage, an ebook, a blog post, or something else, adding visuals goes a long way in improving the overall user experience. However, you can’t just pull images off the internet and use them—and it’s your responsibility to determine if and how you can use the image without breaking the law.”

Search Engine Journal, Apr. 6

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