Contents
Conference Highlights
ALA News
Authors
ALA Publishing
Division Sessions
Other Events
Awards
Tech Events
Seen Online
Twitter Perception

The world’s most famous whistleblower
Leonard Kniffel writes: “I was making my way from Saturday’s screening of The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers to an adjacent auditorium where we were told that Ellsberg would make a surprise appearance. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a white-haired man walking ahead of me with the assistance of a cane—a slender, handsomely dressed man whom I guessed immediately was the world’s most famous whistleblower himself. Soft-spoken and gentlemanly, he told me he would be happy to sit for an interview with me following his Auditorium Speakers program on Sunday.”...
AL: Inside Scoop, June 26

Daniel Ellsberg and unwinnable wars
Greg Landgraf writes: “While it took 40 years for the Pentagon Papers to be declassified, as they were on June 13, Daniel Ellsberg suggested the timing might be perfect. ‘There’s never been a time, really, that the lessons that might be drawn from those papers are so timely.’ He observed similarities between the Vietnam War and today’s war in Afghanistan: The Taliban and the Viet Cong were both unpopular organizations, he said, and only gained legitimacy in the eyes of its citizens as a force resisting foreign occupiers.” Watch an excerpt (4:32) from the exclusive American Libraries interview....
AL: Inside Scoop, June 27

Transparency and ethics in the wake of WikiLeaks
Greg Landgraf writes: “Tom Blanton, director of the National Security Archive at George Washington University, met WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange at a gathering of investigative journalists in April 2010, shortly after WikiLeaks had released a video of the U.S. military firing on Reuters journalists. Blanton told the audience at Monday’s ‘When it Leaks it Pours: WikiLeaks, National Declassification System, and Access to Government Information,’ that while Assange expected a warm reception, ‘The journalists almost unanimously turned on him’ for the release. The reason was one of approach.”...
AL: Inside Scoop, June 27

Dan Savage: Positive subversion
Leonard Kniffel writes: “Activist writer Dan Savage (right) keynoted the ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans June 24 by explaining how his new book, It Gets Better, was inspired by a rash of suicides by gay teens who commit suicide because ‘they cannot picture a future that would be good enough to make up for the pain they are in now.’ He explained that his entire ‘It Gets Better’ project started because of Billy Lucas, a 15-year-old high school student in Indiana who committed suicide after being taunted by his classmates for being gay.”...
AL: Inside Scoop, June 24

Molly Shannon bubbles over with tales of tricksterism
Leonard Kniffel writes: “Entertainer and now children’s author Molly Shannon (right) delighted a packed Closing Session Tuesday morning with tales of growing up as a just-a-tad-naughty child, not unlike the title character of her first book, Tilly the Trickster, published by Abrams. On creating a character for her children’s book, Shannon said it was always something she’d wanted to do but decided to wait until she had children of her own before diving in. ‘It was easy to write about a trickster,’ she noted, because ‘my dad was the biggest trickster of all time. He made everything an adventure.’”...
AL: Inside Scoop, June 29

Lippman and Simon on books and television
Greg Landgraf writes: “Laura Lippman (right), author of the Tess Monaghan novels, and David Simon, creator of the HBO series The Wire and Treme, are married, but the PLA President’s Program was only the second time they have appeared together. They focused on the differences between working on books and television shows. ‘America isn’t reading anymore and it’s infuriating to me,’ Simon said, noting that his first television series, Homicide: Life on the Street, was a popular book that sold 100,000 copies, but as a television show it had a relatively modest audience.” Watch exclusive ALA interviews with David Simon (4:16) and Laura Lippman (7:42)....
AL: Inside Scoop, June 26; YouTube, July 6

Jeff Jarvis on privacy (PDF file)
Frederick Augustyn Jr. writes: “Veteran editor, publisher, and columnist Jeff Jarvis (right, author of What Would Google Do?) asserted Monday that we need to reexamine what is public and private in this digital age. He prefers to designate privacy as an ethic. Principles of the ethic of privacy include: not stealing data; understanding that context matters; giving credit to others, such as in bibliographical references; and not using the information shared as a weapon.”...
Cognotes, Highlights issue, p. 3

Dive into the world of Wikipedia
Leonard Kniffel writes: “The folks at Wikipedia ‘are lovers of the institutions of knowledge’ and definitely libraries, said Sue Gardner (right) at ALA President Roberta Stevens’s special Sunday program. The executive director of the Wikimedia Foundation, which operates Wikipedia, said that the wiki is not opposed to traditional media; and, in fact, ‘we want you as Wikipedians.’”...
AL: Inside Scoop, June 26

Vaidhyanathan on the limits of benevolence
Greg Landgraf writes: “Even though he wrote The Googlization of Everything (And Why We Should Worry), Siva Vaidhyanathan (right) has plenty of good to say about the company. ‘Google has actually treated us very well,’ he said during his Saturday Auditorium Speaker Series speech. But the breadth of Google’s influence should still give us pause, Vaidhyanathan, professor of media studies and law at the University of Virginia, said. He argued that individuals’ communication, their knowledge, and they themselves are increasingly affected by what Google says about them.”...
AL: Inside Scoop, June 25

Gulf Coast library recovery stories
Leonard Kniffel writes: “Jill Nishi of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation kicked off a panel discussion on ‘Recovery along the Gulf Coast’ by saying it was hard for her to believe that it has been five years since Hurricane Katrina ravaged large portions of Mississippi and Louisiana. Project Director Mary Ellin Santiago (right) told stories about her arrival in the devastated region. She emphasized that in disaster recovery, people must come first. There are mental health issues and family and personal crises to be dealt with.”...
AL: Inside Scoop, June 25

ALA Annual Virtual Conference 2011
Whether or not you attended ALA Annual in New Orleans, the Virtual Conference offers a rich program for professional development and entertainment that includes two full days of interactive sessions and presentations, keynote speakers danah boyd and R. David Lankes (right), and lunchtime Author Talks (moderated by Booklist editors Brad Hooper and Donna Seaman) with two-time Pulitzer Prize–winner David McCullough and two-time National Book Award recipient Jean Thompson. Review the schedule to find out more about the speakers. Sign up as a group for the best rates....
ALA Conference Services

Molly Raphael inaugurated ALA president
Molly Raphael, former director of libraries at Multnomah County Library in Portland, Oregon, and the District of Columbia Public Library in Washington, D.C., began her term Tuesday as ALA’s 2011–2012 president. “Libraries are so essential for learning and for life,” Raphael said. “I am honored to lead ALA as we help libraries address serious economic, social, political, and technological challenges.”...
Public Information Office, June 29

Opening General Session: Gates and Spectrum
At Friday’s Opening General Session, ALA President Roberta Stevens announced that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation had contributed $300,000 to the Spectrum Scholarship Program. Melinda Gates greeted attendees via video, emphasizing the importance of libraries and the tireless work they do to improve lives by providing necessary resources during tough times. “The work you do has never been more urgent,” she said....
AL: Inside Scoop, June 24

A continuing dialogue with HarperCollins
E-book Task Force Chair Bonnie Tijerina released a statement thanking HarperCollins for attending the task force’s business meeting on Saturday. The discussion followed HarperCollins’s February announcement of its current policy under which new titles licensed from library e-book vendors are restricted to 26 circulations....
Office for Information Technology Policy, June 28

Council I: Report envisions a new ALA
“If there were no governing body currently in place, what structure would you envision that reflects ALA’s goal of an engaged and collaborative membership, the effective use of new technologies, and the changes in outlook and expectations occurring with the new generation of people working in libraries?” That was the charge of the ALA Future Perfect Presidential Task Force, chaired by Brett Bonfield (right), who presented some innovative and controversial recommendations that could forever change the Association’s governance. Watch the interview (4:48)....
AL: Inside Scoop, June 27; Council Document #44; YouTube, June 26

Council II: EQUAAC report under review
ALA’s governing Council on Monday referred the report from the Presidential Task Force on Equitable Access to Electronic Content (EQUACC) to the Budget Analysis and Review Committee during its second session. The task force was directed to study the challenges and potential solutions for libraries regarding improved electronic content access, distribution and preservation systems, and infrastructure....
AL: Inside Scoop, June 28

Gaming round table approved
On Monday, ALA Council approved the Games and Gaming Member Initiative Group’s request to become a formal round table. First created in 2008, the group has grown to the point where it can now sustain such popular initiatives as the Friday night ALA Play event at Annual Conferences (cohosted with the new Graphic Novels Member Initiative Group) and November’s National Gaming Day @ your library....
ALA Membership Blog, June 27

Council III: Council Effectiveness Task Force
A report by the Presidential Task Force for Improving the Effectiveness of ALA’s Council, chaired by ALA Past President Jim Rettig, was the hot topic on Tuesday’s agenda. Three of the many suggestions required and received formal action. Others, except one, moved along with a consensus regarding forward movement....
AL: Inside Scoop, June 30

The future of ALA round tables
Linda Crook writes: “Representatives from many of ALA’s 18 round tables, mostly incoming chairs, met Friday morning to discuss the future of round tables and the Round Table Coordinating Assembly. Issues included addressing problems, training chairs and treasurers, and improving communication with ALA divisions. Participants described feeling neglected and a sense that round tables were often not included by divisions, particularly in the formation of interdivisional groups. Since a significant portion of ALA members belong only to round tables, it is important to make the voice of the round tables heard.”...
ALA Membership Blog, June 25

Diversity Council calls on ALA to do more
Michael Kelley writes: “When Luis Chaparro said that ALA can do more to promote diversity, seven nearby heads nodded in unison. ‘The profession, and ALA in particular, needs to work a little bit harder to bring in more minorities,’ Chaparro, head librarian at Valle Verde Library in El Paso, Texas, and a past president of REFORMA, said on Monday. He was part of an eight-person Diversity Council panel, the first in two years. ‘It’s not that they aren’t aware of it, surely they are, but sometimes their awareness has to be triggered into action,’ Chaparro said.”...
Library Journal, June 29

Student chapters organize to effect change
Micah Vandegrift writes: “Saturday’s ‘Leadership of ALA’s Student Chapters’ was led by Jamie Renton of San Jose State University and opened with her explanation of the background and purpose for convening this group. Basically, she is proposing that there should be some formalish structure or organization whereby leaders of ALA’s student chapters can communicate to share best practices for being an engaging and valuable resource for library school students. The session was well attended, with representatives from 12 different schools across the country.”...
ALA Student Membership Blog, June 26

Jeff Kinney discusses success
Katy Reckdahl writes: “Jeff Kinney (right) thought he had written a book for grown-ups nostalgic about childhood. After reading through a draft of Diary of a Wimpy Kid, his editor at Abrams Books thought differently. ‘They told me instead that I had written a book for children. It was a shock,’ Kinney said Saturday. Kinney created the wildly popular Wimpy Kid children’s books starring Greg Heffley, a 7th-grader with dots for eyes, a few lines of hair, and a downturned mouth.”...
New Orleans Times-Picayune, June 25

Tooth Fairy footprints
Talea Anderson writes: “William Joyce (right), author and illustrator of children’s books, including George Shrinks, Dinosaur Bob, and The Man in the Moon, and recipient of three Emmy awards for animated series based on his books, spoke on Saturday about the power of stories. It all began for Joyce when, at age 5, he learned that Santa Claus and the Tooth Fairy weren’t actually real. He began writing and illustrating, determined to tell stories his own way. He noted, ‘Drawing and making up stories became like breathing for me.’”...
ALA Membership Blog, June 26; Cognotes, Sunday, pp. 1, 3

The red cape event of the season
Heather Acerro writes: “The poopiest place to be Saturday night was Scholastic’s Super Diaper Baby 2 party. Here are some highlights. The super awesome and talented Dav Pilkey (right) signed copies of Super Diaper Baby 2: The Invasion of the Potty Snatchers and let us take them home with us, even though the book hadn’t been released yet. He also showed us a moving video about his inspiration for the book—it is now available on his website. So take a few minutes to watch it; it will squeeze a few tears out of you.”...
ALSC Blog, June 25

A little humor with your homicide? (PDF file)
Kacee Church writes: “Mystery has long been a popular genre. But suspense and seriousness are not prerequisites for mystery novels. Saturday afternoon, a panel of mystery writers appeared on the PopTop Stage to discuss the need for humor in mystery novels. The session, ‘Laugh or I’ll Kill You—Why Readers Like a Little Humor with Their Homicide,’ was moderated by author Amy Alessio. The panel focused on the sources of inspiration for their stories, characters, and humor found in their novels.”...
Cognotes, Sunday, p. 25

Comic art in New Orleans
Steven L. Willis writes: “The presence of comics in libraries, museums, and library conventions is now taken for granted. But it wasn’t always so accepted. Here’s some of the comic art–related photos I captured at the conference. I was too busy with my job assignment to attend any of the comic-related presentations, but I did get a chance to briefly chat with most of the exhibitors.”...
Morty the Dog, June 29

Whirling and twirling, books in hand
Mary Ann Scheuer writes: “In my household, #ala11 is known as ‘Librarians Gone Wild’ and I think the name does really fit. On the first day, I was waiting patiently to say hi to Raina Telgemeier, the author of our most popular graphic novel Smile, when she saw me and shouted, ‘Mary Ann! Hello!!!’ and gave me a huge hug. She recognized me immediately from my blog—I was stunned.”...
ALSC Blog, June 26

More book frenzy
Sondra Eklund writes: “Saturday morning, I woke up after having gotten far too little sleep. I’d discovered the night before that any restraint I thought I’d have completely vanished when faced with free books. It also happened that Saturday morning would have some of the author signings I was most looking forward to. I met Marilyn Johnson (left), who so kindly sent copies of her book, This Book Is Overdue, to the Fairfax County (Va.) Board of Supervisors in support of libraries. She said they’ve added an epilogue that talks about the budget fights to keep libraries open.”...
Sonderbooks, July 1

Librarians and booksellers: Partners in reading
Leonard Kniffel writes: “You can’t go wrong if you attend a program that America’s favorite librarian Nancy Pearl has anything to do with, and the early risers who showed up for ‘Libraries and Bookstores: Strange Bedfellows?’ Monday weren’t disappointed. Pearl urged librarians to reach out first to the publishers and then contact bookstores. Beth Elder, director of Salt Lake City Public Library, and Betsy Burton of the King’s English bookstore in Utah said their common goal is ‘putting books in the hands of the people in our community,’ largely through library programs featuring authors.”...
AL: Inside Scoop, June 27

Panel reveals series secrets
Greg Landgraf writes: “‘Everyone loves series,’ declared Jonathan Stroud, author of the Bartimaeus Sequence. ‘Children love series, adults love series, publishers love series.’ Stroud spoke as part of a Friday Booklist panel at ‘Keep ‘Em Coming: Series Fiction Creators Talk Shop,’ where four YA authors talked about the whys and the hows of series fiction. Financial considerations are a big part of the why—several panelists noted that series books sold better than stand-alone titles. Fortunately, they aren’t the only reason.”...
AL: Inside Scoop, June 24

What can you find in the ALA Store?
This fun and informative video (2:53) takes you on a tour of the new ALA Store and introduces you to some of the staff you might have met there. The store was located on the main aisle near the center of the exhibition hall, ideal for easy access and convenient browsing. If you were not at conference, visit the ALA Store year-round for all of your ALA product needs....
AL: Inside Scoop, June 25; YouTube, June 24

Lord Vader packs them in
Paul Signorelli writes: “Like any authors with a newly published book, Lori Reed and I were hoping that we wouldn’t be the only ones attending our first official book signing for Workplace Learning and Leadership (ALA Editions, 2011). We needn’t have worried. We were shocked and delighted to see an Imperial Storm Trooper, Darth Vader, and a young woman in a very tight-fitting shirt walking by. I leapt out of my chair, told them we were signing copies of our book, and asked them whether they would join us for a few minutes. ‘Of course,’ they quickly replied.”...
Building Creative Bridges, June 25

RDA 201 preconference
James Hennelly writes: “On Thursday, the ALCTS preconference featured four presentations covering key areas of difference between RDA and AACR2 and best practices for the RDA Toolkit. One point of emphasis was the key role of workflows in maximizing the potential of the toolkit. Friday’s session covered cataloging electronic resources, visual materials, and nonmusical audio recordings with RDA, as well as a presentation on RDA’s impact on library automation systems.”...
RDA Toolkit Blog, June 24

More RDA news
James Hennelly writes: “It was a busy day on Sunday for RDA and the RDA Toolkit. The U.S. Test Committee met with vendors, testers, and the public, and summarized the results of the test and the reasoning behind its recent decision. The committee stated that the rewrite of RDA will actually be more of a rewording, intended to simplify and clarify some of the instructions.”...
RDA Toolkit Blog, June 26

Best websites for teaching and learning
Mary Ann Scheuer writes: “The #ala11 preconference held by AASL Thursday on ‘Top 25 Web Sites for Teaching and Learning’ provided very interesting resources, looking at a range of different websites for teaching and learning. I was particularly interested in the media sharing sites presented by Linda Friel, of Simmons College. Tagxedo helps students arrange words in visually stimulating and interesting ways. It seems similar to Wordle, but more flexible.” The list of websites honors the top 25 internet sites for enhancing learning and curriculum development for school librarians and their teacher collaborators....
AASL Blog, June 24; AASL, June 28

Disaster preparedness for school librarians (PDF file)
Dana K. Johnson writes: “On Friday, attendees learned first-hand how to face calamity in a free AASL preconference, ‘Disaster Preparedness for School Librarians,’ sponsored by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. Terry Young Jr., librarian for Jefferson Parish (La.) schools; Laura Pearle, head librarian at Hackley School in Tarrytown, New York; and Nancy Teger, professor at Nova Southeastern University in Florida, presented their personal experiences, lessons learned and hands-on knowledge in dealing with disasters affecting their institutions.”...
Cognotes, Sunday, p. 8

Sally Karioth discusses coping with grief (PDF file)
Frederick J. Augustyn Jr. writes: “At the AASL President’s Program on Saturday, Sally Karioth, who has made her mark as a nurse, teacher, author, talk show host, and grief counselor, gave an animated, insightful address titled ‘Life Is What You Make It: Seize the Day.’ The often risible raconteur from Florida State University strove to point out the differences between minor upsets and immeasurable losses and to find ‘exquisite moments in each day.’”...
Cognotes, Sunday, pp. 1, 3

E-books and school libraries
Jessica Hernandez writes: “The need for best practices for e-books in libraries was crystallized in Dawn Nelson’s Saturday AASL program, ‘E-books—Has Their Time Come?’ Nelson shared lessons learned from her numerous e-book pilot projects in the Osseo Area Schools in Maple Grove, Minnesota. She called for a paradigm shift in how e-books are perceived and allocated in school and library budgets.”...
ALA Membership Blog, June 28

International books for children
Mary Ann Scheuer writes: “I was inspired by an AASL panel discussion presented by the United States Board on Books for Young People titled ‘International Children’s Book Publishing.’ Representatives from Groundwood Books, Kane Miller Books, NorthSouth Books, and Chronicle Books each shared about their particular vision, story, and favorite titles. I was particularly moved by Kira Lynn, of Kane Miller, as she talked about the quieter, subtler sensibility that foreign children’s books can bring to our own youth.”...
ALSC Blog, June 30

Turning bean-counters into tree-huggers
Greg Landgraf writes: “Money is one of the factors that can hamper green construction efforts. ‘Too often people think sustainability is only for the rich,’ said Tim Duggan (right), landscape architect for the Make it Right Foundation, in the Saturday LLAMA President’s Program, ‘Community Beyond Housing.’ But finances can also turn skeptics into enthusiasts. Duggan said that in 2010 New Orleans spent $47 million on electricity to pump water over a levy.” Watch the video (3:19)....
AL: Green Your Library, June 25; YouTube, June 25

It’s really about the patrons
Liz Humrickhouse writes: “‘Librarians who think straight are actively engaged in creating the future. They are not trying to protect the past,’ declared Stephen Abram, Canada’s 2011 Librarian of the Year. LLAMA’s ‘Digital Bridge to Somewhere’ panel on Sunday was made up of men who planned for, created, and built access to digital technologies in libraries. Abram was perhaps the most outspoken, asserting that librarians have never been more relevant, but that we can make ourselves totally irrelevant by ignoring human behavior.”...
AL: Inside Scoop, June 25

Planning your move up the career ladder (PDF file)
Talea Anderson writes: “In the Monday YALSA session, ‘Moving up the Career Ladder,’ five panelists spoke about their career paths and offered advice to those looking to advance in their careers. Their experiences were far-ranging, but their advice fell within several common categories.”...
Cognotes, Highlights issue, p. 20

Klatch-tastic
Celise Reech-Harper writes: “The YALSA Coffee Klatch on Sunday was a fantastic opportunity for youth literature supporters to chat with the authors whose worlds we send teens to explore. Jay Asher (right), author of Thirteen Reasons Why, emceed the event, welcoming the attendees and introducing the authors. Then, the authors sat down at tables with 5–7 YALSA members and supporters for 3–4 minute intervals.” Three more Klatchers recap the event....
PLA Blog, June 26; YALSA The Hub, July 3

Teens reading digitally
Linda W. Braun writes: “When I left the YALSA Teens Reading Digitally panel discussion on Sunday I was thinking to myself, ‘Wow, I love hearing how people are pushing the boundaries in order to connect teens to content, and to get them excited about reading and writing.’ For example, iDrakula author Bekka Black explained how she came up with the idea for her multiplatform novel that highlights the ways in which teens are reading in the digital age.”...
YALSA Blog, July 1

Cultural competence (PDF file)
Frederick J. Augustyn Jr. writes: “At a forum on Saturday, ACRL presented for further input the Diversity Standards (PDF file) that its Racial and Ethnic Diversity Committee produced over the course of two years. Although designed especially for use in academic libraries and based on the 2001 National Association of Social Workers Standards for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice, the intention is that they will serve as tenets for all libraries to recruit and retain diverse workforces.”...
Cognotes, Highlights issue, p. 14

Academic librarian lightning round (PDF file)
Stacy L. Voeller writes: “On Saturday, more than 300 people attended the ACRL ‘Academic Librarian Lightning Round! Innovative New Roles.’ The program featured 12 librarians who discussed how assuming new academic, professional, and service roles and responsibilities forged new pathways and partnerships. Each of these librarians provided examples of how they reasserted the role of their library on their campuses.”...
Cognotes, Monday, p. 21

Using assessment effectively (PDF file)
Stacy L. Voeller writes: “On Sunday, ACRL’s Assessment Committee presented a program to a crowd of more than 200 attendees on ‘Demonstrating the Value of the Library: Assessment Tools and Techniques.’ Annette Day, head of collection management at North Carolina State University, discussed examples of how NCSU uses a variety of metrics to provide valuable information for decision making. According to Day, ‘we needed to use data to inform and articulate collections decisions and know if we were providing value for the money.’”...
Cognotes, Highlights issue, p. 19

Library e-content delivery
Jessica Horvath writes: “Saturday’s LITA-sponsored program, ‘You Mean Libraries Will Be Able to Deliver Electronic Content Better Than iTunes and Netflix?,’ provided an update on the presidential task force on Equitable Access to Electronic Content (EQUACC). According to EQUACC Chair Michael Porter, one purpose of the task force is to create solutions to e-content access problems.”...
ALA Membership Blog, June 26

From grocery store to kitchen
Richard Kong writes: “I was fortunate enough to present at a Saturday PLA program titled, ‘From Grocery Store to Kitchen: Empowering Users to Get Creative with Digital Media.’ The main point of the presentation is that libraries need to stop functioning like grocery stores (where people simply come to get stuff) and start functioning like kitchens (where people do stuff and create stuff). Here are my slides from this presentation.”...
richardkong.com, June 25

Top 10 benefits of tough economic times
PC Sweeney writes: “The PLA preconference, ‘Top Ten Benefits of Tough Economic Times,’ was presented by Cathy Hakala-Ausperk and Kim Bolan Cullin. Cathy and Kim started the session by talking about the importance of the CASE philosophy. If you’re unfamiliar with CASE, it stands for Copy and Steal Everything. In that vein, I am going to present to you a summary of their top 10 benefits of tough economic times in reverse order.”...
PLA Blog, June 24

Read more! It’s the doctor’s orders
Liz Humrickhouse writes: “On Sunday, I attended ALSC’s ‘Reach Out and Read: How Libraries Can Work with Doctors who Prescribe Reading to Achieve Common Goals.’ This session brought in perspectives from outside of the library world and I was curious to see how doctors and librarians could work together. The two speakers, Dipesh Navsaria and Christine Caputo (right), told the audience about the Reach out and Read program, which partners with doctors to prescribe books and encourage families to read together.”...
AL: Inside Scoop, June 26

Serving patrons with autism
Mary Voors writes: “Many children with autism spectrum disorders are visiting our libraries. Many more families of kids with ASD want to feel welcome in our libraries. How we can best work with these kids and their families was the focus of an ALSC session Saturday called ‘Sensory Storytime: Preschool Programming that Makes Sense for Kids with Autism.’ A sensory storytime is different in many ways from a traditional storytime for 3-to-5-year-olds.” On Monday, the ALSC President’s Program featuring pediatrician Ricki G. Robinson (above) also addressed how librarians can become a valued community resource for individuals with autism across their lifespans....
ALSC Blog, June 25; PLA Blog, June 28

Learning from Elmo, Blue, and Dora (PDF file)
Dana K. Johnson writes: “Maria Cahill, assistant professor at the Texas Woman’s University SLIS, and Jennifer Bigheart of Literacy Texas spoke at a Sunday ALSC program on how to apply the principles used in children’s educational television to library storytime. Their work was inspired by an excerpt by Heather L. Kirkorian and Daniel R. Anderson in the book Educating the Other America (Paul H. Brookes, 2008). The premise is to teach young children the foundational skills of school readiness through storytime programming.”...
Cognotes, Highlights issue, p. 13

The pure pleasure of poetry
Mary Ann Scheuer writes: “A shining moment in my memory of #ala11 was the pure pleasure of the ALSC Poetry Blast on Monday. Although I was tired and spent after a long weekend, listening to these poets renewed me with energy and enthusiasm for sharing poetry with children of all ages. I have long admired Nikki Grimes, and so it was a special honor to hear her read a selection of her poems, especially ones inspired by her own parents.”...
ALSC Blog, June 29

IT and reference collaborations
Stacy L. Voeller writes: “On Friday, two sections of RUSA cosponsored a preconference called ‘Strange Bedfellows: IT and Reference Collaborations to Enhance User Experiences.’ Char Booth, instruction services manager at the Claremont Colleges, talked about how complex collaboration typically is between public library services staff and IT staff. Booth said that it is best to ‘know thy frenemy, and the two parties need to work together and appreciate what each side is doing.’”...
ALA Membership Blog, June 25; Cognotes, Saturday, p. 25

What’s the deal with social networking? (PDF file)
Naomi Fosher writes: “‘Information doesn’t want to be free, it wants to be social’ was one of the opening statements by Scott Brown, owner of the Social Information Group, to kick off the RUSA Business Reference and Services Section’s ‘The Business of Social Media’ program on Monday. Featuring three social media advocates, ranging from business owners to librarians, the presentations focused on the how to and why of social media and mobile technologies.”...
Cognotes, Highlights issue, p. 18

New Transforming Collections Task Force
Jessica Horvath writes: “One of the new task forces to emerge from the 2015 Strategic Plan is the Transforming Collections Task Force, which met Friday to discuss its initial report to the ALCTS board. The purpose of this task force is to provide leadership in the transformation of libraries and library services in a dynamic and increasing global digital information environment. Mary Beth Thomson (above) is the task force chair.”...
ALA Membership Blog, June 25

Have metadata, can collaborate
Holly Robertson writes: “Debbie Funkhouser, head of collection services and published materials at Harvard’s Schlesinger Library, provided a wonderful primer on the 583 field at the ALCTS ‘Have Metadata, Can Collaborate’ program on Sunday. She laid the foundation with a bit of a crash course on MARC for those of us who did not pay attention in our cataloging grad courses (or who instead took archival arrangement and description, like me).”...
Preservation and Conservation Administration News, June 26

Cosplay, games, and librarians
Friday night’s ALA Play event offered a ton of fun. Organized by the Gaming in Libraries and Graphic Novels in Libraries member interest groups, the evening featured costume pieces to try on and model, video games, board games, and even members of the local chapter of the 501st Legion (a group of Star Wars costume players). Attendees were able to come to the party and try out cosplaying themselves, as well as get ideas for programming at their own libraries....
ALA Membership Blog, June 25

Intellectual freedom 101: The brains of the ALA
Liz Humrickhouse writes: “‘If the Intellectual Freedom Committee is the brains of the ALA and the Committee on Professional Ethics is the conscience, then we (the LeRoy C. Merritt Fund) are the righteous arm for the individual librarian,’ declared Loriene Roy (right), past ALA president and current Merritt Fund trustee. It became clear during Friday’s Intellectual Freedom 101 presentation, hosted by the Intellectual Freedom Committee, that the panel speakers are passionate about what they do.”...
AL: Inside Scoop, June 26

Privatization: What’s at stake
The Santa Clarita (Calif.) City Council voted in August 2010 to withdraw from the county library system and contract with private library management firm LSSI to set up and operate its own library. The move was met with criticism from many residents like Lori Rivas and Lori Christian who thought the city moved too quickly. Rivas and Christian joined former local library workers at Saturday’s “Privatization of Libraries: What’s at Stake for Your Profession and Community” to speak out against private companies operating public libraries....
AL: Inside Scoop, June 26; Santa Clarita Valley (Calif.) Signal, July 4

A new method for library advocacy
Mel Gooch writes: “In a time when library budgets are being cut across the country and the threat of staff layoffs is becoming a reality rather than a negotiating tactic, the Urban Libraries Unite Save NYC Libraries campaign is something that libraries and library staff everywhere can learn from. During their Sunday presentation, Lauren Comito, Aliqae Geraci, and Christian Zabriskie shared their experiences and offered helpful advice about creating awareness about budget issues and rallying public support for libraries.”...
ALA Membership Blog, June 27

Frontline Fundraising Town Hall (PDF file)
Naomi Fosher writes: “The Frontline Fundraising Town Hall program on Monday presented a new web-based toolkit designed to assist libraries with all aspects of fundraising. ALA President Roberta Stevens began the program by reminding librarians that fundraising ‘takes time but you can be successful.’ Danny Hales, director of the Suwannee River Regional Library, told how Lee, Florida, a rural town with a population of about 386 people, was able to fundraise over $40,000 using a model similar to the toolkit.”...
Cognotes, Highlights issue, p. 14

Marketing for librarians
Kathy Dempsey (center) writes: “As soon as I saw that Ernie DiMattia would be giving a two-hour marketing session on Saturday as part of the MBA Series for Librarians, I put it at the top of my list. The fact that he had his equally qualified wife Susan teach part of the session made it even more valuable. I’m glad he had created a handout with all his topics and major points, because they were numerous. He said that he starts all his classes with the word ‘need’ because that’s at the heart of real marketing.” LLAMA also hosted a marketing unprogram....
The ‘M’ Word—Marketing Libraries, June 28; ALA Membership Blog, June 28

Science Programming 101
Jennifer Dominiak writes: “At Sunday’s Science Programming 101 session, attendees participated in hands-on activities to investigate aspects of wind, clouds, and rain, and began to see how local weather relates to broader Earth systems. The interactive session was a sneak peek into the full activity module the Lunar and Planetary Institute is developing to support the exploration of Earth science in public libraries.”...
Programming Librarian, June 27

The poetry of conservation
Sheila Stroup writes: “On Monday, Audubon Zoo Director Brenda Walkenhorst and New Orleans Poet-in-Residence Mark Doty, along with Missy Abbott, manager of the Latter branch of the New Orleans Public Library, presented a session on ‘The Language of Conservation: A Case Study in Library-Zoo Partnerships.’ It marked the culmination of two years of working on the Language of Conservation initiative, in which poems and excerpts are scattered around the zoo from the entrance to the Louisiana Swamp.”...
New Orleans Times-Picayune, July 3

Grey literature adds color to your research (PDF file)
Dana K. Johnson writes: “Grey literature consists of technical or scientific information that is synthesized by researchers or field experts. Richard Huffine of the U.S. Geological Survey presented an overview on the topic at Sunday’s ‘Grey Literature in the Digital Age,’ sponsored by the Federal and Armed Forces Libraries Round Table. Wayne Strickland of the National Technical Information Service’s Office of Product and Program Management spoke about the grey literature services that his agency provides.”...
Cognotes, Highlights issue, p. 20

ALA Advocacy Flash (Flood) Mob and Freeze
Jenny Levine writes: “ALA’s first-ever Advocacy Flash Mob and Freeze took place in Jackson Square on Sunday during a downpour that some participants dubbed a Flash Flood Mob. More than 25 library advocates gathered in front of St. Charles Cathedral despite the rain to dance and sing ‘When the Saints Go Marching In’ as a lead-up to the Freeze. Most wore t-shirts with library slogans to identify themselves as librarians supporting the New Orleans community.” Watch the video (1:32)....
ALA Membership Blog, June 27; YouTube, June 27

Disaster preparedness for everyone
“It’s not a matter of if a disaster will happen; it’s simply a matter of when,” said Katherine Zeringue, FEMA environmental liaison officer, one of a panel of speakers (PDF file) who shared lessons learned and offered ideas for emergency planning during the ‘E-Government: Disaster Preparedness’ portion of the ALA Washington Office’s Saturday morning briefing. Guest speakers discussed what libraries should do to be ready for all emergency situations, from hurricanes to library fires....
District Dispatch, June 29; Cognotes, Sunday, pp. 3, 25

Many voices, one nation (PDF file)
Naomi Fosher writes: “Weaving the fabric of our communities through stories, four writers shared and celebrated their works that inspire creativity and enrich our world, during “Many Voices, One Nation” on Saturday. Both author Maya Soetero-Ng and illustrator Yuyi Morales shared their children’s book Ladder to the Moon. Inspired by Soetero-Ng’s young daughter Suhaila’s questions about her late grandmother Anne Dunham (the mother of Soetero-Ng and also President Barack Obama), the story is a touching tribute.”...
Cognotes, Monday, p. 22

LGBTQ programming in your library
Liz Humrickhouse writes: “On Monday, the ‘Out of the Closet and Into the Library’ panel discussed how to develop and implement LGBTQ programming in your library. The panelists were from both public and academic libraries and approached the topic of incorporating the programming from the perspective of the institutions they served. Bleue Benton, collection development manager at the Oak Park (Ill.) Public Library, felt that programming begins at the collection development level.”...
AL: Inside Scoop, June 27

Ideas roll at the ALA Unconference
Jessica Horvath writes: “Friday’s Unconference presented a prime opportunity for librarians to share experiences. Free of any agenda, the group dictates the flow of conversation. The morning group consisted of divergent perspectives that led to a wide scope of discussion topics. One may assume this on-a-whim approach would lead to chaos, but moderators Young Lee (University of La Verne) and Erin Dorney (Millersville University) kept the conversation lively, organic, and productive.”...
ALA Membership Blog, June 25

Punk rock aerobics and so much more
Liz Humrickhouse writes: “I decided to start my last full day at the conference Monday with the ‘Alt+Library: Off-beat Programming for the On-trend Customer’ session. I was expecting it to be, well, offbeat, but I was not expecting to do punk-rock aerobics at 8 a.m. Besides the aerobics, which I have to admit made the idea of aerobics actually sound fun, we did speed-friending. It’s a lot like speed-dating, except you are trying to make a new friend, not land a date.”...
AL: Inside Scoop, June 27

Saving on staff development
Greg Landgraf writes: “The Learning Round Table’s ‘TEDx, Boot Camps, and Unconferences: Innovative and Low-Cost Staff Development Events’ offered insights Saturday on using nontraditional methods to help library staff gain knowledge and insight to better perform their jobs. Janie Hermann, program librarian at Princeton (N.J.) Public Library, described how the library created a camp experience for its staff development day in 2009. Tim Daniels of Lyrasis told how, while he was with the Georgia Public Library Service, he implemented a boot camp for library technology staffs around the state to gather and share knowledge.”...
AL: Inside Scoop, June 25

Adult literacy: The promise of opportunity
Greg Landgraf writes: “Promising legislation currently introduced in Congress gave Robert Wedgeworth’s Jean E. Coleman Library Outreach Lecture an optimistic outlook. Wedgeworth, former CEO of ProLiteracy Worldwide, told the audience Monday about the Adult Education and Economic Growth Act of 2011, which has been introduced in both houses of Congress. ‘The lack of a coordinated adult education program is our economy’s Achilles’ heel,’ he said.” After the lecture, Wedgeworth highlighted his points on adult literacy programs in this interview (4:01)....
AL: Inside Scoop, June 27; ALA Membership Blog, June 27

Picturing America
Daniela Hudson writes: “One former New Orleans resident, Edgar Degas, would have been proud of one of our Sunday programs. The National Endowment for the Humanities’ Picturing America program brings art into public libraries for the community to learn and become culturally aware of their world. On Sunday, Lainie Castle, project director with the ALA Public Programs Office, introduced seven librarians from six libraries that won the grant. They shared their success stories, which were varied and inspiring.”...
Programming Librarian, June 30

Comic Book Legal Defense Fund
Charles Brownstein is the executive director of the Comic Book Legal Defense Fund and a frequent partner of the Freedom to Read Foundation and the Office for Intellectual Freedom on comic censorship issues. CBLDF was interviewing conference attendees about comic book challenges and recruiting experts in the field of librarianship and comic books to work with them to develop better deliverables to libraries. Watch the video (3:41)....
ALA Membership Blog, June 25; YouTube, June 25

A historic women’s collection (PDF file)
Frederick J. Augustyn Jr. writes: “On Sunday, the Committee on the Status of Women in Librarianship sponsored Sarah Wadsworth, associate professor of English at Marquette University, who discussed the opening of the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago in May 1893; the nature and reasons behind the library collection in the separate Woman’s Building; and how themes of social, political, class, race, and gender inclusion and exclusion factored in. This first exhibit of books curated by women and representing the work of women’s authors arguably had an effect on American society as a whole.”...
Cognotes, Monday, p. 8

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Newbery Caldecott Wilder banquet
Arianna Lechan writes: “What the Sunday night banquet is really about is the speeches. First up was the Caldecott Medal, which went to Erin E. Stead (right) for A Sick Day for Amos McGee. She was adorable and totally overwhelmed. She talked about how she had lost faith in her drawing, and hadn’t done anything in three years. Then her husband introduced her to this project and she started again. It was a very sweet speech. Newbery Medal winner Clare Vanderpool was very funny and talked about her struggles as a writer.”...
Wandering Librarians, June 27

The Printz reception
Melissa Rabey writes: “The Printz reception on Monday was amazing. All the speeches were funny and touching and thoughtful, in different ways. Lucy Christopher talked about how Stolen came from her experiences as an immigrant to Australia. A. S. (Amy) King gave a moving speech about how her mother’s illness when Amy was 15 inspired Please Ignore Vera Dietz. Janne Teller explained how writing for young adults taught her more than she ever thought. And Paolo Bacigalupi issued a call to arms, saying that the world he created in Ship Breaker is what we are creating now and that it is up to us and to teenagers to prevent that from happening.” Jessica Pryde has more on Bacigalupi’s talk....
librarian by day, June 30; YALSA The Hub, July 5

Odyssey Award presentations
Kate Pickett writes: “One of my favorite award presentations to attend at ALA Annual Conference is the Odyssey Award. I love to connect faces with the voices that I hear coming from my car stereo. The first Odyssey honor was accepted by Katherine Kellgren for her performance reading Alchemy and Meggy Swann by Karen Cushman. Kellgren is no stranger to the Odyssey; in fact, she has won an honor every year the award has been given.”...
YALSA The Hub, June 30

Margaret A. Edwards Award luncheon
Kate Pickett writes: “Saturday we gathered to celebrate Terry Pratchett (right) and his lasting contribution to young adult literature at the Margaret A. Edwards Award Luncheon. Unfortunately Pratchett, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2008, was unable to join us. His U.S. children’s editor, Ann Hoppe, and long-time fan and fellow author, Gail Carriger, presented on his behalf.”...
YALSA The Hub, June 29

Shreveport wins graphic novel collection
LeVette Fuller (second from right) from Shreve Memorial Library in Shreveport, Louisiana, was the lucky recipient of the $20,000+ Great Graphic Novel Library Giveaway, sponsored by Brodart, Diamond Book Distributors, and Graphic Novel Reporter. The giveaway included nearly 900 hand-selected graphic novels for adults, teens, and children, as well as fixtures and furniture. The total prize value exceeded $25,000. Watch the excitement (1:51) as the winner is picked....
ALA Membership Blog, June 27; YouTube, June 27

Five years and $1 million for school libraries
Beyond Words: The Dollar General School Library Relief Fund has provided $1 million in funding to school libraries affected by natural disasters. A collaborative effort among the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, AASL, ALA, and the National Education Association, the fund has helped 113 school libraries recover from disasters since it was launched in 2006 to assist schools affected by Hurricane Katrina. AASL President Nancy Everhart presented a plaque (PDF file) to the foundation in recognition of its five years of grants....
Business Wire, June 27; Cognotes, Highlights issue, p. 19

Nominations open for I Love My Librarian Award
The Carnegie Corporation of New York and the New York Times launched (PDF file) the fourth year of the I Love My Librarian Award on Thursday. The award invites library users to recognize the accomplishments of librarians in public, school, college, community college, and university libraries for their efforts to improve the lives of people in their communities. This year, the online nomination process has moved to the Campaign for America’s Libraries’ public website, atyourlibrary.org....
At Your Library; Cognotes, Monday, June 27, p. 18

Librarian Superheroes chosen by Gale
(PDF file)
Gale revealed the four winners of its Librarian Superhero contest, launched in February. After receiving more than 800 nominations, Gale chose four librarian superheroes, each with a different ability that was unveiled each day of the conference. The winners had a cartoon superhero character created in their likeness by the illustrators of Unshelved, a popular library cartoon, and will be featured in an upcoming strip. The winners were also commemorated with a retro, collectible lunch box (above)....
Cognotes, Highlights issue, p. 11

Library Champions reception
Marc Huber writes: “During Thursday night’s reception recognizing ALA’s Library Champions, Major Donors, and Legacy Society members, ALA President Roberta Stevens (right) acknowledged the contributions of John Ison, director of library relations at DEMCO, and Thomas Phelps, director of the Division of Public Programs at the National Endowment for the Humanities, to the library community in honor of their retirements.”...
ALA Membership Blog, June 24

Urban Libraries Council Top Innovators
The Urban Libraries Council unveiled its second round of Top Innovators at its annual member meeting, held June 25 in New Orleans during the ALA Annual Conference. The 11 programs and strategies identified ranged from improvements and internal operations to outreach programs, partnerships, and branding....
Library Journal, June 26

Pamela Goodes wins BCALA award
American Libraries Associate Editor Pamela Goodes (right) was awarded the 2011 Black Caucus of the American Library Association’s DEMCO Award for Excellence in Librarianship for her publicity work for each of the seven National Conferences of African American Librarians....
AL Focus, June 30

A grand total of 20,186 librarians and library staff, exhibitors, and library supporters attended ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans, June 23–28. Attendance fell short of last year’s conference in Washington, D.C., which totaled 26,201, and Chicago’s total of 28,941 in 2009. Attendance at the 2006 ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans, when the city was still reeling from the ravages of Hurricane Katrina, was 16,964.

Visit Flickr (tagged #ala11 and the ALAannual11 pool) to see the hundreds of photos uploaded by Annual Conference attendees.

Find more conference coverage in the online version of Cognotes.

Science fiction, fantasy, and information technology
Bohyun Kim writes: “On Saturday, the LITA Imagineering Interest Group offered ‘Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Information Science,’ a panel discussion program that looks at the present and future of information technology through the eyes of a panel of science fiction and fantasy authors: David Weber, Bill Willingham, Orson Scott Card, John Scalzi, Jim Ottaviani, Carrie Vaughn, and Gail Carriger.”...
ALA Membership Blog, June 28

Top Tech Trends
David Rapp writes: “A five-member panel of experts drew a crowd on Sunday during LITA’s Top Technology Trends presentation, moderated by Jason Vaughan. The panel focused heavily on mobile apps, user experience, and social networking, but also tackled more left-field tech, such as three-dimensional printing (thanks to a cameo appearance by an audience member and former Top Tech Trends panelist Jason Griffey).” More TTT observations by Kim Durante....
Library Journal, June 28; Metadata Blog, June 30

There’s a map for that
Alison Ricker writes: “No fewer than seven librarians gave a whirlwind tour of map sources and mapping tools during the session sponsored by the Map and Geography Round Table, shortly to become the Map and Geospatial Information Round Table (MAGIRT), and generously supported by SimplyMap. Intended for the nonspecialist, the session featured experts with excellent suggestions for finding maps, information on freely accessible resources, and step-by-step demonstrations and handouts.”...
ALA Membership Blog, June 25

Tech services for teens
Greg Landgraf writes: “The YALSA Teens and Technology Interest Group sponsored a Pecha Kucha (short format) 20x20 session on technology issues for teen services. Erin Dorney’s presentation, ‘All Up in Your Face(Book): Virtual Identity Management for Teens and Young Adults,’ addressed teaching teens the importance of managing their online reputations. While the news isn’t all bad, the ‘pressure of a sharing society’ can still have serious consequences.”...
AL: Inside Scoop, June 26

Going mobile @ your library
Ashley Fowlkes writes: “I just joined the bandwagon last week and the mass of folks who type, read, talk, and surf the net on a smartphone. Having such little experience with my new device, I wondered if this year’s PR Forum, ‘Going Mobile @ your library,’ would help me personally or professionally. In fact, it did—in both ways. Yale techno-guru Joe Murphy (right) expertly reassured us that librarians should—and can—use emerging technologies (specifically smartphones) to engage users in meaningful ways.”...
ALA Membership Blog, June 27

Libraries in the cloud
Loretta Gharst writes: “A LITA Saturday session, ‘Updates on Cloud Computing Uses for Library Services,’ provided an excellent explanation of the pros and cons of the various forms of cloud computing: SAAS, IAAS, PAAS. Libraries use the cloud to store backups remotely and offer access to remote-hosted digital collections, online services, and various online applications. The pro is that the cloud is currently less expensive than maintaining traditional in-house hardware and software requiring specialized technology staffing to operate. The dark side of cloud computing is losing access.”...
PLA Blog, June 25

Leading technical services in 2011
Jessica Horvath writes: “Saturday’s ‘Leading Technical Services in 2011’ session from ALCTS gathered tech services librarians to hear what they had to say about leadership. Escape Reality, Read Fiction! blogger Marlene Harris spoke highly of saying ‘yes!’ to new experiences and embracing change. Anne McKee encouraged audience members to seek out ways to get more involved with the profession by volunteering and working closely with vendors.”...
ALA Membership Blog, June 26

OverDrive, 3M make major announcements
Mercy Pilkington writes: “Conference attendees eagerly awaited demonstrations of new launches by two key players in e-book lending, OverDrive and 3M Library Systems, and they were not disappointed. OverDrive introduced its Always Available content, OverDriveWIN, bringing a select list of first-ever DRM-free titles and multiuser books to library systems. 3M unveiled its new Cloud Library, complete with 3M e-reader devices that will be available for patron checkout, 3M apps, and the Discovery Terminal, a free-standing inside-library kiosk that lets patrons browse titles on a touch screen.” ALA TechSource’s Tom Peters conducted an interview with 3M’s Tom Mercer about the Cloud Library. Bobbi L. Newman and David Lee King have further comments on e-book events at #ala11....
Good E-Reader blog, June 28; OverDrive Digital Library Blog, July 6; ALA TechSource Blog, July 5; Librarian by Day, July 5; David Lee King, July 5

Exhibit Hall news
Leonard Kniffel writes: “At the invitation of the vendors, I spent a chunk of time Monday at three booths in the exhibit hall to hear the lowdown on the new Springer Reference Database, Centurion Technologies’ Energy Saver, and Ship Index, the brainchild of Mike and Peter McCracken.”...
AL: Inside Scoop, June 30

Libraries helping job seekers
Past ALA President Roberta Stevens writes: “Five years ago, the ALA Annual Conference was the first major convention to return to a post-Katrina New Orleans. Internally, some thought it courageous, while others believed it was very risky. This year, the conference returned to New Orleans, and the only constant—both for the city and librarians—was change. As libraries were a lifeline for New Orleans after Katrina, they are there today for the unemployed and underemployed.”...
Huffington Post, June 28; New Orleans Times-Picayune, June 26

ALA day of service
More than 220 ALA volunteers from across the United States participated in a day of community service (PDF file) June 24 as part of ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans. In 2006, ALA was the first national organization to hold a conference in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina, and through its “Libraries Build Communities” project helped rebuild libraries, homes, and community sites in New Orleans, raising more than $500,000 to distribute to the region’s libraries. In this ALA video (5:46), Alison Ricker, Anthony Anderson, Richard Waller, Robert Szabo, Thais Ruboneka, Shanthi Kumar, and Rebecca Lubin discuss their volunteer experiences....
New Orleans Times-Picayune, June 24; Cognotes, Saturday, p. 8; ALA Membership Blog, June 27

Renovations bring NOLA libraries into the 21st century
The New Orleans Public Library has quietly been rebuilding its facilities in an effort to make the system a model among its peers. Librarians in town this week for the annual ALA conference toured several libraries and construction sites. Chief among them were the Algiers and East New Orleans (above) regional libraries, now under construction. Each measures close to 30,000 square feet and is designed to offer all the services of the main library, including a children’s reading room, Wi-Fi hotspot, a teen space, meeting rooms, and an enterprise area....
New Orleans Times-Picayune, June 24

New Orleans on the mend
Librarians in New Orleans for #ala11 saw a much different Big Easy than the devastated city they encountered in 2006, when the Annual Conference was the first major convention to return to the city after Hurricane Katrina. It’s been a long struggle, but evidence of recovery is everywhere. This photoessay by local photographer Jackson Hill offers an overview of major rehab efforts and new construction that many ALA-goers may not have had an opportunity to see....
AL Focus, July 5

Conference time @ the Unwinders Tavern
Will Manley writes: “Although all the library media centers and librarian twitterers would have you believe that the ALA Annual Conference is the epicenter of American librarianship, I would disagree. The epicenter is still at the reference desks and in the service rooms of libraries from coast to coast. Don’t get me wrong. ALA conferences have their place—and their drawbacks. For those of you who did not attend, here is what you missed.”...
Will Unwound, June 25

Why, oh why?
Karin Slaughter writes: “Dear American Library Association: We have been friends for a while now, so I feel like we can be honest with each other. Remember when you told me I don’t look good in capri pants? And I listened to you because I know you only told me out of love, not jealousy over my (still-fabulously toned, BTW) calves? Well, it’s with that same spirit that I tell you this: What the heck were you thinking? New Orleans? In the summer?”...
Library Journal: In the Bookroom, June 26

Video: Two days of ALA 2011
Travis Jonker writes: “I’ve successfully made my way back from New Orleans and ALA Annual Conference 2011. I have a camera’s worth (and brain’s worth) of sharable details.” Although it focuses primarily on the Newbery-Caldecott banquet, his video (1:39) is a clever scrapbook-style recap of #ala11....
100 Scope Notes, June 28; YouTube, June 28

Surviving Annual Conference
Aaron Tay (right) writes: “I am writing this in Singapore, 24 hours after visiting the lovely city of New Orleans for ALA Annual 2011. As expected, I was pretty overwhelmed given the size and scale of this event. This was my first international conference and I was the only one from the National University of Singapore Libraries, but fortunately I had many good contacts from Twitter and Facebook. Though I am trying to live my life without regrets, here are some things I would do differently if I get to go to ALA again.”...
Musings About Librarianship, July 1

Get thyself to ALA
University of Kentucky library school student Eli Riveire (right) writes: “If you have the time and a little bit of money, just go. The experience might not be as expensive as you think. Student registration was only $95. There are seminars, preconferences, and workshops that you can add on to rack up the bill, but really? The $95 registration option will go incredibly far in terms of what you’ll learn and do. And watching and being vocal on the #ala11 feed made me feel like I knew what was going on, whether or not I had the energy to physically participate.”...
Abby the Librarian, July 5

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