Contents
American Libraries Online
ALA News
Booklist Online
New Orleans Update
Division News
Round Table News
Awards
Seen Online
Tech Talk
Publishing
Actions & Answers
New This Week
Calendar

Kudos from the Crescent City
As ALA staff members pack for Annual Conference in New Orleans, the second since Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast six years ago, what should arrive but an email thank-you note from a Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, librarian regarding ALA’s 2006 Annual Conference there. Marylyn Haddican writes: “On behalf of the residents of the New Orleans Metropolitan area, I want to thank you again for coming to New Orleans for the conference in 2006.”...
AL: Inside Scoop, June 14

Do Charlotte’s reprieves herald more good news?
Officials in the Charlotte-Mecklenburg (N.C.) Schools and the Mecklenburg County Commission have loosened their purse strings just enough to enable school libraries to remain staffed for the next academic year and the long-embattled Charlotte Mecklenburg Library to expand service hours at its six regional libraries from 37 to 54 per week. The day after Mecklenburg County commissioners added $26 million to the school district’s FY2011–2012 budget, the school board rescinded 570 of the 739 layoff notices sent out last month, including notices to several dozen media specialists....
American Libraries news, June 15

Internet Librarian: As they like it
Joseph Janes writes: “One of the best parts of my job, especially this time of year, is marveling at great achievements; how splendid it was to witness an old friend and erstwhile student, Eric Meyers, defend his dissertation last month. Eric found that while middle-school students liked working in groups, it often impeded rather than enhanced their performance on information problem-solving tasks. A minor note in his work caught my eye. In many cases, it seemed students were relying on the search results page, rather than clicking through to a website to find answers or information.”...
American Libraries column, May/June

Dispatches from the Field: WordPress as a library CMS
Kyle M. L. Jones and Polly-Alida Farrington write: “Engaging with library users on the web is no longer restricted to simply putting a static HTML file on a server and calling it a successful website. Yet without technical assistance and forethought, content management can be an actively complex and frustrating process. A content management system like WordPress lets you manage your website more efficiently by separating the tasks of design and maintenance from the job of adding content.”...
American Libraries column, May/June

What do most Americans have in common with ALA?
ALA has long been at the forefront of efforts to defend the freedom to read and to resist censorship attempts. Results of a March Harris poll indicate that most Americans share those sentiments. A majority (56%) of 2,379 adult respondents surveyed think no books should be banned completely, while just 18% say there are books that should be; 26% are not sure. The older and less-educated people are, the more likely they were to say that there are some books that should be banned completely....
AL: Censorship Watch, June 13

ACLU warns Gwinnett County schools
The Gwinnett County (Ga.) Schools have been blocking students’ access to websites supportive of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) communities, and the American Civil Liberties Union (unsurprisingly) wants them to stop. Graduating senior Nowmee Shehab (right), who headed the Gay-Straight Alliance at Brookwood High School, discovered the filtering when she was unable to access the group’s own website. Shehab said it was crucial for students to be able to reach the sites at school....
AL: Censorship Watch, June 15; WSB-TV, Atlanta, June 6

Fresh veggies @ your library
Greg Landgraf writes: “The Fairfield Woods branch of the Fairfield (Conn.) Public Library hosted a community-supported agriculture (CSA) pickup June 6, the first in a weekly series at the library. In a CSA, members buy shares of a farmer’s produce and receive weekly shipments of whatever was harvested that week, rather than purchasing specific quantities and types of food. In many CSAs, customers must pick up their shares at the farm. The library laid the groundwork to become a pickup site last fall, beginning with an email blast to its mailing list to gauge interest.”...
AL: Green Your Library, June 9

House, Senate get letters of support for library programs
As the Senate and House Appropriations Committees work on the FY 2012 budget, a few letters have been sent to the House and Senate Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Subcommittees. Two letters were sent to Chairman Denny Rehberg (R-Mont.) and Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-Conn.) in the House. One letter (PDF file) asked for increased support in funding for the Library Services and Technology Act, and the other letter (PDF file) asked for increased support in funding for Improving Literacy Through School Libraries....
District Dispatch, June 14

War, secrecy, and info mesh at Daniel Ellsberg events
Two programs at the 2011 ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans highlight an important moment in U.S. history, the 1971 leaking of the secret Pentagon Papers by Daniel Ellsberg (right). A screening of The Most Dangerous Man in America: Daniel Ellsberg and the Pentagon Papers will take place June 25, followed by a discussion of the film with Ellsberg. On June 26 as part of the Auditorium Speaker series, Ellsberg will talk about his experiences, his thoughts on secrecy and government information, and his current efforts....
Office for Intellectual Freedom, June 14

Frontline Fundraising Town hall program
Learn to raise private funds using the power of the internet and build lasting relationships with donors at the Frontline Fundraising Town Hall program on Monday, June 27, in the River Room at the Hilton Riverside Hotel in New Orleans. Using ALA President Roberta Stevens’s Frontline Fundraising Toolkit (right), the program will walk attendees through the stages of donor relationships....
ALA Development Office, June 14

Advocacy programs at Annual
As you plan your schedule for the 2011 ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans, be aware of these important advocacy programs. Space is still available for the June 24 Advocacy Institute workshop, “Boomers, Staff, and Students: Engaging the Many Voices of Advocacy,” cosponsored by the Louisiana Library Association and the Mississippi Library Association....
Office for Library Advocacy

In the exhibits at #ala11
With more than 1,500 booths featuring products and services, exhibitors are eager to discuss how they can help you make your library even better. From virtual libraries to mobile book-stacking systems to premium-quality library furniture, the ALA Exhibit Hall offers one-stop shopping for all of your library’s needs. Join us to explore the latest innovations available to your library....
ALA Membership Blog, June 10

Booth furniture to be given to New Orleans college library
Information-services provider Unlimited Priorities Corporation has announced that it will donate the furniture from its exhibit booth at the 2011 ALA Annual Conference to the Library Resource Center of Xavier University of Louisiana in New Orleans. The furnishings were purchased locally at Furniture Mart and include a black pleather sofa, two black pleather armchairs, a coffee table, and two end tables....
Unlimited Priorities Corporation, June 13

The impact of e-books on library services
The ALA Office for Information Technology Policy will present a program addressing the increasing significance of e-books and their impact on libraries during ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans. Titled “The Future is Now! E-books and Their Increasing Impact on Library Services,” the program will be held on June 25. Speakers will address the current e-book landscape, e-book devices, technical support, and the relationships between publishers and libraries....
Office for Information Technology Policy, June 10

Washington Office / NTIA roundtable on digital literacy
The ALA Washington Office and the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration will hold a roundtable discussion about DigitalLiteracy.gov on June 25 during ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans. DigitalLiteracy.gov is a new online portal that brings together online learning tools, curriculum, and job skills training. The discussion will focus on how libraries can use and add content to the portal....
Washington Office, June 9

The milestones of literacy
The ALA Committee on Literacy will host a panel of experts from across the Association to discuss the integral role of libraries in lifelong literacy development at “A Lifetime of Literacy in Libraries: Marking the Milestones from Infancy to Maturity,” June 27, at ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans. Presentations will showcase local projects and offer suggestions for implementation....
Office for Literacy and Outreach Services, June 10

Workshops and seminars at the JobLIST Placement Center
The JobLIST Placement Center will be located in Hall J of the Ernest N. Morial Convention Center at ALA Annual Conference. All services and sessions are free. Registration for workshops held in the Placement Center is not required. Visit the JobLIST website to share your résumé with recruiters....
ALA Membership Blog, June 14

Survival tips for #ala11
Bobbi L. Newman writes: “I’ve made some updates to the conference tips I shared last year before ALA Annual Conference. Hopefully, there is a little something here for everyone. I’ve added a short packing list of things I can’t live without and a reading list with suggestions on networking and tips for introverts.”...
Librarian by Day, June 10

ALA Annual Virtual Conference 2011
Take a look at the ALA Annual Virtual Conference schedule for July 13–14—two full days of interactive online professional development and presentations that are perfect for those who can’t make it to Annual Conference as well as those who are ready for more. Highlights include daily keynote speakers (danah boyd and David Lankes), one-hour interactive sessions, and Author Talks moderated by Booklist editors. To register, sign into the Annual Conference registration site and choose one of the last two options for virtual conference....
ALA Conference Services

Helping Alabama
In the aftermath of the historic storms of April 27, the Alabama Library Association has established a special account to serve as a collection point for those wanting to help the numerous libraries and communities affected by the storms. These funds will be distributed by the chapter’s Executive Council with input from the Alabama Public Library Service, Alabama School Library Association, and the Network of Alabama Academic Libraries. To send assistance, contact Dena Luce, association administrator....
Chapter Relations Office

Roberta Stevens at UNC Greensboro
On May 6, ALA President Roberta Stevens delivered the commencement address at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro Graduate School of Education. She offered the graduates some “fundamental concepts that I wish I had known from the start of my career.” You can find a transcript of her remarks on the UNC website....
ALA Student Membership Blog, June 10; University of North Carolina at Greensboro, May 9

Groton livestreams @ your library
A monthly library talk show born out of the Campaign for America’s Libraries in 2002 has graduated from a local access cable channel to Livestream. Airing more than 100 episodes, the @ your library show hosted by Barbara Clark-Greene (right) has gone from receiving less than 1,000 viewers in April to more than 5,000 from across the country after the move to Livestream in May....
Public Information Office, June 14

65 libraries awarded Civil War program grants
The ALA Public Programs Office and the National Endowment for the Humanities have announced that 65 public, academic, and community college libraries will receive “Let’s Talk About It: Making Sense of the American Civil War” reading and discussion program grants. The program follows the popular “Let’s Talk About It” model, which engages participants in discussion of a set of common texts selected by a nationally known scholar for their relevance to a larger, overarching theme. As part of the grant, the libraries will receive $3,000 to support program-related expenses....
Public Programs Office, June 14

Discover Earth through a new traveling exhibit
A new traveling exhibition, “Discover Earth: A Century of Change,” will tour from January 2012 to December 2013 hosted by 10 public libraries for eight weeks apiece. Sponsored by the National Science Foundation, the interactive exhibit focuses on local earth science topics such as weather, water cycle, and ecosystem changes. Host libraries will receive a $1,000 grant for related programming. Apply by September 2....
Public Programs Office, June 14

Guadalajara Book Fair free pass
ALA and the Guadalajara International Book Fair are partnering for the ninth year to provide support for ALA members to attend the 24th book fair from November 26 to December 4. Free passes will be awarded to 150 librarians who work in the area of Spanish-language acquisitions. The deadline for applications is August 15. The Guadalajara Book Fair is offering an additional $100 to the first 100 applicants who submit their airfare confirmation. This year’s invited country is Germany....
International Relations Office

Spanish International Book Fair Free Passport
ALA, America Reads Spanish, and the Feria Internacional del Libro are partnering this year to provide support for American librarians to attend the 29th Spanish International Book Fair (Liber) in Madrid, October 5–7. The deadline for applications for a Free Passport is June 30. Passports will be awarded to up to 60 American librarians (members of ALA or one of ALA’s affiliates) who work in the area of Spanish-language acquisitions....
International Relations Office, June 14

Hong Kong Book Fair free pass
The Hong Kong Book Fair is again offering a Free Pass Program for Librarians for its 22nd Annual Fair, which will be held in the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, July 20–26. The Fair will provide ALA members from the United States and Canada who collect Chinese-language materials four nights of hotel accommodation and free book fair registration. The application deadline (PDF file) is June 17....
International Relations Office

Workshop on innovative mobile services
In a new, two-session ALA TechSource Workshop, library technology expert and innovator Meredith Farkas will teach you about exciting trends in mobile technologies that can allow libraries to market and highlight their collections, provide reference assistance and instruction and simply make their collections and services more accessible to patrons wherever they are. Registration for this ALA TechSource Workshop is available at the ALA Store. The sessions will be held July 21 and 28....
ALA TechSource, June 14

New session of YA Readers’ Advisory eCourse
By popular demand, ALA Editions is offering a new session of its facilitated eCourse on Young Adult Readers’ Advisory Services. Jessica Moyer, an experienced online instructor and a doctoral candidate researching teen reading habits, will serve as the instructor for a facilitated eCourse starting on July 5. Registration can be purchased at the ALA Store....
ALA Editions, June 14

Oustanding books for the college bound
Connecting teens to books they’ll truly enjoy is the aim of every young adult librarian, and the completely revamped guide Outstanding Books for the College Bound: Titles and Programs for a New Generation, published by ALA Editions, will give teen services staff members the leg up they need to make it happen. Edited by Angela Carstensen, it lists nearly 200 books deemed outstanding for the college bound by YALSA. This book can help librarians assist young adults grow into the kind of independent readers and thinkers who will flourish at college....
ALA Editions, June 13

A whole new year’s worth of teen programming
In A Year of Programs for Teens 2, published by ALA Editions, YA experts Amy J. Alessio and Kimberly A. Patton build on the successful formula they established in 2006. The 2011 sequel offers several new themed book lists and read-alikes as well as appendices with reproducible handouts for the various programs. The book contains more than 30 programs organized around a calendar year, including several focusing on technology, and many other ideas that can be adapted year-round....
ALA Editions, June 14

New Orleans: Always for Pleasure
This trailer (2:39) for Les Blank’s 1978 documentary about New Orleans, Always for Pleasure, will get you in the mood for a trip to the Crescent City, with its river traffic, street dancing, distinctive architecture, and regional food. “New Orleans has a gut-level mythic quality, a resonance unique among American cities. Always For Pleasure amplifies that resonance.”—David Armstrong, Berkeley Barb....
YouTube, Mar. 17, 2007

A glossary of Yatspeak
“Where yat?” The people of New Orleans have their own language. Its tone, lilt, and slang are indigenous to this city and reflect its ethnic history and tradition. New Orleans is part of the Deep South, but you won’t find much of a stereotypical southern drawl; in fact, there are several distinctive dialects. One of the most surprising is a Brooklynese style heard in the 9th Ward, Irish Channel, and Chalmette. This list has some common expressions and another offers some culinary terms. Watch the video (2:24) for more vernacular....
Experience New Orleans; NewOrleansRestaurants.com; YouTube, Feb. 22, 2008

2011 Times-Picayune readers’ choice guide
Just in time for Annual Conference, readers of the New Orleans Times-Picayune have weighed in on what their favorite local things are in 101 categories. Yes, it’s an advertising supplement and its 23 pages are in page-turner format—but where else will you find that the best place to exercise is in Audubon Park, or that Amanda Shaw is the favorite Cajun/Zydeco artist, or that the best happy hour is at the 12 Bar on Fulton Street?...
New Orleans Times-Picayune, June 3

Crescent City Farmers Market
The city’s farmers markets (other than the French Market) are held in different neighborhoods on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. The location closest to the convention center is held Saturdays, 8 a.m.–noon, in the Warehouse District at 700 Magazine Street. It offers locally grown produce, fresh fruit, seafood, baked goods, cooking demonstrations, and entertainment....
Crescent City Farmers Market

Poppy Tooker’s “Louisiana Eats!”
“Louisiana Eats!” is a weekly program about food on WWNO 89.9 FM, hosted by New Orleans food activist Poppy Tooker. It’s a radio show for people who cook and people who love to eat well—all with a Louisiana point of view and Tooker’s distinctive Louisiana voice. Catch up on previous broadcasts online, or listen to the show live on Wednesday at 6:30–7 p.m. (repeated Saturday, 12–12:30 p.m.)....
WWNO-FM, New Orleans

The Historic New Orleans Collection
The Historic New Orleans Collection at 533 Royal Street is a museum and research center dedicated to the study and preservation of the history and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South region. During Annual Conference, the museum will have an exhibit on “The Threads of Memory: Spain and the United States.” Use the free HNOC iPhone/iPad app to find more than 350 historic photos based on your location, view each photo’s record in the HNOC online catalog, and use the augmented reality Guide Me! function to find the site of each photo....
Historic New Orleans Collection

Jewelry as a diplomatic tool
A traveling exhibition of pins from the personal collection of former U.S. Secretary of State Madeleine Albright is on exhibit at the New Orleans Museum of Art in City Park. “Read My Pins: The Madeleine Albright Collection” features more than 200 pins, many of which Secretary Albright wore to communicate a message during her diplomatic tenure. The exhibition examines the collection for its historic significance as well as the expressive power of jewelry....
New Orleans Museum of Art

Bin space and airline boarding
Brett Snyder writes: “For those in coach, there’s really only one reason to get on board quickly. It’s all about bin space. Even though many airlines have installed larger overhead bins that can accommodate a standard roller bag straight-in, it’s still not enough room. The sooner you get on board, the better chance you have of finding bin space near your seat. Checked bag fees have exacerbated the situation. Much of the discussion lately around boarding has been about the much-loved preboarding process.”...
CNN, June 6

Last-minute travel gadgets
The Daily Grommet offers some suggestions for travel items that you might not think of when you are planning a trip. Some of this gear could come in handy for any summer trip: feather-weight carry-on luggage, an in-flight organizer, a self-inflating wine hug, interchangeable jewelry kits, squeezable travel tubes, and a Balanzza luggage scale (above) that lets you easily check the weight of your bags so you can avoid the “special handling charges” for oversized items....
Daily Grommet

Don’t leave town without internet security
Terry Gardner writes: “Today I’m going to save you both time and money by telling you what happens when your Facebook and Gmail accounts get hacked and how to avoid that fate, which is especially important for travelers. Until this happened to me, I thought strong passwords were for other people. Now a hacker knows where I went to school, where I bank, and the names of my cats. Using free Wi-Fi hotspots while traveling and having weak passwords may have made me more vulnerable.”...
Los Angeles Times, June 5

LITA and Top Tech Trends on YouTube
LITA is piloting a new YouTube presence. Its Top Technology Trends Committee is working on a pilot project to share short, informal videos from past and present Top Technology Trends panelists. These videos will serve as current sound bytes on trends of interest to the library community. Jason Griffey has produced the first video (5:10), available on LITA LibraryInfoTech’s Channel, on 3-D printing....
LITA Blog, June 10

Mystery and horror @ your library
ALTAFF will host “Mystery and Horror @ your library” on June 26 at the 2011 ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans, with mystery and horror writers discussing their books and writing life. Featured authors include S. J. Watson (right), Cammie McGovern, Erica Spindler, Bill Loehfelm, and C. S. Harris. The program will be moderated by Barbara Hoffert, editor of Prepub Alert for Library Journal. An author book signing will follow....
ALTAFF, June 14

Laugh along with ALTAFF
ALTAFF will host “The Laugh’s On Us!” featuring comedian, writer, and its divisional national spokesperson Paula Poundstone on June 26 at the 2011 ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans. In addition to Poundstone, the event will feature Andy Borowitz (right) as well as authors Jill Kargman and Leila Sales. Borowitz is a writer and a comedian whose work appears in the New Yorker and at his satirical website, BorowitzReport.com. ALTAFFwelcomes Playaway as the sponsor of the event....
ALTAFF, June 14

Frances Parkinson Keyes Literary Landmark
ALTAFF and the Friends of the New Orleans Public Library will dedicate the Beauregard-Keyes House, 111 Chartres St., New Orleans, as a Literary Landmark in honor of Frances Parkinson Keyes at 9 a.m. Central time on June 27. Author Frances Parkinson Keyes made the house at 1113 Chartres St. her winter residence from 1945 until her death in 1970 at the age of 85....
ALTAFF, June 14

LLAMA President’s Program
Tim Duggan, a landscape architect currently developing the Sustainable Landscapes program for the Make it Right Foundation in New Orleans, will present “Community Beyond Housing” at the 2011 LLAMA President’s Program during ALA Annual Conference. The program will be held the morning of June 25. For the last three years, Duggan has designed affordable landscapes for LEED Platinum-certified homes....
LLAMA, June 13

Strategic PR partnerships
Three experts will share their views for effective partnerships between libraries and journalists that create opportunities for local news and civic engagement. LLAMA’s “Competing in the Information Marketplace II: Strategic PR partnerships—Journalists and Libraries,” featuring journalists Bill Densmore and Mike Fancher and former ALA President Nancy Kranich, will be held June 25 at ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans....
LLAMA, June 10

Registration still open for PLA preconferences
On Friday, June 24, at the 2011 ALA Annual Conference, PLA will present three unique preconferences dedicated to public library professionals. Registration is available in advance or onsite....
PLA, June 14

Join the mega-discussion and enter a contest
Participants in a dynamic Mega Issue Discussion on PLA membership engagement and leadership on June 25 at the ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans will be entered into an onsite drawing to win a free registration for the 2012 PLA Conference, to be held March 13–17 in Philadelphia....
PLA, June 14

Joy Kirchner named ACRL visiting program officer
To support its scholarly communications initiatives, ACRL has appointed Joy Kirchner, scholarly communications coordinator at University of British Columbia, as visiting program officer for 12 months. Kirchner will play an integral role in supporting one of ACRL's new strategic goals that will help librarians accelerate the transition to a more open system of scholarship. She will work with members and staff to develop a sustainable model for the Scholarly Communications 101 workshop and support the work of the Scholarly Communications Committee....
ACRL, June 13

ALCTS appoints two editors
The ALCTS board has approved the appointment of two new publication editors. Alice Platt, digital initiatives librarian at Southern New Hampshire University, will be the new editor of the ALCTS Newsletter Online. Jeanne Drewes, chief of binding and collections care department at the Library of Congress, will be the new ALCTS paper series editor. Both appointments begin July 1 and will run for three years....
ALCTS, June 10

Obligation to Endure showcases librarian heroes
A 2010 documentary short about the unlikely heroes who fought to preserve the Environmental Protection Agency library system will be screened on June 26 during the ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans. Directed by Julie Fergus, Obligation to Endure recounts the attempted shutdown of the world’s foremost source of environmental information in an age of climate change, natural disasters, and terrorism....
Social Responsibilities Round Table, June 14

Three Friends groups win ALTAFF Baker & Taylor awards
Three Friends of the Library groups will be recognized with Baker & Taylor Awards from ALTAFF during the division’s Gala Author Tea on June 27 at the ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans. The winners are the Friends of the Salt Lake City (Utah) Public Library, the Friends of the Carpinteria (Calif.) Library, and the Friends of the Princeton (N.J.) Public Library. Each group will receive a $1,000 check and a plaque to honor their achievements....
ALTAFF, June 14

AASL to showcase tech-friendly libraries
AASL will present three of the nation’s leading school library programs with the 2011 National School Library Program of the Year Award at ALA’s Annual Conference in New Orleans on June 27. Seeking to shed outdated stereotypes as shushers, shelvers, and book checkers, AASL is recognizing school librarians who are moving online and going high-tech to prepare students for college and career....
AASL, June 14

Innovative International Library Project Awards
The International Relations Round Table has awarded 2011 ALA Presidential Citations for Innovative International Library Projects to four initiatives. The awards recognize the RISE Videoconferencing Network in southern Alberta, the National Library Board of Singapore for its “Quest” Library Reading Program, the E-Publication System Platform Project at the National Central Library in Taiwan, and the Expanding Information Access for Visually Impaired People project in Vietnam....
International Relations Office, June 14

Arlington Public Library wins local government award
Arlington (Va.) Public Library Director Diane Kresh (right) was recognized June 8 with a 2011 Outstanding Achievement in Local Government Innovation Award from the Alliance for Innovation for the library’s “Arlington Reads 2010” program. The library was chosen from more than 40 applications received from across the United States and Canada. The program featured local authors and farmers, examined the issues of food and sustainability, and inspired the Central Library’s community vegetable garden....
Arlington (Va.) Public Library

2011 Library Blog Awards
Salem Press once again surveyed the library blog landscape in search of exceptional thinking, writing, and information. The annual Library Blog Awards celebrate and reward the blogging achievements of library professionals across the spectrum. Hundreds of blog nominations poured in and thousands of votes were cast. Eight winners were selected: Librarian in Black, Swiss Army Librarian, The Unquiet Librarian, Information Tyrannosaur, Cecil County Public Library, A Librarian’s Guide to Etiquette, Hack Library School, and NeverEndingSearch....
Salem Press, June 15

2011 PEN/Malamud Award
Edith Pearlman (right) has been selected to receive the 24th annual PEN/Malamud Award. Given annually by the PEN/Faulkner Foundation since 1988 in honor of the late Bernard Malamud, this award recognizes a body of work that demonstrates excellence in the art of short fiction. Pearlman has published more than 250 works of short fiction and nonfiction in national magazines, literary journals, anthologies, and online publications. The award will be presented December 2 at the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., and includes a prize of $5,000....
PEN/Faulkner Foundation, June 9

2011 Helen Bernstein Award for Excellence in Journalism
Shane Harris, author of The Watchers: The Rise of America’s Surveillance State, was awarded the 2011 Helen Bernstein Book Award for Excellence in Journalism at an award ceremony at the New York Public Library June 7. Harris draws on his access to key government insiders to chronicle the ascent of the Surveillance State over the past 25 years, tracing its origins to Admiral John Poindexter, who in 1983 dreamed of a “system that would sift reams of data for signs of terrorist activity.” The award, which includes a $15,000 cash prize, was established in 1987 in honor of journalist Helen Bernstein Fealy....
International Business Times, June 9; New York Public Library, June 8

2011 Orange Prize for Fiction
Serbian-American author Téa Obreht has won the 2011 Orange Prize for Fiction with her debut novel The Tiger’s Wife (Weidenfeld & Nicolson). Celebrating its 16th anniversary this year, the prize celebrates excellence, originality, and accessibility in women’s writing from throughout the world. Obreht was presented with £30,000 ($49,260 U.S.) and the “Bessie,” a limited-edition bronze figurine, at an awards ceremony at the Royal Festival Hall in London....
Orange Prize, June 8

2011 Red House Children’s Book Awards
The winners of the 2011 Red House Children’s Book Awards were announced at a special ceremony held at the Botanical Gardens in Birmingham, England, on June 11. The overall winner, and winner in the Younger Readers category, was Shadow by Michael Morpurgo, a story about a friendship forged between a boy and an Army bomb-sniffing dog in Afghanistan. With this success, Morpurgo has become the first three-time winner of the award in its 31-year history. The award is the only national U.K. children’s book award voted for entirely by children themselves....
BBC News, June 11

Pentagon Papers released in full
On June 13, the National Archives released all 7,000 pages of the Pentagon Papers, the explosive documents that detailed four administrations’ worth of deception on Vietnam. Some of the content has been public since 1971, and the release is not likely to reveal many new secrets. But this is the first time that Americans can read the papers in full without a security clearance. Officially known as the “Report of the OSD Vietnam Task Force,” the papers were a secret analysis of America’s involvement in the Vietnam War. Daniel Ellsberg (above), the task force participant who leaked the documents, believes they still have something to teach. Here is how NARA managed the release....
Washington Post, June 13; Associated Press, June 12; Washington Post: Federal Eye, June 13

Wisconsin lawmakers spare WiscNet
A controversial plan to cut $37 million in federal grant money from the University of Wisconsin system has been axed from the 2011–2013 budget, according to a legislator involved with the process. In a letter to a constituent, released to the Wisconsin State Journal June 14, state Rep. Erik Severson (R-Star Prairie) said the program known as WiscNet will continue unaltered for the next two years while a study is conducted to evaluate it. WiscNet is a cooperative that brings high-speed internet to most schools and libraries across the state. Rep. Ron Kind (D-LaCrosse) asked the Joint Finance Committee June 15 to continue broadband expansion to rural and underserved areas, rather than return millions in federal grants for that purpose....
eSchool News, June 15; Madison Wisconsin State Journal, June 15; Retiring Guy’s Digest, June 15

Communities stand behind libraries facing layoffs
As reports of librarian layoffs continue to surface, librarians have put away their inside voices to fight—with support from unions, parents, and students—to prove their jobs are essential for student success. Unfortunately, the work they do is largely behind the scenes, and parents, education officials, and the public are often unaware of the impact they have on student success. And experts believe increases in budget issues may force administrators to continue to consider library programs for the chopping block in the coming years....
Huffington Post, June 13

Education groups applaud ATTAIN Act
Educational technology stakeholders are applauding the U.S. Senate’s introduction of the Achievement Through Technology and Innovation (ATTAIN) Act, S. 1178 (PDF file), which, if passed, would replace the technology portion of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. “This legislation mirrors principles and recommendations from P21 which demonstrate how fusing the 4Cs and core subjects makes learning more rigorous, relevant, and engaging as is necessary for college, work, and life success,” said AASL President Julie Walker, who is chair of the Partnership for 21st Century Skills....
eSchool News, June 14

Ted Koppel to donate collection to Syracuse University
Ted Koppel (right), a Syracuse (N.Y.) University alumnus and the original anchor of ABC’s Nightline, will donate a collection of personal materials to SU’s E. S. Bird Library. The Koppel Collection will be housed in the library’s Special Collection Research Center, and consists of videotapes, correspondence, cartoons, awards, photographs, and notebooks from Koppel’s career as a journalist. Pamela McLaughlin, library director of communication and external relations, said the collection would be received sometime during the summer....
Syracuse University Daily Orange, June 10

Mondavi papers to UC-Davis
The family of the late Robert Mondavi—the winemaker who helped turn California into one of the world’s premier wine regions—has donated his professional acnd personal papers to the University of California, Davis. The papers include Mondavi’s photographs, writings and speeches, correspondence with industry colleagues, international travel files, and historical records of the Robert Mondavi Winery. The collection will serve as a research asset for scholars and provide insight into Mondavi’s work and life as a winemaker, business leader, and philanthropist....
Davis (Calif.) Enterprise, June 14

Blue bins for books worry library advocates
A big, blue “Books for Charity” bin in the corner of a Safeway parking lot in Menlo Park, California, overflowed with donations June 13, prompting people to leave books in boxes on the pavement around it.The bins have become favorite destinations of book donors since they were first brought in a couple of months ago. But some local library advocates wonder whether books tossed into the bins would otherwise have gone to local libraries and question how many of the books really do go to charity....
Palo Alto (Calif.) Daily News, June 14

A bookish mural for Duluth
A new pop of literary color has come to the library plaza in downtown Duluth, Minnesota, in the form of a giant bookshelf. Artist Scott Murphy’s 23.5-foot tall “Books on the Plaza” mural was dedicated June 10 by Duluth Mayor Don Ness. The pillar outside the Duluth Public Library is now adorned with the spines of 18 books, ranging from Dr. Seuss’s Green Eggs and Ham to an organic gardening book by local author Ellen Sandbeck called Eat More Dirt....
Duluth (Minn.) News Tribune, June 11

The case of the careless extortionist
The moral of this story is: Don’t print out a bomb threat at the Los Gatos (Calif.) Public Library and leave a copy in the printer tray. That’s what a would-be extortionist allegedly did on June 3, and the copy led police right to him. Police arrested 28-year-old Vadim Liotveyzen on June 6 after determining that he was allegedly responsible for writing the bomb threat. A library employee had found a note in a printer tray that talked about a bomb and extortion attempt at an undisclosed location....
Oakland (Calif.) Tribune, June 13

Charges dropped against Calgary school librarian
Charges have been dropped against a former junior high school librarian with the Calgary, Alberta, Board of Education for allegedly having a sexual affair with a 15-year-old boy in 2010. Agnes Gina Kooy, 48, had been scheduled to face a one-day preliminary hearing on June 7, but the charges were stayed in a letter by Crown Prosecutor Sarah Bhola. No reason was given for staying the charges, but the usual practice of the Crown’s office is that there was no reasonable likelihood of conviction....
Calgary (Alberta) Herald, June 8

Books looted in 1866 return to South Korea
South Korea greeted the return on June 11 of nearly 300 royal documents looted by French soldiers during a punitive expedition to Ganghwa Island in 1866. Ceremonies celebrating the event were held on Ganghwa Island and in Seoul, where some of the books were carried through the street in a traditional Korean palanquin (right). Former culture minister of France Jack Lang and Park Byeong-sen, who discovered the royal texts at the National Library of France in 1975, flew to Seoul from Paris to attend the official celebration....
Korea Herald, June 12

Mob rule: Iceland crowdsources its new constitution
It is not the way the scribes of yore would have done it, but Iceland is tearing up the rulebook by crowdsourcing its new constitution. As the country recovers from its financial crisis, Iceland is using social media to get its citizens to share their ideas as to what the new document should contain. “I believe this is the first time a constitution is being drafted basically on the internet,” said Thorvaldur Gylfason, member of Iceland’s constitutional council, which began posting draft clauses on Facebook in April for discussion by Iceland’s citizens....
The Guardian (U.K.), June 9; All Facebook, June 13

Tajik officials ordered to read more books
Officials in southern Tajikistan have been ordered to enroll at local libraries and read more books. Khatlon Province Deputy Governor for Ideology Sitora Sherova said at a June book exhibition in Qurghonteppa that most visitors to libraries are schoolchildren and students. Librarian Rohatoy Yusufova said that Sherova ordered librarians to sign up all local officials, including the regional governor, at the library, recommend what they should read, and take books to their offices....
Radio Free Europe / Radio Liberty, June 10

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ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans, June 23–28, 2011. Follow all things Annual Conference on the American Libraries #ala11 web page.

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