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American Libraries Online
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Awards & Grants
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Tech Talk
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Books and Reading
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Calendar

Summer reading stats skyrocket in Indianapolis
A library-museum partnership has resulted in a 60% jump in summer-reading participation at the Indianapolis–Marion County Public Library’s infoZone branch, which is located inside the Children’s Museum of Indianapolis. “All of our library locations were buzzing with activity, but the Children’s Museum exceeded our expectations,” IMCPL Director of Programming and Project Development Chris Cairo said of the 1,350 infoZone participants. “To see that kind of growth at one of our most popular venues is especially gratifying.”...
American Libraries news, Sept. 20

Next Steps: A look inside the NPR Library
Brian Mathews writes: “Welcome to a typical day at the National Public Radio library in Washington, D.C., where over 10,000 reference questions come in each year from staff, producers, and correspondents in the United States and around the globe. From fact-checking and pronunciation to background music, audio clips, and transcripts, the library helps deliver the news. Laura Soto-Barra (right) is the senior librarian, overseeing a staff of 17 plus interns.”...
American Libraries column, Sept./Oct.

Youth Matters: The lowdown on STEM
Linda W. Braun writes: “Each week I have at least one conversation about how schools and libraries are working to support teaching and learning in STEM: science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. I’ve discovered that some librarians are struggling to figure out what their role should be in the STEM universe. I’m here to give you a few pointers.”...
American Libraries column, Sept./Oct.

Reformistas gather to reflect, recharge
Miguel Figueroa writes: “Reforma, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking, celebrated 40 years of advocacy at its 4th National Conference in Denver, September 15–18. Fittingly, the conference, whose theme was ‘Elevating Latino Library Services to a Higher Level,’ coincided with the Diez y Seis de Septiembre (the anniversary of the Mexican War of Independence from Spain) and the start of Hispanic Heritage Month.”...
AL: Inside Scoop, Sept. 20

Republic board returns banned books—for parents only
The Republic (Mo.) School District board voted September 19 to return Kurt Vonnegut’s Slaughterhouse-Five and Sarah Ockler’s Twenty Boy Summer to the high school library—but in a secure section that is only accessible to parents. The board banned the books from the curriculum and library in July. The controversial action drew nationwide attention, leading to a decision last month to reconsider the ban....
AL: Censorship Watch, Sept. 21

Gossip Girl controversy in Lake County, Florida
A commissioner in Lake County, Florida, wants the Gossip Girl young adult novel series created by Cecily von Ziegesar moved from the teen to the adult section in the Lake County Library System. “We’re not saying ban the books,” explained Jimmy Conner at a September 13 commission meeting. “We’re allowing the filth to be in the library, just not in the children’s section.” Connor’s request was apparently in response to concerns raised by state Sen. Alan Hays (R-Umatilla), who was in turn prompted by Leesburg resident Dixie Fechtel....
AL: Censorship Watch, Sept. 20

Reading levels
Q. Is there a reliable source for the suggested reading level of a novel? I’m a teacher who requires independent reading, but the novels my students bring me sometimes look “too young” for the grade I teach. I cannot always find information on what reading level the novel was intended to entertain. A. Determining the age-appropriateness of a book is complex and factors in the vocabulary used and writing style, as well as thematic content and plot elements. For current materials, the grade level a book is intended for is suggested by the publisher....
AL: Ask the ALA Librarian, Sept. 21

2012 slate of Council candidates announced
The ALA Nominating Committee has released the names of ALA members chosen as candidates to run in the 2012 ALA election for a seat on the Association’s governing Council....
Office of ALA Governance, Sept. 20

Presidential Task Force on School Libraries
To combat increased reports of threats to school library instructional programs, ALA President Molly Raphael has launched a Special Presidential Task Force on School Libraries. The task force will lead a campaign addressing the urgent need for school library advocacy for school libraries, as well as the impact of the deprofessionalization and curtailment of school library instructional programs on students and student achievement. She has asked for librarians of all types to get involved....
Office for Library Advocacy, Sept. 20

Banned Books Week: What subversives are you reading?
Susan Richards Rodarme writes: “So, Banned Books Week is nigh upon us; starting September 24 and ending October 1, it’s a supposedly naughty way to kick off the season of chills, thrills, and stuffing yourself to the gills. Having looked at the lists that the ALA put out—all of the books I see there take a naked look at humanity and its weaknesses, troubles, desires, and triumphs. Why should Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston (one of my personal favorites) be a banned book? Because it acknowledges that sometimes men didn’t treat their wives so well, or because it features a large cast of African-American people?”...
Insatiable Booksluts, Sept. 13

More Banned Books Week Virtual Read-Out videos
Nanette Perez writes: “As Banned Books Week approaches, we will feature videos of highly acclaimed authors either reading from a banned or challenged book or discussing the importance of the freedom to read as part of the Banned Books Week Virtual Read-Out. Here are two videos featuring authors Jay Asher and Chris Crutcher (right).”...
OIF Blog, Sept. 20

National Gaming Day: Map of participating libraries
Jenny Levine writes: “It’s here: the first version of the map of participating libraries for National Gaming Day, November 12. We have nearly 800 libraries showing on the map, so check here to make sure yours is listed. We only added your location if you checked the box asking to be displayed on the national map. This version is current as of September 14. If your library hasn’t registered, sign up now....
National Gaming Day @ your library, Sept. 21

Join your chapter and ALA for one low price
Students in 18 states can join their state chapter and ALA for one low price of $35, anytime from now through August 31, 2012. At this time it is not possible to apply online for joint membership; however, it’s an easy three-step process. To apply for joint membership, visit the Joint Membership Program and find out if your chapter participates in the program (so far, only 18 chapters have arranged for this opportunity)....
AL: Student Membership Blog, Sept. 21

Longest ALA Library reference request on a postal card
Larry Nix writes: “The excellent staff of the ALA Library is always willing to respond to reference requests within the scope of the library’s mission. They might have been taken aback, however, if they had received the lengthy request sent in 1912 by an Italian professor on the postal card shown here. Adolphus Laura of the Royal Technical Institute in Cosenza, Italy, broke his request into five questions mostly related to ‘the classification of clippings, notes, index reruns, abstracts, correspondence, and documents’ and the Dewey Decimal Classification.”...
Library History Buff Blog, Sept. 18

Reach your library audience through Facebook
ALA TechSource announces a new workshop featuring David Lee King on how to use Facebook for library services and user engagement. This 90-minute workshop will show librarians how to use the popular social networking site to help their libraries and will take place on November 2....
ALA TechSource, Sept. 20

Collaborate with teens to build better programs
ALA Editions announces a new workshop on “Collaborating with Teens to Build Better Library Programs” with Jennifer Velásquez, who will offer practical strategies for giving teens the lead in developing high-appeal collections and services. You will also learn how to draw from the insights of teens to create an online presence that is both relevant and effective. The workshop will take place on in two 90-minute sessions on November 10 and 17....
ALA Editions, Sept. 20

Web design basics for librarians
ALA Editions announces a new facilitated eCourse on the basics of web design for librarians. Diane Kovacs, a librarian and experienced online instructor, will serve as the instructor for a six-week facilitated eCourse starting on November 7. Kovacs will show you how to design attractive, clear, and accessible webpages and give you the foundation for learning more. Once you know the basics, you can deepen your contribution to the web team with skills in Cascading Style Sheets and JavaScript....
ALA Editions, Sept. 20

Build library websites with Drupal
ALA Editions announces a new facilitated eCourse on using the Drupal content management system to build library websites. Sean Fitzpatrick, a librarian and web developer specializing in Drupal, will serve as the instructor for a six-week facilitated eCourse starting on November 7. Participants will build an attractive, functional library website using Drupal 7. This test website will be hosted on a server for six months after the eCourse, facilitating additional learning....
ALA Editions, Sept. 20

Conjuring up kindergarten magic
Kindergarten Magic: Theme-Based Lessons for Building Literacy and Library Skills, published by ALA Editions, is a time-saving program planner for librarians and classroom teachers alike, including everything needed to get started—reading lists, flannelboard patterns, poems, songs, easy crafts, and take-home activities to extend the learning process. Kathy MacMillan and Christine Kirker offer scores of creative ideas, including activities keyed to popular classroom themes....
ALA Editions, Sept. 15

ACRL guide to security considerations
ACRL has released Guide to Security Considerations and Practices for Rare Book, Manuscript, and Special Collection Libraries, the first book to specifically address security of special collections in academic libraries. Compiled and edited by Everett C. Wilkie Jr., the work covers topics integral to the security process, including background checks, reading room and general building design, technical processing, characteristics and methods of thieves, materials recovery after a theft, and security systems....
ACRL, Sept. 20

Literature librarians and faculty partner for academic success
The ACRL Literatures in English Section has created a video (3:46) featuring four professors who discuss how working with literature librarians has enhanced their teaching and research. LES developed the video to raise awareness among university faculty, administrators, and students of the many benefits of the literature librarian-teaching faculty collaboration....
ACRL Insider, Sept. 21

Ten librarians win Teens’ Top Ten sets
YALSA announced the winners of its Teens’ Top Ten Books Giveaway, funded by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation. Each library will receive a set of the 25 books nominated for the 2011 Teens’ Top Ten. The list will be announced during Teen Read Week, October 16–22....
YALSA, Sept. 20

YALSA online course reveals Secrets of the Seal
For more than a decade, YALSA has honored the best books for teens with the Michael L. Printz Award. Librarians and educators can learn how the awards committee deems a book Printz-worthy and how to entice teens to read award-winning titles in a new, self-paced online course taught by Printz Award committee member Brenna Shanks. Registration is open for the October 3–31 offering....
YALSA, Sept. 20

National Friends of Libraries Week
ALTAFF is coordinating the sixth annual National Friends of Libraries Week, October 16–22. The celebration offers a two-fold opportunity to celebrate. Friends groups can use the time to creatively promote their group in the community, raise awareness, and promote membership. The celebration also offers an excellent opportunity for the library staff and trustees to recognize the Friends for their help and support of the library....
ALTAFF, Sept. 20

ALTAFF members can get discounted calendars
ALTAFF is making Book Lover’s page-a-day 2012 calendars, published by Workman, available to its members at a greatly reduced price. Members can purchase the 2012 Book Lover’s Calendars and sell them at a deep discount to Friends, use them as an incentive for joining the Friends, stock them in the Friends’ bookstore, or use them as prizes. Each year, thousands of Friends groups and libraries purchase the calendar as a fundraiser in their libraries and communities....
ALTAFF, Sept. 20

Register for the AASL Virtual Conference
Registration is now open for the virtual component of the AASL 15th National Conference. The AASL11 Virtual Conference will offer national conference attendees and those following the activity from afar the chance to virtually connect to the conference and exhibition taking place October 27–30 in Minneapolis. For more information and to register, visit the AASL website. Advanced registration pricing for the Minneapolis conference ends September 29....
AASL, Sept. 15, 20

Last chance to sign up for RUSA courses
Registration for RUSA’s “Introduction to Spatial Literacy and Online Mapping” and “Health Information 101” will close September 22. The spatial literacy course will run September 26–October 14 and is taught by Eva Dodsworth, geospatial data services librarian at the University of Waterloo Map Library, Waterloo, Ontario. The health information course will run September 26–November 7 and is taught by Maura Sostack, who manages the health sciences libraries at Virtua Health....
RUSA Blog, Sept. 21

AASL sponsors four Spectrum scholars at its conference
AASL will sponsor the attendance of four Spectrum Scholars at its 15th National Conference and Exhibition in Minneapolis, October 27–30: Nancy Gallegos, Hannah Gómez, Jade Torres-Morrison, and James Wallace Jr. Each of the selected Spectrum Scholars will receive complimentary registration for the conference and a $750 travel stipend....
AASL, Sept. 20

AASL revamps its recruitment website
AASL has published a revamped website focused on the recruitment of potential school librarians. Developed to provide information to those interested in joining the profession as well as those seeking to recruit people to the profession, the website contains information on the job itself, the job outlook, education and licensing across the United States, job hunting, and ideas for recruitment....
AASL, Sept. 20

LLAMA webinar for job-seekers
You have your MLS degree—but what’s next? Applying for and interviewing for a job can be fraught with anxiety and frustration, but you can put yourself ahead of the herd with the right information. LLAMA’s Human Resources Section will present a free webinar, “Job Hunting for Today’s Libraries in Today’s Job Market,” on October 19. Register online....
LLAMA, Sept. 15

ACRL invites applications for Immersion ’12
ACRL is accepting applications for its Information Literacy Immersion ’12 Program Teacher and Program tracks, to be held July 22–27, 2012, at Champlain College in Burlington, Vermont. Five members of the nationally recognized Immersion faculty will lead participants through four-and-a-half days of intensive information literacy training and education. Complete program details and application materials are available online. The deadline for applications is December 2....
ACRL, Sept. 20

PLA library advocacy education program
Registration has opened for the October 31–December 12 session of Turning the Page 2.0, a free, online advocacy training program for public libraries, developed and presented by PLA with generous support from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Turning the Page 2.0 will be offered two additional times in 2012. The upcoming session will begin with an optional, in-person kick-off on October 28 at the Michigan Library Association Annual Conference in Kalamazoo....
PLA, Sept. 15

YALSA to examine trends impacting YA service at Midwinter
Jeanie Austin (right), project coordinator for Mix IT Up! at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s GSLIS, will present her paper, “Critical Issues in Juvenile Detention Libraries,” January 21 at YALSA’s Trends Impacting Young Adult Services event, during the ALA 2012 Midwinter Meeting in Dallas. Austin will explore how youth and librarians can navigate the tensions of access to information in an institutional setting. Registration is open....
YALSA, Sept. 20

Fall into learning with YALSA webinars-on-demand
Looking for guidance into the latest topics in teen services? Look no further than YALSA’s webinars-on-demand. Previously recorded webinars, led by content experts selected by YALSA, are complimentary for YALSA members and available for purchase for nonmembers. Webinars-on-demand are available in five content areas: advocacy, collection development and readers’ advisory, programming, technology, and YA service delivery....
YALSA, Sept. 20

Refresh your library’s existing teen services
Find out how you can give your library’s standard teen services a boost at YALSA’s “Innovations in Essential Teen Services” half-day workshop on January 20, prior to the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Dallas. Join YALSA to learn easy-to-implement updates on providing readers’ advisory, homework help, teen space design, and promoting and developing literacy skills....
YALSA, Sept. 20

Leading by example: 2011 ALA award winners
The individuals and libraries listed here have been singled out by their peers for their extraordinary achievements. These are the highest and most prestigious awards given by the American Library Association, but they are only a handful of the 200+ awards presented annually by ALA, its divisions, round tables, offices, and other units. See more winners on the ALA awards page....
American Libraries feature

ASCLA seeks nominations for 2012 awards
Nominations are now being accepted for ASCLA’s five 2012 awards for service, leadership, and achievement. Nominations for all awards must be received by December 15. Submission information can be found on each nomination form located on the specific award pages....
ASCLA, Sept. 20

Nominations sought for RUSA awards
RUSA is now accepting nominations for its 12 achievement awards and four grants for 2012. The nominations deadline for all awards and grants is December 15, except the BRASS Gale Cengage Learning Student Travel Award, which has a deadline of January 31. Read details about nomination instructions....
RUSA, Sept. 20

South Carolina honors literacy leaders
The University of South Carolina and the state’s library community presented the fifth Annual Literacy Leaders awards on September 13, rewarding efforts to improve literacy in South Carolina. One of this year’s recipients was the Spartanburg County Public Libraries Children’s Department for its “Real Mommies Read” program, which encourages teen mothers to develop their own information literacy as well as their babies’ literacy....
University of South Carolina, Sept. 14

2011 Emmett Leahy Award
In a ceremony at the National Archives on September 15, Jason R. Baron (right), director of litigation at the National Archives, was awarded the Emmett Leahy Award for Outstanding Contributions and Accomplishments in the Records and Information Management Profession. Baron is the first federal lawyer to receive the award. Baron won the award for his contributions to the development of the first government-wide regulations governing the preservation of email....
National Archives, Sept. 15

2010 Lane Anderson Award
The two winners of the 2010 Lane Anderson Award were announced September 14 by the Fitzhenry Family Foundation at a celebration dinner in Toronto. The $10,000 award honors two jury-selected books, in the categories of adult and young reader, published in the field of science, and written by a Canadian. The winners are The Ptarmigan’s Dilemma by John and Mary Theberge (McClelland and Stewart) and Evolution by Daniel Loxton (Kids Can)....
Lane Anderson Award, Sept. 14

2011 Frank O’Connor Short Story Award
The veteran Irish writer Edna O’Brien has been named the winner of the 2011 Frank O’Connor Short Story Award for her collection Saints and Sinners. She is the first Irish writer to win. The award, worth €35,000 ($47,870 U.S.) and now in its seventh year, is the richest in the world for a collection of short stories. It is sponsored by Cork City Council and organized by Munster Literature Centre as part of its annual Cork International Short Story Festival....
Irish Examiner (Cork), Sept. 21

Senate committee increases GPO funding
The Senate Committee on Appropriations passed its Legislative Branch Appropriations bill with an increase in funding for the Government Printing Office over the amount in the House committee’s bill. The Senate version includes $116.8 million for GPO while the House bill set the amount at $108.1 million....
District Dispatch, Sept. 16

$200,000 awarded to 60 NYPL library workers
Sixty workers at the New York Public Library were awarded a total of $200,000 in retroactive Sunday overtime pay under a July arbitration ruling. The arbitrator ordered the library to reinstate its longtime practice of premium pay for voluntary overtime work on Sundays and give the affected members back pay from August 1, 2010, when the union filed the grievance, to July 19, the date of the decision....
AFSCME District Council 37, Sept.

The toughest reference questions
Randy Dotinga writes: “One reader questioned the value of publicly funded libraries and asked this: ‘Why do librarians need to make $70k a year? The Dewey Decimal system isn’t rocket science.’ Armed with righteous annoyance, I joined the online fray myself, noting that librarians aren’t cheap because they need knowledge to find knowledge. And then I got to wondering. What are the most difficult questions that reference librarians have ever had to answer? Here’s what librarians from across North America had to say via email.”...
Christian Science Monitor, Sept. 16

Biden donates senatorial papers to University of Delaware
Joseph R. Biden Jr., a U.S. senator from Delaware for 36 years until his election as vice president in 2008, was at the University of Delaware on September 16 to donate his senatorial papers to the university library. The papers encompass more than 2,500 cartons of papers, in addition to 415 GB of electronic records, all of which are currently stored in the National Archives and Records Administration. The papers will be sealed for two years after Biden retires from public office....
UDaily, Sept. 16

Police seize firearms from suspected library thief
When police searched the home of Maria Nater, a Vista, California, woman suspected of stealing a huge number of books from several San Diego County public libraries, they found more than 2,000 books and DVDs. They also discovered 43 guns and rifles, including a 1936 German Mauser, a sniper rifle, and a semiautomatic AR-15 rifle, some of which don’t seem to have proper paperwork. The weapons are believed to belong to Nater’s husband, Fernando, who is a former member of the U.S. military....
Escondido North County Times, Sept. 15

Banned books of Texas
The ACLU of Texas has released its annual list of books banned by the state’s school districts. Texas schools banned 17 books in 2010–2011, a decrease from the 20 taken from shelves the previous year. Among the usual suspects this time around: R. L. Stine, a Gossip Girl novel, and the ever-popular gay penguins tale And Tango Makes Three. Another highlight: An elementary school in the San Antonio area put Merriam-Webster’s Visual Dictionary in a restricted area because of “sexual content or nudity.”...
Houston Press: Hair Balls, Sept. 15; ACLU of Texas, Sept. 15

Throwing the book at school libraries
It’s September, a time to remind children that we care about them and have high hopes and all that. So what’s going on in Los Angeles Unified? The school district is dumping 227 of its 430 elementary school library aides and cutting the hours of another 193 aides in half. Welcome back to school, kids....
Los Angeles Times, Sept. 14

Tears flow as Urban Affairs Library closes
Tears ran freely as Toronto’s Urban Affairs Library closed its doors for the last time on September 14. The branch, which opened at Metro Hall in 1992, was slated for closure in March after months of budget negotiations between the library board and city council. Its staff and collection are moving to the Toronto Reference Library....
Toronto Star, Sept. 15

Marin library Friends sound alarm over blue bins
Library support groups in Marin County, California, are successfully chasing away a private business that invites people to donate their used books by putting them in large, blue metal bins outside local markets and other stores. Both Andronico’s and Safeway have asked that the bins be removed from outside their stores. Library supporters fear that the efforts of the for-profit Thrift Recycling Management could diminish the number of books people donate to nonprofit library boosters....
Marin (Calif.) Independent Journal, Sept. 18

Pit bull attack in library leads to lawsuit
A woman is suing the city of Molalla, Oregon, for almost $158,000 because she was attacked by a pit bull named Snoopy while visiting the Molalla Public Library. Renee Marshall, 55, was visiting the library in October when she saw Snoopy in the building, according to a lawsuit filed in Clackamas County. The dog belonged to library volunteer Linda Forney, who was shelving books at the time....
Portland Oregonian, Sept. 13

Sex offender apprehended at Knoxville library
Police arrested a sex offender inside the downtown Lawson McGhee branch of the Knox County (Tenn.) Public Library September 15, just days after Mayor Tim Burchett implemented a policy to ban offenders from the building. Library officials are supposed to compare the state’s sex offender list with the library system’s active cardholder list and then send certified letters to anyone who matches up. The ACLU sent Burchett a letter September 16 asking him to withdraw his new policy....
Knoxville (Tenn.) News Sentinel, Sept. 16–17; ACLU of Tennessee

Battered library looks ahead
Almost every scrap of furniture, all the computers, and about 14,000 books were lost September 9 when the Susquehanna River, swollen by rains from Tropical Storm Lee, poured into the West Pittston (Pa.) Library. Yet Director Anne Bramblett-Barr trudges around in jeans and boots with an irrepressible optimism. She even nicknamed one clump of soggy books “the denial pile.” The staff tried to save what they could when they heard the river would hit, but Mother Nature foiled the effort as the record river crest washed over all those countertops and tables....
Wilkes-Barre (Pa.) Times Leader, Sept. 14

Flood-damaged libraries emerge as response hubs
Vermont libraries still recovering from Tropical Storm Irene damage are serving as community gathering places. In West Hartford, the library was one of the state’s hardest hit (right). Martha Reid, Vermont state librarian, says that although West Hartford and more than 100 other libraries across the state saw some storm damage, residents have continued to use them for disaster and social recovery....
Vermont Public Radio, Sept. 19

Libraries lead price revolt against scholarly journals
After decades of healthy profits, the scholarly publishing industry now finds itself in the throes of a revolt led by librarians. Universities from Britain to California are refusing to renew their expensive subscriptions, turning instead to open access publishing, an arrangement whereby material is made available free on the internet with few or no restrictions except for the obligation to cite it....
New York Times, Sept. 18

Apple under fire for Peking University Library outlet
Technology giant Apple has come under fire in China over plans to open an outlet in the library of one of the country’s most prestigious universities. Apple products are hugely popular in China, but the plan to set up shop at the Peking University library appears to have struck a wrong note. A university spokesman said the new outlet would not sell the company’s products but would be a venue for students to “experience” them....
Agence France Presse, Sept. 15

Another librarian kisses a frog
Children’s Librarian Susan Scatena of the Whitestone branch of the Queens (N.Y.) Library challenged her summer readers that if they would collectively read 3,000 books, she would kiss a frog on the library steps and try very hard to turn into a princess. Her 477 summer kids read more than 6,900 books. She is seen here living up to her promise by smooching with Pee Wee the frog. Scatena has been challenging her summer readers with the promise of ever-more colorful stunts for years....
Queens (N.Y.) Gazette, Sept. 14

Peace Corps volunteer builds a library in Togo
The Republic of Togo might not have been at the forefront of Emily Jones’s mind while she was a member of the Dedham (Mass.) High School Class of 2004, but today, as a Peace Corps volunteer, the 25-year-old is on a two-year mission in the West African country. Jones is building a library of books and research documents in French, English, and other local languages, with help funding from the Peace Corps Partnership Program....
Boston Globe, Sept. 14

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