Libraries Connect Communities: An AL Digital Supplement
Strategic vision and careful management have helped US public libraries weather the storm of the Great Recession. However, a new report underscores the competing concerns that face America’s libraries: cumulative budget cuts that threaten access to libraries and services, increasing demand for technology training, and the chronic presence of the digital divide. These findings are among the highlights of the 2012 Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study, produced by the ALA Office for Research and Statistics and funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Read it as an American Libraries Digital Supplement. (Note: Any Zmags publication can be changed into a PDF within your browser by clicking the PDF icon.)...
Office for Research and Statistics, June 19

US public libraries infographic
Public libraries continue to transform lives by providing critical services and innovative solutions to technology access, in spite of years’ worth of cumulative budget cuts. Use this infographic (right) from the Office for Research and Statistics to educate your patrons on how public libraries have weathered the storm....
Office for Research and Statistics, June 19

Cataloging then, now, and tomorrow
Elise (Yi-Ling) Wong writes: “Not long ago (when I was still in library school), if someone had asked me what exactly a cataloger is, my answer would have been, ‘a guardian of the catalog.’ But catalogers are also mediators between libraries and other information organizations, as they are charged with understanding the interoperability between the MARC standard and different non-MARC metadata systems.”...
American Libraries feature

Newsmaker: Chicago Public Library’s Brian Bannon
Brian Bannon (right), the new commissioner of Chicago Public Library, at 37 already has a lengthy list of accomplishments under his belt. As the former chief information officer of San Francisco Public Library, Bannon was responsible for its digital and technology strategy. He also served as chief of branches during his six-year tenure at SFPL, leading the design and construction process of its $200 million Branch Library Improvement Program—the largest capital improvement program in the library’s history....
American Libraries column, May/June

Indies see surge at BookExpo
Bill Ott writes: “Long before the controversies that now bedevil the book publishing and bookselling industry—ebook polices and the many-tentacled presence of Amazon.com—appeared on the horizon, there was still concern about the lack of actual booksellers on the floor at the annual BookExpo America trade show. The convention, many worried, had become a subsidiary-rights show, with interactions between publishers and booksellers growing less and less frequent.”...
American Libraries news, June 20

Youth book, audiobook, and ebook numbers
The newest edition of the Library and Book Trade Almanac (formerly known as the Bowker Annual Library and Book Trade Almanac) put out by Information Today now includes audiobook and ebook numbers. Contributing Editor Catherine Barr and Constance Harbison of book wholesaler Baker & Taylor compiled the report on “Book Title Output and Average Prices: 2008–2011,” which appears on pages 514–529 of the 2012 (57th) edition....
AL: Ask the ALA Librarian, June 20

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What’s Happening at Annual Conference
ALA Senior Associate Executive Director Mary Ghikas has compiled a handy, informal guide (PDF file) to the most important tips, facts, events, and activities at ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, California....
ALA Connect, June 18

A panoply of pavilions
The ALA Exhibit Hall will showcase the latest publications, products, and technologies available to libraries. Many of these products will be featured in special showcase pavilions to help conference attendees get an in-depth look at what is new. The Government Information Pavilion (middle of Aisle 1800) is new this year and showcases information from featured government agencies. The Gaming and Graphic Novel Pavilions (back of 600–800 Aisle) have been combined to make an especially fun section of the exhibits....
ALA Conference Services

Rich Harwood on reclaiming Main Street and libraries
A recent study revealed that many Americans feel that the country is lost amid a sea of changes and that they crave more openness, simpler living, humility, and compassion. They want to kick-start a new trajectory for the country that begins with small, local actions. Richard C. Harwood (right), president and founder of the nonprofit Harwood Institute for Public Innovation, will discuss these and other key findings from his recently released Main Street study at Annual Conference in Anaheim on June 24....
ALA Washington Office, June 13

Say hi to your Ambassador
ALA offers an Ambassador’s program for those attending the Annual Conference for the first time—or for anyone needing some assistance. Ambassadors are volunteer members who serve as friendly and helpful faces. They are located at the Registration Area and at the ALA Pavilion on the exhibit show floor (booth 1939), and they will be wearing bright blue-and-gold Ambassador ribbons....
ALA Membership Blog, June 19

Mobile app for ALA Conference scheduler
Attendees can keep track of everything while on the go at the 2012 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim. The new mobile app for the Conference Scheduler puts all the information people need right at their fingertips, including their existing schedule, list of exhibitors, and notes from the full Scheduler site. They just have to log in with the same username and password as on the Scheduler to access all of their existing conference information....
ALA Conference Services, June 15

International librarians visit ALA headquarters
Sixteen librarians visited the ALA offices in Chicago June 15 from countries as far away as Nigeria, Egypt, and Japan, among others. The librarians were part of an annual summer associates program assembled by the Mortenson Center for International Library Programs at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Michael Dowling, director of ALA’s International Relations Office, talked with the group about transformations within the library field....
AL: Global Reach, June 15

New member benefit: Armchair ALA
Earlier this year, ALA announced the official launch of a new member benefit program in partnership with NetGalley. ALA members who sign up to request digital galleys from NetGalley can now add their member number to their profile, to speed approval of requests and to access upcoming titles. This program will help ALA members use digital galleys to preview more titles and make more informed purchasing decisions for their collections. Register here....
ALA Membership Blog, June 18

Marketing to the GLBT community
Libraries looking to market their services to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender community can now access new promotional tools, thanks to the Sacramento (Calif.) Public Library. New posters, transit signs, and window clings are now available on the Campaign for America’s Libraries website. These tools were originally created by the Sacramento Public Library as part of its promotion for National Library Week 2012....
Campaign for America’s Libraries, June 15

ALA returns to Second Life
Although ALA Island officially closed on January 1, ALA now has a presence on Info Island at (25, 135, 23). You can still follow @ALA_Island on Twitter and ALA Island on Facebook for updates....
Virtual Communities and Libraries MIG

EMIERT celebrates 35 years
The Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table will mark 35 years of service as the Association’s source of information on recommended ethnic collections, services, and programs with three sessions during the ALA 2012 Annual Conference in Anaheim. All three programs are free to all Annual Conference attendees....
Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table, June 13

Eight libraries to host “Discover Tech” exhibition
The ALA Public Programs Office, in partnership with the Space Science Institute, the Lunar and Planetary Institute, and the National Girls Collaborative Project, announced that eight public libraries will host a new interactive traveling exhibition called “Discover Tech: Engineers Make a World of Difference.” The exhibition will tour from September 2012 to June 2014, visiting each of the eight sites for eight weeks. Each site will receive a grant of $1,000 to support public programs related to the exhibition....
Public Programs Office, June 19

“Muslim Journeys,” a Bridging Cultures Bookshelf
The National Endowment for the Humanities, in collaboration with the ALA Public Programs Office, is accepting applications through September 25 for “Muslim Journeys,” a Bridging Cultures Bookshelf program. The program aims to familiarize public audiences in the United States with the people, places, history, faith, and cultures of Muslims in the US and around the world. For more information and resources to help get your application started, visit the “Muslim Journeys” website....
Public Programs Office, June 19

New Teens @ the Library series
Three new titles in the YALSA Teens @ the Library Series from Neal-Schuman Publishers help YA librarians hone their skills and improve their programs to serve teens more effectively: Being a Teen Library Services Advocate, by former YALSA President Linda W. Braun; Answering Teens’ Tough Questions, by mk Eagle; and Evaluating Teen Services and Programs, by Sarah Flowers....
ALA Neal-Schuman, June 15

Debunking popular perceptions of librarians
Librarians have long struggled to combat some of the negative stereotypes about their image and profession, but to do so effectively it’s necessary to look at these perceptions in a historical context. Not Your Ordinary Librarian: Debunking the Popular Perceptions of Librarians, by Ashanti White, published by Chandos Publishing and available through Neal-Schuman Publishers, explores the origin of images of the librarian in popular media and looks at the effects of these stereotypes, both negative and positive....
ALA Neal-Schuman, June 15

Fundamentals of library instruction
Being a great teacher is part and parcel of being a great librarian. In his new guide Fundamentals of Library Instruction, published by ALA Editions, veteran instruction services librarian Monty L. McAdoo helps librarians connect with students as effectively as possible. McAdoo lays out the basics of the discipline in straightforward, accessible language with expert guidance for putting theory into practice....
ALA Editions, June 18

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Disneyland Resort update
The rededication of the “new” Disney California Adventure means a fresh start for the beleaguered theme park, which has suffered from poor word-of-mouth and low attendance since opening in 2001. Thousands of fans waited outside DCA’s gates June 15 to see the changes first hand, and many praised Disney managers for how well they handled the opening-day crowds. As expected, the majority of early arrivals headed straight to Cars Land after the rededication ceremony, some splitting off to first grab a Fastpass ticket for the new Radiator Springs Racers attraction....
MousePlanet, June 18

Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage
The Finding Nemo Submarine Voyage is an attraction located in the Tomorrowland area of Disneyland Park. Based on the characters and settings of the 2003 Disney/Pixar film, Finding Nemo, the ride allows you to board the yellow research submarine of the Nautical Exploration and Marine Observation Institute (N.E.M.O.) and be dazzled by underwater curiosities as your submarine dives fathoms beneath the surface....
Disneyland Park

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Choice’s Outstanding Academic Titles
Honoring the best in scholarly publishing, Choice’s annual “Outstanding Academic Titles” list is widely recognized in the academic community for its sweeping coverage of the most significant scholarly titles published each year. Now available is a comprehensive print collection of reviews representing excellence in a five-year period, Choice’s Outstanding Academic Titles 2007–2011, edited by Choice Humanities Editor Rebecca Ann Bartlett....
ACRL, June 19

Great Websites for Kids expands its recommended list
ALSC has added 11 more recommended websites to Great Websites for Kids, its online resource containing hundreds of links to exceptional websites for children. Newly added sites include ABCYA.com, CIA for Kids–Games, Common Sense Media, and PBS Kids Raising Readers Kids Island....
ALSC, June 19

Did you participate in Preservation Week?
The third Preservation Week, sponsored by ALCTS, took place April 22–28. The Preservation Week Working Group would like to get a better understanding of how well the event is reaching its intended audience and how successful your institution’s efforts were in 2012. To gather this information, we invite you to fill out this survey. (Only one person per institution should fill out the survey)....
ALCTS, June 18

Apply for a Teen Read Week grant
Through funding from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, YALSA will offer ten $1,000 grants to recognize outstanding Teen Read Week activities by its members. Applicants must plan and present an outline for a Teen Read Week activity that is coordinated by a library. Applications are due July 1....
YALSA, June 19

Spend Sunday afternoon with LITA
Join LITA on June 24 in Anaheim, California, for a Sunday afternoon of great programming, networking, and camaraderie, starting at 1:30 p.m. with Top Technology Trends and LITA Award Presentation, LITA’s ongoing roundtable discussion about trends and advances in library technology. Immediately following the awards reception, stick around for the LITA President’s Program, followed by the LITA Happy Hour at Hearthstone Lounge at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel....
LITA, June 14

New AASL podcasts
AASL has released a new set of podcasts in its 30-Second Thought Leadership: Insights from Leaders in the School Library Community series. The new set focuses on the May/June Knowledge Quest issue, “Caring is Essential,” and explores the question, “How do school library programs contribute to the development of the Whole Child?” Patricipants are Sean Slade, Jami Jones, Kafi Kumasi, and Olga Nesi....
AASL, June 18

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2012 Achievement in Library Diversity Research
Richard Chabrán (right), adjunct professor in the School of Information Resources and Library Science at the University of Arizona, has been named the 2012 Achievement in Library Diversity Research Honoree. Chabrán has had a full career in libraries, including work at the Chicano Studies Library at the University of California, Berkeley. His numerous articles and book chapters focus on digital inclusion and the digital divide, globalization and culture, and Chicano discourse....
Office for Diversity, June 18

Ex Libris Student Writing Award
Cynthia Cohen (right), May 2012 graduate of the San José State University SLIS, has been named the winner of the 2012 Ex Libris Student Writing Award, sponsored by Ex Libris Group and LITA. Cohen's paper, titled “Extending LOCKSS: The Preservation Risks of Private LOCKSS Networks,” provides a review of the basics of the LOCKSS (Lots of Copies Keep Stuff Safe) project....
LITA, June 15

2012 ALA scholarships announced
The ALA Scholarship Program has chosen 10 scholarship recipients for 2012–2013. Scholars were selected in the following categories: general, support staff, and specialty or practice area in children’s services, new media, and federal librarianship. Criteria for the scholarships include academic excellence, leadership, and evidence of commitment to a career in librarianship....
Human Resource Development and Recruitment, June 14

2012 Diversity Research Grants
The Office for Diversity has announced the recipients of the Diversity Research Grants for 2012: Jaime C. Naidoo and Lance Simpson, Danny P. Wallace, and Wayne A. Wiegand. The grants consist of a one-time $2,000 award for original research and a $500 travel grant to attend and present at the 2013 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. The recipients are expected to conduct their research over the course of the year and compile the results into a conference program....
Office for Diversity, June 18

Salem Press Library Blog Awards
The public has voted online. All votes have been tallied. The judges have now spoken. Salem Press presents its list of the 2012 Library Blog Award winners, broken down by category and complete with collective musings on what made these eight blogs beat the competition....
Salem Press, June 19

Pritzker Military Library Literature Award
British historian Sir Max Hastings has won the 2012 Pritzker Military Library Literature Award for Lifetime Achievement in Military Writing. At the library’s annual Liberty Gala in October, the historian will receive a $100,000 honorarium. Hastings has written 23 books, most recently Inferno: The World at War, 1939–1945 (published as All Hell Let Loose in the United States). The annual prize celebrates “a body of work that has profoundly enriched the public understanding of American military history.”...
GalleyCat, June 19

2012 CILIP Carnegie Medal winner
The 2012 CILIP Carnegie Medal was awarded to Patrick Ness June 14 for his novel A Monster Calls (Walker Books). Not only is this the second consecutive Carnegie Medal for Patrick Ness, a feat only achieved once before, in 1979 and 1980 by Peter Dickinson; but for the first time ever, the same book has also won the CILIP Kate Greenaway Medal, sister award to the Carnegie Medal, with Jim Kay taking the prize for his haunting illustrations for A Monster Calls. Founded in 1937, the CILIP Carnegie Medal is the UK’s oldest and most prestigious prize for children’s and young people’s writing....
Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals, June 14

IMLS grant supports libraries’ roles in broadband adoption
The Institute of Museum and Library Services announced on June 14 a $250,000 award to WebJunction to work with state libraries in Illinois, Mississippi, and West Virginia; federal policy makers; and the national nonprofit Connect2Compete to help national digital literacy efforts effectively work with libraries to deliver digital literacy training. The grant will identify model approaches for partnerships with libraries to meet public demand for training....
Institute of Museum and Library Services, June 14

Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian grants
The Institute of Museum and Library Services has announced 32 Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian grants totaling $10.4 million. Recipients are matching these awards with $6.6 million in nonfederal funds. View the complete list of funded projects....
Institute of Museum and Library Services, June 14

Civil War programming grant opportunity
Libraries are invited to apply for $1,000 public programming grants for “Civil War 150.” The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, in partnership with the Library of America, is accepting applications from libraries for grants to develop public programming around this free traveling panel exhibition. Fifty sites will be awarded $1,000 to host the exhibition, and 150 sites will be awarded $500 to provide the public programming component. Apply by July 15....
Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, May 23

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UC Berkeley libraries are in trouble
University of California, Berkeley Librarian Tom Leonard surveyed the faculty in April to see if they preferred closing 16 of the 24 campus-supported libraries or just 10—but with fewer librarians. The professors objected to being told they had just two choices, horrible or terrible, and petitioned the university for an extra year to find other ways of keeping the libraries not just afloat, but great. Berkeley has reduced its library spending by 12% since 2008, even as the University of Michigan, its main public competitor, has spent 24% more....
San Francisco Chronicle, June 18

Chicago to build its first joint high school–public library
Debra Lau Whelan writes: “Chicago’s taking the partnership beween public and school libraries to the next level—it’s building its first public library as part of a school. The Chicago Public Library’s Back of the Yards branch plans to open its doors in the fall of 2013, serving both the new Back of the Yards High School and the local community. The 8,000-square-foot building, which will sit next to the high school and have a separate entrance for the public, is taking its cue from the success of the library’s YOUmedia teen space.”...
School Library Journal, June 14

Stolen Waukegan statues were sold and melted down
Despite the arrest of one of the two people suspected of stealing two statues valued at $15,000 from the Waukegan (Ill.) Public Library, police said the artworks won’t be recovered because they have been melted down for scrap. “Little Scholar” and “Imagine That,” which portrayed children reading books, were stolen from the library sometime overnight May 29–30. On June 11, police got an anonymous tip and began questioning Daniel R. Ramos, who said he and another person took the statues to J.B. Metals in Chicago and were paid $268.80 for the scrap-metal value....
Chicago Tribune, June 14

Van Halen goes to SMU to find an album cover image
Van Halen singer David Lee Roth’s influence on the band’s latest album extends beyond his musical prowess. He selected the cover image for A Different Kind of Truth, sending designers on a far-reaching hunt that led to Southern Methodist University’s DeGolyer Library in Dallas. Roth was looking for a photo of the streamlined 1930s-era Henry Dreyfuss–designed locomotive, and his designers located an original in DeGolyer’s Robert Yarnall Richie photography collection....
Southern Methodist University, June 18

The Pope looks for a new librarian
Cardinal Raffaele Farina (right) will no longer head the Vatican’s Apostolic Library or its Secret Archive. Farina decided to retire as his 80th birthday approaches in September. So now, Pope Benedict XVI is looking for someone else to take over that job. That won’t be easy though, since Farina has an extensive cultural background. Perhaps more than anything, he will be remembered for leading the impressive three-year restructuring of the library....
Rome Reports, June 16

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ALA Annual Conference, Anaheim, June 21–26.

Don’t miss this historic last chance to rock out with the Rock Bottom Remainders at ALA/ProQuest Scholarship Bash on June 23. ALA is honored to host this landmark last concert in the “Past Our Bedtime” tour. Rock out with Stephen King, Amy Tan, Mitch Albom, Dave Barry, Matt Groening, Scott Turow, Ridley Pearson, Greg Iles, James McBride, Roy Blount Jr., Sam Barry, and Roger McGuinn of The Byrds.

Families: Step Up to the Plate @ your library! Presidential Campaigns and How They Are Covered by the Press Photography and the Cult of Celebrity at the Getty Living and Dying on Death Row Summer Reading @ your library: Not Just for Children How to Pay for College: Financial Aid 101 Karen Thompson Walker: 'Incredibly Inspiring'(video) Join Us on Facebook Subscribe to our Newsletter