MacKinnon calls for digital liberty
Journalist and internet policy specialist Rebecca MacKinnon (on right) was the keynote speaker Friday at the Opening General Session, introduced by ALA President Molly Raphael. Formerly a CNN reporter in China and Japan for 14 years, MacKinnon is a cofounder of Global Voices, a citizen media network that helps people speak out online in places where their voices are censored. “If we want the internet to remain compatible with our civil liberties,” MacKinnon said, “we should not assume it will always remain that way. We have to work for it, just as we need to constantly work to keep democracy alive.”...
AL: Annual Conference blog, June 22

David Weinberger envisions libraries as platforms
Technology consultant and internet philosopher David Weinberger (right), who currently serves as a fellow at Harvard’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society, spoke to ALA attendees Saturday morning about the explosion of digital knowledge and its consequences. He takes the position that the universe of knowledge is so wide that it can only begin to be comprehended by knowledge networks, aided by the platforms that they reside on. Watch an interview (10:59) with Weinberger in which he talks about information overload, Linked Data, and the limits of computer analysis....
AL: Annual Conference blog, June 23; AL Focus, June 23

Dan Rather warns of media control
Veteran journalist and newscaster Dan Rather (right) provided a little taste of the stories in his new book Rather Outspoken: My Life in the News at the Monday ALTAFF President’s Program, and warned of the increasing “dumbing down and trivialization” of the news. Rather began by saying, “I think I am a pretty good storyteller. I should be, after more than 60 years as a reporter.” He went on to address what he called the “elephant in the room”—that he had not left CBS “under the best of good circumstances.”...
Cognotes, Highlights issue

President’s Program features Picoult, Van Leer
The ALA President’s Program on Sunday featured a conversation between Molly Raphael and bestselling author Jodi Picoult and her daughter Samantha Van Leer. The mother-daughter author team appeared as part of their tour for the launch of Between the Lines. When asked about the process of coauthoring the book, Picoult and Van Leer agreed that they shared a nearly identical vision for many aspects of the novel. Van Leer said, “A lot of the time, we were seeing the same things.” Watch an exclusive interview (17:49) with Picoult and Van Leer....
Public Information Office, June 26; YouTube, June 25

Chris Colfer was gleeful to be at ALA
Actor and children’s book author Chris Colfer (right), best known for his starring role as Kurt Hummel in the award-winning TV comedy Glee, discussed his first children’s book, The Land of Stories, at the Auditorium Speaker Series presentation Saturday afternoon. His June 23 tweet, “Had a great time speaking at the 2012 ALA! My love for librarians is eternal!” was widely retweeted....
Cognotes, June 24

Teens, making a difference
“How can we do something greater than we know how to do? How can we become someone greater than we know how to be?” Talia Leman asked the audience at Saturday afternoon’s Auditorium Speaker Series presentation, “Teens Making a Difference.” Sharing the stage with William Kamkwamba, the 16-year-old philanthropist is the founder of RandomKid, a nonprofit organization designed to engage and mobilize kids for global action and relief....
Cognotes, June 25

Dan Ariely: We’re all dishonest
Dan Ariely (right), the affable author of Predictably Irrational and now The Honest Truth About Dishonesty: How We Lie to Everyone (Especially Ourselves), loves to use examples to illustrate his points. He began his Auditorium Speaker Series presentation Sunday by asking the audience how many had told a lie in 2012, followed by how many had told a lie in the last month, and then the last week. Naturally, virtually everyone raised their hands. Watch an interview (14:55) in which Ariely tells librarians how they can keep their collections safe and their patrons honest....
AL: Annual Conference blog, June 24; YouTube, June 26

Rock Bottom Remainders rock out
As though it needed proving, the Rock Bottom Remainders’ final performance Saturday night at the Scholarship Bash proved that librarians know how to party. Nearly 2,200 people attended the group’s last concert, as many danced and sang along with band members who livened the stage. Among those who performed were authors and illustrators Stephen King (right), Amy Tan (on the left), Mitch Albom, Dave Barry, Matt Groening (in a Marge Simpson mask), and Scott Turow....
AL: Annual Conference blog, June 23

J. R. Martinez’s message of strength and survival
Incoming ALA President Maureen Sullivan introduced motivational keynote speaker J. R. Martinez (right), who overcame the severe burn injuries he sustained over 40% of his body in a Humvee incident in Iraq on April 5, 2003, to become the winner of Dancing with the Stars eight years later, an early literacy practitioner, and the author of a book, Full of Heart: My Story of Survival, Strength, and Spirit, forthcoming in November. “There is a reason you take the journey, there’s a reason you take the path,” he said. “Life is jumping in the pool. Jump in the pool and learn to swim.”...
AL: Annual Conference blog, June 26

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Raphael responds to new Pew report
ALA President Molly Raphael released the following statement regarding the June 22 release of the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project report, Libraries, Patrons, and Ebooks. The report examines the roles that libraries play in the shifting digital terrain as e-reading, tablet computers, and ebook readers become more popular. The research confirms that many people look to librarians to support digital literacy and learn new skills that lead to wider adoption of technology....
Office for Information Technology Policy, June 22

Barbara Stripling talks about tough times
Laurie D. Borman writes: “Barbara Stripling, ALA’s incoming president-elect, took time to talk with American Libraries at ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim on Friday. She talked about some of the difficulties facing school librarians. As a school librarian, she said, she would tell herself that she was going to make a difference to every student she worked with. Keeping an eye on that priority helped her forget about daily hassles. Watch the video interview (7:33)....
AL: Inside Scoop, June 22

The buzzword is “digital literacy”
Jordan Usdan, director of public-private initiatives at the FCC, outlined Connect2Compete on Saturday at the ALA Washington Office Update session. Connect2Compete is a nonprofit organization whose goal is to bring together leaders from communities, the private sector, and foundations to help Americans access the technology needed to improve their lives and be more competitive in the global economy....
Cognotes, June 24

Golden Rules for creating coalitions
The ALA Washington Office introduced a new advocacy tool called Mobile Commons on Saturday morning, and paired it with presentations from speakers representing the FCC, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, and OpenTheGovernment.org. Mobile Commons provides a way to use text-messaging services to send out action alerts and a text-to-call feature, whereby users can instantly connect to their representatives via email....
Cognotes, June 25

The ALA Membership Meeting
ALA Annual Conference attendees at the Membership Meeting on Saturday approved two resolutions to be passed to Council the next day: a resolution opposing voter suppression in America and one stating that school libraries and librarians are critical to educational success (both approved by Council)....
AL: Annual Conference blog, June 23

Bridging Cultures: Muslim Journeys
Public and Cultural Programs Advisory Committee Chair Terrilyn Chun interviewed (5:00) Reed College Professor Kambiz GhaneaBassiri (right) about the “Bridging Cultures: Muslim Journeys” bookshelf, how it can help to increase cultural awareness, and the need for discussion in libraries about religion and its role in public life. The bookshelf is a collection of books to help public audiences in the US become more familiar with the people, places, history, faith, and cultures of Muslims around the world....
AL: Annual Conference blog, June 24

ALA Council I
In an unusual session, ALA Council I in Anaheim on Sunday took time to discuss its own effectiveness, working with ALA President-Elect Maureen Sullivan. Council members broke into small groups and, after several minutes of discussion, reported out on each group’s priorities. Councilors also heard a report from Digital Content and Libraries Working Group Cochairs Sari Feldman and Robert Wolven....
AL: Annual Conference blog, June 24

ALA Council II affirms school libraries
In new business on Monday, a resolution that school libraries and librarians are critical to educational success, which was referred from Saturday’s Membership Meeting, was passed unanimously. Councilors also discussed a report on streamlining Annual Conference Programming....
AL: Annual Conference blog, June 26

ALA Council III session ends early
Council III zipped through a short agenda on Tuesday, meeting for just a half hour. Memorial resolutions were read for Ray Bradbury, Kathleen Hegarty, Sara Fine, James Clifton Welbourne, Wanda L. Crenshaw, Jane Howell, Alexander Boyd, and Richard E. Bopp. A tribute to Abbé Charles-Michel l’Épée, inventor of sign language for the deaf, was also read....
AL: Annual Conference blog, June 26

Retaining young professionals
Nicole Pagowsky writes: “Sunday I went to a meeting of the Young Professionals Subcommittee. The main issue we are trying to tackle is how to get and keep young professionals engaged in ALA and the profession. During the meeting, a distinction was astutely made between our mission and what many would consider to be work only for the New Members Round Table: namely, the difference between members who are new to ALA and members who are new to ALA and the library profession.”...
AL: Annual Conference blog, June 24

Check your Association Options
Annie Pho writes: “ALA Annual has lots of sources for library school students and new grads on the job market. I headed over to the Association Options Fair, one of the Emerging Leader projects. It was so awesome to actually sit down with representatives from the various ALA divisions, sections, and interest groups. I want to highlight the ACRL Residency Interest Group because they are geared towards new professionals like myself who are just getting their first jobs.”...
AL: Annual Conference blog, June 25

Tom Sawyer at Disneyland
Erik Bobilin writes: “The successful ALA conference experience is one in which conference-goers, through their unique pattern of attendance—at panels, discussions, cocktail hours, breakfasts, parties, meet-ups, tweet-ups, walk-offs, and ice cream socials—are able, by the time they are nestled comfortably in the aisle seats of their return flights, to reflect on a process that has left them in more rarified company than when they arrived.”...
ALA Membership Blog, June 23

The 2012 ALA Virtual Conference
“Mapping Transformation: Experimentation and Innovation,” the 2012 ALA Virtual Conference on July 18–19, offers you the chance to get inspired by two days of interactive web sessions, discussions, and insights. From building our own ebook platforms to publishing the local community’s unique content and adding a DIY/Maker service for users, the presenters highlight how new services are transforming both their libraries and their communities. Sessions offer starting points for discussion as well as practical ideas for moving forward....
ALA Conference Services

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John Irving discusses writing, family, sexuality
Bestselling author John Irving introduced his latest novel, In One Person, to a packed audience on Saturday morning. This is Irving’s 13th novel, which he said he didn’t begin writing until June 2009. When he did write it, “it’s as though the story already existed,” he said before explaining elements of his writing process. “Plot is the engine that drives my novels,” Irving said, adding that the passage of time “is almost as important as a major/minor character in the story.”...
AL: Annual Conference blog, June 23

An interview with Sapphire
Annual Conference blogger mk Eagle had the opportunity to speak to Sapphire (right), author of Push and The Kid and an Auditorium Speaker on Sunday in Anaheim. Watch their conversation (12:29), which covers the challenge of writing from a teen perspective, the need for libraries to provide access to novels with challenging content for teens who need them, and the literary landscape for young African-American and Latino readers....
AL Focus, June 24

Sherman Alexie: Librarians are my superheroes
Sherman Alexie, author of 22 books, including The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian, entertained a sizable crowd at the PLA President’s Program on Sunday. Alexie began his talk by saying that librarians “are my superheroes.” Because he grew up on a small Indian reservation in Washington state, Alexie said he checked out everything from his library—nearly 90% of all the books, he estimates—because it introduced him to the outside world....
AL: Annual Conference blog, June 24

George R. R. Martin draws an SRO crowd
Whether ALA attendees knew George R. R. Martin (right) from his ongoing book series A Song of Ice and Fire or the hit HBO series Game of Thrones (namesake of book one), a standing-room-only horde of excited fans were on hand Saturday at “Traveling the Spectrum: From Interstellar Adventures to Epic Fantasy, the Influence of Science Fiction and Fantasy on the World Today” to hear him speak about these genres. The program, which also featured Blake Charlton and Lois McMaster Bujold, was sponsored by LITA....
AL: Annual Conference blog, June 25

Chris Colfer creates an adventure for the imagination
Chris Colfer has been writing his new children’s novel, The Land of Stories, since he was 10 years old. Best known for his role as Kurt Hummel on Glee, Colfer is excited to have a new outlet for telling stories. “I really love storytelling,” he said. “Whether it’s behind the camera, in front of the camera, writing a book, or writing a screenplay.” In The Land of Stories, twins Alex and Connor inherit a magical book that transports them to a fairy tale land full of classic characters....
Cognotes, June 25

Author and library board member A. S. King
A. S King (right), author of Ask the Passengers, was among the authors appearing on the LIVE! @ your library reading stage. After her session, ALA’s Mary Davis Fournier interviewed her about how libraries have influenced her life and career and her experiences serving on her local library board. Watch the video (2:00)....
AL: Annual Conference blog, June 25

LIVE! @ your library: Javier Huerta
Poet Javier O. Huerta (right), author of Some Clarifications y otros poemas (which received the Chicano/Latino Literary Prize) and American Copia: An Immigrant Epic, spoke (3:09) with ALA’s Mary Davis Fournier after his reading on Saturday about how libraries influenced him as a child, his time on a US Navy aircraft carrier, and as a student at the University of Houston....
AL: Annual Conference blog, June 24

Historical fiction authors
“The authors on our panel create an authentic experience—the sense, the touch, the smell of a historical period,” said Barbara Hoffert as she introduced ALTAFF’s “Historical Fiction @ Your Library” Saturday morning. Authors spoke of wandering the streets of Venice and Manhattan imagining their characters in another time, of wearing historical clothes to feel what it was like to live in them, and of cooking up old herbal remedies. One author even wielded a replica of a medieval broadsword....
Cognotes, June 25

Jason Shiga, stuck in loops
Jason Shiga, author of Meanwhile and a speaker at the “Beyond Books: Graphic Novels and Magazines of Color” on Sunday, talks in this video (5:57) about how people can get stuck in loops in his books, how it feels to return to Annual Conference 10 years after attending as a library staffer, how his experiences working in libraries affect his work, and his current 712-page project....
AL: Annual Conference blog, June 25

More religion publishers in ALA exhibits
Lynn Garrett writes: “There were a dozen or so religion/spirituality specialty houses at the 2012 ALA Annual Conference, along with several general trade publishers with religion imprints. Most are long-time exhibitors at the conference, but a few Christian houses are relatively new. B&H Publishing brought Amanda Flower—a librarian—to sign her Amish mystery, A Plain Death. ‘We had a steady line for that for about an hour,’ said B&H’s Jamie Phillips.”...
Publishers Weekly, June 26

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Paula Poundstone headlines “The Laugh’s On Us”
As a spokesperson for ALTAFF for the past several years, comedian Paula Poundstone was back to headline “The Laugh’s On Us” (a comedic event that also featured entertainers such as Lizz Winstead, Carlos Kotkin, Tracy McMillan, Julia Pandl, and Joel Stein). More than 240 people purchased tickets to attend the Sunday evening show. Poundstone said in an interview before the event that it never occurred to her to persuade host Peter Sagal and show announcer Carl Kasell to become Friends of their libraries....
AL: Annual Conference blog, June 25

Duct tape marketing
What should libraries do to promote themselves when they have no budget, resources, or time? That’s what small-business marketing expert John Jantsch, owner of Duct Tape Marketing and author of the book of the same name, addressed on Sunday morning at the ASCLA President’s Program. Jantsch offered practical, step-by-step solutions through which libraries can blossom, using both in-person and new media services....
Cognotes, June 25

Moving beyond text
“When we’re looking for ourselves in kids, we don’t always see what we expect to see.” That statement from Stephen Abram, library futurist, was the takeaway lesson at the ALSC/YALSA Joint President’s Program on Monday. Michelle Poris, of the Smarty Pants marketi research and strategic consultancy, revealed that, of several hundred young people who participated in her study on digital activity, 68% agreed that “Grownups need to do a better job of finding out what’s important to kids.”...
Cognotes, Highlights issue

Defining public services for research libraries
Chris Bourg writes: “For the meeting of the ACRL Public Services Directors of Large Research Libraries Discussion Group on Sunday, I volunteered to kick off a discussion on how we define ‘public services.’ I think for large research libraries, public services are research services; and as AULs, or directors, or whatever our titles are, we should be talking at the strategic level.”...
Feral Librarian, June 24

Leading at all levels
Picture a V-shaped formation of Canada geese, moving together in one direction and changing positions as one after the other take their place in the lead and then move back as others take their place. As they travel, wind currents impact their speed and direction, but they adjust for this. Heather Krasna used this image at the LLAMA President’s Program on Saturday to represent how jobs can and do change throughout one’s career....
Cognotes, June 25

ALSC and Lego Duplo announce partnership
In Anaheim, ALSC and Lego Duplo invited librarians to learn more about the impact that play can have as an integral part of early literacy. (Duplo is a product range of the construction toy Lego, designed for children aged 1½ to 5 years old.) As part of their collaboration, ALSC and Lego Duplo will be announcing a program called “Read! Build! Play!” that combines reading and building....
ALSC, June 22

AASL celebrates the Best Websites
Despite the early morning hour and a few microphone glitches, the AASL session “2012 Best Websites for Teaching and Learning” drew a large and enthusiastic crowd. The seven AASL Best Websites for Teaching and Learning Committee members on the panel took turns introducing favorite sites that are “free, friendly, and encourage you to learn,” according to Chair Heather Moorefield-Lang. Updated annually, the Top 25 Websites list is based on feedback and nominations from AASL members....
AL: Annual Conference blog, AASL, June 23

Getting LITA’s ITIG up and running
Nicole Pagowsky writes: “There were about 20 people in attendance at the LITA Instructional Technology Interest Group meeting on Saturday, and it covered both a discussion and business meeting. We talked about how to keep up with new technology and best practices for choosing technology to use in instruction. There were a number of suggestions for nonlibrary resources to escape the echo chamber, particularly in education.”...
ALA Membership Blog, June 23

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International AL Direct to launch
The International Relations Office announced the launch of an international version of American Libraries Direct. International AL Direct will be emailed bimonthly to ALA’s 2,000+ international members in more than 115 countries and anyone interested in subscribing. If you would like a story featured, contact the editor....
International Relations Office, June 21

Unconference, Emerging Leaders
Annie Pho writes: “This year is my second Annual, but I’m hoping I can go every year because I think it’s awesome. For some folks, it’s too big of a conference, or they prefer smaller ones with a specialized focus. But I look forward to seeing my librarian friends from across the country (and from other countries) and talking to them about the cool stuff they’re doing in their libraries.”...
ALA Membership Blog, June 22

Julian Bond speaks at ProQuest breakfast
Electronic information publisher ProQuest is working with civil rights leader, former legislator, professor, and writer Julian Bond (right) to convert the nearly 2-million-page microfilm archives of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) into a fully searchable collection within its ProQuest History Vault initiative. Bond spoke at the company’s customer breakfast on Monday morning to provide some background on his role in civil rights activism in a talk he called, “How I Got in the Movement.”...
AL: Annual Conference blog, June 25

ALA gets its game on
High hilarity and wholesome enjoyment were in full flower at ALA Play on Friday night, where fun-loving gamers and comics fans gathered to compete in various games and dress up in either Doctor Who costumery or in the gears, goggles, corsets, and hats of the steampunk aesthetic. Games and activities were provided by the Games and Gaming Round Table, while the costumed fun was led by the Graphic Novel Member Initiative Group....
AL: Annual Conference blog, June 23

Gamification and GameRT
Erik Bobilin writes: “The Games and Gaming Round Table (GameRT), having recently evolved from special interest group status, announced June 23 that it will expand on its mission to support libraries of all types by launching Games in Libraries, an update to the Library Gaming Toolkit. The new toolkit will serve as a clearinghouse for scalable resources to support programming and promote collection development.”...
ALA Membership Blog, June 24

Girl Gone Wild @ ALA
One highlight at the ALA PopTop Stage on Monday was the debut performance of the 817’s (for you Dewey-challenged folk, that’s “American humor and satire”), a comedy troupe consisting of Stand-Up Librarian Meredith Myers (center), MLIS of Fortune (and singer) Danica Sheridan, and RUSA’s own Mr. Reference, Dave Tyckoson. In addition to the finale song, a karaoke version of Madonna’s “Girl Gone Wild” (be sure to watch the amazing video, 4:54), the 817’s performed stand-up and improv, and debuted a hilarious Dos Equis spoof video, “The Most Interesting Librarian in the World,” featuring none other than former ALA President Michael Gorman....
AL: Annual Conference blog, June 26

Addressing the couch in the middle of the room
Paul Signorelli writes: “A colleague entering the room where Sharon Morris and I were facilitating the Learning Round Table’s ‘Ignite, Interact, and Engage: Maximizing the Learning Outcome’ session Sunday admits to being momentarily confused. ‘I didn’t remember ordering a couch,’ she said when she joined the session in progress.”...
Building Creative Bridges, June 25

Artist Alley interviews
Graphic novels have had a spot at ALA’s Annual Conference for several years, and comic-related events have been growing in popularity. This year, they’ve grown into GraphiCon, a miniconference that includes the Gaming and Graphic Novel pavilions, the graphic novel stage with a full weekend of programming, the ALA Play event, and Artist Alley, where attendees could meet their favorite authors and illustrators face to face. Watch these interviews with Faith Erin Hicks, Cecil Castellucci (above), Keith Knight, Alexis Fajardo, Matt Dembicki, and others....
AL Focus, June 25

Early morning yoga in the Anaheim sun
More than 100 conference attendees gathered on an outside terrace of the Anaheim Convention Center Sunday morning at 7:30 for an hour-long yoga session with certified instructors Heidi Hong and Jennifer Sproha from Yoga Stone. Think Fit Yoga guided participants through the Solar Greeting, the Triangle pose, and other asanas....
AL: Annual Conference blog, June 24

Debut program: Retired Members Round Table
On Saturday afternoon, ALA’s newest group, the Retired Members Round Table, offered its first session titled “The Legacy of Library Elders: What Could, Should, Would It Be?” Dedicated to fostering lifelong professional involvement, such as mentoring and networking, this organization’s annual meeting was presided over by Chair-elect Carolyn Caywood, who stated that one need not be retired to be a member and, in fact, “retired librarian” may almost be a misnomer....
Cognotes, June 25

On the road with the bookmobile
Panelists at Saturday morning’s “Serving Communities outside the Walls of the Library” had stories to tell about their adventures with bookmobiles. They recounted driving down dirt roads on rural California dairy ranches, searching for low-income neighborhoods in Tulsa, and helping visually impaired preschoolers pick out Braille books. But their work was far from over when they parked the bookmobile at the end of the day....
Cognotes, June 24

Libraries at the crossroads
Rachel Lux writes: “At the Saturday Public Programs Office session, ‘Libraries at the Crossroads: Programming for Civic Engagement,’ four librarians from a wide variety of backgrounds discussed why civic engagement isn’t always an evident role for the library and why and how we need to change this. It makes perfect sense for a library to promote civic engagement: They have neutral, safe spaces for discourse, employ people whose missions are to protect information freedom, and have access to resources that can promote healthy forum discussion.”...
Programming Librarian, June 23

Reception for international librarians
Some 430 librarians from 87 countries attended Annual Conference in Anaheim, and many of them made their way to a reception at the Muzeo on Monday night, hosted by the International Relations Round Table. Recognition was given to the four winners of the ALA Presidential Citation for Innovative Library Projects, as well as the winners of the John Ames Humphry Award for significant contributions to international librarianship and the Bogle-Pratt International Library Travel Fund grant....
International Relations Round Table blog

HackLibSchool and networking
Annie Pho writes: “Second day on the ground, and what a day it’s been. This conference I tried to be a little more active, so I submitted a HackLibSchool Conversation Starter. A few weeks before the conference, I was a bit nervous about how things would go. Good thing the Hackers are all awesome. Many of us met for the first time in person at our session, which goes to show how the internet can bring good people together. We had some really good takeaway points.”...
AL: Annual Conference blog, June 24

Naked cooking at ALA
Food processor whirring, chef James Barry whipped up cauliflower couscous in a leafy wrap in less than 10 minutes at the What’s Cooking at ALA? stage Friday. Margaret Floyd, author of Eat Naked: Unprocessed, Unpolluted, and Undressed Eating for a Healthier, Sexier You (Harbinger, 2011), coauthored with Barry The Naked Foods Cookbook: The Whole-Foods, Healthy-Fats, Gluten-Free Guide to Losing Weight and Feeling Great (Harbinger, 2012), which includes more than 150 simple-to-prepare recipes....
AL: Inside Scoop, June 23

It’s the people
Chris Kyauk writes: “I attend ALA to get jazzed. I look forward to it all year as a time when I get to reconnect with old friends, meet new ones, and learn new things. I remember feeling very isolated and alone my first Annual—but now walking the conference is an exercise in serendipity. I never know which acquaintance I’ll run into or what session I might get pulled into.”...
AL: Annual Conference blog, June 24

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A grand total of 20,134 librarians and library staff, exhibitors, and library supporters attended ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, June 21–26. Attendance was 9 registrants better than last year’s conference in New Orleans, which totaled 20,125. The Washington, D.C., Annual Conference total was 26,201 in 2010.

Visit Flickr (tagged #ala12 and the ALAannual12 member pool) to see the hundreds of photos uploaded by Annual Conference attendees, and watch videos (including many authors) on the official ALA YouTube channel.

Find more conference coverage in the online version of Cognotes.

Congratulations to Anne Enright and Robert K. Massie, Winners of the 2012 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction! Great Movies: 'Marnie,' Hitchcock's Last Masterpiece Theater of the Street Explored Through the Photogaphs of Walker Evans, Harry Callahan, Robert Frank Great Songs: 'Shake, Rattle and Roll' How to Get a Great Job: Honing Your Interview Skills Join Us on Facebook Subscribe to our Newsletter