“New and Now” library buildings
On April 30, American Libraries released its digital supplement on new and renovated library facilities. The supplement includes excerpts from American Libraries’ 2012 Library Design Showcase (available in full online). Included in the digital supplement are 16 selections from the 124 total submissions. “This year’s field of submissions to the Library Design Showcase is the largest in recent memory,” said Greg Landgraf, American Libraries associate editor....
American Libraries, Apr. 30

The economics of Anythink
Stacie Ledden writes: “The revolution at the Rangeview Library District in Adams County, Colorado, which included seven new or renovated branches and the creation of the Anythink brand, has directly affected hundreds of lives by putting people to work—and that’s above and beyond customers finding jobs using library computers, attending job seminars, and gaining the knowledge they need to succeed.”...
American Libraries feature

Roland G. Parrish library dedication
On April 27, Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, dedicated its Roland G. Parrish Library. At the dedication, American Libraries Associate Editor Pamela A. Goodes interviewed (3:17) Parrish (right) about what he hopes the library will accomplish and the importance of business education for people of all ethnicities....
AL Focus, May 1

National Library Week: You belong
@ your library
Communities across the US celebrated the valuable contributions of the nation’s libraries during National Library Week (NLW), April 8–14. This year’s theme was “You belong @ your library.” From flash mob reading and author events to mock cake decorating and bookmobile programs, NLW and each special designated day during the weeklong observance brought a variety of events to libraries nationwide....
AL Focus, Apr. 30

Librarian’s Library: Building the shelfless library
Karen Muller writes: “A few days ago, a Finnish librarian I know posted a picture on Facebook of several people reading while riding public transportation. Only one person was reading a physical book, and my friend mused about the future of libraries. Ever the optimist, I suggested to her that the future will involve librarians providing virtual reference, ebook lending, access to databases, and physical support for necessary technology. This issue’s roundup provides information on books that can offer support.”...
American Libraries column, May/June

Historical awards
Q. In a few weeks, one of our colleagues will retire. We know she has received several honors from ALA. Is there any place we can research what they are? A. We in the ALA Library—and in the divisions and offices, as well—have received this question, or similar ones, over the years. With ALA offering nearly 200 awards or other forms of recognition each year, some at the Association level, others by divisions or round tables, researching the question can be slow....
AL: Ask the ALA Librarian, May 2

Ask the ALA Librarian on Pinterest
We created a Pinterest board showing all the questions appearing in our Ask the ALA Librarian blog since it started in 2010. Click on the URL in each pin to find the answer....
AL Pinterest

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ALA election results
ALA election results will be reported out on May 4, after the ALA Election Committee certifies them. Look on the Office of ALA Governance page for the winners. Thanks to all who voted!

ALA Board backs intensified ebook advocacy
ALA President Molly Raphael writes: “Ebooks and the Big Six publishers was the first topic addressed at the ALA Executive Board spring meeting, held in Chicago on April 21–22. Because the board fully appreciates the importance of this issue to ALA members, we had planned one hour and 45 minutes for the discussion—an unusually long amount of time for the board to devote to any topic. But with the vigorous discussion and energy exhibited around the table, we devoted more than two hours to the topic.”...
AL: E-Content, Apr. 27

Library leadership 2.0 webinar
The intersection of diversity and leadership will be the focus of a free webinar, “Library Leadership 2.0,” on May 15. Part of ALA President Molly Raphael’s Empowering Diverse Voices diversity leadership initiative, this free webinar will explore how diversity affects leadership in a new library work environment. Advance registration is required....
Office for Diversity, May 1

Advocacy and outreach strategies at Annual
It’s more critical than ever to communicate the value of libraries effectively. The 2012 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim offers a wide range of opportunities to get new strategies and learn about best practices, innovations, and resources in advocacy and outreach to take home and implement. Check the Conference Scheduler for details on any of the following highlights and to find dozens more related programs and discussions....
Conference Services, Apr. 30

ALA Conference Scheduler open
The ALA Annual Conference Scheduler is now open. Attendees can use it to browse sessions in multiple ways; create calendars that can be shared or kept private; receive recommendations based on division, group, library type, or interest; and add, prioritize, or update sessions, events, and exhibitor meetings. A Conference Scheduler mobile app will be released in June....
Conference Services, May 1

LIVE! @ your library Reading Stage lineup
More than 20 critically acclaimed and bestselling authors and poets will read from and autograph their most recent works at the LIVE! @ your library Reading Stage June 23–25 in the exhibit hall at the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim. Among those appearing are Sapphire (right), Paolo Bacigalupi, Gail Tsukiyama, and Daniel Handler. June 24 will include a special focus on young adult authors. The LIVE! stage is free for all attendees....
Public Programs Office, May 1

May preview issue of Cognotes
The May preview issue of Cognotes is available in four convenient formats, ready for downloading and accessing now: interactive, mobile, accessible, and PDF. The Cognotes interactive edition lets you easily share articles with colleagues, search the exhibitor list, and read about the multitude of ALA Annual Conference programs, preconferences, sessions, discussions, speakers, and social events....
Conference Services, May 1

Register for Disney quality service preconference
The Learning Round Table will host the “Disney’s Approach to Quality Service” preconference June 22 at the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim. Attendees will examine the time-tested model for delivering world-class guest service and discover how attention to detail creates a consistent, successful environment for both employees and customers. Register by June 8....
Learning Round Table, Apr. 30

Survey: Librarians are committed to privacy
In conjunction with Choose Privacy Week, the Office for Intellectual Freedom released preliminary findings from a new survey measuring librarians’ views on privacy rights and protecting library users’ privacy. Nearly all respondents agreed that individuals should be able to control who sees their personal information, that government agencies and businesses shouldn’t share personal information with third parties without authorization, and that libraries should never share circulation or internet use records unless authorized by the individual or a court of law....
Office for Intellectual Freedom, May 1

Empowering Voices webinar
The free webinar “Engaging Communities through Controversy” will be held May 10 as part of ALA President Molly Raphael’s “Empowering Voices, Transforming Communities” initiative. Diane McNutt and Jane Light will discuss Santa Clara (Calif.) County Library’s “Muslim and American—Two Perspectives” program that stimulated discussion throughout the community, and June Pinnell-Stephens will share success stories on how to get your community to “stop shouting and start talking” about intellectual freedom issues. Advance registration is required....
Office for Library Advocacy, May 1

Librarians Build Communities everywhere
Team G of the 2012 Emerging Leaders class is exploring ways to transform and extend the former ALA annual volunteer service day, Libraries Build Communities, into Librarians Build Communities. The newly named and repurposed LBC will replace the Annual Conference event and provide libraries and other community organizations with librarian-volunteers throughout the year. For ALA chapters, an easy way to get started would be to hold a volunteer day in conjunction with a state conference....
ALA Membership Blog, Apr. 30

Fair use of video in libraries
Carrie Russell writes: “A group from the ALA Video Round Table approached me with a project aiming to make sense of the fair-use exceptions to copyright law and reach a consensus on how media librarians should interpret them. We asked media librarians to explain what uses of media they believed were reasonable and necessary to fulfill the mission of their educational institutions. We discovered areas of commonality among the responses that we identified as community practices, lawful fair-use activities.”...
District Dispatch, Apr. 27

Bridging Cultures programs at Annual
The National Endowment for the Humanities, in collaboration with the ALA Public Programs Office, will present two events at the ALA 2012 Annual Conference in Anaheim to introduce a new grant initiative for libraries, “Muslim Journeys,” a Bridging Cultures Bookshelf program. Up to 1,000 libraries will receive the “Muslim Journeys” collection which includes more than 20 books and two documentary films, as well as bonus resources to support programs for public audiences. Apply between June 15 and September 25....
Public Programs Office, Apr. 30

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What Disney does with your used amenities
Disney’s Paradise Pier Hotel housekeeper Apo Susa (right) tells (0:47) how he and other housekeepers give partially used bathroom amenities a second life by collecting them for the nonprofit Clean the World, which distributes them to impoverished people in the US and around the world....
Disney Parks Blog, Apr. 4

Disguised Starbucks to open at Disney resorts
The Seattle-based coffee chain Starbucks will open a store inside each of the six Disney theme parks in California and Florida. The first will open this summer at Disneyland California Adventure in Anaheim. Each of the cafés will be designed to blend in with the park. At Disneyland California, the store will be called the Fiddler, Fifer, and Practical Café (after the Three Little Pigs), and the decor will conjure an idealized version of a Los Angeles neighborhood where the animator Walt Disney lived during the 1920s and 1930s....
Orange County (Calif.) Register: Fast Food Maven, Apr. 23

Flying through airport lines
Christine Negroni writes: “More than 10 years after the September 11 terrorist attacks completely altered the airport experience, travelers have a variety of options that will shorten wait times at security and immigration. But speedier processing has some downsides. Some programs charge a fee, and all require surrendering such personal information as employment background, travel history, and biological data like fingerprints. Here is a guide to some of the options that will save you some time.” But some TSA PreCheck travelers are already worried about retaining their status....
New York Times, Apr. 18; Chicago Tribune, Apr. 24

Credit-card strategies used by frequent flier pros
Erin Peterson writes: “Three travel junkies each had goals that inspired them to build up their balance of credit-card frequent flier miles as quickly and as inexpensively as possible. All of them relied heavily on credit-card strategies to snare hundreds of thousands of miles each year. Get wise to their systems and you could be the next one hopping onto a flight for your dream vacation. Here they share some of their best tips and offer advice on avoiding expensive pitfalls.”...
CreditCard.com, Aug. 27, 2011

On the road with the proper gear
Sam Grobart writes: “It can be easy to get caught up in the latest tech trend and think that it will solve all your problems. But that’s just not true. The Next Big Thing is not necessarily the Only Thing. This principle is all the more important when you travel, since you want to take just as much as you need and not one device more. When I’m traveling for business, I make sure I’m equipped with the following tech items, and nothing else.”...
New York Times: Personal Tech, Apr. 25

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Special collections and undergraduate learning
While special collections and archives have largely been used by advanced researchers and scholars, an increasing number of undergraduate courses are taking advantage of these materials as guides in the instructional process. Past or Portal? Enhancing Undergraduate Learning through Special Collections and Archives, edited by Eleanor Mitchell, Peggy Seiden, and Suzy Taraba, explores a variety of successful instructional models featuring a wide range of engagement methods with special collections and archival materials....
ACRL, May 1

Sherman Alexie keynotes PLA President’s Program
Author Sherman Alexie will keynote the PLA President’s Program and Awards Presentation June 24 at the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim. Alexie, a Spokane / Coeur d’Alene Indian, is known not only for writing compelling, audacious stories, poetry, and movies depicting contemporary life among Native Americans, but also for entertaining audiences with his funny and irreverent style....
PLA, May 1

Martin, Charlton talk sci-fi and fantasy
Authors George R. R. Martin and Blake Charlton will speak at the ALA Annual Conference June 23 in “Traveling the Spectrum: From Interstellar Adventures to Epic Fantasy, the Influence of Science Fiction and Fantasy on the World Today,” sponsored by the LITA Imagineering Interest Group. They will discuss what modern science fiction and fantasy have to say about society, as well as reasons the genres are becoming increasingly mainstream....
LITA, May 1

First Author, First Book breakfast
ALTAFF’s popular “First Author, First Book” program will take place June 23 at the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim. The event, which includes a free continental breakfast, will feature first-time authors Howard Anderson, Beth Howard, Bronwen Hruska, Elizabeth Percer (right), and Beatriz Williams. Attendees will have the opportunity to have books signed by the speakers, with some books given away and others sold at a generous discount....
ALTAFF, May 1

RUSA’s Literary Tastes program
RUSA will host three award-winning authors—Erin Morgenstern, Candice Millard, and Mark Adams—at the 2012 ALA Annual Conference program “Literary Tastes: Celebrating the Best Reading of the Year,” a conference tradition that features authors from RUSA’s literary adult book awards. “Literary Tastes” is an opportunity to hear from noteworthy authors whose books are among RUSA’s Collection Development and Evaluation Section’s annual selections and also celebrate the art and craft of writing with fellow book lovers....
RUSA, May 1

Financial literacy programs at Annual Conference
Members creating innovative programming should plan to attend two essential panels at ALA Annual Conference. “Smart investing @ your library” grantees are offering a two-panel intensive on their success in developing and promoting innovative financial education opportunities within their libraries. Attendees of both programs, one sponsored by RUSA, the other by PLA, will get a crash course in the two crucial elements that are part of any innovative programming: marketing and partnerships....
RUSA Blog, May 1

ALCTS preconference examines RDA
“A Change in Authority: Authority Work in the RDA Environment” is the topic of an ALCTS preconference to be held June 22 at the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim. This preconference is intended for catalogers new to authority work (those who have never created name authority records or who have only created authority records at the local level) and/or who work with authority control issues at the local level. Register online....
ALCTS, Apr. 30

Woodson, Condie at YALSA preconference
Authors Jacqueline Woodson and Ally Condie will share their insights at “Books We’ll Still Talk about 45 Years from Now,” a YALSA preconference to be held June 22 at the ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim. All attendees will receive a reading list in advance to evaluate dozens of YA books, using strategies drawn from YALSA’s award and selection list committees. Early Bird registration ends May 13....
YALSA, May 1

Connect teens with online tools
Join YALSA for “Source Code,” a preconference panel session featuring experts who use technology to provide cutting edge and high impact programming to help young adults build 21st-century skills as content creators and leaders in their library communities. The preconference takes place on June 22 in advance of ALA’s Annual Conference in Anaheim. Early Bird registration ends May 13....
YALSA, May 1

ALSC summer online courses
ALSC has released its schedule of summer online courses. Offerings include “The Caldecott Medal: Understanding Distinguished Art in Picture Books,” “Connecting with Tween Readers,” “Introduction to Graphic Novels for Children,” “Reading Instruction and Children’s Books,” and “Out of this World Youth Programming.” Register online....
ALSC, May 1

PLA Facebook Forum on disruptive patrons
PLA will host a free, hour-long Facebook Forum on how to safely manage disruptive patrons at the library May 3. Moderator Stacy Schrank, employee development coordinator at Metropolitan Library System in Oklahoma City, has already led a discussion on this topic in a packed room at the PLA 2012 Conference in Philadelphia. No registration is required; simply visit the PLA Facebook Page from 1 to 2 p.m. Central and post your questions....
PLA, May 1

Webinar on effective facilitation
Managers and leaders from all types of libraries will benefit from the May 9 ASCLA webinar “Being an Effective Facilitator.” Taught by Brenda Hough, the 90-minute session will prepare participants to run meetings and lead planning discussions with confidence. Register online....
ASCLA, May 1

New School Library Research website
AASL has launched a new website for its online refereed research journal, School Library Research. The new website coincides with a new name for the journal, formerly known as School Library Media Research. The name change reflects the adoption of the professional title “school librarian” and a rebirth for the journal, which presents research on instructional theory, teaching methods, and critical issues relevant to school libraries and school librarians....
AASL, May 1

YALSA journal focuses on multiple literacies
The new issue of YALSA’s Journal of Research on Libraries and Young Adults features two articles on multiple literacies. With this issue, YALSA is adopting a continuous publishing model, under which manuscripts will be published online as soon as they meet the journal’s review criteria....
YALSA, May 1

B-Logistics offers ALTAFF discounts
B-Logistics, which helps libraries sell, donate, or recycle unused books and media, has joined ALTAFF’s family of corporate sponsors. B-Logistics is offering ALTAFF members a $105 freight discount coupon for pickups or shipments made through August 31. To participate, log into the Friends & Foundations Zone or Trustee Zone on ALTAFF’s website....
ALTAFF, May 1

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Coretta Scott King Book Awards Breakfast
The Ethnic and Multicultural Exchange Round Table and the Coretta Scott King Book Awards Committee will celebrate the best in children’s and young adult literature representing the African-American experience at the 2012 Coretta Scott King Book Awards Breakfast June 24 during the ALA Annual Conference. Register online....
Ethnic and Multicultural Exchange Round Table, May 1

National School Library Programs of the Year
Hinsdale Township (Ill.) High School District 86 and South Texas Independent School District are recipients of the 2012 National School Library Program of the Year Award. The NSLPY recognizes school library programs that meet the needs of the changing school and library environment and are fully integrated into the school’s curriculum. Sponsored by Follett Library Resources, each recipient is recognized with a crystal obelisk and $10,000 for their school library program....
AASL, May 1

2012 Margaret E. Monroe Award
Neal Wyatt (right), doctoral candidate at Virginia Commonwealth University, is the 2012 winner of RUSA’s Margaret E. Monroe Award for significant contributions to library services for adults. Wyatt was selected for her contributions to the field through her dedication as writer, teacher, mentor, and original thinker over more than a decade of professional librarianship....
RUSA, May 1

ALTAFF Public Service Award
ALTAFF presented its 2012 Public Service Award to Rep. Rush Holt (D-N.J.) at the Dirksen Senate Office Building during National Library Legislative Day activities in Washington, D.C., on April 23. In Congress, Holt has introduced the Workforce Investments through Local Libraries (WILL) Act to integrate libraries into job training efforts, and cosponsored Strengthening Kids’ Interest in Learning and Libraries (SKILLS) Act, which would establish a goal of having not less than one highly qualified school librarian in each public school....
ALA Washington Office, Apr. 25

PLA reaffirms Spectrum Support
A PLA Spectrum Scholarship will be designated in the June 2012 awards in recognition of PLA’s gift of $5,000 to ALA’s Spectrum Scholarship Program. It will be awarded to a Spectrum applicant who expresses an interest in public libraries. With this gift, PLA has donated more than $190,000 in direct support to the Spectrum Scholarship Program and more than $60,000 in support of Spectrum Scholars’ participation at PLA National Conferences....
Office for Diversity, Apr. 26

2012 Sheila Suen Lai Research Grant
The Asian Pacific American Librarians Association has selected Jade Alburo (right) to receive its 2012 Sheila Suen Lai Research Grant. Alburo is librarian for Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands, Australia, New Zealand, and Religion at the Charles E. Young Research Library at UCLA. She received the grant for her research proposal, “Library Services and Collections for Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders (NHPIs).”...
Asian Pacific American Librarians Association, Apr. 25

Oakley Memorial Scholarship
ALA and the Library Copyright Alliance have selected Eric Harbeson (right), music special collections librarian at the University of Colorado at Boulder, as the first recipient of the Robert L. Oakley Memorial Scholarship Award. Harbeson will receive $1,000 to offset costs associated with attending the World Library and Information Congress in Helsinki, Finland, this August, where he will present a paper on copyright and other legal issues surrounding institutionally produced sound recordings....
ALA Washington Office, May 1

Grants to attend JCLC
Applications are now open for more than 40 scholarships to attend the Joint Conference of Librarians of Color, September 19–23, in Kansas City, Missouri. Special scholarship categories have been created to support members of the five associations of ethnic librarians (the Asian Pacific American Librarians Association is granting four $500 scholarships for APALA members to attend), ALA members who are first-time JCLC attendees, library school students, and undergraduate students working in libraries. Apply by May 27....
Office for Diversity, May 1; Asian Pacific American Librarians Association, Apr. 19

2012 Edgar Awards (PDF file)
Mystery Writers of America announced the winners of its 2012 Edgar Allan Poe Awards, honoring the best in mystery fiction, nonfiction, and television published or produced in 2011. The Edgar Awards were presented to the winners April 26 at the Grand Hyatt Hotel in New York City. The winner for the Best Novel was Gone by Mo Hayden (Atlantic Monthly), and the winner for Best Young Adult book was The Silence of Murder by Dandi Daley Mackall....
Mystery Writers of America, Apr. 26

2012 Elizabeth Longford Prize
Frances Wilson’s How to Survive the Titanic, or The Sinking of J. Bruce Ismay has won the 2012 Elizabeth Longford Prize for Historical Biography. The Society of Authors will award her the £5,000 ($8,110 US) prize July 14. The Bloomsbury title follows the life of J. Bruce Ismay, owner of the Titanic and inheritor of the White Star fortune, who jumped into a lifeboat with the women and children and rowed away to safety....
The Bookseller, May 1

Best Picture Books of 2011
The winners of the 2011 English Association Picture Book Awards were announced on April 30 at the Reading Shop in Oadby, Leicestershire, UK. The winners in the Key Stage 2 category (ages 8–11) were Lane Smith’s It’s a Book (Macmillan) for fiction, and Stewart Ross’s Into the Unknown, illustrated by Stephen Biesty (Walker)....
English Association, Apr. 30

Library assistant pens award-winning novel
Gregory Hill’s novel East of Denver beat out 5,000 entrants to win the 2011 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award. Hill (right), a library assistant at the University of Denver Penrose Library, wrote his novel to capture a less depressing side of Alzheimer’s disease through dark humor after his father was diagnosed several years ago....
University of Denver Clarion, Apr. 23

OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature
Is Just a Movie, a fiction title by Trinidadian writer Earl Lovelace, was chosen the winner of the second OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature. The announcement was made at the NGC Bocas Lit Fest in Port of Spain, Trinidad, on April 28. The award is open to fiction, nonfiction, and poetry entries, and the winning title earns a prize of $10,000, sponsored by One Caribbean Media....
Bocas Lit Fest, Apr. 28

Do book awards matter?
Kaite Stover writes: “Rachel Kent asks this question at Books and Such. It’s a good question, in light of the recent news surrounding book awards. In the US, the Pulitzer board couldn’t name a clear winner from three very deserving nominees. In Australia, the Queensland Premier has announced that no winners for the Queensland Literary Prizes will be named at all and the prize is on hiatus indefinitely due to state budget cuts. Prizes do matter to all concerned, publishers, authors, and readers alike.”...
Booklist Online: Book Group Buzz, Apr. 30

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Trenton mayor takes over shut branch
Trenton, New Jersey, Mayor Tony Mack reopened the former Skelton branch (right) of the Trenton Free Public Library April 30, renaming it a Mayor’s Learning Center Library. The center will operate four hours on weekdays as a space for computer access and study. Skelton was one of four branches closed in August 2010 due to city budget cuts. Library board members have criticized the mayor for taking over the library system by reclaiming the former branches and working to oust TFPL Director Kimberly Matthews. City council members and trustees have largely been left out of the planning process for the reopened facility....
Trenton (N.J.) Times, Apr. 30

Sacramento whistleblower settlement comes to $343,000
The Sacramento (Calif.) Public Library Authority agreed to pay a whistleblower $343,000 to settle her retaliation lawsuit against the agency. Senior Accounts Clerk Diane Boerman worked out the settlement with the library in March, but the terms remained secret until agency officials revealed the details April 30. Boerman sued the agency on grounds that she was denied pay raises or promotions because of her role in making public a kickback scheme that cost the library more than $800,000....
Sacramento (Calif.) Bee: Sacto 9-1-1, Apr. 30

Sacramento library board imposes furloughs
The Sacramento Public Library Authority has unilaterally enacted a contract for 241 employees. The board took action after the authority was unable to reach an agreement with Local 39 of the International Union of Operating Engineers. The contract calls for as many as 12 furlough days every 12 months in the next two fiscal years. Board members say they were left with little choice because Local 39 apparently refused to budge during negotiations that have dragged on since summer 2011....
Sacramento (Calif.) Bee, Apr. 28, 30

Woman gets probation for selling library books online
A woman who stole some 2,000 books and DVDs from libraries in Carlsbad, Oceanside, and San Diego, California, and tried to resell them online was sentenced April 26 to three years’ probation and ordered to stay away from all San Diego County public libraries. Maria Nater pleaded guilty in February to felony burglary and paid $7,600 in restitution at her sentencing. Elsewhere, Arthur Souza has been charged with stealing rare books from public libraries on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, for resale on eBay....
KSWB-TV, San Diego, Calif., Apr. 26; Hyannis Cape Cod Times, Apr. 25

Chicago library maintains LGBTQ history
Rex W. Huppke writes: “The Gerber/Hart Library was founded in 1981 by a group led by historian Greg Sprague, who several years earlier had launched the Chicago Gay History Project. It eventually grew into the Midwest’s largest lesbian, gay, bisexual‚ and transgender library, featuring more than 14,000 volumes, 800 periodical titles, and 100 archival collections.” But its move to a new location in late April has prompted accusations that the library’s long-standing president has effectively taken sole control of the collection, alienating many in the Chicago LGBT community and endangering the institution....
Chicago Tribune, Apr. 26

Canadian federal libraries are shutting down
The Canadian government is eliminating a series of libraries and archives throughout different departments as part of the latest budget cuts. Library and Archives Canada has announced that 20% of its workforce will be let go, and libraries in the transport, immigration, and public works departments will be eliminated. That is a scary prospect, according to researchers, genealogists, and academics who often rely on such libraries and history to develop their work....
CBC News, May 2

Bangor library named after former librarian
The Bangor campus of the University of Maine at Augusta held a ceremony May 1 to formally name its library the Nottage Library. Judith Nottage worked at the Bangor campus library for 27 years, retiring in 2009. During her tenure, she helped turn what had begun as a collection of donated books into a well-organized, professionally-managed small library that continues to serve both the Bangor campus community and the state of Maine....
University of Maine at Augusta, May 1

UCLA to offer rare books specialization
A new specialization in rare books and print and visual culture has been approved by the Department of Information Studies at the Graduate School of Education and Information Studies at UCLA. The curriculum is open to students earning an MLIS degree. Nationwide, there are only 13 accredited master’s level programs that offer this specialization. It will be enriched by courses taught by the California Rare Book School, which is based in the department, and UCLA’s digital humanities program....
UCLA Graduate School of Education and Information Studies

Students use reading contest to buy books for babies
The $1,850 that students at Shepherdstown (W.Va.) Elementary School raised in March for the First Books for Babies program in Jefferson County may put a new book into the tiny fist of every baby born this year at West Virginia University Hospitals–East City Hospital in Martinsburg. It costs $7.00–$7.50 for each new book, according to Charlotte Porter, a retired children’s librarian in Shepherdstown who in 2007 founded First Books for Babies, the first program of its type in West Virginia....
Charleston (W.Va.) State Journal, Apr. 25

Benjamin Franklin Library celebrates 70 years
US Ambassador to Mexico Earl Anthony Wayne (right) celebrated the 70th anniversary April 26 of the Benjamin Franklin Library in the American Embassy in Mexico City. The library was established in 1942 to promote friendship and understanding between Mexico and the United States by providing access to information on their bilateral relationship. The reference desk answers nearly 21,000 queries each year, utilizing a specialized collection of materials on bilateral relations, English teaching, librarianship, and American culture....
US Embassy, Mexico, Apr. 27

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The ALA Annual Conference Scheduler is now open. Plan and organize your schedule for conference ahead of time by browsing sessions in multiple ways; creating personal calendars that can be shared or kept private; and getting recommendations based on information included in user profiles. Easily add, prioritize, and update sessions, events, meetings with exhibitors, and more. There is also a scheduler Quick-Start Guide.

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