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The e-newsletter of the American Library Association | January 30, 2013

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American Libraries Online

ALA 2013 Midwinter Meeting
Librarians and library supporters gathered in Seattle January 25–29 to discuss ways that libraries can engage and transform their communities. This year’s event drew 6,694 attendees and 4,037 exhibitors, compared to 6,236 attendees and 3,693 exhibitors in Dallas for the 2012 Midwinter Meeting; 7,549 attendees and 2,561 exhibitors in San Diego in 2011; and 8,526 attendees and 2,569 exhibitors in Boston in 2010....
Public Information Office, Jan. 29

Caroline KennedyCaroline Kennedy on libraries and family
Phil Morehart writes: “‘I’m descended from a long line of book worms and librarians. They would be very proud of me for being here with you.’ Caroline Kennedy’s (right) revelation at the beginning of her Auditorium Speaker Series talk Sunday at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle set the tone for the entire session. Her talk and Q&A with ALA President-elect Barbara Stripling was filled with stories that detailed how learning, books, and poetry shaped her famous family, interwoven with reminders of the important roles that libraries and librarians play as guardians and facilitators of information and ideas, role models to youth, and voices for communities.” The Seattle Times also covered Kennedy’s talk....
AL: Inside Scoop, Jan. 27; Seattle Times, Jan. 27

Bestselling author Steven Johnson makes his Auditorium Speaker presentationSteven Johnson and the origin of innovation
Jaime Hammond writes: “Auditorium Series speaker Steven Johnson (right) started Saturday off with a funny story about cholera. No, really. The story, which he researched for his book The Ghost Map, depicted John Snow researching the cholera epidemic in 1850s London. In a eureka moment, Snow realized that water, not miasma, carried cholera; stopped the cholera epidemic; and saved London. Except that’s not how it happened.” American Libraries Associate Editor Phil Morehart interviewed Johnson (9:18) about how he came to realize the value of “peer progressivism,” his research process, and the changing state of journalism....
AL: Inside Scoop, Jan. 27; AL Focus, Jan. 26

Lisa GenovaThe story of Still Alice
George Eberhart writes: “Lisa Genova (right), neuroscientist and bestselling author of Still Alice (2008), Left Neglected (2011), and Love Anthony (2012), presented the Arthur Curley Memorial Lecture on Saturday. Although her more recent novels focus on autism and hemispatial neglect, Genova chose to talk about her first book, which revolved around a 50-year-old woman, Alice Howland, who develops early-onset Alzheimer’s.” Watch the exclusive American Libraries video interview (13:37) with Genova, in which she discusses autism....
AL: Inside Scoop, Jan. 27; AL Focus, Jan. 26

Temple Grandin signs copies of her books after the Alexander Street Press customer appreciation breakfastThe varieties of autistic thought
George Eberhart writes: “For its 23rd customer appreciation breakfast on Sunday, Alexander Street Press invited as keynote speaker Temple Grandin (right), bestselling author, doctor of animal science, and autism activist. Grandin, who was diagnosed with autism at age 2 in 1949, advocates early behavioral or cognitive intervention to address this neural disorder in kids. She particularly worries about videogame addiction in middle-school students, because they are often individuals on the autism spectrum who think visually and not conceptually.” Grandin will be an Auditorium Speaker at the 2013 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago....
AL: Inside Scoop, Jan. 27

David Lee King (standing) and Ben Bizzle lead the ALA Masters Series in a discussion on the digital revolution of public relationsThe digital revolution of PR
Laurie D. Borman writes: “Librarians learned a dazzling array of tips and tricks for increasing their public relations efforts on Facebook in a Midwinter ALA Masters Series session on Sunday. Ben Bizzle, director of technology at Crowley Ridge Regional Library in Jonesboro, Arkansas, and David Lee King, digital services director at Topeka and Shawnee County (Kans.) Public Library, shared ideas with a packed audience on how to maximize reach and increase impact cost-effectively.”...
AL: Inside Scoop, Jan. 27

Peggy Holman and Steven WrightApplying appreciative inquiry to community engagement
Megan McFarlane writes: “I am not usually one for interactive sessions, so I was a little concerned when I walked into Peggy Holman’s ‘Community Engagement Conversation’ session Sunday and saw the small-group seating arrangement. However, I could not have been more pleasantly surprised with the results. Appreciative inquiry focuses on increasing what an organization does well rather than on eliminating what it does badly, and how to analyze that success in order to achieve greater success in future endeavors.”...
AL: Inside Scoop, Jan. 27

MakerCamp logoLibrarians flock to Maker Monday
Laurie D. Borman writes: “‘All of us are makers,’ said Dale Dougherty, founder of Make magazine, to a capacity Midwinter crowd at ‘The New Stacks: The Maker Movement Comes to Libraries’ on Monday. ‘It’s in all of us. Librarians are makers of spaces, keepers of resources shared by many, makers of a culture of learning.’ Along with Travis Good, a former engineer and freelance writer for Make, Dougherty described the enthusiasm for Maker Faires, where makers show off the fun and wildly creative things they make to enthusiastic and growing crowds.”...
AL: Inside Scoop, Jan. 29

Acclaimed author Jamaica Kincaid sports a sweater vest at Midwinter for #sweatervestsundayJamaica Kincaid on libraries and censorship
Phil Morehart writes: “‘You are the gatekeepers between reader and writer. For someone like me, you have no idea how beautiful your existence is.’ Author Jamaica Kincaid (right) enthused about librarians throughout the Freedom to Read Foundation Banned/Challenged Author event, held Saturday night at Town Hall Seattle. Kincaid was the event’s featured speaker, and she kept the large crowd rapt and laughing, particularly with stories detailing a lifelong relationship with libraries and librarians that stretches back to her childhood in Antigua.”...
AL: Inside Scoop, Jan. 27

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Observance and Sunrise CelebrationMartin Luther King Jr. Sunrise Celebration
The Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Observance and Sunrise Celebration is a Midwinter tradition, recognizing the connection between his life’s work and the library world. This video (4:08) shows some of the words and music commemorating Dr. King’s legacy....
AL Focus, Jan. 28

Librarians prep to clean at Straley House, a home for homeless youth aged 18–24 run by YouthCareLibrarians engage with Seattle’s homeless
Phil Morehart writes: “‘I love librarians!’ Deborah Edison, director of development and marketing for homeless advocacy organization YouthCare, was enthusiastic as she spoke to a group of 11 librarians at Straley House, YouthCare’s home for homeless youth aged 18–24, on Friday. The large, labyrinthine house in Seattle’s University District neighborhood provides essential services and support—housing, meals, life skills workshops, art therapy, and more—to the homeless in an effort to prepare them for a life off of the streets.” Watch the video (2:41). More than 2,700 men, women, and children slept on the streets in King County in January....
AL: Inside Scoop, Jan. 25; AL Focus, Jan. 26; KOMO-TV, Seattle, Jan. 25

ALA volunteers serving homeless youthHomeless Outreach: Food for youth
YouthCare also allowed Midwinter volunteers to cook meals for homeless youth. Jaime Hammond reports: “As part of the Homeless Outreach project, a small group of librarian volunteers cooked meals on Friday and served them to area homeless youth. YouthCare, the site of the volunteer project, is a place where youth can not only get warm, get food, or find a place to sleep, but better themselves as well. ALA member volunteers chopped apples, prepared pasta, and served approximately 40 youths under the direction of Jack Koran, YouthCare’s meal coordinator.”...
AL: Inside Scoop, Jan. 26

Katherina Lee and Lee Kee Siang of the National Library Board of SingaporeThe National Library Board of Singapore
American Libraries’ George Eberhart interviewed (9:46) Katherina Lee, senior staff member for the National Library Board (NLB) of Singapore and executive director of its international library development company Cybrarian Ventures, and Lee Kee Siang, director of technology and innovation for the NLB. Lee and Siang spoke Saturday at the ALA Masters Series about the NLB and its innovations in providing access to electronic resources and in offering management services and technical solutions to libraries worldwide....
AL Focus, Jan. 26

Smitty Miller describes LiLi's servicesSmitty Miller and LiLi
Smitty Miller, Fraser Valley (British Columbia) Regional Library’s Tour Manager, talks (6:26) about LiLi, the library’s Nissan Cube, which it uses to deliver mobile library services throughout the community. Through the Library Live and On Tour project, Miller visits community agencies to provide programming and assistance to people who cannot come to the library or do not feel comfortable there. The car is stocked with gadgets for potential patrons to experience and Miller is able to talk to them and do what is necessary to make them feel they’ll be welcome at the library....
AL Focus, Jan. 28

Chris Alexander (left), host Kim Baker, R2D2, Tom AnglebergerStar Wars origami at the Wrap-Up/Rev-Up session
Authors Tom Angleberger and Chris Alexander hosted the Star Wars–themed Wrap-Up/Rev-Up Celebration (2:49), complete with stormtroopers, R2D2, and Boba Fett (in origami form). Alexander led the audience in a step-by-step construction of Boba Fett....
AL Focus, Jan. 28

National Library of RomaniaRomania’s new national library
Hermina Anghelescu and Leonard Kniffel write: “Visible from nearly half a mile away, an enormous rooftop Samsung banner leads the casual observer to suppose that the imposing new building in Bucharest is the Romanian headquarters for the electronics giant. Not so. A small plaque near one of the massive entrance doors says that this is the National Library of Romania. Leading a tour through the new facility for American Libraries in late September, Nicoleta Rahme, head of collection development, said the library staff of 240 is wholly inadequate and ill-prepared for the responsibilities they have inherited.”...
American Libraries feature

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AL Live

ALA News

From left: Rich Harwood, Carlton Sears, Tim Henkel, and ALA President Maureen Sullivan discuss libraries as change agents for Sullivan's presidential intiativeA presidential initiative: Transforming communities
Laurie D. Borman writes: “ALA President Maureen Sullivan moderated ‘The Promise of Libraries Transforming Communities,’ a panel of three civic innovators held Saturday at the Midwinter Meeting. The panel served as a first step in building a sustainable, scalable national plan for library-led community engagement. The speakers brought both experience and first-hand stories about how their work at a local level has united communities on common ground.”...
AL: Inside Scoop, Jan. 27

Rich Harwood and ALA President Maureen SullivanHarwood and Sullivan on transforming communities
ALA has formed a partnership with the Harwood Institute to realize the promise of libraries transforming communities. In this video (4:03), ALA President Maureen Sullivan and Rich Harwood of the Harwood Institute introduce the partnership and answer questions from attendees....
AL Focus, Jan. 26

The post-award aftermath: 10 truths
Marge Loch-Wouters writes: “Post–ALA Youth Media Awards scuttlebutt is ever and always the same—as are my reactions. People swoon. People go nuclear. People swear and threaten (they clearly have had bad days for other reasons). People cheer. People bemoan a favorite frozen out. People question books they haven’t heard of or haven’t purchased. People sigh over how unpopular the winners or honorees will be with kids. People glow in agreement. I’m going to tell you all what I think and know and how I react: My 10 truths, as it were.”...
Tiny Tips for Library Fun, Jan. 28

Courtney Young and Barbara ImmrothCandidates’ Forum
ALA presidential candidates Courtney Young and Barbara Immroth (shown) and treasurer candidates Clara Bohrer and Mario Gonzalez make their opening statements at the 2013 ALA Presidential and Treasurer Candidates Forum in this video (17:20)....
YouTube, Jan. 27

ALA Council prepares to meet on Sunday. Photo by Chris KyaukCouncil I: Rethinking ALA
ALA Council breezed through approval of the 2012 ALA Annual Conference Council minutes, among other actions at its first session on Sunday. For about an hour, Council broke into small groups to discuss “rethinking ALA” and what the group’s aspirations were for ALA. Among the many comments and suggestions were: Continue legislative advocacy, literacy training funding, leadership in copyright and fair use, and the Digital Content and Libraries Working Group efforts....
AL: Inside Scoop, Jan. 27

Council II
The Council II session included the Treasurer’s Report: Treasurer James Neal reported that total ALA revenues for 2012 were $49,636,817 against expenses of $50,053,297. Total ALA assets were $76,033,460, and total ALA liabilities were $45,570,809. Council passed a motion brought by the Committee on Organization to create a Sustainability Round Table....
AL: Inside Scoop, Jan. 29

Council III
At the final Council session of Midwinter 2013, a number of actions were taken. A revised resolution on a personal dues adjustment passed and will go to the membership on the 2013 ballot for a vote. At the recommendation of the Committee on Legislation, Council recognized Sen. Olympia Snow (R-Maine) on her 2013 retirement after 18 years “of dedicated commitment to libraries and the American public that depends upon them.” Council also approved COL’s resolution supporting the application of the first sale doctrine of the copyright law to all materials in library collections....
AL: Inside Scoop, Jan. 29

Session proposals due February 17
Your dynamic presentation might be the one that moves the needle forward for the profession. Inspire others by submitting a proposal by February 17 for one-hour “Conversation Starters” and five-minute “Ignite” sessions for the 2013 ALA Annual Conference (June 27–July 2), or 45-minute programs for the ALA Virtual Conference (July 24–25)....
Conference Services, Jan. 29

The American Dream Starts @ your library will continue
Thanks to a generous grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, ALA and its Office for Literacy and Outreach Services will continue funding the American Dream Starts @ your library, a literacy initiative for adult English-language learners and their families. In 2013, ALA has selected 51 public libraries in 21 states to receive one-time grants of $5,000–$15,000 to add or expand literacy services for adult English-language learners....
Public Information Office, Jan. 29

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Booklist Online logo

Cover of Courage Has No ColorFeatured review: Nonfiction for youth
Stone, Tanya Lee. Courage Has No Color: The True Story of the Triple Nickles, America’s First Black Paratroopers. Jan. 2013. 160p. Candlewick, hardcover (978-0-7636-5117-6).
Starting with a riveting opening that puts readers into the shoes of a paratrooper on a training flight, this large-format book offers an informative introduction to the 555th Parachute Infantry Battalion. Known as the Triple Nickles, they were America’s first black paratrooper unit. Though WWII brought increased racial integration to the military, the pace was painfully slow. This book traces the paratroopers’ story through their training and their long wait for orders to join the fighting overseas–orders that never came. Instead, the Triple Nickles were sent to fight fires in remote areas of western states. Decades passed before the men were officially honored for service to their country....

Top 10 black history books for youthTop 10 black history books for youth, 2013
Ann Kelley writes: “You’ll find several outstanding books about the civil rights movement on this year’s list of the top black-history titles, along with a picture book about an unsung singer of the Harlem Renaissance (Florence Mills) and a stylish biography of Giants center fielder Willie Mays.”...

@ Visit Booklist Online for other reviews and much more....

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Division News

Screenshot from 2013 LITA Top Tech Trends panelLITA Top Tech Trends 2013
Jason Griffey writes: “Here is the live stream for the LITA Top Tech Trends panel at ALA Midwinter 2013 in Seattle (in two parts). Topic: ‘If Data Resides in a Cloud Environment, Is It Still Mine?’ Panelists: Roy Tennant, Bess Sadler, Todd Carpenter, Carl Grant (moderator), John Law, Mackenzie Smith, Julie Speer....
LITA Blog, Jan. 27

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Awards & Grants

Left to right: ALA President Maureen Sullivan, YALSA President Jack Martin, ALSC President Carolyn Brodie, CSK Book Awards Committee Chair Jonda McNair, and Reforma President Denice Adkins present the 2013 ALA Youth Media Awards on January 28 at the ALA 2013 Midwinter Meeting in Seattle. Photo by Curtis Compton

Youth Media Award winners
ALA announced the top books, videos, and audiobooks for children and young adults—including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery, and Printz awards—at its Midwinter Meeting in Seattle. The announcement was webcast for those who could not attend and is still viewable as an hour-long archived recording. Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, ALA awards guide parents, educators, librarians, and others in selecting the best materials for youth....
Public Information Office, Jan. 28

Cover of The One and Only IvanCover of This Is Not My Hat

Newbery and Caldecott winners
Katherine Applegate, author of The One and Only Ivan, and Jon Klassen, illustrator and author of This Is Not My Hat, are the 2013 winners of the John Newbery and Randolph Caldecott medals. The Newbery and Caldecott medals honor outstanding writing and illustration of works published in the United States during the previous year....

ALSC, Jan. 28

Cover of Martín de Porres: The Rose in the DesertCover of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe

Diaz, Sáenz win Pura Belpré Awards
David Diaz, illustrator of Martín de Porres: The Rose in the Desert, and Benjamin Alire Sáenz, author of Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, are the 2013 winners of the Pura Belpré Illustrator Award and Author Award, which honor Latino authors and illustrators whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in children’s books. Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe also won a Stonewall Book Award....

ALSC, Jan. 28;
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table, Jan. 29

Cover of I, Too, Am AmericaCover of Hand in Hand

Collier, Pinkney win Coretta Scott King Awards
Bryan Collier, illustrator of I, Too, Am America, and Andrea Davis Pinkney, author of Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America, are the winners of the 2013 Coretta Scott King Book Awards honoring African-American authors and illustrators of outstanding books for children and young adults....

Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table, Jan. 28

Demetria TuckerTucker wins CSK–Virginia Hamilton Award
Demetria Tucker (right) is the recipient of the 2013 Coretta Scott King–Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. Tucker has served as youth services coordinator at the Roanoke (Va.) Public Library System and library media specialist at the Forest Park Elementary School, where she was selected 2007 Teacher of the Year. She now coordinates a youth leadership program, a teen urban literature club, and many other programs that support the youth of her community....
Office for Literacy and Outreach Services, Jan. 28

Cover of Up! Tall! and High!Ethan Long wins Geisel Award
Author and illustrator Ethan Long is the 2013 recipient of the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for Up! Tall! and High! (G. P. Putnam’s Sons). A bevy of birds perform a play in three acts, while teaching the concepts of up, tall, and high. The Geisel Award is given to the author(s) and illustrator(s) of the most distinguished American book for beginning readers published in English in the United States....

ALSC, Jan. 28

Cover of In DarknessIn Darkness wins Printz Award
In Darkness, written by Nick Lake and published by Bloomsbury Books for Young Readers, has won the 2013 Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature. Fifteen-year-old Shorty awakens beneath the ruins of a crumbled hospital in Haiti, where his weakening mind begins flashing back through his own violent history, the loss of his twin sister, and his mystical connection to Toussaint Louverture, the 19th-century revolutionary who helped liberate his country....
YALSA, Jan. 28

Cover of Alanna: The First AdventureTamora Pierce honored with Edwards Award
Tamora Pierce is the recipient of the 2013 Margaret A. Edwards Award that honors her significant and lasting contribution to YA writing for the Song of the Lioness quartet and The Protector of the Small quartet. The four books in the Song of the Lioness series focus on Alanna’s journey to accept herself both as a woman and a warrior. Also set in Tortall, two decades later, is the Protector of the Small quartet. Though set in a fantasy world, Pierce’s heroines face realistic challenges that resonate with teen readers....
YALSA, Jan. 28

Cover of Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World’s Most Dangerous WeaponYALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction
Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon, written by Steve Sheinkin and published by Flash Point/Roaring Brook Press, has been named the 2013 winner of the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults. In a suspenseful combination of science and history, Sheinkin masterfully exposes the international race to develop an atomic weapon and bring an end to World War II. The award honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12–18) during a November 1–October 31 publishing year. The title also won the Robert F. Sibert Medal for the most distinguished informational book for children published in 2012....
YALSA, Jan. 28; ALSC, Jan. 28

Cover of SeraphinaSeraphina wins 2013 William C. Morris Award
Seraphina, written by Rachel Hartman, has been named the 2013 winner of the William C. Morris Award, which honors a book written for young adults by a previously unpublished author. When the death of a royal prince threatens the fragile peace between humans and dragons in Goredd, court musician Seraphina is drawn into the murder investigation. But even as she aids Prince Lucian in his mission to uncover the murderer, Seraphina conceals a dangerous secret of her own—her half-human, half-dragon heritage....
YALSA, Jan. 28

Cover of My Family for the WarBatchelder Award honors Dial Books
Dial Books is the winner of the 2013 Mildred L. Batchelder Award for My Family for the War, the most outstanding children’s book originally published in a foreign language and subsequently translated into English for publication in the United States. Originally published in German in 2008 as Liverpool Street, the book was written by Anne C. Voorhoeve and translated by Tammi Reichel....
ALSC, Jan. 28

Katherine PatersonKatherine Paterson wins the Wilder Award
Katherine Paterson (right) is the winner of the 2013 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award honoring an author or illustrator, published in the United States, whose books have made a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children. Her numerous works include Bridge to Terabithia (Crowell, 1977), Jacob Have I Loved (Crowell, 1980), and The Great Gilly Hopkins (Crowell, 1978). Paterson’s use of rich, literary language elevates each story, yet her engaging plots, believable dialogue, and wry humor appeal to young readers....
ALSC, Jan. 28

Carnegie Medal goes to Anna, Emma, and the Condor
Katja Torneman, producer of Anna, Emma, and the Condor, is the 2013 recipient of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children’s video. Anna and Emma, along with their parents, work to bring the amazing and magnificent California condor back from the brink of extinction. The girls are articulate and caring, sometimes silly, and always engaging as they assist their parents with this important work....
ALSC, Jan. 28

Andrea Davis PinkneyPinkney to deliver 2014 Arbuthnot Lecture
Author Andrea Davis Pinkney, vice president and editor at large of Scholastic’s Trade Books, will deliver the 2014 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture. Each year, an individual of distinction in the field of children’s literature is chosen to write and deliver a lecture that will make a significant contribution to the world of children’s literature. The lecture is delivered in April and subsequently published in Children and Libraries....
ALSC, Jan. 28

2013 Alex Awards
YALSA has selected 10 adult books with special appeal to teen readers to receive the 2013 Alex Awards. The awards, sponsored by the Margaret A. Edwards Trust, were created to recognize that many teens enjoy and often prefer books written for adults, and to assist librarians in recommending adult books that appeal to teens....
YALSA, Jan. 28

Audiobook case for The Fault in Our StarsOdyssey Award goes to Brilliance Audio
Brilliance Audio, producer of the audiobook The Fault in Our Stars, has won the 2013 Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production. The award is given to the producer of the best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults. The Fault in Our Stars, written by John Green and narrated by Kate Rudd, perfectly captures the mercurial characters of Hazel Grace and Augustus, teens whose chance meeting in a cancer support group surprises them both as they embark on an emotional roller coaster of a journey....
YALSA, Jan. 28

Poster for Scenes of a Crime2013 Notable Videos for Adults
The ALA Video Round Table’s Notable Videos for Adults Committee has compiled its 2013 list of Notable Videos for Adults, a list of 15 outstanding programs released on video within the past two years and suitable for all libraries serving adults. Its purpose is to call attention to recent video releases that make a significant contribution to the world of video....
Video Round Table, Jan. 29

Cover of A Dog Called Homeless, by Sarah Lean2013 Schneider Family Book Awards
Winners of the Schneider Family Book Award, which honors authors and illustrators for the artistic expression of the disability experience for children’s and adolescent audiences, were announced at the ALA Midwinter Meeting. Back to Front and Upside Down! written and illustrated by Claire Alexander won the award for younger children; A Dog Called Homeless by Sarah Lean was the winner in the middle school category; and Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am by Harry Mazer and Peter Lerangis was the winner in the teen category....
Public Information Office, Jan. 28

Dictionary of American Regional EnglishDictionary wins Dartmouth Medal
RUSA has selected the Dictionary of American Regional English (Belknap Press of Harvard University Press) as the winner of its 2013 Dartmouth Medal, an annual award for a reference work of outstanding quality and significance. Over the past 65 years, editors Frederick Cassidy and Joan Houston Hall have worked with hundreds of staff, volunteers, and students to compile this comprehensive dictionary of American English usage. Citations extend from the 17th century to the 21st century....
RUSA, Jan. 27

Outstanding Reference Sources
RUSA has announced its selections for the 2013 Outstanding Reference Sources. This list of titles identifies the most important reference publications for small and medium-sized public and academic libraries published in a given year....
RUSA, Jan. 27

Leonardo and the Last Supper, by Ross King, was on the list in nonfictionNotable Books List
RUSA has announced its selections for the 2013 Notable Books List—a source for very good and very important fiction, nonfiction, and poetry for the nation’s adult readers. The winners were selected by the Notable Books Council, a group of RUSA members and readers’ advisory experts from around the country. Since 1944, the council has annually selected a list of 25 important books for adults....
RUSA, Jan. 27

Listen List
RUSA has made its selections for the 2013 Listen List: Outstanding Audiobook Narration juried list. The Listen List recognizes and honors the narrators who create extraordinary listening experiences meriting special attention by general adult listeners and the librarians who work with them....
RUSA, Jan. 27

Cover of The Ritual, by Adam Nevill, a selection in the horror categoryReading List of genre fiction
RUSA has announced the selections for its 2013 Reading List, which annually recognizes the best books in eight genres: adrenaline (including suspense, thrillers, and adventure), fantasy, historical fiction, horror, mystery, romance, science fiction, and women’s fiction. This year’s list includes novels that will please die-hard fans, as well as introduce new readers to the pleasures of genre fiction....
RUSA, Jan. 27

Cover of The Aleppo Codex2013 Sophie Brody Medal for Jewish literature
The Aleppo Codex: A True Story of Obsession, Faith, and the Pursuit of an Ancient Bible by Matti Friedman (Algonquin) was chosen by RUSA for this year’s Sophie Brody Medal, given to encourage, recognize, and commend outstanding achievement in Jewish literature published in the US. The book illuminates a remarkable range of Jewish themes: the Diaspora, the State of Israel, the survival of original Jewish texts, and the fate of the Jews in the Arab world....
RUSA, Jan. 27

Lavonda Kay BroadnaxBroadnax wins 2013 Zora Neale Hurston Award
Lavonda Kay Broadnax (right), digital project coordinator at the Library of Congress, is the 2013 recipient of RUSA’s Zora Neale Hurston Award. The award honors librarians who have demonstrated leadership in promoting African-American literature. Broadnax was selected for her bibliography project, “Selected Literature Published by the Civil War Soul Sisters.” The project showcases the writings of “black women who lived during the US Civil War, [during] a time when it was illegal for most African Americans to learn to read or write.”...
RUSA, Jan. 27

NextReads logoNextReads wins 2013 Louis Shores Award
The team behind NextReads, an e-newsletter tool for libraries from EBSCO’s NoveList, is the 2013 winner of the RUSA Louis Shores Award. The award recognizes an individual reviewer, group, editor, review medium, or organization for excellence in book reviewing and other media for libraries. The awards committee praised her book reviews, blog and social media postings, readers’ advisory books, and review columns that serve as valuable tools for both readers and readers’ advisors....
RUSA, Jan. 27

Olin Library, Rollins College2013 Excellence in Academic Libraries awards
At the Midwinter Meeting, ACRL announced the recipients of its 2013 Excellence in Academic Libraries Award: Walla Walla (Wash.) Community College Library; Olin Library (right), Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida; and Falvey Memorial Library, Villanova (Pa.) University. Sponsored by ACRL and YBP Library Services, the award recognizes the staff of a college, university, and community college library for programs that deliver exemplary services and resources to further the educational mission of the institution....
ACRL, Jan. 29

Cover of For Colored Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Still Not Enough2013 Stonewall Book Awards
The Stonewall Book Awards are given annually to English-language works of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender experience. The winners are Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz (Simon & Schuster), The Last Nude by Ellis Avery (Riverhead), and For Colored Boys Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Still Not Enough: Coming of Age, Coming Out, and Coming Home edited by Keith Boykin (Magnus)....
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table, Jan. 29

Cover of The Miseducation of Cameron Post, by Emily M. Danforth2013 Rainbow Books list
The 2013 Rainbow Books list, a joint project of the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table and the Social Responsibilities Round Table, was announced at the ALA Midwinter Meeting. The bibliography features recommended fiction and nonfiction titles for young readers, from birth through age 18, noted for their significant and authentic GLBTQ content. Forty-nine books from 31 publishers were selected for the 2013 Rainbow list....
Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender Round Table, Jan. 28

Cover of Angela James: The First Superstar of Women's Hockey2013 Amelia Bloomer List
The Amelia Bloomer Project, a product of the Social Responsibilities Round Table’s Feminist Task Force, has announced the 2013 Amelia Bloomer List, which consists of well-written and well-illustrated books with significant feminist content, intended for young readers from birth to 18 years old. The books on this year’s list portray stories of women and girls finding their individual and collective voices....
Social Responsibilities Round Table, Jan. 28

Cover of The 12 Tribes of Hattie2013 BCALA Literary Award winners
The Black Caucus of the American Library Association announced the winners of the 2013 BCALA Literary Awards during the Midwinter Meeting. The awards recognize excellence in adult fiction and nonfiction by African-American authors published in 2012. The winner of the 1st Novelist Award is The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis (Alfred A. Knopf). In the fiction category, the winner is Freeman: A Novel by Leonard Pitts Jr. (Bolden)....
Cognotes, Jan. 28, p. 5

Tony Diaz speaking at a Librotraficante eventRobert B. Downs Intellectual Freedom Award
Librotraficante is the 2012 recipient of the Robert B. Downs Intellectual Freedom Award given by the faculty of the Graduate School of Library and Information Science at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Librotraficante, a movement led by Tony Diaz, is being recognized for its efforts to oppose the censorship of ethnic and cultural studies materials in Arizona. Librotraficante efforts have since extended across the country, including the development of a magazine and a freedom of speech event created in conjunction with Hispanic Heritage Month....

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign GSLIS, Jan. 8

Cover of Bring Up the BodiesHilary Mantel wins Costa Book of the Year
Hilary Mantel continues to set records after her book Bring Up the Bodies (Fourth Estate) became the first work to win the Costa Book of the Year as well as the Man Booker Prize. Mantel was awarded the £30,000 ($47,273 US) prize January 29 at a ceremony in central London. There had been pleas not to award the prize to Mantel, who has already had huge recognition for Bring Up the Bodies and its predecessor Wolf Hall, and instead give the recognition to a less celebrated author. The issue was even brought up by one of the judges....
The Independent (UK), Jan. 29

Cover of NarcopolisDSC Prize for South Asian Literature
Author Jeet Thayil has won the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature for Narcopolis, his Booker-nominated debut novel about drug addiction in Mumbai. Thayil is the first Indian to win the prize, awarded annually to a work of fiction “inspired by the South Asian region, people, culture, and diaspora.” Thayil wins £32,000 ($50,420 US). He courted controversy in 2012 when he was one of four authors to read from Salman Rushdie’s The Satanic Verses, which is banned in India, at the Jaipur Literature Festival. He later apologized....
BBC News, Jan. 25

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Libraries in the News

Ahmed Baba InstituteIslamist rebels torch Timbuktu library before fleeing
French and Malian troops retook control of Timbuktu, a UNESCO World Heritage site, on January 28 after Islamist rebel occupiers fled the ancient Sahara trading town and torched several buildings, including a library holding priceless manuscripts. Timbuktu Mayor Hallé Ousmane Cissé said that departing Islamist gunmen had four days earlier set fire to the town’s new Ahmed Baba Institute, which contained thousands of manuscripts. More than 3,000 manuscripts have been destroyed and others looted, according to an institute worker.
...
Reuters, Jan. 28; The Guardian (UK), Jan. 28; NPR: The Two-Way, Jan. 29

Hillary Clinton delivers remarks at the signing of the “Declaration of Learning” at the Department of StateLC signs “Declaration of Learning”
On January 30, the Library of Congress joined 12 other government agencies and nongovernmental organizations in signing a “Declaration of Learning” that formally announces their partnership as members of the Inter-Agency Collaboration on Education. The initiative is spearheaded by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, who joined representatives at the signing ceremony. The library has committed to utilizing historic artifacts in its collections, as well as its educational expertise, to create digital learning tools that can be accessed from computers, tablets, and cellphones. Watch the video of the signing (5:41)....
Library of Congress, Jan. 30; US Department of State, Jan. 30

Paterson libraries ban playing of violent videogames
City youths looking to hone their Call of Duty videogame skills can’t do it at the Paterson (N.J.) Free Public Library System anymore. Its board voted in January to ban the playing of direct-shooter videogames on the computers at its facilities. The vote was prompted by a petition from staffers who had been following an unofficial practice of discouraging youths from playing the games. Director Cindy Czesak said that unlike some towns where children often are supervised by their parents while at the library, Paterson libraries have many youths who come in on their own....
Paterson (N.J.) News, Jan. 27

Sleeping banned at Iowa City Public Library
The Iowa City (Ia.) Public Library board of trustees voted 6–1 January 24 to implement a sleeping ban. The ban, which has become part of the library’s official conduct policy, applies to all library patrons except attended children. “The concern expressed by community members is that sleeping in the library is an inappropriate use of library resources,” said Library Director Susan Craig. But several community members at the meeting said the sleeping ban was targeting homeless people who had nowhere else to go....
Iowa City Press-Citizen,
Jan. 24

A Bible signed by the Pittsburgh Pirates team of 1953. Photo by Randall BentonBaseball mystery in Sacramento
Book restorer Joanne Murphy knew something was unusual when she opened up an old Bible in mid-January. The holy book turned up among the tens of thousands of materials donated to the Friends of the Sacramento (Calif.) Public Library each year. Inside the Bible, the signatures of 30 players and manager Fred Haney of the 1953 Pittsburgh Pirates were emblazoned on the first page along with “Pirates 1953” written across the top in blue ink. The signed Bible had been given to Pirates’ general manager Branch Rickey, but how did Rickey’s Bible end up in a donation bin for a Sacramento library group?...
Sacramento (Calif.) Bee, Jan. 26

Screenshot from Chronicle Herald videoNew major theft case in Canada
The Fall River, Nova Scotia, home of John Mark Tillmann contained more than 1,300 books, documents, and other artifacts believed stolen from multiple collections. After a traffic stop in June in which stolen documents (including a James Wolfe letter from the collections of Dalhousie University) were found in Tillmann’s car, police searched his house and found rare materials from the Nova Scotia Provincial Archives, Mount St. Vincent University, and the Provincial Building Legislative Library. News reports suggest that the thefts may have taken place over more than two decades....
PhiloBiblos, Jan. 27; CBC News, Jan. 22; Halifax (N.S.) Chronicle Herald, Jan. 23

Interior of Yale's Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library. Photo by Lauren Manningm used CC BY 3.0Yale’s Beinecke Library turns 50
Yale University’s Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, with its sublime marble slabs and glass-enclosed stacks, has gone from garish to grand. When the six-story library debuted in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1963, critics said its sleek, stark stylings were too severe. Today, locals can’t imagine Yale without it. A year-long celebration of the Beinecke kicked off January 24 with a sweeping overview of the building’s influence and importance....
New Haven (Conn.) Register, Jan. 24

Youth relax at the Tio TrettonThe fantastic Swedish library experiment
Sarah Odedina writes: “In the Kulturhuset in central Stockholm, Sweden, is a remarkable and inspirational library for young readers, Tio Tretton. Open for visitors between the ages of 10 and 13, no adults are allowed. No parents or teachers or helpful advisors. This is an environment in which young people can go to read books, make films, play music, cook in the kitchen, do origami, draw graphic novels, or just hang out. The space speaks for itself.”...
Key Note Blog, Dec. 12; Kulturhuset

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Issues

Takeaways from the Pew Research study on libraries
Lee Rainie, director of the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project, offered his personal observations on the project’s recent survey report, “Library Services in the Digital Age” (PDF file). The report indicated that library users wanted both books and free access to the internet in nearly equal amounts. Rainie presented his findings at a research update on Saturday, January 26, at the Midwinter Meeting in Seattle....
AL: Inside Scoop, Jan. 27

They don’t teach you politics in library school
Chris Kyauk writes: “Community engagement requires political engagement. This is unfortunate, but I believe libraries cannot be apathetic to the political process if they are to succeed. That is why I attended the Saturday morning ALA Washington Office Update; I felt it was important to get a political overview as it pertains to libraries. The update was an excellent overview of the current breakdown of the political spectrum.”...
AL: Inside Scoop, Jan. 27

Sir Tim Berners-LeeBerners-Lee sees an open access future
Sir Tim Berners-Lee (right), who revolutionized the way we access information on the internet through the creation of the World Wide Web more than 20 years ago, has been a vocal proponent for making data freely available while also protecting people’s privacy. Open access activists, including the recently deceased Aaron Swartz, have been pushing for free access to scholarly findings. “I think that the open access activists will win out,” said Sir Tim, speaking at the launch of the $40 million CSIRO’s Digital Productivity and Services Flagship on January 29....
Phys.org, Jan. 29

Redacted photoThe dangers of using Creative Commons Flickr photos
Bobbi Newman writes: “Like many librarians I often turn to Creative Commons licensed photos on Flickr for use in my presentations and blog posts. Flickr makes it incredibly easy to search for photos with a Creative Commons license. Unfortunately it also makes it ridiculously easy for users to change the license on all their photos at any time with the click of a button. I have been slowly weaning myself away from Flickr photos. Although I have never heard of what happened to me happening to anyone else, I think I’m going to push harder with that move.”...
Librarian by Day, Jan. 27

Think before you unlock your cellphone
If consumers want to unlock their cellphones in order to go from one cellular network to another, they now need to ask the permission of their carrier. Starting January 26, unlocking phones without the provider’s OK is against the law. The source of this new regulation? The Copyright Office at the Library of Congress. Digital copyright falls under the library’s purview, thanks to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which makes it illegal to break digital locks on copyrighted things. Mitch Stoltz of the Electronic Frontier Foundation explains in detail what this ruling means....
Marketplace, Jan. 28; Electronic Frontier Foundation, Jan. 28

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Tech Talk

Google glassesA chance encounter with Google glasses
Paul Signorelli writes: “Seeing someone wearing and using Google’s Project Glass product (Google glasses) at a neighborhood diner here in San Francisco was not among the experiences I expected to have over brunch this morning. There I was, taking in the familiar faces of the Saturday morning crowd at Tyger’s, when my eyes froze at the sight of someone obviously wearing one of the devices. What I noticed was impressive. There was no visible sign that he was anything other than completely engaged with his child and the other people present at that table.”...
Building Creative Bridges, Jan. 19; YouTube, Apr. 4, 2012

Technology helps in logistics, not learning
With PowerPoint presentations, YouTube videos, and online portals, technology is playing an increasingly important role in college classrooms and lecture halls. But are those technologies improving learning? A study (PDF file) published in January in the journal Science, Technology, and Human Values found that professors at research-intensive universities believe the answer to that question is no. It suggests that professors often use such technologies for logistical purposes rather than to improve learning....
Chronicle of Higher Education: The Wired Campus, Jan. 28; Science, Technology, and Human Values 38, no. 1 (January 2013): 126–149

Google Hangout setupGoogle Hangouts for newbies
P. F. Anderson writes: “I use Google+ Hangouts a lot. Most of my regular meetings around campus have adopted them, except for those in the library system. I’m excited about the idea of using Hangouts on Air (HOA) to teach some of my library classes, because this would automatically create an archive of the class in YouTube for folks who couldn’t come. I’ve collected some information here to try to help you get over the initial hurdle, and will add some personal tips at the end.”...
Emerging Technologies Librarian, Jan. 30; YouTube, Jan. 30

Website on monitor, tablet, and smartphoneWhy librarians need to know about responsive web design
Ellyssa Kroski writes: “Responsive Web Design is, in a nutshell, all about designing your website so that it can be optimally viewed on a wide range of devices such as tablets, smartphones, or laptops. The idea is to design and maintain one website that can be viewed on all. Responsive Web Design revolves around three core features: media queries, a fluid grid, and flexible images.”...
iLibrarian, Jan. 23

Vine logoVine: Twitter’s new video-sharing app
Jenna Wortham writes: “Vine, a new video application for the iPhone introduced by Twitter on January 24, lets users create and share miniature videos that are six seconds long and set to loop automatically, similar to an animated GIF. The app is brilliantly simple: Users just aim their cameras at what they want to capture, tap the screen once to start filming, and tap it once more to stop. They can film a single shot for the maximum time allotted or quickly cut together a series of scenes using the tap-to-edit feature.” Here are some examples....
New York Times: Bits, Jan. 25; Twitter Blog, Jan. 24

Phishing email posing as a PayPal messageWhy you can’t get infected by opening an email
Chris Hoffman writes: “Email viruses are real, but computers aren’t infected just by opening emails anymore. Just opening an email to view it is safe, although attachments can still be dangerous to open. Emails are essentially text or HTML documents (web pages). Just like opening a text file or web page in your browser should be safe, opening an email message should also be safe. However, some emails may try to infect you after you open them.”...
How-To Geek, Jan. 30

Office 365 logo10 things about Office 365
Jill Duffy writes: “With the final release of Microsoft Office 365 (Home Premium), Microsoft has taken bold steps to change its game. The latest office suite is radically different from previous versions of Microsoft Office, from how it’s distributed to what’s included to how it’s priced. The good news is most of the changes are extremely positive. Here are 10 of the most important facts about the new Microsoft Office 365.”...
PC Magazine, Jan. 30

Top 8 free online file storage sites
Devon Glenn writes: “If your desktop screen looks like the bottom of your trashcan, maybe it’s time to take your files to the cloud. Just in time for 2013, here is our new list of the best free online file storage sites. More than just external hard drives, many of these sites are collaboration platforms that you can use to share documents with friends. If you still need extra storage space, these companies will be more than happy to sell it to you.”...
SocialTimes, Jan. 25

Logitech UE 4000 headphonesHow to buy the right headphones
Jamie Lendino writes: “For music lovers, headphones are becoming more and more important. Though headphones, earbuds, and earphones are generally viewed as the least essential link in the musical chain, in reality your headphones are the most important link in that chain. A quality pair has a larger impact than the player itself on how your tunes will sound. Also, if well cared for, they will long outlive your planned-to-be-obsolete tablet, phone, or MP3 player. Let’s take a look at how to find better alternatives to those lousy stock-issue earbuds.”...
PC Magazine, Jan. 23

Visual.ly logo10 tools for creating infographics
Saikat Basu writes: “Wikipedia captures the history of this visual science (or art) and tells us that infographics are by no means an invention of the digital culture. Infographics offer us a tool to cut through the noise and into the meat. Patterns, trends, and relationships become a bit more understandable. Angela’s 10 Awesome Free Tools to Make Infographics gives you the gist of what infographics mean when it comes to information design. Here are 10 of the simpler tools that help you design some.”...
MakeUseOf, Jan. 29; Oct. 8, 2010

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E-Content

Ebook Business ModelsALA releases ebook content scorecard
To help libraries identify essential ebook licensing terms, ALA has released “Ebook Business Models: A Scorecard for Public Libraries” (PDF file), a report that examines specific variables often seen in library ebook license contracts. The report, which was created by the ALA Digital Content and Libraries Working Group, can be used by librarians to weigh ebook contract variables most important to their libraries. The report assesses 15 ebook contract variables of importance to libraries....
ALA Office for Information Technology Policy, Jan. 25

Minotaur BooksMacmillan enters the library ebook market
Big-six publisher Macmillan, which has kept its ebooks out of libraries until now, is launching a pilot lending program, the company announced January 24. The pilot is limited to 1,200 titles from the Minotaur Books mystery and crime fiction imprint. Libraries will be able to lend out the ebooks for two years or 52 times, whichever comes first, before having to buy a new copy. The ebooks will be available through OverDrive, 3M Cloud Library, and Baker & Taylor’s Axis 360. ALA President Maureen Sullivan on January 25 released a statement welcoming the announcement....
paidContent, Jan. 24; ALA Office for Information Technology Policy, Jan. 24

Connecticut introduces bill to lower ebook prices to libraries
A bill (H.B. 5614) has been introduced into the Connecticut General Assembly that would mandate publishers sell ebooks to libraries “at the same rates as offered to the general public.” The bill was proposed at the urging of the Connecticut Library Association. Andy Woodworth has some observations about this....
Digital Book World, Jan. 27; Agnostic, Maybe, Jan. 24

Documents from the NAACP PapersWomen through time
At a customer lunch at the ALA Midwinter Meeting on Saturday, electronic publisher ProQuest offered some insight into the wealth of primary source materials in the company’s digital History Vault resource. ProQuest Manager of Customer Service and Training Andrea Sevetson detailed several modules in the History Vault that can be used in women’s studies—some of it from not-so-obvious sources. ProQuest will be offering free trials of the resource in February during Black History Month....
AL: Inside Scoop, Jan. 27

An image of a Heiji Monogatari scrollNational Diet Library to offer ebooks
Japan’s largest library will begin offering online access to selected books on February 1, starting with 13 works that include some of the country’s most famous epics and folk tales and a novel written by one of its most acclaimed novelists. The National Diet Library is trying out its new online delivery system, which was requested by the Agency for Cultural Affairs. It will be the first time that the library has scanned its books and allowed private companies to turn them into ebooks for delivery to readers....
Asahi Shimbun, Jan. 29

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Follow @amlibraries


The conversation starts here

ALA Midwinter Meeting, Seattle, January 25–29.

Author Gregg Olsen

Visit the ALA YouTube channel to see coverage of the Midwinter Meeting.

Darth Vader reads Cognotes

Check out the ALA Midwinter Flickr photostream.

2013 Midwinter Meeting logo

Keep track of Midwinter events and photos at the American Libraries #alamw13 feed.


Simmons GSLIS


Project MUSE


Innovative Interfaces Sierra III


Urban Libraries Council


University of Alabama


Midwest Tape


Cover of The E-copyright Handbook

The E-copyright Handbook considers how copyright applies internationally to a wide range of electronic content types. Author Paul Pedley covers APIs, ebooks, blogs, wikis, RSS feeds, emails, streaming, podcasts, broadcasts, databases, social networking sites, and GUIs, while focusing on activities that are especially relevant to library and information services, such as the lending of electronic content and the mass digitization of content from a library collection. NEW! From ALA Neal-Schuman.


AL Live


Top Midwinter Tweets

Top 10 Tweets

Stephanie Chase:
Midwinter hasn’t even started yet, and my feet already hurt.

Kathy Ishizuka:
“Libraries as maker spaces? That makes so much sense,” says seat mate. My first library pimp of the day.

Sign in Pike Place fish market: "Shhhh!! The librarians are here!!"

MacKids Books:
Spotted in Seattle’s Pike Place Market: “Shhhh!! The librarians are here!!”

Kelly McElroy:
Wherein I identify librarians for the bartender, so she’ll be ready for the weekend. #alamw13 #librarianing

Ally Watkins:
I have so much galley envy right now. #alamw13leftbehind

Lisa Raney:
You haven’t lived until you’ve heard “What Shall We Do with a Drunken Sailor?” sung a capella in 4-part harmony at an ALA conference.

Jenn Riley:
God, I hate conference chairs. #conferencebutt

Jason Kucsma:
It took Metallica 9 years to understand how people engage music in the digital world. I hope it doesn’t take publishers that long.

Emily P. Rodgers:
Noticing a tension librarians have b/t control (metrics, definitions) & possibility (brainstorming, “yes, and”).

Robin Rousu:
We like to think we transcend outdated stereotypes, but the packs of #alamw13 librarians downtown are rather conspicuous. Nice glasses, BTW.

Andy Woodworth:
If you’re at #alamw13 and you see someone not dressed for #sweatervestsunday, stop and ask them why they hate freedom.

The Youth Media Awards were trending worldwide on Twitter on Monday, and many of the individual winning titles made appearances on the trending list too

#ALAyma trended worldwide on Monday.

Emily Jiang:
“Please accept the love bomb of the crowd.” OMG, I LOVE the YALSA presenter sooooooo much!

Abby Ranger:
Sometimes I wish #ALAyma award announcements included a half-time show with choreography inspired by the winning books.

Michael Grant:
I am married to the 2013 Newbery winner, @kaaauthor, who will now make me do dishes for the rest of 2013.

Danielle Dreger:
Does everyone realize a self-pubbed title won an Alex? Richard Ross’s “Juvenile in Justice” is Amazeballs!

Bree Ogden:
@alamw should provide muscle relaxers for the day after.

Ruth Boeder:
We aren’t going to raise a generation of STEM leaders just by having them read textbooks. #creativity #education #makermonday #alamw13

Amanda Aldous:
SO excited I almost walked into R2-D2 earlier.

Janie Hermann:
The final hour of an ALA conference seems like Brigadoon with libraryland disappearing into the ether again for a few more months.

Deborah Luchenbill:
Goodbye, Seattle! I think we should see more of each other.


Great Libraries of the World

Belvedere House, National Library of India

National Library of India, Alipore, Kolkata, India. Since 1953 housed in the Renaissance Revival–style Belvedere House, the residence of the lieutenant governors of Bengal from 1854 to 1912, this library is the largest in India. In 1903, Governor General Lord Curzon merged the collections of the British Imperial Library (founded in 1891) and the former Calcutta Public Library (dating from 1836) into a new Imperial Library that was open to the public. After independence in 1947, this collection moved from its old location in Metcalfe Hall to Belvedere and was designated a national depository. The library has separate Indian-language divisions for Assamese, Bengali, Gujarati, Hindi, Kannada, Kashmiri, Malayalam, Marathi, Oriya, Punjabi, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, and Urdu. The Sanskrit-language division also collects and processes Pali and Prakrit books.

Oriental Research Institute and Manuscripts Library, University of Kerala, India

Oriental Research Institute and Manuscripts Library, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, India. The library has more than 65,000 items, mostly palm-leaf manuscripts, as well as some on paper, copper plates, birch bark, Amyris bark, and textiles. About 80% of the collections are in Sanskrit. An invaluable source for the study of ancient scripts, the library originated with the palace library of Ayilyam Thirunal of Travancore, who in the late 19th century ordered that a copy of all manuscripts in the state be collected.

This AL Direct feature showcases 250 libraries around the world that are notable for their exquisite architecture, historic collections, and innovative services. If you find yourself on vacation near one of them, be sure to stop by for a visit. Some will be featured in The Whole Library Handbook 5, edited by George M. Eberhart, which is scheduled for publication in 2013 by ALA Editions. There is also a Great Libraries of the World Pinterest board.

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Career Leads from
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Supervisor of Technology and Information Management, Watertown (Mass.) Free Public Library. Responsible for operations and maintenance of all library computer systems and equipment; recommends changes and updates to systems; coordinates technology training and documentation; coordinates database purchases, licensing, and associated activities; oversees acquisitions fund accounting; catalogs and classifies library materials; conducts performance appraisals of staff; supervises 3 staff members; occasionally works on public service desk and other work as necessary....

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Digital Library of the Week

Scaly-Breasted Wren, Microcerculus marginatus, recorded in the Cordillera del Condor, Ecuador

The Macaulay Library Archive at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology in Ithaca, New York, has completed a 12-year project to digitize its entire collection of archived analog recordings. The collection, which dates back to 1929, contains nearly 150,000 audio recordings equaling more than 10 terabytes of data. About 9,000 species are represented in the collection. There is an emphasis on birds, but the collection also includes sounds made by whales, elephants, frogs, primates, and other animals. Searches can be done by common name, although advanced users can also browse by taxonomy. Although you can listen to the audio files for free, it’s not yet possible to download and save individual sound files. The collection has some videos available, such as this footage of a Pileated Woodpecker feeding its young and underwater views of a Green Turtle. It also has some free audio and video digital guides, including a “Bird Songs of Florida Sampler,” “Voices of Eastern Backyard Birds,” and “Voices of Western Backyard Birds.”

Do you know of a digital library collection that we can mention in this AL Direct feature? Tell us about it. Browse previous Digital Libraries of the Week at the I Love Libraries site, Check out our Featured Digital Libraries Pinterest board.


Noted and Quoted

“Reading is a gift we give each other, not a solitary pastime.”

—Caroline Kennedy, ALA Midwinter Meeting. Seattle, Jan. 27.

“Being special is like having a superpower. Schools, too often, are kryptonite. But libraries—libraries are the bat cave.”

—Tom Angleberger, ALA Midwinter Meeting. Seattle, Jan. 28.

@ More quotes...


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Winter Workout @ your library

Cross country skiing

'This American Life' Sets the Standard for Reality Radio

Herblock's Editorial Cartoons Focus on Climate Change After a Lifetime of Attacking the Powerful and Pompous

Artist Robert Mapplethorpe's Provocative Photos on Display at Getty

The Entrepreneur's Starter Kit: When Is a Business a Failure?

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Calendar

Feb. 6:
Digital Learning Day.

Feb. 10–13:
Pennsylvania Educational Technology Expo and Conference,
Hershey Lodge and Convention Center, Hershey.

Feb. 14:
American Libraries Live,
Web Episode. “Mobile Services: The Library in Your Pocket.”

Feb. 21–22:
Personal Digital Archiving,
Conference, Adele H. Stamp Student Union, University of Maryland, College Park.

Feb. 23:
The Truth about Expression,
Conference, Dominican University GSLIS, Butler Children’s Literature Center, River Forest, Illinois.

Feb. 24:
Polish American Librarians Association,
Annual Meeting, Polish Museum of America, Chicago.

Mar. 6–8:
Louisiana Library Association,
Annual Conference, Hilton Capitol Center Downtown, Baton Rouge. “Louisiana Libraries: Unlock the Possibilities!”

Mar. 16:
Southwest Florida Reading Festival,
Harborside Event Center and Centennial Park, Fort Myers.

Mar. 18–22:
Innovations in Education,
a study tour to the early childhood centers of Pistoia, Italy, sponsored by the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art.

Mar. 21–24:
Alaska Library Association,
Annual Conference, Valdez Convention and Civic Center, Valdez. “Alaska’s Libraries: The Original Discovery Channel.”

Apr. 3–5:
Oklahoma Library Association,
Annual Conference, Ardmore. “Be the Change.”

Apr. 10–13:
Association of College and Research Libraries,
National Conference, Indianapolis. “Peer Revered.”

Apr. 12:
New England Technical Services Librarians,
Annual Spring Conference, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, Massachusetts. “The Many Hats of Technical Services.”

May 17–22:
Seminar on the Acquisition of Latin American Library Materials,
Annual Meeting, Westin Colonnade Hotel in Coral Gables, Florida.

May 30–
June 1:

BookExpo America,
Javits Center, New York City.

June 12–15:
American International Consortium of Academic Libraries,
Annual Meeting and Conference, John Cabot University, Rome, Italy.
“New Media, New Literacies, New Models: Library–IT–Faculty Collaboration in a Learning-Intensive World.”

@ More...


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Books & Reading

Ingrid Thoft signs copies of her latest hard-boiled detective novel, LoyaltyFace-to-face with Midwinter authors
Phil Morehart writes: “The ALA Midwinter Exhibit Hall was packed, as usual. Hundreds of attendees wound through the aisles, stopping at vendor booths to peruse or buy books (and snag free ARCs), sample the latest in library technologies, or sign up for one of many prize drawings held throughout the weekend. Nestled amongst the perfect chaos sat bestselling authors, who added to the excitement by coming to meet their fans and sign copies of their latest books. American Libraries caught up with several.” See more authors here....
AL Focus, Jan. 26–27

Getting a buzz from Book Buzz Theater
Megan McFarlane writes: “A simple fact about me: I can be a little set in my ways about what type of books I like to read. My mom has always told me I was a book snob. It’s not snobbery. I just know what I like. So let’s just say I was more than a little surprised when I attended my first Book Buzz Theater session at Midwinter, and every title sounded brilliant. Even romances—and I don’t do romance!”...
AL: Inside Scoop, Jan. 27

Where are they now? The Printz winners
Kate McNair writes: “The ALA Youth Media Awards always make me think about past Printz winners and where they are now. So today we look back at past Printz Award–winning authors and see what they have been up to since the auspicious day they won the award.”...
YALSA The Hub, Jan. 30

The winning design in the Fahrenheit 451 cover design contestFahrenheit 451 Cover Design Contest winner
Matthew Owen has won the Fahrenheit 451 cover design contest from Simon & Schuster and the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom. The winning cover was revealed at the Midwinter Meeting in Seattle. Owen, who hails from Little Rock, Arkansas, created a cover that beat out more than 360 submissions. The contest was held in celebration of the upcoming 60th anniversary of Ray Bradbury’s novel. The public was invited to design a new cover, which will be featured on the first printing of the 60th anniversary edition....
GalleyCat, Jan. 29

Screenshot from Wrapped Up in Books, by Belle and SebastianSongs about books and reading
Liberty Hardy writes: “What’s the best thing in the world? Reading books. And the second-best thing? All things pertaining to books. Here’s an eclectic playlist of songs about our spiny little friends to brighten up your ears.” For example, “Wrapped Up in Books” by Belle and Sebastian (3:43, right)....
Book Riot, Jan. 25

Aurora University starts Virtual Book Club
The Phillips Library staff is passionate about reading and knows many Aurora (Ill.) University students are, too. To encourage dialogue among students, the librarians launched a Virtual Book Club through Facebook on January 15. Unlike traditional book clubs, this one does not have a specified meeting place and time. Participants simply answer questions about books they have read or about reading in general. Phillips librarians are currently posting one question per day for the first month....
AU Today, Jan. 28

Cover of The Fault in Our Stars, by John GreenThe controversy over “sick-lit”
Dena Little writes: “I’d never heard the term “sick-lit” until recently, when I came across a Daily Mail article delivering the news that there is a rise of ‘exploitative’ modern YA fiction in our midst. Allegedly, sick-lit is the rising subgenre of realistic fiction that—at its worst—aims to glorify death, suicide, and cutting; at its best it encourages vanity and shallowness. ‘Which books are these?’ you ask.”...
YALSA The Hub, Jan. 24

Cover of In the Shadow of the Lamp, by Susanne DunlapSpotlight on the 19th century
Jennifer Rummel writes: “Entertainment Weekly recently had a timeline labeled ‘The 19th Century Is Having a Moment.’ The 19th century has been heating up in teen books as well. It’s a century of big moments: Jane Austen, the Industrial Revolution, women’s rights, the Civil War, Western exploration, the Napoleonic Wars. Here are some of my favorites.”...
YALSA The Hub, Jan. 29

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Tips & Ideas

Digital Learning DayAre you prepared for Digital Learning Day?
On February 6, schools, teachers, librarians, and national organizations will celebrate Digital Learning Day 2013, a day to celebrate educators and librarians who create inspirational learning opportunities for young people by effectively integrating technology use and practices in and out of the classroom. ALA is asking librarians across the country to help spread the word. Here are some ways you can participate....
District Dispatch, Jan. 30

Wikipedia and bibliography
Karen Coyle writes: “Wikipedia is a great place to start when you are delving into a new topic, but I would like for at least some Wikipedia pages to serve as a beginning bibliography. I got to do a small experiment in this area at a local Wikipedia edit-a-thon. The bibliography format is, well, like so many Wikipedia structures, something less than friendly. But I discovered something that I probably should have known.”...
Coyle’s InFormation, Jan. 28

Prisoner 13498: A Trust Story of Love, Drugs, and Jail in Modern China, by Robert H. Davies. A popular book at our library. Rather predictably, True Crime is probably the section with the most borrowed booksReading, talking, and learning in a prison library
Loesja Vigour writes: “A prison library is a strange space. It is trapped in a bubble, capable of inspiring inspiration as quickly as frustration. Sometimes a prisoner’s sense of time is warped. What seems to them like a month waiting for a book they ordered has only been a few days. Every prison librarian dreads the antagonistic desk-fist-slam attached to the sentence, ‘I’ve been waiting for my book for ages now—can you hurry it up for me, please?’ and the wearisome response, ‘Mr. —, you actually only ordered that book on Monday. It’s Wednesday. Please come back in at least a week.’”...
The Library As Incubator Project, Jan. 30

Musings on libraries and numbers
Walt Crawford writes: “There’s no shortage of library data, and there’s no shortage of people with both technical skills and library values to massage that data. What there may be a shortage of is librarians ready to use that data and decide what data they actually need or can use. NCES and IMLS provide impressive, readily operable sources of raw data. But it’s probably not the data you need.”...
Walt at Random, Jan. 29

10 online privacy tips for librarians
Ellyssa Kroski writes: “It’s the new year and I’m determined to start it off right by becoming more savvy and attentive to my online security. Last year my email was hijacked and my Walmart account was hacked by someone who bought a $700 tablet device using my stored credit card. Although I consider myself pretty vigilant about privacy, I’ve found that there’s much to be learned about protecting myself and my data online. I’ve been doing research on this topic; hopefully you’ll find these tips helpful.”...
iLibrarian, Jan. 29

Allison Andresini, Page to Stage music directorPage to Stage: Bringing literature to life
This short documentary (13:12) tells the story of the Page to Stage series at the Princeton (N.J.) Public Library, an arts and humanities initiative that produces staged readings of plays adapted from or inspired by literature. Page to Stage was developed by librarian Janie Hermann and theatre artist Brandon Monokian in the spring of 2011 as a means to promote reading in a fun and physical way. Since its inception, the library has staged eight productions with plans in the works for the series to continue in 2013....
Vimeo, Jan. 15

Congressional voting records: A beginner’s guide
Barbara Bevis writes: “I turn to a subject that is of recurring interest to our patrons—how to find congressional voting records (also called roll call information). This topic presents more challenges than may be readily apparent, because researchers must not only determine what resources cover the period of time in which the laws at issue were passed, but also whether that resource is available in a paper-based or freely available digital format.”...
In Custodia Legis, Jan. 29

“I Love You” scene from Breakfast at Tiffany’s16 great library scenes on film
Jeff O’Neal writes: “When news broke last week that Dan Brown’s new novel will center on some sort of mystery surrounding Dante’s Inferno, I immediately began hoping that there is a nutty, fun scene of Robert Langdon racing around a library just like he raced around the Louvre in The Da Vinci Code. Hollywood loves a library. Some combination of ambiance, seclusion, hidden knowledge, and the sheer beauty of shelves upon shelves of books make libraries a fantastic film setting. Here are my 16 favorites.”...
Book Riot, Jan. 23

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