Transforming libraries, engaging communities
As libraries reinvent themselves by meeting the challenges posed by emerging technologies, they look for creative ways to engage their communities. These issues and more were examined at the ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition, held June 27–July 2 in Chicago. Overall attendance was 26,362, including 15,918 attendees and 6,125 exhibitors. ALA will hold its 2014 Midwinter Meeting January 24–28 in Philadelphia and its next Annual Conference June 26–July 1 in Las Vegas....
Public Information Office, July 3

Libraries will help Americans sign up for healthcare
Librarians will be recruited to help people get signed up for insurance under President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul. Up to 17,000 US libraries will be part of the effort to get information and crucial computer time to the millions of uninsured Americans who need to get coverage under the Affordable Care Act. The initiative was announced Sunday at the ALA Council meeting, which included a special video greeting (above) from Obama. To find out more, call the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services at (800) 318-2596 and consult the ALA Library’s resource guide....
Associated Press, June 29; National Network of Libraries of Medicine, June 28; ALA Library

Mayor Emanuel greets the conference
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel (right) took the stage Friday afternoon before the Opening General Session to talk to attendees. Joking about the Chicago Blackhawks rally and parade that took place earlier in the day, Emanuel said he came to #ala2013 because he “wanted to see people who weren’t wearing the color red.” Emanuel announced that ALA had signed an agreement confirming Chicago will host its Annual Conference in 2020, 2023, and 2026 (in addition to the 2017 conference already scheduled). Watch the video (5:17)....
Choose Chicago, June 28

Freakonomics author keynotes Opening General Session
On Friday, ALA President Maureen Sullivan introduced Steven Levitt (right), the bestselling coauthor of Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything, by quoting how the Wall Street Journal once described him: “If Indiana Jones were an economist, he’d be Steven Levitt.” Upon taking the stage, Levitt said that he was on cloud nine for about two weeks after that article appeared—until he heard his wife say at a dinner party, “Indiana Jones? I think Jim Jones would be a more apt comparison,” referring to the Jonestown cult leader....
AL: The Scoop, June 28

Tech visionary Jaron Lanier
The ALA Annual Auditorium Speaker series kicked off on Saturday with an eye-opening talk by Jaron Lanier (right), one of the visionary forefathers of tech culture who popularized the term “virtual reality,” and the author of the bestseller You Are Not a Gadget. Lanier’s latest book, Who Owns the Future, addresses the detrimental effects networking technologies have had on our economy, and by extension, the lives of everyone on the planet. Watch the video (3:03)....
AL: The Scoop, July 2

Dan Cohen on the Digital Public Library of America
The keynote speaker at Maureen Sullivan’s ALA President’s Program on Sunday afternoon was Dan Cohen, founding executive director of the Digital Public Library of America, an enterprise that, as he sees it, is “less a technical project than a social project.” Conceived in 2010 by Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society, DPLA officially launched in April 2013 as an attempt to make the holdings of US research libraries, archives, and museums available to all Americans online and free of charge....
AL: The Scoop, July 1

Alice Walker: “The library has been a haven”
Author and activist Alice Walker received a standing ovation soon after taking the stage during her Auditorium Speakers Series appearance on Monday. Walker, best known for her Pulitzer Prize–winning novel The Color Purple, thanked an estimated 2,000 attendees for their warm introduction by crossing her arms in a symbolic embrace. Walker has often talked about not being aware that there was a public library in her hometown of Eatonton, Georgia, until she was 50 years old....
AL: The Scoop, July 2

John Lewis’s March
US Congressman John Lewis (D–Ga., right) told many stories during his Auditorium Speaker Series speech on Saturday afternoon. His deep, sonorous voice scarcely needed a microphone as he recounted his early years in the Civil Rights Movement. Now Lewis has written a graphic novel about his experiences, with the help of his technology policy aide Andrew Aydin and illustrator Nate Powell. Called March, it is both an autobiography and a tribute to a generation of young people who were so moved by injustice that they had to “speak up and speak out, fight the good fight as one people, one family, all living in the same American house.” Watch an exclusive AL interview with Rep. Lewis (Part 1, Part 2, Part 3), and portions of the Saturday presentation (Part 1, Part 2)....
AL: The Scoop, June 30

Khaled Hosseini and unforeseen circumstances
On June 29, Booklist’s Donna Seaman interviewed bestselling author Khaled Hosseini as part of the Auditorium Speaker Series at conference, and discussed his new book, And the Mountains Echoed. The discussion delved into the author’s relationship with books, libraries, and the characters he creates. Hosseini began the conversation acknowledging how different his life would’ve been had he remained in his native Afghanistan. Watch the video (3:48)....
AL: The Scoop, July 3

Mikes fail, lights flash: Stone and Kuznick forge ahead
On Monday, the Auditorium session featuring Director Oliver Stone and Professor of History Peter Kuznick almost didn’t happen. The microphones failed without warning at the onset and the auditorium house lights flashed on and off without explanation at one point, prompting them to wonder if the CIA might be sabotaging the event. Stone and Kuznick’s talk was moderated by former American Libraries Editor and Publisher Leonard Kniffel. Once the technical difficulties were fixed, Kniffel got down to business, probing the pair on the inspiration behind their Untold History of the United States project. Watch this exclusive AL video interview with Stone and Kuznick (Part 1, Part 2)....
AL: The Scoop, July 3

Giada and librarians: A tasty combo
T. J. Szafranski writes: “It made sense for Giada de Laurentiis to speak to a room full of librarians. Her new series of children’s books, Giada De Laurentiis’s Recipe for Adventure, will be published starting in September. For her, the books were a ‘passion project’ rooted in her experience as a child. But she spoke for only 10 minutes about the books, before engaging in an hour-long, lively, lighthearted, and honest question-and-answer session with the audience.”...
AL: The Scoop, July 2

An interview with Temple Grandin
Mary Voors writes: “On Sunday morning, prior to her informative and inspiring presentation at the ALA Annual Conference, I was lucky enough to interview Temple Grandin (right). She was diagnosed with autism at age 2 in 1949 and is now, in addition to her other professional accomplishments, one of the world’s most influential and inspirational advocates for people with autism. Grandin was welcoming, friendly, honest, enthusiastic, and very open. Here are excerpts from our conversation.”...
ALSC Blog, July 3

Making, not breaking
Chinese-American computer scientist Ping Fu (right) came to her Auditorium speech on Saturday dressed in red shoes, red belt, and white scarf—appropriately enough, all manufactured by a 3D printer. As chief strategy officer of 3D Systems, a technical design company founded in 1986 by Chuck Hall, the inventor of 3D printing, Fu is an enthusiastic proponent of makerspaces in libraries and schools. She has written a memoir of her life in China and the United States titled Bend, Not Break: A Life in Two Worlds (Portfolio / Penguin, 2012)....
AL: The Scoop, June 30

Octavia Spencer chat caps Annual Conference
At the Closing General Session on Tuesday, Academy Award winner Octavia Spencer spoke with incoming ALA President Barbara Stripling about her upcoming kids’ book, the challenges that come with fame, and the value of mentors. During the interview, Spencer entertained an estimated 1,000 conference-goers with humorous and inspirational tales about Hollywood, acting, and growing up poor in Alabama....
AL: The Scoop, July 2

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The prescription for finding healthcare information
George Eberhart writes: “The ALA Washington Office held a special informational session on Sunday afternoon to let librarians get a head start on helping their patrons enroll for healthcare through the new Affordable Care Act, which aims to provide reasonable health insurance for all Americans equally, regardless of any pre-existing conditions. About 7 million people are expected to sign up for coverage in the new marketplaces beginning October 1, but the heavy emphasis on web-based portals will put anyone without access to a computer at a disadvantage.”...
AL: The Scoop, July 1; Ask the ALA Library, July 3

The promise of libraries transforming communities
Laurie D. Borman writes: “Saturday morning’s panel session, ‘The Promise of Libraries Transforming Communities,’ hit home with an engaged crowd and a passionate panel. The ALA President’s Program was cosponsored by the Public Information Office. ALA Past President Molly Raphael opened the session by focusing on the community’s aspirations. Then each of the panelists spoke about how they had used methods learned in Harwood Institute workshops to engage their communities, whether a city, a university, or a school.”...
AL: The Scoop, June 30

Council I supports whistleblower Edward Snowden
Council quickly passed a number of resolutions on Sunday, including support for whistleblower Edward Snowden, which was moved by Jim Kuhn and seconded by Mike Marlin. The motion resolved “that the ALA recognize Edward Snowden as a whistleblower who, in releasing information that documents government attacks on privacy, free speech, and freedom of association, has performed a valuable service in launching a national dialogue about transparency, domestic surveillance, and overclassification.”...
AL: The Scoop, June 30

Council II reconsiders Snowden support
ALA Council II reconsidered on Monday a resolution that it passed the previous day in support of whistleblower Edward Snowden. The resolution was referred to the Committee on Legislation and the Intellectual Freedom Committee. ALA Parliamentarian Eli Mina stressed that referring the resolution does not rescind the motion approving it, but means Council has “pushed the pause button” on the resolution. Council also referred a resolution in support of whistleblower Bradley Manning to the same two committees....
AL: The Scoop, July 1

Whistleblower issues dominate Council III
After extended debate, the ALA Council voted to substitute the resolution in support of whistleblower Edward Snowden that passed in Council I on Monday with a resolution on the need for reforms for the intelligence community to support privacy, open government, government transparency, and accountability developed by the Committee on Legislation and the Intellectual Freedom Committee, respectively....
AL: The Scoop, July 2

eContent Quarterly preview issue ready for download
Patrick Hogan writes: “ALA TechSource has launched the new eContent Quarterly with a free preview issue announced at Annual Conference. Sue Polanka and Mirela Roncevic are coeditors. In a fast-changing marketplace like ebooks in libraries, confusion reigns. The goal of eContent Quarterly is to bring together the voices of vendors and librarians in one publication and lend some clarity. The first issue is slated for publication in September.”...
ALA TechSource blog, July 2

Your library school lost its accreditation: Now what?
Mariam Pera writes: “On Friday, Laura Dare and Karen O'Brien from ALA’s Office for Accreditation presented a program on ALA accreditation appeal process training. If the Council on Accreditation withdraws its endorsement from a program, the institution can appeal the decision only if the council’s action was taken as a result of a failure to observe due process, or was not supported by relevant information.”...
AL: The Scoop, July 2

Fred Faxon and the ALA conferences of yore
One of the most beloved members of ALA, Frederick Winthrop Faxon (1866–1936) “was not a librarian, but for almost 40 years he devoted himself to serving librarians and promoting the library idea.” A bibliographer and owner of the F. W. Faxon Publishing Company, his research on American magazines produced several bibliographies. One of the highlights of the ALA Archives collection is a series of F. W. Faxon’s photographs of the ALA conferences from 1894 to 1932. His photographs and humorous narrations and poems offer an intimate and entertaining view into the lives of librarians....
ALA Archives blog, June 23

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Q&A with Khaled Hosseini
American Libraries Associate Editor Mariam Pera had the opportunity to sit down with bestselling author Khaled Hosseini (right) before his Auditorium Speaker appearance on Saturday. AL: “You’ve said that you began And the Mountains Echoed with the image of a man pulling a wagon in the desert with a little girl in it, and a boy trailing behind. Do you see this as a metaphor for Afghanistan or its people, or is it symbolic of all of us?” Watch portions of Mariam Pera’s interview video (Part 1, Part 2)....
AL: The Scoop, June 30

Ann Patchett, readers’ advisor extraordinaire
Brita Zitin writes: “Without using the library buzzwords ‘readers’ advisory’ or ‘booktalking,’ author Ann Patchett (right) spent the first half of her appearance at the PLA President’s Program on Sunday describing her passion for the former, and the second half displaying her skill with the latter. Connecting readers with books is Patchett’s passion. She confessed that she doesn’t even really care about selling the books she recommends.”...
AL: The Scoop, July 2

Remembering Ray Bradbury
Phil Morehart writes: “Ray Bradbury’s influence on literature, film, television, art, and library advocacy is unparalleled. The late author was one of our great thinkers: curious, unflappable, and passionate about truth, literacy, and open access of information. ‘Book on Fire: Celebrating the 60th Anniversary of Fahrenheit 451,’ a panel discussion sponsored by the Intellectual Freedom Committee, celebrated the author’s most acclaimed work, the dystopian novel, Fahrenheit 451, which envisions a frightening future where books are outlawed.”...
AL: The Scoop, July 2

YA authors decode dystopia
Phil Morehart writes: “At the opening of the panel ‘Bleak New World: YA Authors Decode Dystopia,’ authors Lois Lowry (whose iconic The Giver won the Newbery in 1994), Patrick Ness (the Chaos Walking trilogy), Veronica Roth (the Divergent series), and Cory Doctorow (Homeland; Boing Boing coeditor) were asked how they would fare if they suddenly found themselves in one of the dystopian or apocalyptic situations detailed in their work. Some predicted survival. Others were convinced that they would immediately perish.”...
AL: The Scoop, June 30

Graphic novelists on camera
Watch exclusive interviews with graphic novelist Matt Dembecki (4:54), comic book author Jacob Chabot (3:28), and graphic novelists Chris Giarusso (1:28) and Delia Jean (right, 2:13)....
YouTube, July 1

Bestselling authors call for library ebook lending
On June 27, ALA President Maureen Sullivan announced the launch of “Authors for Library Ebooks,” a new initiative that asks authors to stand with libraries in their quest for equitable access to ebooks. Bestselling authors Cory Doctorow, Ursula K. Le Guin, and Jodi Picoult (right) are helping kick off the campaign....
District Dispatch, June 27

The AAP Bookalicious Authors Breakfast
April Schweikhard writes: “Books and breakfast—could there be a better way to start the morning? The Bookalicious Breakfast on Saturday, sponsored by the Association of American Publishers, provided attendees the opportunity to hear a panel of authors discuss their latest debuts. Stephanie Evanovich, Pierce Brown, Kathleen Kent, Mary Kay Andrews, and two other authors highlighted their new books.”...
AL: The Scoop, July 2

USBBY presentation with Elizabeth Wein
Colleen Seisser writes: “Author Elizabeth Wein (right) gave an impassioned and fascinating talk at the United States Board on Books for Young People presentation on Saturday. If you were lucky enough to catch it, you learned not only more about what USBBY does to promote diversity in children’s and teens’ literature but also about how Wein’s early literacy formed the writer that she is today.”...
YALSA: The Hub, July 2

Author inspiration
Casey O’Leary writes: “I had two opportunities to hear authors today at #ala2013 and both knocked my socks off. I decided several months ago to attend the Bookmobile Saturday Author Lunch. Lauren Myracle and Audrey Niffenegger were the guest speakers, and since my daughter has declared herself Lauren Myracle’s biggest fan, I figured it would be a great opportunity to meet her.” Here are more YA Rock Star authors at the Penguin Young Readers Group dinner....
ALSC Blog, June 29

Librarians to offer readers’ discovery service
Over the last few years of tussling of ebooks, librarians have constantly reminded publishers of the role they play in the discovery of books and authors. Now, with the launch of a new partnership, librarians and publishers will be pulling in the same directions: LibraryReads, a new recommendation program, will highlight public librarians’ favorite new books. Set to launch in fall 2013, the venture is open to all public library staff, and will serve as a national “library staff picks list.”...
Publishers Weekly, June 28

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Erin McKean, digital packrat
George Eberhart writes: “The ALCTS President’s Program on Monday morning featured Erin McKean (right), lexicographer and founder of Wordnik, an online dictionary. She came right out and confessed to being a ‘data packrat’ who keeps her Evernote files and Pinterest boards filled with text and images. ‘Only someone with as strong a data packrat drive as mine ends up as a lexicographer,’ she quipped.”...
AL: The Scoop, July 1

The myth and reality of the evolving patron
Brita Zitin writes: “Lee Rainie (right), director of the Pew Internet and American Life Project, knows how to win over a roomful of librarians, as he proved at the RUSA President’s Program on Saturday, where he was the keynote speaker. He’s generous with both his flattery (‘Every day spent with librarians is a good day’) and his cat photos (the feline census of his slideshow reached well into the double digits). But he also delivers (in abundance) what information professionals really want: reliable data that makes library work more meaningful.”...
AL: The Scoop, July 1

ACRL Instruction Section soirée
April Schweikhard writes: “Members of the ACRL Instruction Section mingled in the Reading Room of Columbia College Library on Friday, where there was music, refreshments, and good company. Before getting swept up in the nonstop schedule of meetings, sessions, and programs, instruction librarians from across the country were able to catch up with old colleagues and meet new friends.”...
AL: The Scoop, July 1

On zombies and Google
Kate Tkacik writes: “So, it was cool to find out zombies and Google are on our side in the fight to for information literacy. At ACRL’s ‘Crossing the K–20 Continuum,’ Ken Burhanna of Kent State University talked about how librarians can help what he called our ‘zombie’ students fit together the missing pieces in their research skills. Tasha Burgeson-Michelson of Google’s Search Education explained that it’s important for teacher librarians to remember that we can, and should, utilize the research technology our students already use in their everyday lives.”...
AL: The Scoop, July 2

Attracting reluctant male readers
B. A. Binns writes: “Barbara Binns and Jim Klise presented a YALSA session Saturday on ‘Attracting Reluctant Male Readers.’ ‘Reluctant reader’ and ‘teen boy’ are not synonyms, but demographically, the majority of reluctant readers are boys. Fear and embarrassment are the enemies, especially with boys reaching adolescence, the time when their gender identification grows in importance. Here are some strategies for turning reluctant readers into eager readers.”...
YALSA: The Hub, July 3

10 steps to a better library interior
T. J. Szafranski writes: “I channeled my inner Nate Berkus Saturday morning while listening to Nancye Browning, assistant director at Louisville (Ky.) Free Public Library, and Traci Lesneski, principal of Meyer Scherer & Rockcastle, present PLA’s ‘10 Steps to a Better Library Interior.’ Today’s library patrons expect comfort and amenities. Cafés, gaming spaces, cozy chairs—perks in the past—are now de rigueur. To help libraries meet these expectations, Lesneski and Browning offered 10 design-related tenets.”...
AL: The Scoop, July 2

Engaging Genre X
April Schweikhard writes: “Jennifer Czajka (Oak Park, Ill.) perfectly summarized her topic at the PLA “Late Nights at the Library: After Hours Programming for Public Libraries” session when she said that after-hour library programming is the most fun you can have at work. Czajka and Rebecca Malinowksi of the Oak Park (Ill.) Public Library explained how their library has leveraged after-hours programming events as part of its Genre X initiative targeting the 20s and 30s age groups.”...
AL: The Scoop, July 2

Long e-overdue
T. J. Szafranski writes: “I work with ebooks at my library. I understand how our patrons can access them, I understand how they can download them, and I understand how they can read them. I never really understood how we have them—what complicated system of money, technology, and time makes it all possible. PLA’s ‘Long e-Overdue’ program on Saturday shed some light on this, but even more importantly, the session made me understand that how libraries have ebooks will likely change before I can fully understand how it works.”...
AL: The Scoop, July 2

LLAMA’s PR Xchange
April Schweikhard writes: “When it comes to marketing, who couldn’t use a little help from their friends? Thankfully, LLAMA’s PR Xchange on Sunday provided librarians the opportunity to sample some of the year’s best marketing materials. This year’s Xchange hosted a variety of creative public relations materials, including zombie attacks and Hunger Games themes.”...
AL: The Scoop, July 2

Busting out of your cubicle
April Schweikhard writes: “My last session on Saturday was the ACRL University Libraries Section’s ‘Busting Out of the Cubicle: Your Creative Self at Work’; however, this wasn’t a typical conference session. Coming out of their success hosting an Innovation Boot Camp, M. J. D’Elia and Robert Bergart of the University of Guelph, Ontario, discussed the different types of mindsets that are characteristic of innovators. They conducted an exercise, a LEGO Serious Play activity in which every attendee was asked to build a small structure and then explain the process.”...
AL: The Scoop, July 2

School Library Research editors named
AASL has appointed Ruth V. Small (Syracuse University School of Information Studies) and Mega Subramaniam (College of Information Studies at the University of Maryland) as coeditors of its peer-reviewed online journal, School Library Research (SLR). Small and Subramaniam assume the roles previously filled by Jean Donham and Carol Tilley....
AASL, July 2

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I went to ALA for the first time
T. J. Szafranski writes: “Let’s start with ribbons. No one told me about ribbons (right). I read blog posts geared toward first-time conference attendees. My coworkers and other friends knew I was going. I didn’t hear a peep about ribbons. When I reported to the American Libraries tent on Friday morning, I received a small Press ribbon. At my second session, I scanned the room and noticed more people with ribbons attached to their name tags. Shiny ribbons, colorful ribbons, hard-to-read ribbons. Then I figured it out: Ribbons are a thing.”...
AL: The Scoop, July 3

Welcome back, campers!
Kate Tkacik writes: “Even though I won’t make it to an official session until later this afternoon, I’m happy to say I’ve already had plenty of talks (and hugs) with all sorts of librarians from all sorts of places across the country. Library management, book bikes, best practices in blog analytics, librarianship for urban youth, ALA member retention—just a sampling of the conversations had at Thursday night’s Think Tank meet-up at Citizen Bar.”...
AL: The Scoop, June 28

Peter Arnett and the preservation of the AP Saigon archives
George Eberhart writes: “Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist Peter Arnett (right) was the keynote speaker at ProQuest’s annual customer appreciation breakfast on Monday, and with good reason. Arnett, who had covered the Vietnam War for the Associated Press from 1962 to the fall of Saigon in 1975, was single-handedly responsible for preserving the entire archive of unpublished stories and service messages written by the AP’s Saigon Bureau, a repository that is now available in ProQuest’s History Vault collection.”...
AL: The Scoop, July 1

The Associated Press: Capturing history
Mariam Pera writes: “Kiichiro Sato, regional photo editor for the Associated Press, presented ‘Through the Photographer’s Lens: How Images Impact Research’ on Monday. His presentation included a sampling of photos that are available through the AP Images Collection, the AP’s partnership with EBSCO Publishing that makes millions of images available to library patrons. Sato offered information about the AP’s history, mission, and emphasis on journalistic standards, as well as examples of its work over the years.”...
AL: The Scoop, July 2

Microfilm’s 75th anniversary
George Eberhart writes: “Electronic publisher ProQuest celebrated its 75th anniversary at the 2013 ALA Annual Conference by showcasing the founder of University Microfilms International, its predecessor company. Eugene B. Power (1905–1993) introduced microfilm to libraries in 1938 and led the format to its standard use for preservation, sharing, and document storage. Visitors to the ProQuest booth were greeted with a lifesize cutout (above, complete with conference badge) of Power as a superhero sporting a word balloon.”...
AL: The Scoop, June 30

Why libraries need to be involved in marketing (PDF file)
Ginger Rogers writes: “David Vinjamuri, a brand marketer who has done training for American Express, Johnson & Johnson, and the US Navy, spoke to attendees Sunday about public relations, starting with a perfect example of good PR by pulling chairs off the dais to help seat the crowd. Libraries, he said, are the ‘keystone species’ of reading, the very reason that reading is prevalent as a leisure activity in our society.“...
Cognotes, July 1, p. 12, 16

IMLS and USCIS sign partnership agreement (PDF file)
Brad Martin writes: “Libraries will find it easier to get the citizenship and immigration information they need to serve their communities, thanks to a new partnership agreement between the Institute of Museum and Library Services and the US Citizenship and Immigration Service, signed at the ALA Annual Conference on Saturday.”...
Cognotes, June 30, p. 1, 12

Librarians as game changers on gun violence
Chicago has been plagued with gun violence recently. On Friday, Rev. Michael Pfleger, social activist and pastor of St. Sabina Catholic Church, located in one of Chicago’s most troubled neighborhoods, opened a session on the topic of how libraries can make a difference. He urged librarians to be “first responders” in the fight to improve the quality of life in communities suffering from gun violence issues. Watch this excerpt from his presentation (1:58)....
Visibility @ your library, July 3

Emerging Leaders poster session
Abby Johnson writes: “I stopped by the 2013 Emerging Leaders’ poster session Friday and holy cats were there some interesting and awesome projects to behold! From planning interactive activities for PLA 2014 to examining ALA’s member retention to serving adult learners and even evaluating the Emerging Leaders program itself, the room was wall-to-wall with great info and ideas.”...
ALSC Blog, June 28

Unconference: Changing the world
T. J. Szafranski writes: “Unconference is a participant-guided experience that aims to reinvent the informal, unstructured conversations that colleagues have at conferences. Instead of being talked at, attendees decide on topics to discuss and talk about with one another. The #ala2013 Unconference began when the moderators (above), Ayanna Gaines, Ventura (Calif.) College, and Matthew Ciszek, Penn State Shenango, asked the crowd for topic suggestions.”...
AL: The Scoop, June 28

ALA Battledecks IV: Chicago showdown
Brita Zitin writes: “Improv was an unstated but undeniable theme of the 2013 Annual Conference. There was Friday’s Learning Round Table preconference with Chicago’s Second City Communications, Saturday’s ProQuest Scholarship Bash featuring Second City performers, Sunday’s LLAMA/NMRT discussion about what to do if you’re called upon to speak unexpectedly, and Monday’s Ignite session about collaboration based on the improv principle of “Yes, And!” But perhaps the most eagerly anticipated improv event of the conference was Monday evening’s Battledecks competition.”...
AL: The Scoop, July 2

Now Showing @ALAannual presents movies and more
Phil Morehart writes: “Now Showing @ ALA offered a variety of film and video screenings throughout the 2013 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago. The selections were diverse, including Martin Scorsese’s Paris-set historical adventure Hugo, episodes of Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick’s Showtime series The Untold History of the United States,Ferlinghetti: A Rebirth of Wonder (a biography of poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti), and 56 Up, the latest installment of British filmmaker Michael Apted’s long-running documentary series.”...
AL: The Scoop, July 2

We’re gonna need a bigger room
Kate Tkacik writes: “The room was packed to capacity at all four of the Conversation Starter and Ignite programs I attended. These sessions are fun, diverse, and informal. At Ignite talks, presenters have five minutes and 20 slides to share a unique project or a specific passion. Presentations ranged from Twitter-length book talks to literacy for African-American male youth to spatial data practices. Conversation Starters are informal panels, where the audience and presenters can interact and talk it out. Better still, the sessions are all voted into the schedule by ALA members (and nonmembers) before the conference begins.”...
AL: The Scoop, July 2

The thing about money . . .
Brian Mayer writes: “There are so many wonderful things that come along with attending Annual Conference. One of the common conversational threads this year has been money: Not having enough, needing to justify expenditures, and furloughs and layoffs all seem to bubble up to the top of the most casual of hellos. But what should be troubling and saddening has instead been inspirational.”...
AL: The Scoop, June 30

Mashing up programs with MOOCs, media, and more
Jayna Ramsey writes: “Humanities are not dead. That is the message of the Library As Incubator Project as well as the other presenters on Saturday at ‘Humanities in the Digital Era.’ The way that libraries have taken it upon themselves to showcase and promote humanities is becoming more creative, both in the way that the humanities are being expressed, as well as in the partnerships that are being formed to make it all possible.”...
Programming Librarian, July 3

STEM programming with NASA
Nicole Helregel writes: “Space is always a hot topic with children; astronomy is a fun, accessible way to connect children’s natural curiosity about our world and universe to STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) education. In ‘Creating Out-of-This-World Children’s Programs with NASA Materials,’ Eve Halligan and Andy Shaner, representatives from the Lunar and Planetary Institute in Houston, discussed the Explore program, which is designed to engage children in space and planetary science outside the classroom.”...
Programming Librarian, July 1

Creative programming for older adults
Jayna Ramsey writes: “Currently close to 14% of the US population is over the age of 65, with that number expected to rise to 20% by 2030. Library programming for older adults frequently includes much passive programming, such as author talks and lectures, but little hands-on experience, unlike children’s programming. Lifetime Arts’ Creative Aging Toolkit introduced a solution to this problem at a Saturday Public Programs Office session: hands-on art programs of at least eight weeks long that provide instruction by a professional and an opportunity for socialization.”...
Programming Librarian, July 2

The Library Camp song: Everybody!
Brita Zitin writes: “Okay, everyone, to the tune of ‘Do Your Ears Hang Low?’” Here goes: “At the end of a conference / Do you find you’re not quite through? / Do you want to make more friends / And bounce ideas off someone new? / Have you used up your per diem / Or your energy to schmooze, / But just aren’t through?”...
AL: The Scoop, July 2

The Chicago Tribune discovers librarians
Christopher Borrelli writes: “Mallory Caise, who is 28, hip, wide-eyed, and unfailingly polite, pushed her way through the thicket of librarians. She wore a black polka-dot dress and clutched a pile of folders to her chest. She moved slowly, knocking into people, apologizing every few feet. This was Saturday at McCormick Place, midway through the American Library Association’s Annual Conference, which drew more than 26,000.”...
Chicago Tribune, July 1

Chicago experiences: Non–ALA related
Katie U. Miller writes: “A whirlwind weekend in Chicago. Each day my mind was spinning from all the new information that had been crammed into it from session after session. I’m still trying to process it all. For now, here’s what I learned about Chicago the city. I’ll write about ALA later.”...
TV Addicted Librarian, July 3

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A grand total of 26,362 librarians and library staff, exhibitors, and library supporters attended ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, June 27–July 2. Attendance was better than last year’s conference in Anaheim, California, which had 20,134 registrations. The New Orleans Annual Conference total was 20,125 in 2010.

Join the ALA Virtual Conference, July 24–25.

Visit Flickr to see photos of Annual Conference and watch videos (including many authors) on the official ALA YouTube channel.

Find more conference coverage in the online version of Cognotes.