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Explore ALA’s global impact in the 2015 international digital edition of American Libraries. In this issue you will find highlights from the IFLA World Library and Information Congress in Cape Town, South Africa; a look at ALA efforts to help rebuild regions devastated by cyclones and earthquakes; a governance update on RDA; and a report from the Sharjah International Book Fair in the United Arab Emirates....
American Libraries, Sept. 23 |
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A new episode of American Libraries Live—a one-hour discussion on web-scale discovery services—will air online on October 8. On this episode, Marshall Breeding will lead an expert panel in a discussion on the topic of web-scale discovery services. You can preregister for this free 60-minute event or visit the AL Live website at 2 p.m. Eastern time on October 8....
American Libraries, Sept. 24 |
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Sponsored Content
Banned Books Week celebrates YA books in 2015
Banned Books Week is the annual celebration of the freedom to read and will be observed in libraries, schools, bookstores, and other community settings across the nation and around the world.
Celebrate Banned Books Week by reading or listening to a banned book. See a list of some banned books available on audio from Recorded Books and check out these links on censorship.
Here are two additional resources:
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 US Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.)—known for being innovative and widely recognized as the accessible and energetic new voice of politics—will join ALA President Sari Feldman as speaker during her President’s Program at the 2016 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Boston. This program, in partnership with the ALA Task Force on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, will take place on January 10....
Conference Services, Sept. 24 |
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Kathryn K. Matthew’s nomination to be director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services was confirmed by the US Senate on September 22. The institute, an independent US government agency, is the primary source of federal support for the nation’s 123,000 libraries and 35,000 museums. Matthew’s 30-year museum career includes roles in curation, collections, research, management, exhibits, and educational programs....
Institute of Museum and Library Services, Sept. 23 |
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The Library of Congress on September 24 received as a gift from Saint John’s Abbey and University in Collegeville, Minnesota, an Apostles Edition of the Saint John’s Bible, a work of art with more than 1,130 pages and 160 illuminations that reflect life in the modern era, measuring 2 feet tall and 3 feet wide when open. It is the first handwritten and illuminated Bible commissioned by a monastery in more than 500 years. LC will place the edition on public exhibition beginning September 26....
Library of Congress, Sept. 24 |
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At this year’s celebration of Banned Books Week, local Indianapolis artists will reimagine the covers of banned or threatened literature and display their work at the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library. Also, DePauw University Dean of Libraries Rick Provine will live 24/7 behind the library’s plate-glass window, in a “prison” of banned books. He will be blogging for American Libraries about his experience and his thoughts about banned books within society....
Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library |
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Chapel Hill (N.C.) Public Library celebrates Banned Books Week as an opportunity to showcase the talents of local artists. The library puts out a call for artists to create works that are inspired by a banned or challenged book or author. A jury then selects seven to be printed as trading cards, with facts about the book, author, and artist on the back of the card. Winners will be kept under wraps until Banned Books Week, when a new card will be revealed each day and given away at the library....
Chapel Hill (N.C.) Public Library, Sept. 23 |
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As free-speech campaigners prepare to celebrate the right to read during Banned Books Week, YA author Lauren Myracle has called on parents to “trust the teens they’re trying to protect.” For Myracle, whose TTYL series of YA books topped the ALA’s list of challenged titles in 2009, the strong reactions inspired by teen fiction are a testament to its richness and ambition. “Put book after book after book into a kid’s hands,” Myracle said. “Any book, any kid. That’s an act of love.”...
The Guardian (UK), Sept. 25 |
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The National Book Foundation has awarded novelist and literary activist James Patterson its 2015 Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community. Patterson will receive the award at the 66th National Book Awards Ceremony and Benefit Dinner on November 18 in New York City. The award honors individuals for a lifetime of achievement in expanding the audience for books and reading....
National Book Foundation, Sept. 24
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Barbara Fister writes: “I’m fascinated by the way fear is used to promote agendas, gain attention, or make us compliant when someone is trying to sell us something—a home security system, a medication or personal hygiene product, a public policy. Fear is almost always cited as a contributing factor to police shootings. Librarians need to take our commitment to intellectual freedom to heart and fight back when fear is used as a weapon against the right to inquire and explore.”...
Inside Higher Ed: Library Babel Fish, Sept. 24 |
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Amita Lonial writes: “At Skokie (Ill.) Public Library, we created a six-week series called ‘Voices of Race’ in partnership with our area schools, nonprofits, and community leaders to examine the issues of race and racism locally. We used a variety of mechanisms to get patrons of all ages engaged. I think the harder work for all of us, individually and institutionally, lies in turning inward. On an individual level it is difficult and painful to confront ways in which we may be contributing to inequality.”...
ILA Reporter 33, no. 5 (Oct.) |
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The Lexington (Ky.) Public Library has produced an interactive ebook designed to help parents, daycare providers, and preschool teachers organize storytimes that will help get children ready to read. Storytime to Go: A Reading-Readiness Guide for Parents and Preschools takes readers through the basics of reading-readiness and the elements of a good storytime. It is available for free download in EPUB or PDF format....
Lexington (Ky.) Public Library |
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Jill Duffy writes: “Online project management platforms are collaborative, web-based, real-time systems that let team members and partners keep an eye on every detail. Basecamp was the best for many years, but more competitors have come onto the scene with excellent offerings, unique twists, and cutting-edge interfaces. While Basecamp is still a strong contender, it’s hardly the only one worth considering. Zoho Projects and Teamwork Projects are PCMag’s two current favorites.”...
PC Magazine, Sept. 24 |
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Alexandra Alter writes: “Five years ago, the book world was seized by collective panic over the uncertain future of print. In 2011, the industry’s fears were realized when Borders declared bankruptcy. But the digital apocalypse never arrived, or at least not on schedule. While analysts once predicted that ebooks would overtake print by 2015, digital sales have instead slowed sharply. Now, there are signs that some ebook adopters are returning to print, or becoming hybrid readers who juggle devices and paper.” But Nate Hoffelder points out that ebook publishers are raising prices to prop up print sales....
New York Times, Sept. 22; The Digital Reader, Sept. 24 |
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Michael Kozlowski writes: “The e-reader and consumer ebook industry has hit the proverbial glass ceiling in terms of sales. One of the segments that has been consistently on the upward trend has been libraries. A recent report states that 95% of all US libraries have an ebook collection. That’s up from 89% in both 2013, when researchers thought that adoption had plateaued for good. One of the greatest success stories of 2015 has been the rise of Hoopla.”...
Good eReader, Sept. 24 |
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