For daily ALA and library news, check the American Libraries website or subscribe to our RSS feed.
|
|
|
Alison Marcotte writes: “A gas leak in the San Fernando Valley recently disrupted the lives of those residing in the Porter Ranch neighborhood of Los Angeles for months. Thousands were forced to relocate to hotels, change schools, and rearrange their lives. Through it all, staffers at Porter Ranch branch of the Los Angeles Public Library stayed as a source for information, services, and support for the community.”...
American Libraries feature, Apr. 5 |
|
Greg Landgraf writes: “April First means April Fools’ pranks, and libraries are enthusiastic participants. Here are some of our favorites from this year. The day’s clear viral victor was Library and Archives Canada’s announcement of the acquisition of the declassified journals and military records of soldier James ‘Logan’ Howlett. Howlett, who bears a curious resemblance to actor Hugh Jackman, was wounded while fighting in Ypres in World War I but survived and served as an Allied spy in World War II.”...
AL: The Scoop, Apr. 4; Library and Archives Canada Facebook, Apr. 1 |
|
Alan S. Inouye writes: “ALA’s first-ever National Policy Convening will be held in Washington, D.C., on April 12–13. Given that a new administration and Congress will be coming to town, it is timely to discuss and debate information policy and the public interest. ALA President Sari Feldman will chair this convening, with featured policy players from the public, private, and nonprofit sectors.”...
District Dispatch, Apr. 4 |
|
Gov. Terry McAuliffe on April 4 vetoed a bill that would have made Virginia the first state in the country to allow parents to block their children from reading books in school that contain sexually explicit material. The measure became known in the General Assembly as the Beloved bill because supporters have cited the novel by Nobel laureate Toni Morrison as an example of a book too graphic for some students. McAuliffe released a statement accompanying his veto....
Washington Post, Apr. 4; WRIC-TV, Richmond, Va., Apr. 4 |
|
|
Tennessee is poised to make history as the first state in the US to recognize the Holy Bible as its official book. After nearly 30 minutes of debate, the state Senate on April 4 approved the measure, sponsored by Sen. Steve Southerland (R-Morristown), with a 19–8 vote, sending the legislation to Gov. Bill Haslam’s desk. While proponents stressed the historic and religious significance of the book, some opponents expressed constitutional reservations....
Nashville Tennessean, Apr. 4 |
|
The District of Columbia Public Library system opened its first location in the city’s only jail in March 2015, introducing inmates to books and library programming that also will be available to them after release. In its first year, 1,100 inmates checked out 4,600 books. The library system foots the program’s $293,288 annual bill. A full-time librarian, Danielle Zoller, is in charge of the nearly 4,000 books in the jail’s basement. Zoller pushes a cart of books through the jail’s corridors each day....
Washington Post, Apr. 2 |
|
On April 3, the International Association of Culinary Professionals held the ceremony for its annual awards. Big winners of the night include J. Kenji López-Alt, whose The Food Lab took home two awards; Francis Lam, who won two awards related to his work in the New York Times Magazine; and Eating Well for publication of the year. Jeff Koehler won the Literary Food Writing Award for Darjeeling: The Colorful History and Precarious Fate of the World’s Greatest Tea....
Grub Street, Apr. 4 |
|
|
Oksana Matvienko and Katelyn Browne write: “Food habits develop in early childhood under the guidance of parents and caregivers. But it’s not always an easy journey. According to some researchers, nearly 45% of kids fuss over food at some point in their childhood. Librarians can play an important role in disseminating information about recommended feeding practices through programming and collection development. Here is some basic knowledge about child-feeding practices, both beneficial and harmful.”...
ALSC Blog, Apr. 4
|
|
Handwriting appears to focus classroom attention and boost learning in a way that typing notes on a keyboard does not, new studies suggest. Students who took handwritten notes generally outperformed students who typed their notes via computer, researchers at Princeton University and the University of California at Los Angeles found. Compared with those who type their notes, people who write them out in longhand appear to learn better, retain information longer, and more readily grasp new ideas....
Wall Street Journal, Apr. 4
|
|
Carl Straumsheim writes: “Faculty members are showing interest in supporting students and improving their learning outcomes, and say the library can play an important role in that work, a new study found. Ithaka S+R’s latest national faculty survey, released April 4, suggests that the pressure to prepare students for life after college is influencing faculty members, who are more concerned than ever that undergraduates don’t know how to locate and evaluate scholarly information.”...
Inside Higher Ed, Apr. 4; Ithaka S+R, Apr. 4
|
|
Dan Boudreau writes: “Over the last couple years, the MarbledMonday hashtag has taken off on the American Antiquarian Society Instagram feed, becoming one of our most popular regular features. What has inspired our audience’s ‘marbled madness’—this fascination with an often-overlooked book art? A lot of it has to do with the aesthetic appeal of marbling, for sure. The intricate and varied patterns certainly catch the eye. But I think part of the attraction comes from the mystery of marbled papers, edges, and cloths.”...
Past Is Present, Apr. 4
|
|
Tony Polanco writes: “Back during the Xbox One reveal event, Microsoft showed footage of an intriguing game called Quantum Break. This title promised to combine the world of video games and live-action television in a way that was never seen before. Out of everything shown at the event, it was arguably the standout title. Quantum Break is finally here. As the first big AAA Xbox One game of 2016, it certainly has a lot to live up to. Here are five reasons to try it out.”...
PC Magazine, Apr. 5
|
AL Direct is a free electronic newsletter emailed every Tuesday and Friday to personal members of the American Library Association.
|
|
Send news and feedback: aldirect@ala.org
Direct ad inquiries to: mstack@ala.org
AL Direct FAQ: americanlibrariesmagazine.org/al-direct
All links outside the ALA website
are provided for informational purposes only. Questions about the
content of any external site should be addressed to the administrator of
that site.
AL Direct will not sell your email to outside parties, but your email may be shared with advertisers in this newsletter should you express interest in their products by clicking on their ads or content. If the advertisers choose to communicate with you by email, they are obligated to provide you with an opportunity to opt-out from future emails in compliance with the CAN-SPAM act of 2003. Read the ALA privacy policy.
American Libraries
50 E. Huron St.
Chicago, IL 60611
800-545-2433, ext. 4216
ISSN 1559-369X
|
