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For daily ALA and library news, check the American Libraries website or subscribe to our RSS feed.
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US Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor (right) will appear as an Auditorium Speaker on June 22 at the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. The session will be moderated by Jill Santopolo, associate publisher of Philomel Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. President Barack Obama nominated Sotomayor as Associate Justice and she assumed that role on August 8, 2009. She is the author of My Beloved World, Turning Pages, The Beloved World of Sonia Sotomayor, and the forthcoming Just Ask!...
ALA Conference Services, May 9; American Libraries Newsmaker, Oct. 16, 2018 |
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Emily Udell writes: “Choosing a major, securing financial aid, getting good grades—these are the common concerns of most college students. But increasingly many also worry where their next meal might come from. Some academic libraries around the country are stepping in to help by housing pantries or offering food onsite. Fort Hays State University in Hays, Kansas, stocks free provisions at its pantry, Tiger Food Exchange, located on the first floor of Forsyth Library. The pantry offers produce from a university garden, along with donations from faculty, students, and local businesses. Library staffers ensure the area stays stocked and organized.”...
American Libraries Trend, May |
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Many studies show that when parents get involved with early literacy, a child is better prepared for school—and life. That’s why North Liberty (Iowa) Community Library developed a monthly podcast aimed at busy, expecting families. Caregivers can learn about the literacy skills kids need to succeed—such as phonological awareness, letter knowledge, and print motivation. Jennifer Jordebrek writes: “The vision behind our Stork Storytime Talks podcast is simple: We want to enable new and expecting parents and caregivers to learn about early literacy skills at a time that is convenient for them, whether that’s during a daily drive or baby’s naptime.”...
American Libraries Spotlight, May |
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Karen Muller writes: “We all do readers’ advisory, even if it’s not part of our usual job. Sometimes it’s casually at an after-hours party, but other times it’s during business hours that we find ourselves helping a reluctant reader find something enticing or steering a voracious reader to a new treasure. Fortunately for those who may forget authors’ names or remember a book only by the color of its dust jacket, there are numerous compilations to help. Some are little more than lists, while others contain discussions on how to assess content or match reader interests to certain books.”...
American Libraries column, May |
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Emily Rimland and Victoria Raish write: “The ability to articulate specific skill sets can help land a job, get a promotion, or earn a better grade. Digital badges, or microcredentials, are an emerging educational currency that enables the recognition of learning. In essence, they are virtual representations of a skill or knowledge that learners can use to paint a picture of their unique skills. They can be offered for all areas of study and all levels, from beginner to advanced. Libraries use badges in many ways.”...
American Libraries column, May |
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ALA President Loida Garcia-Febo will host a free webinar, “Library Preparedness for Hurricane Season,” on May 22. Library of Congress Preservation Specialist Alan Haley will review the basic principles of emergency management as an effective way to update your own emergency plans. He will also highlight the steps to create a template for emergencies if you have yet to develop one. Librarians in Houston and Puerto Rico will explain how they were able to rebuild while serving and collaborating with their communities in the aftermath of Hurricanes Irma and Maria in 2017....
ALA Chapter Relations Office, May 7 |
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Voters approved all five public library issues on local ballots from the May 7 election around Ohio. The average voter approval rating was 74% on the ballot issues for libraries in Euclid, Lorain County, Oberlin, Stark County, and McComb. The revenue from these local property tax levies will provide financial support for library programs and essential services as well as complement the state funding of public libraries. Douglas Evans, executive director of the Ohio Library Council, said that “Yesterday’s election results once again prove that the majority of voters consider public libraries a priority.”...
WHIO-TV, Dayton, Ohio, May 8 |
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Laura Mendez writes: “If you are a programming librarian, consider hosting a zine workshop at your library. Zine programs resonate with library values; they promote activism, freedom of speech, and freedom of expression; and they empower future authors and artists. Best of all, they cost virtually nothing to produce and enable you to utilize items that are likely already in your library. One of the most appealing aspects of a zine program is the infinite versatility of the format. Zines are adaptable to all age groups and skill sets; they can also take on an endless variety of formats, themes, and materials.”...
Programming Librarian, May 6; San Diego County (Calif.) Library |
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US Army families at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, exercised their bodies and minds as they walked by Smith Lake and read a story along the way during the Combined Arms Research Library’s StoryWalk on May 3. The event was part of the army’s annual Strong B.A.N.D.S. (Strong Balance, Activity, Nutrition, Determination and Strength) program, which is meant to promote healthy, active lifestyles throughout Army communities. Nora Walker, CARL community technician, said “the goal is to offer a family-friendly activity that might inspire a love of reading in a new and interactive way.”...
Butler County (Kans.) Times-Gazette, May 9 |
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Sarah S. Davis writes: “I’ve known I wanted to be a librarian since I was a kid who played in the stacks. I lived down the block from our public library, and I considered it a home as much as my own house. I know I’m not alone. These 10 great books about libraries highlight important libraries, librarians, and even library cats. Encompassing fiction and nonfiction alike, the books on this list celebrate the magic of the library experience.”...
Book Riot, May 7 |
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Colleen Flaherty writes: “What a difference preparation makes when it comes to doing research in Arctic-level air-conditioned academic libraries (or ones that are otherwise freezing—or not air-conditioned at all). Luckily, Megan L. Cook, assistant professor of English at Colby College, published a crowdsourced document titled ‘How Cold Is That Library?’ Alas, the Folger Shakespeare Library in Washington, D.C., is rated ‘very cold,’ for example. But hark! A box of shawls is kept behind the circulation desk, available on request. And the library’s New Reading Room has ‘better light.’”...
Inside Higher Ed, May 10 |
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Dian Schaffhauser writes: “Lisa Forrest (right) had been on the job just a week or two as the new library director at Davidson (N.C.) College when John McCann, manager of the User Success Team, came and asked if Forrest would be interested in piloting something new: placing student technology consultants from the Technology and Innovation division alongside her own student library assistants. The idea was to create a blended service model in the library. Of course, Forrest said, the pilot hasn’t come without its growing pains. For example, T&I consultants wore headphones and the library assistants didn’t.”...
Campus Technology, May 9 |
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