Top Stories
July 22, 2010: Laura and Libraries
Before our daughter Laura started school, her favorite time of the week was Tuesday morning. Tuesday morning meant Book Buddies, a weekly story time program at a local library for kids ages four through six. In addition to hearing great stories read aloud by an expert storyteller, Laura and the other children got to make a craft each week, color a page of their own book creation, and play a rhyming game which allowed them to transform the stories they heard into silly stories of their own. Read more...
July 22, 2010: Facing Cuts, NYPL turns to Improv Everywhere for Viral Advocacy Video
Fearing severe budget cuts more than ghosts, New York Public Library teamed up with public pranksters Improv Everywhere to host one of IE's missions at the library—and produce a viral video supporting NYPL's "Don't Close the Book on Libraries" advocacy campaign in the process. "We are facing a $37 million budget cut from the city of New York," NYPL spokeswoman Angela Montefinise told American Libraries. As a result, she said the library is trying to reach out to new audiences, and Improv Everywhere offers audience in abundance. Read more...
July 9, 2010: Libraries Embrace Gaming
The library is generally thought of as a quiet place. But for six nights last summer, a portion of the Westbank Library in Austin, Texas, was transformed into a haven for young gamers. After closing time, around twenty teenagers, supervised by Children’s & Programs Librarian Kristi Floyd, gathered around consoles in the library’s conference rooms to battle it out at Super Smash Bros. Brawl, Guitar Hero, Dance Dance Revolution, and Super Mario Kart. Read more...
July 9, 2010: NBA star Dwyane Wade named Honorary Chair of Library Card Sign-up Month
This September, Olympic gold medalist and 2008-2009 NBA top scoring player Dwyane Wade wants Americans to know that a library card is the “smartest card” in every wallet. As Honorary Chair of Library Card Sign-up Month, Wade has donated his time and image to the creation of a print public service announcement (PSA). ALA will place the PSA in magazines during the month of September. Read more...
June 25, 2010: ALTAFF and ALA Washington Office to lead Virtual Library Advocacy Day
The Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations (ALTAFF) and the American Library Association (ALA) Washington Office will lead Virtual Library Advocacy Day, an opportunity for all library advocates to make their voices heard on a national level, on June 29, 2010. Read more...June 25, 2010: The Case for Comics in the Classroom
The conventional wisdom had always held that comics – or graphic novels if you prefer the more modern parlance – were the “bad” kind of reading. The kind that would rot tender, adolescent brains swifter than a zombie bite. Only groundbreaking cognitive research and an ever-growing mountain of anecdotal evidence on the educational efficacy of comics is making comic converts out of even the harshest critics. These parents, teachers and librarians are seeing firsthand how comics can be a ladder to literacy and learning for students of all ages, interests and level of achievement. Read more...
June 25, 2010: World Cup 101 at Skokie Public Library
On June 10, 2010, the eve of the 2010 FIFA World Cup in South Africa, I (Mick Jacobsen) presented World Cup 101 to Skokie Public Library patrons. Attendees came interested in an introduction to the greatest sporting event on Earth, and, perhaps more importantly, learned how better to understand and enjoy the Beautiful Game. Read more...
June 11, 2010: Runner goes the extra mile for libraries
On May 2, 2010, Susanne Park, a violinist in the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra (PSO), ran an extra mile for libraries in the Pittsburgh Marathon (rounding out to a grand total of 27.2 miles!), and in the process earned $1500 for her Friends of Lawrenceville Library group. Susanne is also a member of “Save Pittsburgh Libraries,” a grassroots group of library advocates bound by the goal of maintaining Pittsburgh’s neighborhood branch libraries by securing a more open, sustainable library system to serve the city’s residents well into the future. Read more...
June 11, 2010: Library Snapshot Day
Since the launch of the National Snapshot Day idea at the 2010 Midwinter Meeting, 25 states, from Hawaii to Maine, have planned or committed to planning a library snapshot day. This national effort was the work of the Advocacy Coordinating Group, part of the ALA Committee on Library Advocacy. “Snapshot Days are spreading like wildfire!” exclaims Marci Merola, director of ALA’s Office for Library Advocacy. “You know you have a great idea when in just a matter of months and with a minimal push from ALA half the country gets involved." Read more...
June 11, 2010: ALA Sets Up Text Donations to Help Rebuild Libraries in Haiti
It now only takes two minutes for you to donate $10 to help rebuild libraries in Haiti. The American Library Association has set up an option to easily donate through your mobile phone. To donate to the ALA Haiti Library Relief Fund simply text “alahaiti” to 20222, and a $10 one-time tax-deductible donation will be added to your mobile phone bill. Read more...
May 28, 2010: New Facility Aims to Boost Literacy Rates
Marilu Estrada thinks about a time when she no longer works third shift, part of the clean-up crew at a factory. She wants to spend more time with her three kids, the youngest of whom is only a few months old. But without a high school diploma, Estrada’s job options are—not surprisingly—slim. Last summer, the Waukegan mom decided to enroll in the free Family Literacy program offered through the Waukegan Public Library and its literacy partners. Read more...
May 28, 2010: Madeline’s Cause: Banned Books
Last week, the Office for Intellectual Freedom got a visit from Madeline Daniel, who came to make a donation – cash that she had raised from her lemonade sale. For 50 cents a cup, thirsty passersby helped raise money “to support the ALA’s fight against Banned Books.” Madeline raised over $28 in all, which indeed will help us continue to work with librarians, parents, community members, and teachers to protect the right to read. Read more...
May 14, 2010: “The Collaborative Haiti Broadside” at the University of Alabama
MLIS and MFA students at the University of Alabama’s School of Library & Information Studies (SLIS) have joined together to raise funds for the recovery and reconstruction of libraries in Haiti that were ruined by the recent earthquake. Book arts and library science students worked together to create “The Collaborative Haiti Broadside,” a beautiful work of art, and will sell the limited edition of 75 numbered copies to those interested in owning one. Read more...
May 14, 2010: Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum designated a Literary Landmark by ALTAFF
The Ernest Hemingway Home & Museum in Key West, Fla., was designated a Literary Landmark on March 14 by the Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations (ALTAFF), a division of the American Library Association (ALA). Read more...
April 30, 2010: ALA division launches national Preservation Week @ your library
Recognizing the critical role libraries play in preservation, the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), will sponsor the first national Preservation Week, May 9-15, 2010. Read more...
April 30, 2010: Play ball @ your library
Celebrate the start of the 2010 Baseball Season and Step Up to the Plate @ your library by showing off your knowledge of baseball trivia. You may win a trip to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. Read more...
April 30, 2010: Recession drives more Americans to libraries in search of employment resources; but funding lags demand
When jobs go away, Americans turn to their libraries to find information about future employment or educational opportunities. This library usage trend and others are detailed in the 2010 State of America’s Libraries report, released today by the American Library Association. The report shows that Americans have turned to their libraries in larger numbers in recent years. Read more...
April 16, 2010: Choose Privacy Week
Privacy today is all about choice, tradeoffs, and control. When asked what concerns them most when it comes to protecting privacy, people respond with a variety of issues. Read more...
April 16, 2010: A Donation that Was One for the Books
The bright red library cart in the pediatric unit has wheels to move from place to place and books that will give wings to children in wheelchairs. The idea behind the gift –– presented by Cathy and Scott Leiber of Williams Township Friday to the Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Hospital Pediatric Unit –– is simple. The story behind the cart is anything but. Read more...
April 16, 2010: El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Día)
Children's Day/Book Day, also known as El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Día), is a celebration of children, families, and reading held annually on April 30. The celebration emphasizes the importance of literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Read more...
April 2, 2010: Reflections on Bookmobile Service
Bookmobiles provide library service for children, older adults and ethnic communities all of whom either can’t travel to a bricks and mortar library or are unacquainted with the services a library offers. Bookmobiles are over a century old and began in the days of horse drawn carriages and nickelodeon theaters and well before computers, televisions or even home radios. Read more...
April 2, 2010: AASL observes 25th anniversary of School Library Month
This April, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) will observe the 25th Anniversary of School Library Month (SLM).
School Library Month, is celebrated in conjunction with National Library Week (April 12-18). Read more...
April 2, 2010: Neil Gaiman to speak about libraries and censorship as part of National Library Week
Libraries and their communities are invited to a live Internet event, An Evening with Neil Gaiman, from 6 to 8 p.m. April 12. This event, which kicks off National Library Week (April 11-17), is coordinated by the American Library Association’s Campaign for America’s Libraries and the Jessamine County (Ky.) Public Library (JCPL). Read more...
April 2, 2010: 2010 WrestleMania® Reading Challenge Champions Crowned At Finals at WWE®’s WrestleMania XVI
Liam Jose, Gabe Murrell and La’Quan Deen were crowned WrestleMania Reading Challenge world champions in the WrestleMania® Reading Challenge on March 27, sponsored by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), a division of the American Library Association, and World Wrestling Entertainment®, with support from Mattel and DK Publishing. Read more...
April 2, 2010: National Library Workers Day celebrated during National Library Week
The American Library Association-Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA), an organization that advocates for improving the salaries and status of librarians and support staff, is sponsoring the second annual National Library Workers Day (NLWD) on Tuesday, April 12, during ALA-sponsored National Library Week (April 10-16). NLWD is a day for library staff, users, administrators and Friends groups to recognize the valuable contributions made by all library workers - including librarians, support staff and others. Read more...
March 19, 2010: Chile Library Relief
On February 27th one of the most powerful earthquakes in history devastated a large part of Chile. The earthquake, 240 miles southwest of the capitol of Santiago, and the 150 aftershocks extended over six regions, impacting over two million people and killing nearly 300 individuals. Read more...
March 19, 2010: Florida Library Association wins ALA President’s Award for Advocacy, sponsored by ALTAFF
As Florida’s state budget was coming together for fiscal year 2010, it looked like everything was set for state aid to libraries. Sure, there was a modest reduction from the previous allotment of more than $22 million to $21.25 million, but in the tight economy, that was to be expected. By and large, Florida libraries were happy. After all, the library community had developed strong, positive relationships with both the state senate and house, and this was an optimal outcome. Read more...
March 19, 2010: ALA Washington Office Accepting Entries for WHCLIST Award
The White House Conference on Library and Information Services Taskforce (WHCLIST) and the American Library Association (ALA) Washington Office is accepting entries for the 2010 WHCLIST Award, which will provide a stipend of $300 for a non-librarian participant to attend Library Advocacy Day on June 29, 2010, in Washington, D.C. The winner will attend the rally and will also attend Congressional meetings with his/her elected officials and/or their staffs. The winner will be introduced at the rally and participate in advocacy meetings in Congressional offices. Read more...
March 5, 2010: RUSA Announces Its 2010 Award Winning Books in Three Categories
The Reference and User Services Association has announced its 2010 selections for The Reading List, The Notable Books List, and The Sophie Brody Award. Read more...
March 5, 2010: Learn Create Share @ your library for Teen Tech Week
At thousands of libraries across the United States, teens can log onto computers to complete research for homework or use software to make videos about their favorite books. Libraries offer free access to technology for learning or for fun in a safe environment. Read more...
March 5, 2010: ALA Student Members at ECU Share Gift of Literacy
In the few, busy weeks leading up to Christmas 2009, students in East Carolina University’s Master of Library Science department gathered more than 12,000 books and materials to donate to homeless shelters, children’s homes, after-school programs, women’s shelters and a nursing home in eight North Carolina communities. Read more...
Feb. 19, 2010: Libraries Nationwide Host “Snapshot Day”
In just a single day in libraries across the state of Maine, 38,000 people entered a library; almost 36,000 checked out books, movies and more; over 9,000 people used computers to access the Internet; more than 1,000 people were taught computer skills, and almost 100 people received help finding a job. Read more...
Feb. 19, 2010: ALTAFF Forms National Partnership with Paula Poundstone
Emmy-award winning comedian Paula Poundstone will help raise awareness for Friends of the Library groups as national spokesperson with the Association of Library Trustees, Advocates, Friends and Foundations (ALTAFF), a division of ALA with approximately 5,000 Friends of Library, Trustee, Foundation and individual members and affiliates representing hundreds of thousands of library supporters. Read more...
Feb. 5, 2010: Book Yourself Into The Library Hotel
Bibliophiles visiting New York City and in need of a space to check into should check out The Library Hotel, a beautiful luxury boutique hostelry conveniently located on Madison Avenue and 41st Street, also known as Library Way, just steps away from the majestic New York Public Library. Read more...
Feb. 5, 2010: Spend the Night in a Converted Carnegie Library
Andrew Carnegie has been referred to as the "Patron Saint of Libraries.” Carnegie donated over $56 million for the construction of 2509 library buildings throughout the world including 1679 public library buildings in the United States. The buildings, which were built in the last part of the 19th century and in the first two decades of the 20th century, are part of America's library heritage. After many decades and more than a century in many cases, Carnegie library buildings have suffered a variety of fates. Read more...
Feb. 5, 2010: Join AAM for Museum Advocacy Day on Capitol Hill
The American Association of Museums (AAM) will host museum advocates from around the country in Washington, DC on March 22-23 for Museums Advocacy Day 2010. On the heels of the success of the first Museums Advocacy Day in February 2009, AAM is seeking to attract more than 300 museum professionals ─ including directors, staff, trustees, students, and independent professionals ─ to the nation’s capital to convey the value of museums to federal leaders. Read more...
Jan. 27, 2010: Donate to the ALA Haiti Library Relief Fund
The American Library Association (ALA), acting on a resolution adopted by its Council on Jan. 19 during the ALA’s Midwinter Meeting, has created the “Haiti Library Relief Fund” to collect monetary donations to help rebuild libraries and archives that were destroyed or damaged during the devastating earthquake on Jan. 12. Read more...
Jan. 22, 2010: 2010 Youth Media Awards Winners
The American Library Association (ALA) today announced the top books, audiobooks and video for children and young adults – including the Caldecott, King, Newbery and Printz awards – at its Midwinter Meeting in Boston. “When You Reach Me,” written by Rebecca Stead, is the 2010 John Newbery Medal winner. The book is published by Wendy Lamb Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books. Read more...
Jan. 22, 2010: Recipients of the Sylvia Murphy Williams Scholarship Fund
Five individuals were selected as this year’s recipients of the Sylvia Murphy Williams Scholarship Fund. All five are the Illinois recipients of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Spectrum Scholarship. Read more...
Jan. 8, 2010: Authors Norton Juster and Leonard S. Marcus to Address National Librarians
Members of the American Library Association will travel from their Midwinter Meetig in Boston to attend day-long activities at The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art on Sunday, January 17, 2010 from noon to 5 p.m. The events are also open to the public. Read more...
Jan. 8, 2010: Duluth libraries show how to help keep internet access for all
Bill Gates wants to give us money. Specifically, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation wants to give $82,000 to the Duluth Public Library. What the Gates Foundation needs from us in return is a commitment to maintain Internet access at the library into the future. To prove such a commitment, we in Duluth must raise matching funds in the amount of almost $50,000. Read more...
Jan. 8, 2010: The Winners Speak: 2009 I Love My Librarian Awards
The 2009 I Love My Librarian Awards recognized 10 librarians who are making a difference in their communities in a December 3 ceremony. The award is sponsored by Carnegie Corporation of New York and the New York Times. Read more...
See 2007 archive.
See 2008 and 2009 archive.