American Libraries Inside Scoop

Fighting Fire with Free Speech: ALA Will Protest Book Burning with 9/11 Qur'an Reading

Leonard Kniffel — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:24:02 +0000

Book burning is the most insidious form of book banning, and just as the American Library Association is preparing to celebrate the freedom to read during Banned Books Week, along comes one Rev. Terry Jones of the 50-member Dove World Outreach Center in Gainesville, Florida. The good reverend’s idea of world outreach is to commemorate the 9/11 terrorist attacks of 2001 with a public burning of the Qur’an, the Muslim holy book.

Denise Davis to Leave ALA for Sacramento

George Eberhart — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 00:00:00 +0000

Denise M. Davis, the director of the ALA Office for Research and Statistics (ORS) since 2004, has announced her resignation, effective October 1. She has accepted a position as deputy director of the Sacramento (Calif.) Public Library. In her new position, Denise will be responsible for assisting in the development and management of strategic initiatives for the library, including long-range budget planning.

ALA Is Not Selling Trade Show to Reed

Leonard Kniffel — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 20:17:49 +0000

Despite articles in Publishers Weekly and Library Journal suggesting otherwise, the American Library Association has no plans to sell its Annual Conference and Midwinter Meeting trade shows to Reed Exhibitions and merge the Annual Conference with BookExpo America.

Filming Flipped: An Interview with Director Rob Reiner

George Eberhart — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 15:20:23 +0000

The feature film Flipped, directed by Rob Reiner and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, opens in six cities (New York, Toronto, Chicago, Boston, San Francisco, and Indianapolis) August 27. Based on the 2001 YA novel by Wendelin Van Draanen, the film flips back and forth in showing the thoughts and feelings of two protagonists, 8th-graders Bryce and Juli (played by Callan McAuliffe and Madeline Carroll) as they develop crushes on each other, though not exactly at the same time.

IFLA in Gothenburg, Day 6: The Mechanics of Making an International Organization Tick

Leonard Kniffel — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 18:20:52 +0000

Everyone knows that the real IFLA action is in the divisions, sections, and committee meetings; for that reason, the August 14 General Assembly of the 76th World Library and Information Congress in Gothenburg, Sweden, was short and sweet. The assembly made a swift hour’s work out of a series of reports and resolutions that concern the inner workings of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions.

IFLA in Gothenburg, Day 5: Exhibits, Programs, Networking Are All about Language

Leonard Kniffel — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 20:50:36 +0000

During one of the IFLA sessions here in Gothenburg, Sweden, I took a seat in what turned out to be a lousy place for the acoustics. Major programs during this year's World Library and Information Congress were largely in English, which is a second language to most Swedes, but listening to speakers of other languages communicate in English is like listening to a stunning variety of dialects, each with its own quirky set of accents and grammatical gymnastics.

IFLA in Gothenburg, Day 4: Haitian Librarians Describe Destruction, Acknowledge Assistance

Leonard Kniffel — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 22:55:17 +0000

On January 12, 2010, a devastating earthquake turned an ordinary day into a day of horror and destruction for Haiti. On the fourth day of the 76th General Conference and Assembly of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions August 13, in Gothenburg, Sweden, two Haitian librarians came forward to tell their stories and communicate face-to-face with various international organizations and individuals who want to help with the recovery.

IFLA in Gothenburg, Day 3: Partnerships, Awards Include Gates $1 Million to Greece

Leonard Kniffel — Thu, 12 Aug 2010 19:36:36 +0000

Day three of the World Library and Information Congress of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) was a day of awards, honors, and the announcement of new partnerships.

IFLA in Gothenburg, Day 2: Opening Event, Swedish Style, with Jan Eliasson

Leonard Kniffel — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 22:35:10 +0000

It began with the guitar stylings of Thomas Andersson, crested with a keynote address by Jan Eliasson, former president of the 60th session of the United Nations General Assembly, and ended with a get-up-and-dance happening to the music of Sweden’s most famous pop singers Abba. In between, the opening ceremony of the 76th General Conference and Assembly of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions also featured warm welcomes from the leaders and organizers who made the conference happen.

If You Google Net Neutrality, What Do You Get?

Beverly Goldberg — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 17:48:22 +0000

There’s been no dearth of opining in the past few days about the implications of Google and Verizon banding together to “find ways to protect the future openness of the internet and encourage the rapid deployment of broadband,” which is how a joint policy statement between the two firms is being framed by Alan Davidson, Google director of public policy and Tom Tauke, Verizon executive vice president of public affairs, policy, and communications.

Librarians Urged to Get Back to Basics

Pamela Goodes — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 13:18:06 +0000

Librarians and libraries should join with parents and other family members in “going back to the basics,” Roland S. Martin told the audience during the August 8 closing session of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association’s seventh National Conference of African American Librarians in Birmingham, Alabama. “When I look at the breakdown of black life, I fundamentally believe that it is because we have gotten away from the basics.”

Son of Musical Icon, Food Justice Activist Headline BCALA Author Luncheon

Pamela Goodes — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 12:45:50 +0000

“Visions of Hope: Lunch with Two Extraordinary Men” was the title of the author luncheon featuring Ray Charles Robinson Jr. and Bryant Terry August 7 during during the Black Caucus of the American Library Association’s seventh National Conference of African American Librarians in Birmingham, Alabama.

“The work of librarians is vital for our youth,” Robinson, co-author of You Don’t Know Me: Reflections of My Father, Ray Charles (Harmony Books, 2010) told the audience.

IFLA in Gothenburg, Day 1: The American Agenda

Leonard Kniffel — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 06:30:45 +0000

For American delegates, the annual conference of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) traditionally begins with a pep talk, officially known as “Caucus: U.S.A.” The August 10 meeting was an opportunity for old friends to reunite and for first-time delegates to get the lay of the land—in this case Gothenburg, Sweden—from seasoned IFLA-goers who are serving on the Governing Board, Professional Committee, or on committees in the federation’s five divisions: Library Types, Library Collections, Library Services, Support of the Profession, and Regions.

OCLC Responds to SkyRiver Lawsuit

Leonard Kniffel — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 08:51:58 +0000

OCLC issued a statement August 5 calling the lawsuit filed by SkyRiver Technology Solutions and Innovative Interfaces July 29 a “regrettable action” that is “without merit.” The statement from OCLC in full:

Kim Wayans/Kevin Knotts Writing Team Brings Laughter to Authors Luncheon

Pamela Goodes — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 05:25:26 +0000

Kim Wayans, joined by her husband Kevin Knotts, shared a bit of her life growing up in a family of comedians at the August 6 author luncheon during the Black Caucus of the American Library Association’s seventh National Conference of African American Librarians in Birmingham, Alabama, “Culture Keepers VII: Bridging the Divide with Information, Access, Activism, and Advocacy.”

Libraries and Information Key for Little Rock Nine Member

Pamela Goodes — Sat, 07 Aug 2010 05:11:23 +0000

“It was the Little Rock Public Library’s [then] small Ivory branch for colored people that helped me to begin to process information,” Terrence Roberts said during the opening session John Tyson Lecture, August 5 during the Black Caucus of the American Library Association’s (BCALA) seventh National Conference of African American Librarians in Birmingham, Alabama.

Kathleen Imhoff Files Suit in Lexington

Leonard Kniffel — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 21:41:37 +0000

Kathleen Imhoff, who was fired by the board of the Lexington (Ky.) Public Library last July 15 after months of squabbling over the details of her expense accounts over the previous five years, notified American Libraries that she has filed suit after the board failed to settle her claims for pay and to apologize publicly.

Facts, with a Generous Helping of Heart

Beverly Goldberg — Wed, 04 Aug 2010 18:26:20 +0000

Two different library stories in Texas crossed my desk in the past week that gave me pause.

SkyRiver Files Antitrust Suit Against OCLC

Leonard Kniffel — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 21:06:55 +0000

SkyRiver Technology Solutions has filed suit (PDF file) in the U.S.

Post-Annual Conference Interactive Issue of Cognotes Now Available

Leonard Kniffel — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 15:27:05 +0000

A post-conference interactive issue of Cognotes is now available online. ALA is going green this year and sending it out electronically to attendees. Deidre Ross, head of Conference Services, invites feedback and suggests that you send her a short e-mail with your thoughts, to dross@ala.org.

Public Library Funding and Technology Access Study Webinar

Leonard Kniffel — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 16:36:37 +0000

Sponsored by American Libraries, yesterday’s Office for Research and Statistics webinar offered an hour-long look at the 2009-2010 Public Library Funding and Technology Access Study, published as the Spring 2010 AL digital supplement. Researchers Denise Davis, ORS director, and John Carlo Bertot, professor and director of the Center for Library and Information Innovation at the University of Maryland, presented, with ORS Project Manager Larra Clark moderating.

There's More to "Like" as AL Delves into Facebook

Sean Fitzpatrick — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 20:25:53 +0000

A couple weeks ago I was experimenting with FBML AL site (that’s how we get those “Like” buttons on the blog posts, for example) and at the same time experimenting with Dlvr.it to push out content. Well, one thing led to another, and now we have a Facebook Page.

Four Major Trends the Tech Vendors Are Talking About

Sean Fitzpatrick — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 14:46:39 +0000

I feel like I spent most of my time at Annual meeting up with techie vendors discussing their product plans and strategies. I believe the ideas they share play an important part in shaping trends in librarianship, for those trends almost always have an antecedent technology component, and the technology the vendors provide must always fill some need if it’s going to be viable in the marketplace. In short, looking at what the vendors are talking about is a lens through which to consider upcoming trends in our profession.

Roberta Stevens of the Library of Congress Inaugurated 2010-2011 ALA President

Leonard Kniffel — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 02:12:10 +0000

Friends, family, and colleagues, including new division presidents, helped Roberta Stevens of the Library of Congress celebrate her inauguration as 2010–2011 president of the American Library Association. Instead of a traditional presidential speech, Stevens turned the podium over to four of her favorite authors: Marie Arana, Brad Meltzer, Sharon Draper, and Carmen Agra Deedy.

Top Technology Trends at ALA10 Part 3: Long-term Trends

Sean Fitzpatrick — Tue, 29 Jun 2010 18:36:50 +0000

LITA’s trendsters seemed to have some fun—and words of caution—with their predictions for libraries 3–5 years out. All the trend predictions had a clear emphasis on end-user experience over back-end library technology and future-proof, forward-thinking information services over preserving old workflows.

For a complete re-cap of the entire panel discussion, see the ustream video.