Ask the ALA Librarian

Historical Awards

Karen Muller — Wed, 02 May 2012 17:04:16 +0000

Q. In a few weeks, one of our colleagues will retire. We know she has received several honors from the American Library Association. Is there any place we can research what they are?

A. We in the ALA Library—and in the divisions and offices, as well—have received this question, or similar ones, over the years. With ALA offering nearly 200 awards or other forms of recognition each year, some at the Association level, others by divisions or round tables, researching the question can be slow.

Using Other Sources

Karen Muller — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:17:21 +0000

Q. Today's been tough. Kids are coming in with left-to-the-last-minute homework assignments for which they normally turn to Wikipedia. We're getting them to print resources and our online databases, but do you have suggestions for teaching research skills?

Recommended Listening and Audiobooks

Valerie Hawkins — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:30:05 +0000

Q. I got to explain to an older patron today that audiobooks can be downloaded! She last listened to an audiobook when they were still on cassette tapes. Now that she knows, she would love to give her 13-year-old granddaughter something else to listen to on her tiny music player. I told her about the Odyssey Award. Does ALA have any lists of audiobooks for children?

Happy 135th, ALA!

Karen Muller — Wed, 05 Oct 2011 16:22:45 +0000

Q. What were the forces behind the founding conference of the American Library Association?

Reading Levels

Karen Muller — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 17:02:23 +0000

Q. Is there a reliable source for the suggested reading level of a novel? I'm a teacher who requires independent reading, but the novels my students bring me sometimes look "too young" for the grade I teach. I cannot always find information on what reading level the novel was intended to entertain.

Librarians in Government

Karen Muller — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 17:50:16 +0000

The question came in with the subject line "Reference question that only ALA can answer" but it really is a question that only all of ALA, not just the ALA Librarian, can answer: Are there librarians who have been elected officials, or who have run for office?

Number of Young Adult Books Published

Valerie Hawkins — Wed, 17 Aug 2011 16:59:15 +0000

Q. There's been a discussion online about how many YA (young adult) books were published in the last few years.

Cleaning Up After Water Damage

Karen Muller — Wed, 03 Aug 2011 16:54:00 +0000

UPDATED March 7, 2012 by Valerie Hawkins

Newbery and Caldecott Medal Acceptance Speeches

Valerie Hawkins — Wed, 13 Jul 2011 17:30:14 +0000

Q. I wasn't able to be at the Newbery/Caldecott Banquet at the ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans. Will the speeches be published somewhere?

How to Label a Book

Karen Muller — Wed, 08 Jun 2011 16:13:37 +0000

Q. Does ALA have any guidelines or sample policies for labeling books for the shelves?

Children’s Libraries

Karen Muller — Wed, 25 May 2011 17:15:16 +0000

Q. Are there stand-alone libraries serving children (other than those in schools, that is)?

A. We know of eight administered by public libraries, one at an academic institution, and one at a university medical center.

Sample Policies

Karen Muller — Wed, 11 May 2011 16:04:55 +0000

Q. Can you direct me to one or two sites with sample library policies. I've just taken over our small public library and have convinced trustees we need to have policies newer than 25 years ago!

A. Certainly—but some framework first.

Overdues

Karen Muller — Wed, 04 May 2011 16:48:16 +0000

Q. We're reviewing our policies on overdue fines and are looking for resources to guide our investigations. What's out there?

Loss Rate

Karen Muller — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 04:01:50 +0000

“Area libraries increasing security to combat rising thefts” is the headline for the April 23, 2011, article posted by the Dayton Daily News. But the question that comes to the ALA Library is “what is a ‘typical’ loss rate?&

Recommended Viewing - Movies and DVDs

Valerie Hawkins — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 16:44:11 +0000

Q. I know ALA has reading lists in different age groups. But what about lists for other materials? Does ALA make a list of recommended movies or DVDs? And are there lists for different age groups?

Association Libraries

Karen Muller — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 20:43:33 +0000

Q. How many public association libraries are there in the US? Why are they association and not municipal?

First School Library?

Karen Muller — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 19:00:27 +0000

Q. When was the first school library established?

Perennial Question

Karen Muller — Mon, 21 Mar 2011 19:39:51 +0000

Accurate Sources

Karen Muller — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 22:31:07 +0000

Q. I'm in a public library and was assisting a local community college student who asked, "How accurate should my sources of information be?" I hardly know where to start!

Looking Back ... and Forward

Karen Muller — Mon, 07 Mar 2011 21:13:25 +0000

Reader's Advisory

Karen Muller — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 18:29:04 +0000

Awards trivia

Karen Muller — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 16:53:01 +0000

What is the oldest award ALA gives? Who are all the recipients of the Margaret Mann Citation? When did publishers start sponsoring ALA awards?

Bibliotherapy

Karen Muller — Tue, 15 Feb 2011 22:50:46 +0000

Q. I'm finishing up my first year of library school and I've gotten interested in bibliotherapy. How can I learn more about this specialization?

ADA and Libraries

Valerie Hawkins — Fri, 11 Feb 2011 20:36:03 +0000

ALA's Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA, a division of ALA) maintains resources on libraries and ADA, the Americans with Disabilities Act; see the excerpt from ALA Library Fact Sheet 11 - Building Libraries and Library Additions: A Selected Annotated Bibliography at

Becoming a Librarian

Valerie Hawkins — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 17:02:05 +0000

Q. One of our library assistants has decided he'd like to become a librarian. Where can I direct him for more information, particularly for a list of library schools?