Wielding golden shovels, a dozen city and library officials broke ground June 17, 2009 for construction of a 15,000-square-foot Evergreen Plaza branch of Boise (Idaho) Public Library. The system is in a growth mode, with its first two full-service branches opening in February and March this year, Evergreen Plaza scheduled to open in 2009, and a fourth branch in southeast Boise planned to open in 2010.
Former Negro Baseball League players (from left) Ron “Bunny” Warren, Charlie “Whip” Davis, and Chuck Harmon, along with Tom “High Pockets” Turner (not pictured) will visit young baseball fans at the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County in May and June through a partnership with the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame and Museum to celebrate the Gillette Civil Rights Game June 20 between the Reds and the Chicago White Sox.
Holding the award-winning youth media books at the Midwinter Meeting in Denver are (from left): ALA President Jim Rettig, YALSA President Sarah Cornish-Debraski, ALSC President Pat Scales, Coretta Scott King Book Award Committee Chair Deborah Denise Taylor, and Reforma President Luis Chaparro.
Tim Spalding of LibraryThing (and Dr. Horrible of Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog) addresses the Opening General Session of the Library and Information Technology Association National Forum October 17, 2008 in Cincinnati. Spalding invoked Dr. Horrible as he promised not to define “social cataloging,” but one example he provided was when LibraryThing users cataloged Dr. Horrible’s bookshelf.
2003 Caldecott Award medalist Eric Rohmann watches a young artist draw at Tuscaloosa (Ala.) Public Library’s Weaver-Bolden branch during a June 2, 2009 program kick-off of the “Catch the Reading Bug” summer library program. The visit by the celebrated author/illustrator was funded, in part, by the Alabama State Council on the Arts.
Adrian Roe awaits the inevitable in the Dunk the Librarian booth at Oakland (Calif.) Public Library’s main branch in a May 31, 2008 kick-off event for the 2008 Summer Reading Game. Hundreds of children and their families— entertained by clowns, lion dancers, and local musicians—braved chilly weather to sign up for the annual program.
More than 100 people battle rain, wind, and storms in a rally for school libraries at the capitol steps in Olympia February 1, 2008, despite a storm in the eastern half of Washington State that prevented many from attending. The rally and a day-long summit on school libraries culminated with the progress of House Bill 2773, which calls for supplemental funding for librarians and counselors in K12 schools, being referred to the Appropriations Committee. HB 2773 is a companion bill to “mini-Skills” SB6380, and was introduced by state Rep. Don Barlow.
Madalyn Joy Wolff of Minnetonka Beach, Minnesota, in fairy tale garb complete with Snow White purse and gloves, admires the “Storybook Dolls” display at Wayzata Library, part of the Hennepin County (Minn.) Library system. The presentation was erected in honor of National Library Week, April 13–19, and included examples of classic children’s fairy tales and folklore as well as a doll to match each book.
Academy Award–winning actress and author Julie Andrews poses April 13, 2008 with her own oversized library card in Los Angeles marking the 50th anniversary of National Library Week. As NLW honorary chair, Andrews spoke about the value of libraries and librarians before an audience gathered at ArcLight Cinema in Hollywood for an event with the Los Angeles–based Wonder of Reading. Joining her on stage were Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and Walt Disney Studios Chairman Dick Cook, whom Andrews honored for his work with Wonder of Reading, a nonprofit organization.
Illinois Secretary of State and State Librarian, Jesse White, addresses students at Chicago’s Walt Disney Magnet School on April 14, 2008. White visited the school to kick off its National Library Week festivities, which also include an open house for parents, a multicultural fair, a poetry reading via the Web by Gwendolyn Brooks, and a broadcast by Radio Disney from the school’s library.
