2011 ALA Presidential Candidates Forum

2011 American Library Association Presidential Candidates Susan Stroyan and Maureen Sullivan respond to member questions at the Presidential Candidates Forum, held January 8, 2011, at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in San Diego. Questions asked (time in parenthesis indicates where in the video the question can be found) include: Opening Statements (0:04)

January 13, 2011

2011 American Library Association Presidential Candidates Susan Stroyan and Maureen Sullivan respond to member questions at the Presidential Candidates Forum, held January 8, 2011, at the ALA Midwinter Meeting in San Diego. Questions asked (time in parenthesis indicates where in the video the question can be found) include:

Opening Statements (0:04)

How do we balance serving individual division members with maintaining overall ALA strengths? (9:40)

How can we build on current advocacy efforts to make a difference? (11:58)

How will you work with publishers to ensure library access to ebooks? (16:23)

What do you think your proudest accomplishments as president will be? (19:27)

What leadership skills do you offer to guide ALA through the current financial crisis? (22:30)

What is the role of chapters in the larger organization? (25:58)

How can ALA mainstream services to seniors and the disabled? (28:55)

Describe the support systems you have in place to help you as you serve as president. (32:48)

How will you represent all libraries, rather than one specific type? (36:20)

How will you create a legacy that lasts beyond your time in office? (40:22)

Closing statements (43:30)

Watch individual questions at http://www.youtube.com/user/AmLibraryAssociation#grid/user/12EDDF83B6F89A00

Stonewall Book Award Committee Chair Lisa Johnston talks about the award, which was added to the Youth Media Awards announcement for the first time this year, winning title Almost Perfect, and the importance of GLBT literature for children and teens.

2011 ALA Midwinter Meeting

An overview of the 2011 ALA Midwinter Meeting, held in San Diego, California, January 7-11. Coverage includes interviews with attendees, the Unconference, the Buy India a Library project, the John Cotton Dana awards, the Washington Office update, the Youth Media Awards, the exhibit hall, and the Wrap-up, Rev-up closing event.

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9h

Bobbi L. Newman writes: “This week, an article from the BBC caught my attention: ‘Without support, many menopausal workers are quitting their jobs.’ Supporting employees going through menopause is important for those experiencing it and for everyone’s wellbeing. It reflects a commitment to employee wellbeing and a strategic approach to workforce management. Libraries can adopt strategies to support employees experiencing menopause, enhancing their wellbeing and workplace productivity. Remember, with all wellbeing, the goal is to support and empower staff to make the choices that best improve their health. Here are some practical approaches.”

Librarian by Day, Apr. 19; BBC, Apr. 9
15h

Libraries have a long history of helping to deliver on a wide variety of development goals, from literacy and school readiness to research productivity and urban cohesion. Their unique potential has been recognized not just by the governments or others that traditionally fund them, but also by a range of other funders, private and public alike. The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions has created a dataset to help librarians easily discover examples of private philanthropic grants, as well as other funding sources, that other libraries have been able to leverage.”

International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions, Apr. 22
1d

Jackie Jennings writes: “It feels like the debate over whether #BookTok is bad has been raging since the moment the term was first coined. I’m starting off with a strong stance: BookTok is indeed bad. However, the problem with BookTok is not crappy books or bogus influencers. The problem with BookTok is TikTok itself. BookTok isn’t actually a community driven by fans, writers, influencers, or even publishers: it’s part of a social media corporation, controlled by the most mysterious, fickle god of all, the algorithm.” Not surprisingly, librarian recommendations can overcome some of BookTok’s limitations.

Jezebel, Apr. 18; Book Riot, Apr. 22
2d

ALA announced the launch of its state Intellectual Freedom Helpline grant program April 22. Over the next two years, 10 pilot program sites will operate a confidential reporting system that will help connect those experiencing censorship attempts with professional support, in-state peers, or referral to ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom, as appropriate. State or school library associations or agencies wishing to either establish an Intellectual Freedom Helpline in their state or expand existing efforts may apply for $10,000 grants through July 14.

ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom, Apr. 22
2d

In celebration of the release of his latest nonfiction title, The Secret Lives of Booksellers & Librarians, bestselling author James Patterson is honoring select American Bookseller Association and American Library Association members with bonuses. He announced plans April 11 to give $200 each to 250 library workers across the country. The deadline for ALA members may nominate members to receive bonuses through April 30. Winners will be announced at ALA’s 2024 Annual Conference in San Diego.
2d

Catherine Hollerbach writes: “In early 2020, when the world shut down for COVID, many people got interested in houseplants. Anne Arundel County (Md.) Public Library’s Crofton Library embraced this trend and then some!” While preparing to reopen after the COVID shutdown, the library installed plants at the information desk to discourage patrons from sticking their heads through gaps in newly installed acrylic shields. They were well received and cared for, and the library gradually added more plants and built educational tools, programming, and partnerships around the plants.

Public Libraries Online, Apr. 18
2d

Rodney Freeman writes: “I am proud to be a librarian—and rare. Less than 7% of librarians in the US are Black. Libraries symbolize the literacy that was denied to so many of our ancestors. For our enslaved forebears, something as fundamental as learning to read was illegal and dangerous, but they did it anyway. Separate but ‘equal’ schools and ‘colored’ libraries filled with cast-offs from white libraries were key features of the Jim Crow era. Today we are seeing the same impulse to distort access to information into a tool to suppress and control, and to make some people ‘other.’”

Newsweek, Apr. 16

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2011 ALA Presidential Candidates Forum

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ALAMW11 | Stonewall Book Awards: Children’s and Young Adult Literature Award

Stonewall Book Award Committee Chair Lisa Johnston talks about the award, which was added to the Youth Media Awards announcement for the first time this year, winning title Almost Perfect, and the importance of GLBT literature for children and teens.

2011 ALA Midwinter Meeting