If you attended the ALA 2022 Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. this past June, then you know how great it was to be back in person and how many presentations and meetings there were that focused on book challenges and threats to intellectual freedom. If you missed those sessions or if you were unable to attend, below are just a few highlights. Legislation Many states across the country are targeting intellectual freedom through legislation. Deborah Caldwell-Stone, director of the ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom, reported noting three trends in legislation: 1. Targeting Librarians and Educators. This trend includes eliminating protections under the law for librarians and educators and allows suits by private citizens against them, meaning that a parent could sue a librarian for content in the library. 2. Parental Rights. This trend focuses on what legislators are calling “divisive issues” meaning content in the classroom or library that focuses…
Category: – ALA Annual Conference 2022
Our Neverending Network to Serve Children through Libraries
This is my first ALSC Blog post as the 2022-2023 ALSC President, and I am so excited to kick off this year of sharing, collaboration, and communication with library folks serving youth! My library energy levels are freshly refilled after attending the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. It really “refills my cup,” so to speak, to see my place in an ongoing network of youth library folks–to see the people and work that have been here before me, the people entrenched in the work alongside me right now, and those coming up in the profession and keeping the cycle going. It is invigorating to see how wave after wave of youth-focused library workers work together, support one another, and keep the vision of better lives for all children at the center of our work, always striving to support the needs of our communities. At the conference, I was able…
Finding Your Fit at ALA Annual
This year’s ALA Annual Conference left my head spinning from what can accurately be described as a love fest for library workers. From an ALA exclusive open house at the Library of Congress to intimate conversations with new friends, my heart and mind were overflowing. Collaborations and contributions from library advocates across the country – many of whom are students, part-time library workers, or those working in fields complementary to librarianship – enriched the conference with a depth of knowledge and expertise. Read on for a few highlights and insights from fellow conference attendees.
Thank You, #alaac22 Conference Bloggers!
Over the past five days, we have had a team of guest bloggers offering their views of #alaac22, and it has been an incredible glimpse at the ALA Annual Conference! This team prepared over 25 posts for the ALSC Blog covering a wide range of topics including:
April Ryan Inspires
April Ryan, White House corespondent, delivered a call to action at the #alaac2022 PLA breakfast. First, she gave a shout out to Enoch Pratt Free Library where she went when her mother would not answer her questions but told her to “look it up.”
TikTok and Libraries: A Powerful Partnership…was a Powerful Presentation!
Monday was my last day at #ALAAC2022, and I started it with a really informative presentation about using TikTok in your library. When the pandemic first started, I created a TikTok account but never used it. (I am not sure I even remember my login information.) Delving into a new social media platform can sometimes be daunting, so, I was really excited to attend TikTok and Libraries: A Powerful Partnership and to learn how to use TikTok to promote books and my library. Presentations about TikTok seem to be just as popular as the social media platform itself—it was a packed house in the Convention Center!
Celebrating Indigenous Storytelling
I was eager to attend the United States Board on Books for Young People (USBBY) session at #alaac22. While pursuing my LIS degree, I have sought knowledge about indigenous librarianship, so Celebrate Indigenous Storytelling: Books from across the Northern Border hosted by USBBY was appealing to me. Neil Christopher and Louise Flaherty with Inhabit Media conveyed their commitment to producing stories in Inuktut, English and French. Over 80% are created by indigenous authors. Maps were shown to help us learn that the community of Iqaluit is located on the island of Baffin in the Arctic Circle.
Newbery Newbery Newbery! (and Newbery)
Happy 100th birthday, Newbery! My ALSC Blog colleagues have done a wonderful job writing about Newbery events for #alaac2022, so read them (here and here and here)! I want to share a few highlights from two wonderful events.