Living in a state attempting to criminalize librarians (Arkansas, Act 372), I was eager to hear from authors and other attendees about their experiences with book banning. The wonderful array of panelists included Jerry Craft, Eliot Schrefer, Ashley Hope Pérez, Kyle Lukoff, and Samira Ahmed. The panel was moderated by Ellen Oh of We Need Diverse Books.
Category: Live Blogging
Gather Round for the ALA Round Tables at #alaac2023
Before #alaac2023 officially started, some of the ALA Round Tables were hosting pre-conference events. Since 2007, the Graphic Novels and Comics Round Table (GNCRT) has hosted a Friday Forum before the ALA opening session.
“9 to 5” on a Saturday for #alaac23
Dolly Parton’s part of the conference was in Friday’s opening session, when she virtually accepted her honorary membership in ALA! I took her inspiration to heart and had a wonderful “9 to 5” this Saturday. Listen to her sing and enjoy looking through some of the photos of the conference so far: My 9am session on Saturday, “Reimagining School Readiness Toolkit for Libraries,” had a fantastic lineup! Moderator: Michelle D. Weissman Randall, PhD (she/her/hers) – Bay Area Discovery Museum Presenter: Michelle D. Weissman Randall, PhD (she/her/hers) – Bay Area Discovery Museum Presenter: Kathleen Campana, PhD – Kent State University Presenter: Amy Olson – Kentucky Department for Libraries and Archives Presenter: Julia Shaheen – Stark Library Presenter: Celeste Swanson (she/her/hers) – Lane Libraries Presenter: Penelope Shumaker – State Library of Ohio Presenter: Pamela Brockway (she/her/hers) – The Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County Presenter: Betsy Diamant-Cohen, DCD (she/her/hers) – Mother…
My Day in the Library Marketplace at #alaac23
Today’s ALA Conference started as it should, by meeting other librarians on our way to the McCormick Center. It actually started that way yesterday by meeting librarians on the train into the city – we’re recognizable, with or without the ALA badge! Wearing shirts like this one probably helps, though. 🙂
Growth Abounds at #alaac23
Have you heard of GELS? It’s an acronym from the Connecticut State Library that represents their initiative Growing Equitable Library Services. This session was presented by Kymberlee Powe, their Children’s/YA Consultant, one of the programs co-creators. What does growing equitable library services mean? We often hear the phrase “Libraries are for everyone,” but we don’t always think about how big that term really is. Everyone means everyone, including groups that we may not know much about or who we may be personally uncomfortable with. We need to consciously think about how services for everyone actually exist in our libraries. The very idea of equity is about everyone getting what they need to succeed, which may look very different for different individuals or groups. This workshop series is all about helping libraries become strength-based, trauma-informed, antiracist, social- and emotionally-conscious community institutions. Content was purposefully selected with the ultimate goal of growing…
Creating a Diversi-TEAM at #alaac23
No matter the size of your library or your community, diversity is an important part of our experiences. This session was presented by Joselyn Williams and Chris Robinson. Their key idea: No one should be made to feel less than, unwelcomed, or judged. No characteristic or trait should outweigh your worth as a person. Examples included gender, race, ethnicity, age, cultural background, religion, political views, native language, sexual orientation, disabilities, education, and more. The Diversi-TEAM concept combines two elements: diversity and team. In this case, TEAM stands for Through Education Achieve More. This underscores the importance of education in addressing problems with insensitivity and microaggressions. Often, we aren’t aware of our microaggressions. The first step: being aware of our biases and understanding what counts as a microaggression. As an individual and as a leader, you can be the first example. By doing the hard work to recognize your biases and…
Getting Work Done with the ALSC Board at #alaac23
Every year at annual conference, the full ALSC Board meets in person to conduct a variety of business. These are open meetings that any member may attend, unless the Board moves into executive session. Today’s meeting was full of discussion and decision items. Curious about what we talked about? Here are some highlights: Sibert 25th Anniversary The Robert F. Sibert Informational Medal will celebrate it’s 25th anniversary in 2026. While that may seem like years away, budget realities mean that we start these discussions early. The Board voted to create a task force that will support celebrations around this award. Diversifying Revenue Streams Task Force Updates Fiscal responsibility is part of the overall health of ALSC as an organization. The Diversifying Revenue Streams Task Force has done much work over the past year. Today, their final report brought recommendations and information to the Board. The Board discussed their findings and…
Graphic Novels for Mental Health #alaac23
The Graphic Novel and Comics Round Table kicked off #ALAAC23 on Friday with an informative and inspiring discussion forum on graphic medicine and mental health. Panelists included librarian Soline D. Holmes and authors Natalie Norris, Elizabeth Trembley, and Jarrett J. Krosoczka.