Press Releases

Nov 12: Measuring, analyzing and improving library services

CHICAGO — A library’s infrastructure of programs and personnel is its most valuable asset, providing the foundation for everything it does and aspires to do, which is why assessment is so vitally important. Summarizing specific tools for measuring service quality alongside tips for...

Nov 12: Action brief helps school librarians support Common Core State Standards implementation

CHICAGO – The American Association of School Librarians, in partnership with Achieve, has released an action brief on the role of school librarians in the implementation of the Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The brief was designed not only for school librarians who are supporting...

Nov 12: Applications open for 2014 Coretta Scott King Book Donation Grants

CHICAGO — Underfunded libraries, schools and non-traditional organizations that provide educational services to children are invited to apply to receive one of three Coretta Scott King Book Donation Grants.

Awarded by the Coretta Scott King Book...

Nov 12: YALSA announces Dolly Goyal as its 2014 Emerging Leader

CHICAGO — The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) has chosen Dolly Goyal as its 2014 Emerging Leader. Goyal will receive funding to attend the American Library Association’s Midwinter Meeting and Annual Conference in 2014. YALSA’s participation in the Emerging...

Nov 12: Free toolkit on starting a school library friends group available from United for Libraries

PHILADELPHIA – United for Libraries has made available a free toolkit geared toward school librarians looking to create a friends of the library group.

“Friends Groups: Critical Support for School Libraries,” available at www....

Nov 12: Applications for United for Libraries Trustee awards due Dec. 31

PHILADELPHIA — United for Libraries is accepting applications for the ALA Trustee Citation through Dec. 31, 2013.

The ALA Trustee Citation, established in 1941 to recognize public library trustees for distinguished service to library development, symbolizes and honors the best...

Nov 12: Digital Inclusion Survey for public libraries extended to Nov. 22

CHICAGO — Public libraries nationwide are encouraged to participate in the Digital Inclusion Survey. There is still time to take the survey, with the extension of the participation deadline to Nov. 22.

Funded by the Institute of Museum...

Nov 12: Green, Pauley, Sedaris and Sinek among all-stars coming to PLA 2014 Conference

CHICAGO — The speaker slate is full to the brim for the Public Library Association (PLA) 2014 Conference, March 11-15, in Indianapolis. From motivators, to informers, to entertainers, to authors, there’s somebody to please everybody on the...

Nov 11: Southern Connecticut State University MLS program loses ALA accreditation

CHICAGO — At its meeting at the 2013 ALA Annual Conference in Chicago, the ALA Committee on Accreditation voted to withdraw accreditation from the Master of Library Science program offered by Southern Connecticut State University. The MLS program had held conditional accreditation status...

Nov 11: Gale Cengage Learning Financial Development Award

CHICAGO — Do you know of a library that has had a successful library financial development program?  Recognize this successful project with a nomination for the Gale Cengage Learning Financial Development Award funded by Gale Cengage, Inc. 

Since 1985, The...

Nov 11: Call for nominations: Ken Haycock Award for Promoting Librarianship

CHICAGO — Do you know of an individual who has contributed significantly to the public recognition and appreciation of librarianship through professional performance, teaching and/or writing for the Ken Haycock Award for Promoting Librarianship?

The Ken Haycock Award for Promoting...

Nov 11: ALSC announces Graphic Novels Reading List

CHICAGO — The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), has created Graphic Novel Reading Lists intended for children from kindergarten through 8th grade.   

These Graphic Novel Reading Lists are...

Nov 08: Preservation activities survey released

CHICAGO — "A Survey of Preservation Activities in Cultural Heritage Institutions: FY2012" is a pilot survey coordinated by the Preservation and Reformatting Section (PARS) of the Association for...

Nov 08: Librarians react against Harvard Publishing’s latest restrictions

CHICAGO — Effective August 1, 2013, Harvard Business Review (HBR), exclusively available in full-text from EBSCO, restricted access to 500 of its most used articles. The ability to print, download, or link to these articles has been removed and will only be restored for those subscribers...

Nov 08: PLA to offer free member-exclusive readers’ advisory webinar with Nancy Pearl

CHICAGO — At 1 p.m. Central time on Nov. 20, the Public Library Association (PLA) will host the fourth annual...

Nov 08: Create engaged and motivated staff with help from PLA’s upcoming webinar

CHICAGO – Staff are the cornerstone of any successful library. Learn how to maximize this incredible resource with the upcoming webinar, “Creating Engaged and Motivated Staff: From Expectations to Excellence,...

Nov 08: Katy DiVittorio named ALCTS Emerging Leader for 2014

Chicago — Katy DiVittorio, serials acquisitions specialist at Auraria Library, Denver, Colo., has been selected as the ALCTS sponsored Emerging Leader for 2013-2014.  The Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS)...

Nov 08: Registration for 2014 ALSC National Institute opens November 11

CHICAGO — The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) announced that registration for the 2014 ALSC National Institute will open...

Nov 08: ALSC names Soraya Silverman-Montano as 2014 Emerging Leader

CHICAGO — The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) announced Soraya Silverman-Montano of the Las Vegas Clark-County (Nev.) Library District as its representative in the 2014 Emerging Leader program. Silverman-Montano is currently the Young People’s Library Librarian at...

Nov 08: Upcoming PLA webinar highlights public library and school partnerships for literacy

CHICAGO — When it comes to teaching children how to read, both libraries and schools are crucial educators. What happens when you combine the literacy power of libraries and schools? Find out during the one-hour webinar,...

Nov 08: Ten Spectrum Scholars receive PLA Conference Travel Grant

CHICAGO — The Public Library Association (PLA) has awarded 10 2014 Spectrum Scholar/PLA Conference Travel Grants to Spectrum Scholars LaToya Devezin, Claudia Flores, Gloria Jertberg, William Langston, Sarah Hashemi Scott, Eimmy...

Nov 08: Reinventing the library for online education

CHICAGO— Have changes such as cloud computing, search engines, the Semantic Web, and mobile applications rendered such long-standing academic library services and functions as special collections, interlibrary loans, physical processing, and even library buildings unnecessary? Can the...

Nov 07: ALA urges swift action on E-rate reforms

Residential-level bandwidth unacceptable for modern library services

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The American Library Association urges the Federal Communications Commission to swiftly reform the federal E-rate program so that our nation’s learners are...

Nov 06: Emerging Leader participants for Class of 2014 announced

CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) has selected 56 people to participate in its 2014 class of Emerging Leaders.  The program is designed to enable library staff and information workers to participate in project planning workgroups; network with peers; gain an inside look...

Nov 05: There is still time to apply to win $3,000 to promote your library

CHICAGO — The deadline for the 2014 Scholastic Library Publishing National Library Week Grant has been extended to Dec. 6, 2013.  The grant is open to all types of libraries seeking to share...

Nov 05: AASL seeks hosts for Fall Forum satellite sites

CHICAGO – The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) will once again host a hybrid presentation of its biennial national institute, the Fall Forum, in 2014. As part of the presentation, three or four satellite sites across the country will present a live broadcast of events...

Nov 05: New digital journal eContent Quarterly launches

CHICAGO — ALA TechSource announces the premiere issue of eContent Quarterly, a new digital journal offering practical, user-driven solutions and ideas for curating, developing, integrating...

Nov 05: Mobile app keeps AASL13 information at attendees’ fingertips

CHICAGO – Attendees of the American Association of School Librarian’s (AASL) 16th National Conference & Exhibition can plan their conference schedule at home or on the go with the new AASL13 Mobile App.  The app and companion registration dashboard syncs user data so updates...

Nov 05: First module in ASCLA’s AccessAbility Academy now available

CHICAGO - The first module in ASCLA’s AccessAbility Academy helps librarians with a critical component of making the library an empowering place for the entire community.

The new tutorial “Positive Interactions:...

Nov 05: Submit proposals for ACRL 2015 conference

CHICAGO - The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) invites proposal submissions for the ACRL 2015 conference to be held March 25-28, 2015, in Portland, Ore. Contributed paper, panel session, preconference and workshop proposals are due...