Courtney Young Needs Your Vote!

It’s election time for members of the American Library Association. Even if you’re not a member, I think you’ll enjoy hearing from Courtney Young, a candidate for ALA president. Courtney wrote the following to share with you what librarians can do through the ALA to serve our communities.

If you’re not a librarian, continue reading to know what to expect of your local school, public or academic library. If you are a librarian, read to know what a vote for Courtney will mean for the ALA. Voting in the 2013 ALA election began at 9:00 a.m. Central Time (US) on March 19, 2013. Ballots close at 11:59 p.m. on April 26, 2013.

The future of libraries is brighter than ever!

My name is Courtney Young and I ask for your vote for ALA President.

My platform focuses on the value of membership in the association. ALA exists for members in practical, relevant ways. In a time when we are faced with fiscal uncertainties, a growing impact of technology on core library collections and services, and staffing challenges, the library community needs to know that ALA is there for them. I am prepared to continue my service to the library community as President of the American Library Association, by advancing what I believe are three issues affecting all of us: Diversity, Career Development, and Engagement and Outreach.

Library services are strengthened when the diversity of the profession represents the diversity of the communities we serve. Likewise, our association is strong because of the diversity of the types of libraries we serve. ALA empowers our diverse voices.

Keeping all library employees current and equipped to serve their communities is one of the key roles of the association. By supporting substantive interactions, including professional networking, collaboration, and continuing education, ALA ensures that library and information professionals well-equipped with skills and training, well-informed of the issues that impact libraries and our profession, and well-connected to the changing world around us. ALA is the central thread that connects all of us.

Libraries are nimble and responsive to the changing information and service needs of our communities. They empower users and foster participation in the larger community providing access to information, by supporting use of networks and social media, and by advocating for users’ rights to information. ALA truly builds communities.

As ALA heads into strategic planning for 2020, I will work to keep these initiatives and the association valuable to member needs.

Thank you in advance for your support! To learn about my campaign and active leadership in ALA, please visit http://courtneyyoung.org.

Sincerely,

Courtney L. Young
Head Librarian, Penn State Greater Allegheny

Letter from Birmingham Jail: A Worldwide Celebration on April 16

Letter from Birmingham Jail: A Worldwide Celebration on April 16 - An Invitation to Join In!

On April 16th, 2013, the 50th anniversary of the day that Martin Luther King, Jr. began writing his

“Letter from Birmingham Jail,” the Birmingham Public Library will sponsor a program entitled “Letter from Birmingham Jail: A Worldwide Celebration.” We hope that you will join us.

Participants in this program will host public readings from the “Letter” at various locations around the globe: libraries, museums, schools, universities, churches, synagogues, temples, places where people work,
public parks, bookstores, street corners, coffee shops and anywhere that people want to participate. In addition to people who are participating throughout the Birmingham area and around Alabama, we have participants around the globe, from Israel to China, England to South Africa, Northern Ireland to Somalia. More names are being added each day.

People who participate in the readings can read the full text of the “Letter” or selections from the “Letter,” individually, as a group, or however they want to do this. Groups participating may range from two
people to hundreds of people. Readings can be done at any time of the day on April 16th.

When possible we hope people will video or photograph their readings and send those images to us.

To learn more about the program and register your participation, visit
our web site at www.bplonline.org/letterfrombirminghamjail

Jim Baggett, Head
Department of Archives and Manuscripts
Birmingham Public Library
2100 Park Place, Birmingham, AL 35203
205-226-3631 (voice), 205-226-3633 (fax)
jbaggett@bham.lib.al.us
www.BirminghamArchives.org
http://www.facebook.com/BirminghamArchives

Source: NYLINE@listserv.nysed.gov

Two Years Later: Japan 11 March

11 March 2011 the Tohoku earthquake and subsequent tsunami struck Japan.

The country is still rebuilding from the natural and nuclear disaster that resulted from the quake.

Books are beginning to appear to help students understand this tragedy.

Click for Interview with Contributors Leza Lowitz and Shogo Oketani.

The Great East Japan Earthquake of March 11, 2011, resulted in a massive tsunami that caused the loss of life and livelihood for thousands of people in the northern Tohoku region of Japan. So many teens in Tohoku have lost parents, siblings, relatives, friends, homes, schools, and huge swaths of their cities, towns and villages. Their teen worlds have been upended.

Tomo was published on March 10, 2012. Proceeds from the sales of Tomo will go to organizations that assist teens in the quake and tsunami hit areas. Tomo, which means friend in Japanese, aims to bring Japan stories to young adult readers worldwide, and in so doing, help support teens in Tohoku.

 

 

Click to find out how you may be able to obtain a free copy

In just over a week, a group of unpaid professional and citizen journalists who met on Twitter created a book to raise money for Japanese Red Cross earthquake and tsunami relief efforts. In addition to essays, artwork and photographs submitted by people around the world, including people who endured the disaster and journalists who covered it, 2:46: Aftershocks: Stories from the Japan Earthquake contains a piece by Yoko Ono, and work created specifically for the book by authors William Gibson, Barry Eisler and Jake Adelstein. “The primary goal,” says the book’s editor, a British resident of Japan, “is to record the moment, and in doing so raise money for the Japanese Red Cross Society to help the thousands of homeless, hungry and cold survivors of the earthquake and tsunami. The biggest frustration for many of us was being unable to help these victims. I don’t have any medical skills, and I’m not a helicopter pilot, but I can edit. A few tweets pulled together nearly everything – all the participants, all the expertise – and in just over a week we had created a book including stories from an 80-year-old grandfather in Sendai, a couple in Canada waiting to hear if their relatives were okay, and a Japanese family who left their home, telling their young son they might never be able to return.” ONE HUNDRED PERCENT of the price you pay (net of VAT, sales and other taxes) goes to the Japanese Red Cross Society to aid the victims of the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. If you’d like to donate more, please visit the Japanese Red Cross Society website

The oldest bird in the world, documented with banding, is Wisdom, the Midway Albatross. She was on Midway when the Japanese Tsunami hit and this is her amazing story of survival of manmade and natural disasters for over 60 years. She has survived the dangers of living wild, plastic pollution, longline fishing, lead poisoning, and the Japanese earthquake. At 60, she’s still laying eggs and hatching chicks. It’s a story of survival and hope amidst the difficulties of life.

 

 

This title examines an important historic event – the March 11, 2011, earthquake that spawned a devastating tsunami in Japan. Easy-to-read, compelling text explores the dual disaster that resulted in thousands of deaths and left many people homeless. This book also details the damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant near Japan’s northeast coast and the recovery efforts following the disasters.

El Día de Los Niños/El Día de Los Libros (Children’s Day/Book Day)

Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature is an organization advocating for multicultural children’s literature which includes
librarians, teachers, parents, caregivers, students, and experts in the field of children’s literature.

Eligibility
Libraries and community organizations that serve children and their families who are having a Día program, El Día de Los Niños/El Día de Los Libros (Children’s Day/Book Day) on or about April 30, 2012, with an African American Focus are eligible to apply.

If interested, you will need to submit an application. Please email me at crazyquilts at hotmail dot com and I’ll forward the file to you.

Deadline Applications must be received by March 15, 2013.
Award will be announced on or about March 30, 2013.

Return/mail applications to

Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s
Literature, c/o Dr. Claudette McLinn, executive director, 8461 South Van
Ness Avenue, Inglewood, CA 90305.

Award Amount
$500 grant in selected multicultural children’s books for your library.

Selection Criteria
Awardees will be selected based upon creativity and originality of the
implementation of their 2012 Día program, El Día de Los Niños/El Día de
Los Libros (Children’s Day/Book Day), with an African American Focus.

The winning library or institution must submit 15 digital photos of the event
by May 15 to verify the event had taken place.