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

Developing Events

I’ve tried to avoid the news from Boston this week. I just can’t listen to horrific news any more, I’m not trying to be naive, it just aches me in ways that are discomforting. Today, it couldn’t be avoided looking at a city that is shut down, trying to capture one violent criminal.

 

I think about people all over the world who live in violent areas where it isn’t safe to go anywhere and in some cases not even safe to be at home! Not just places in Mali or Congo, but in Chicago, ATL and Indy as well.

The day the bombing happening I was speaking with a student here from Bangladesh and he was so excited to be going home during the summer. It will be his first Ramadan with his family in years. His one hesitancy in going home would be his return to the US and  going through customs because of his name. Although neither he nor his identical twin brother have ever faced any difficulties, he knows people who have, because of their color. Later that evening when I mentioned the bombing to him, he stated that coming back will be even worse if the bombers are Muslim.

I think of these students when the press tries not to say these  terrorists are Muslim. They are struggling right now not to draw conclusion.  Buried in the conversation on NPR was in interview with a women who knew the two suspects for years via the schools they’ve attended in the US. They’re not new to this country!

I worried somewhat about the safety of Arab and Muslim students here as events unfold, but then I remember how little too many college students know of current events. Gen Y doesn’t watch TV, I wonder how they do get their news? What news sources are in their FB or Twitter feeds? Do they stop to visit Yahoo news when they go online? Do they look for trusted sources for local, national and global news? How do they grow their awareness of the world around them? Do they, like me sometimes choose to bury their heads in the sand?

 

I don’t want to send money or books to Boston. I want to do something to keep my corner of the world safe and free from cruelty, harm or danger.

Diversity in Security. Or, is it Insecurity?

OK, which of these scares you more. A or B?

A.

Just like I do every time I stay at a hotel, I left my key in my hotel room last week. I went to the desk to ask them to help me get back in. The desk clerk asked me my name and gave me another key. That was it, no other verification required.

Typically, when I forget me key, I’m asked to describe what the inside of the room looks like, numbers on my credit card and always to show and ID.

B.

My UPS person refuses to just leave packages at my door, although I meet the requirements UPS has in place for them to do so. I contacted the company online and was told that I could register for their free service called My Choice. Using My Choice, I could make arrangements for packages to be left without me signing, schedule deliveries, get delivery notices via email or text and a few other services.

Sounds good, don’t you think?

So, I began registering by giving them my name, phone number, email and postal addies and creating a password. Then, it got interesting.

In order to verify who I was, I was given multiple choice questions in which I had to verify the street my daughter lives on and a city where I used to live. I entered the correct answers, was told I was wrong (!) and had to then verify a street on which I used to live and the address of property I own. Remember, the only information I had given them was my name, phone number and email and postal addies.

Again I ask, which concerns you more?

WEBINAR: “Detained and Forgotten: Informational Needs of Youth in Detention”

WEBINAR: “Detained and Forgotten: Informational Needs of Youth in Detention”
Wednesday, April 17, 4:00-5:00pm Central time
Hosted by ASCLA–the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies

REGISTER NOW: http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=olweb&Template=/Conference/ConferenceList.cfm&ConferenceTypeCode=X
     Registration closes at noon central time on Tuesday, April 16.
     Can’t attend the live event? Register to receive a link to the session recording following the session.

This webinar will cover:

=The informational needs of the incarcerated and recently released youth.

=How the library can support these needs inside and outside of the detention center.

=The responsibility of the library to develop relationships with outside organizations and libraries that will continue to provide support to the youth upon his or her release from the detention center.

Who Should Attend: Those employed at academic libraries, prison libraries; state libraries; and public libraries; libraries serving incarcerated youth and/or adults, and libraries serving people with disabilities

Presenters: Glenn Scott and Dena Gould. Glenn recently presented “”Am I My Brother’s Keeper: The Library’s Responsibility to Imprisoned Youth” at the Library 2.0 2012 online conference. Dena spent considerable time volunteering at the Los Angeles County Juvenile Hall in Summer 2012 and is a MLIS candidate at San Jose State University. Glenn and Dena’s research and personal involvement in the academic and social well-being of imprisoned adults and youth has given us special insight into the informational and literary needs of this special population.

REGISTER NOW: http://www.ala.org/Template.cfm?Section=olweb&Template=/Conference/ConferenceList.cfm&ConferenceTypeCode=X

Individual registration rates start at $40 for ASCLA members.
Sign up as a group–it’s a great way to start the conversation about serving this growing population of library users. Register for a single login group for $99. Multiple login groups of two or more participants get 15% off the individual registration rates. Get more information about group registrations at the ASCLA Online Learning page: http://www.ala.org/ascla/asclaevents/onlinelearning/onlinelearning