ALA News

CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) today announced that authors Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan will virtually present at the 2022 Annual Conference & Exhibition – Digital Experience.

CHICAGO – The Public Library Association (PLA) is now accepting applications for public libraries to receive funding to conduct digital literacy workshops using DigitalLearn.org resources. The PLA Digital Literacy Workshop Incentive Program, supported by AT&T, provides up to $7,000 to support outreach and training in local communities. Library staff can learn more about this opportunity on May 19, 2022, at 1 p.m.

CHICAGO — Published by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) and ALA Editions, Maura Madigan’s book “Project-Based Learning for Elementary Grades” delivers flexible, interdisciplinary, learner-driven projects that support the National School Library Standards. Readers will find background on project-based learning (PBL), a breakdown of the essential parts of a project, and ready-made PBL projects that can be used with minimal preparation.

CHICAGO – Melanie Napoleon Welch has been named director of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Public Programs Office (PPO).

CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) announced this week that author, short story writer, television producer, and screenwriter R.L.

CHICAGO – Lindsey Kimery, Coordinator of Library Services for Metro Nashville (Tennessee) Public Schools, has been elected 2023-2024 chair of the American Association of School Librarians’ (AASL) Supervisors Section (ISS).

CHICAGO – Amanda Lucas, librarian at Riverside Presbyterian Day School in Jacksonville, Florida, has been elected 2022-2024 secretary of the American Association of School Librarians’ (AASL) Independent Schools Section (ISS).

CHICAGO – Neha Thakkar, school librarian at the Avery Coonley School in Downers Grove, Illinois, has been elected 2023-2024 chair of the American Association of School Librarians’ (AASL) Independent Schools Section (ISS).  

CHICAGO – Rebecca J. Morris, teaching associate professor at the University of Pittsburgh, has been elected 2023-2024 chair of the American Association of School Librarians’ (AASL) Educators of School Librarians Section (ESLS). Morris’s term will begin during the 2022 ALA Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

CHICAGO – Dr. Cathi Fuhrman, school librarian at State College Area High School in State College, Pennsylvania, has been elected American Association of School Librarians (AASL) director-at-large, chapters for 2022-2024. Fuhrman will take her seat on the AASL Board of Directors during the 2022 ALA Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

CHICAGO – Amanda Kordeliski, director of libraries and instructional technology for Norman (Oklahoma) Public Schools, has been elected American Association of School Librarians (AASL) director-at-large for 2022-2024. Kordeliski will take her seat on the AASL Board of Directors during the 2022 ALA Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

CHICAGO – Juan Rivera, library media specialist at A. Philip Randolph Campus High School in New York, has been elected the 2022-2024 secretary/treasurer of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL). Rivera will take his seat on the AASL Board of Directors at the end of June during the 2022 ALA Annual Meeting in Washington, D.C.

The Library Research Round Table (LRRT) of the American Library Association (ALA) has chosen the 2022 recipients of the Jesse H. Shera Award for Distinguished Published Research and the Jesse H. Shera Award for the Support of Dissertation Research, which honors work that advances library research.

The Jesse H. Shera Award for Distinguished Published Research is given to the author(s) of a research article published in English during the calendar year and nominated by any member of LRRT or by editors of research journals in the field of library and information studies.

CHICAGO — Michael Cart’s fourth edition of “Young Adult Literature: From Romance to Realism,” published by ALA Neal-Schuman, is a must-have for everyone who wants to understand where YA lit has been and where it's heading. Keeping pace with changes in the field of publishing and realigning itself to the newest generation of young adults, this sweeping update:

CHICAGO – Three research papers have been awarded the 2022 American Association of School Librarians (AASL) Research Grants by the Educators of School Librarians Section (ESLS) of AASL. Sponsored by ABC-CLIO, the grants recognize excellence in manuscripts addressing a persistent and recurring challenge in the field of school librarianship. Each grant consists of a $350 award and the researchers will present their papers at the 2023 AASL National Conference in Tampa, Florida.

Recipients of the 2022 AASL Research Grants are:

CHICAGO – The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) is pleased to announce the five school administrators who have been selected to serve on the 2022-2024 AASL School Leader Collaborative. The three principals and two superintendents are members of a second cohort in an initiative sponsored by OverDrive Education to champion the school librarian’s integral role in teaching and learning. 

CHICAGO — The American Library Association (ALA) today announced that FCC Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel will open the 2022 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition

CHICAGO – The Public Library Association (PLA) announced the availability of new and updated digital literacy courses and training materials developed as part of its collaboration with AT&T to bring digital literacy training to families.

Campaign urges decisionmakers to oppose book bans, protect the freedom to read 

The American Library Association (ALA) and a coalition of more than 25 groups are banding together to empower individuals and communities to fight censorship and protect the freedom to read. Organizations including the American Federation of Teachers and the Authors Guild have joined the association’s Unite Against Book Bans campaign to raise awareness about the recent rise in book challenges in public libraries and schools. 

The Donald G. Davis Article Award Committee of the Library History Round Table (LHRT) of the American Library Association (ALA) is pleased to present the 2022 Davis Article Award to Alex H. Poole, Associate Professor of Information Science at Drexel University, for his article "'Tearing the Shroud of Invisibility': Communities of Protest Information Practices and the Fight for LGBTQ Rights in US Librarianship," which appeared in Library Quarterly Vol. 90, No. 4, 2020.