Library Reference Specialist of ALA

Gabe Levinson and his Book Bike on Chicago Tonight, November 13, 2008

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 20:35:28 GMT

Second Life & Virtual World-related programs @ 2009 ALA Annual Conference

Fri, 10 Jul 2009 20:19:43 GMT

The Virtual Communities and Libraries Member Initiative Group meeting for the 2009 ALA Annual Conference – taking place in the hometown of ALA Headquarters: Chicago, IL! — will take place in real life on Saturday, July 11, 2009, at 3:00 pm CT (1:00 pm PT/SLT), at National Louis University, which is located at 122 S. Michigan Avenue. Meet the members of VCL MIG in the Second Floor Atrium.

Do you have friends going to Annual Conference who would like a chance to see what SL is like? IM Oberon Octagon if interested in attending an orientation session in the ALA HQ Training Room this Friday, July 10, 2009 at 10am or 2pm CT for a chance to see your avatar on a BIG screen. Get tips on using the SL viewer, see ALA Island, or just have a group together in one room for a dual-world chat.

There will be free Second Life Librarian ribbons for your badge from Tina Coleman (ALA Island’s Kay Tairov in Second Life) at the Membership Pavilion, Booth #3034, at McCormick Place, which opens tomorrow, July 11, at 8:45 am Central Time.

Pick up your free 2009 ALA Annual Conference T-Shirt for your avatar in-world at the Main Stage on ALA Island (130, 103, 31).

2009 ALA Annual Conference Kiosk and Free Avatar Conference T-Shirt Vendor on ALA Island

For news in-world, visit the VCL MIG Twitter Screen Area on ALA Island (131, 213, 28). Join one (or both) of the Second Life online communities on ALA Connect: Virtual Communities and Libraries, Second Life Users Group.

Next week, we’ll be posting a round-up of the Cognotes issues from conference and streaming in any podcasts or video captured at various events and programs.

Our first video is already up! Go to AL Focus Video Village on ALA Island (79, 44, 44) and watch the brief interview with Paula Poundstone before she appeared as a panelist just last night before a 500-strong all-librarian audience for this week’s live taping of the NPR radio quiz show, Wait Wait… Don’t Tell Me! The video is titled Paula Poundstone at Wait, Wait, Don’t Tell Me!

2009 ALA Annual Conference — Sessions discussing Second Life and other virtual worlds

Life After 2.0
Public Library Association (PLA, a division of ALA)
Saturday, July 10, 1:30 pm-3:00 om Central Time
Location: McCormick Place West in W-190b

Track: Digital Information & Technologies
What has become of the initial push for Web 2.0 technologies and services in public libraries? Which programs have been successful? What have we learned from the failures? Blogs, wikis, Second Life, and all things Library 2.0 will be considered against the backdrop of librarian/patron satisfaction. Join our panel of Web 2.0 experts as they discuss what some libraries have done to measure the quality and impact of 2.0 services.

Speakers: Lori Bell, Director of Innovation, Alliance Library System, East Peoria, Ill.; Helene Blowers, Director of Digital Strategy, Columbus (Ohio) Metropolitan Library; Meredith Farkas, Head of Instructional Initiatives, Kretzberg Library, Norwich University, Vt.; Jed Moffitt, Moderator, Associate Director, Information Technology Systems, King County (Wash.) Library System; Michelle Springer, Project Manager, Digital Initiatives, Library of Congress, Washington, DC

Giving Maps a Second Life with Digital Technologies
Map and Geography Round Table (MAGERT)
Saturday, July 11, 3:30 pm-5:30 pm Central Time
Location: Hyatt Regency McCormick in Conf. Ctr. 23

Track: Digital Information & Technologies
Please join the Map and Geography Round Table (MAGERT) in welcoming Mr. David Rumsey of Cartography Associates who will be presenting a program entitled Giving Maps a Second Life with Digital Technologies. In this program, Mr. Rumsey will show how his increasing use of digital technologies and the Internet over the past decade has transformed his work as a historical map scholar and collector. Using imaging software, GIS, and popular applications like Google Earth and Second Life, Rumsey has given new life to old maps, both in their dissemination and our ability to analyze and understand them, thereby unlocking the information held in maps for use in a wide range of disciplines. He will discuss and demonstrate how he offers these software tools and a growing number of digitized maps themselves on his free public online map library at www.davidrumsey.com.

Web 2.0 meet the Standards for 21st Century Learner
American Association of School Librarians (AASL, a division of ALA)
Sunday, July 12, 10:30-12:00
Location: McCormick Place West in W-187

Track: Digital Information & Technologies
The panel will demonstrate five Web 2.0 tools, highlighting the features that support our new standards. At tables, groups will brainstorm and develop how these tools can be used to support inquiry learning and report out. The moderator will record these ideas in a wiki designed for future growth. We hope to be able to share this session with 2.0-style—Ustream and have others Twitter in. As a wrap up, we may go into Second life and discuss the same tools with some librarian around the country/world (pre-arranged).

Presenters: Joyce Valenza, Pam Berger, Wendy Stephens, Christopher Harris, Lisa E Perez, Jeff Hastings, and Robin Williams

Making Virtual Reality-Based Library Services Real for K-12 Teachers & Librarians
American Association of School Librarians (AASL, a division of ALA)
Sunday, July 12, 3:30 pm-5:30 pm Central Time
Location: McCormick Place West in W-175b/c

Track: Administration & Leadership; Collaboration
This program will identify and share effective professional development technologies; best practices in using a virtual reality environment to deliver professional library services; information about effective practices in administering a virtual-reality based library services program. Using Second Life, the technology and its uses will be discussed highlighting the benefits to networking, resource identification and professional development. The Chicago Public Schools Department of Libraries Second Life Project will be used to demonstrate from the project planning to implementation. This program will also discuss the future of multi-user virtual reality environments, including information on other current virtual reality environments, development of education grids, interoperability with other Web 2.0 technologies, and open
standard development.

Speakers: Lisa Perez; Christie Thomas

My Avatar Will Contact Your Avatar: Virtual Worlds, Real Opportunities
Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA, a division of ALA), Systems and Services Section (SASS)
Monday, July 13, 8:00 am-10:00 am Central Time
Location: McCormick Place West in W-178a

Track: Administration & Leadership; Leadership & Management
Virtual worlds are creating a new strain of librarianship, with its own set of opportunities and affordances. The number of virtual worlds and the overall citizenship of virtual worlds continue to increase. Many libraries are developing services and collections in virtual worlds. Sooner or later all libraries will need to make a decision about virtual worlds. In this program, we will explore the following questions: What are the trends and developments in virtual worlds, such as Second Life, Lively, Qwaq, Teen Second Life, and Whyville? How are they being used by libraries and library-related organizations? What factors should libraries consider in deciding whether or not to develop a virtual world presence? What is the future of librarianship in virtual worlds? What resources and skills are needed to start and sustain a virtual world library presence?

Speakers: Lori Bell, Alliance Library System; Tom Peters, TAP Information Services; Kathryn Robinson, Orange County Library System

2009 National Library Week Event Schedule for ALA Island in Second Life

Fri, 10 Apr 2009 20:45:45 GMT

“Worlds connect @ your library” in Second Life

CHICAGO - In celebration of National Library Week, the American Library Association (ALA) will host a series of “Worlds connect @ your library” events in Second Life (SL). “Worlds connect @ your library” is the 2009 theme for National Library Week.

This year’s attractions and events in Second Life mark the second National Library Week to host “in-world” activities. Attractions open throughout National Library Week will include:

An ALA / Information Island Archipelago Treasure Hunt. Visitors are invited to explore the Information Island Chain while picking up fun and useful freebies along the way.
A celebration of ALA Allied Professional Association’s (ALA-APA) National Library Workers Day, Tuesday, April 14. ALA Island will feature the Gallery of Library Stars, where visitors can pose for a picture and have it added to the gallery.
Build-Your-Own-Tour of Libraries in Second Life. SL users can use the pictures on the ALA Island to visit different library locations throughout Second Life.
A Youth Media Award art gallery. Visitors are invited to stop by the Lorelei Junot Gallery to check out this National Library Week art exhibit featuring cover art from Caldecott, Pura Belpré and Coretta Scott King award winners and honor medal recipients.

Also, during National Library Week, ALA staff members will be in Second Life to reach out and connect with SL users. Special events will include (and please be aware that Second Life Time, called SLT, is exactly the same as Pacific Time, so adjust the times below to your own time zone accordingly):

10 a.m. PT/SLT, Monday, April 13 - Main Stage, ALA Island

Megan McFarlane, coordinator for the Campaign for America’s Libraries (Second Life avatar, Bunny Iwish), will host a talk on the fourth season of Step Up to the Plate @ your library. McFarlane will be on hand to discuss the 2009 season, which will focus on the history and diversity of America’s national pastime, and to answer questions on promoting the program.

4 p.m. PT/SLT, Tuesday, April 14 - Banned Books Week Town Square, ALA Island

Tina Coleman, ALA membership specialist (Second Life avatar, Kay Tairov), will moderate a book discussion of Watchmen. The discussion will focus on the graphic novel and its impact on modern literature and pop culture.

6 p.m. PT/ SLT, Wednesday, April 15 - Main Stage, ALA Island

Joe Sanchez, author of the February 2009 Library Technology Reports and doctoral candidate in the School of Information at the University of Texas at Austin (Second Life avatar, North Lamar), will host a presentation titled Implementing Second Life: Ideas, Challenges and Innovations. Please join us for this exclusive interactive discussion and presentation of his work. We’ll be discussing virtual worlds and their potential to impact library service and freedom of information, as well as Joe’s work with Library Science students using Second Life. One of the topics discussed will be role-playing in virtual worlds, so we are asking all participants to come dressed as their favorite historical figure!

12 p.m. PT/SLT, Thursday, April 16 - Salon Huron, ALA Island

Valerie Hawkins, ALA library reference specialist (Second Life avatar, ALALibraryVal Miles), will moderate a T.A.R.D.I.S (Time And Relative Dimensions In Space) @ your library, a discussion of the world of the popular British science fiction show Doctor Who.

12 p.m. PT/SLT, Friday, April 17 - Main Stage, ALA Island

Furthering promoting the theme of “connections,” Jenny Levine, internet development specialist & strategy guide, ITTS (Second Life avatar, Cielo Paris), will host a presentation on ALA Connect, ALA’s new social networking site.

The ALA Island/ALA Main Stage is located at 128, 107, 29. In Second Life, teleport there directly: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ALA%20Island/128/107/29/

To learn more about Second Life, visit ALA’s Second Life wiki at http://wikis.ala.org/professionaltips/index.php/Second_Life. For more information on National Library Week, visit the National Library Week Web page at http://www.ala.org/pio/nlw.

The Campaign for America’s Libraries (www.ala.org/@yourlibrary) is ALA’s public awareness campaign that promotes the value of libraries and librarians. Thousands of libraries of all types – across the country and around the globe - use the Campaign’s @ your library® brand. The Campaign is made possible in part by ALA’s Library Champions, corporations and foundations who advocate the importance of the library in American society.

On ALA Island in Second Life, discuss National Gaming Day -- on Thursday, 3:30 pm Pacific Time/SLT

Tue, 28 Oct 2008 22:13:01 GMT

Is your library participating in the ALA National Gaming Day on Saturday, November 15, 2008?
http://delicious.com/alalibrary/alagamingday08

This week’s Salon Huron on ALA Island (196, 206, 29) on Thursday, October 30, at 3:30 pm Pacific Time/Second Life Time will be led by Sonja Morgwain. The discussion topic is National Gaming Day - share ideas, what your library is doing, etc. The discussion will last approximately one hour and everyone is invited!

If you’d like, RSVP at the Facebook Event Page, at:
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=32648623310

If you have other ideas/topics for discussion, please send an IM to Lorelei Junot. These will take place each Thursday as part of the ALA Virtual Communities and Libraries Member Initiative Group (ALA VCL MIG). See the Virtual Presence Blog for details, at:
http://www.virtual.ala.org/virtualpresence

Thanks Lorelei Junot for the event description! Also see–
http://infoisland.org/2008/10/28/ala-salon-huron-national-gaming-day-discussion

Author Cynthia Leitich Smith in Second Life TODAY on ALA Island at 5 pm Pacific Time/Second Life Tim

Tue, 14 Oct 2008 21:44:07 GMT

Young adult author and LJ'er cynleitichsmith will be appearing in Second Life TONIGHT on ALA Island at 5:00 pm Pacific Time/Second Life Time.

See Virtual Presence Blog entry --

Tantalize Author Speaks on ALA Island Main Stage, at:
www.virtual.ala.org/virtualpresence/?p=74

Young Adult author Cynthia Leitich Smith -- as Second Life avatar, Cynthia Zanzibar -- will be presenting on the American Library Association’s Island (ALA Island 129, 105, 29) on October 14 at 5pm PST.

Oh-so-creepy stage set up masterfully created by Abbey Zenith -- www.flickr.com/people/abbeyzenith

Most Challenged Books for 2007 and 2006 -- links to press releases

Thu, 25 Sep 2008 22:10:25 GMT

May 8, 2008 press release from the American Library Association (ALA) --

Children’s book on male penguins raising chick tops ALA's 2007 list of most challenged books
http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2008/may2008/penguin.cfm

March 6, 2007 press release from the American Library Association (ALA) --

"And Tango Makes Three" tops ALA's 2006 list of most challenged books
http://www.ala.org/ala/newspresscenter/news/pressreleases2007/march2007/mc06.cfm

All About Banned Books Week in Second Life September 27 - October 4, 2008!

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 22:26:41 GMT

Here are the events that we have scheduled so far for ALA Island in Second Life for 2008 Banned Books Week. More events to be announced. Locations subject to change. See the (new!) ALA Island Facebook Fan Page for latest information.

Last revised: September 29, 2008

NEW ON ALA ISLAND FOR BANNED BOOKS WEEK! BE SURE TO SEE!

Banned Books Week Town Square - Main site for this week's Banned Books Week events!

Come see how many book references you can spot!

Banned Books Week Town Square on ALA Island (203, 55, 61)

ALA Garden Storytelling Area - A whimsical and calming place to sit and chat, listen to the current audio program, or just take a moment to chill out and think.Enter the Name the Garden contest for a free READ poster of your choice.

Garden Storytelling Area on ALA Island (28, 103, 21)

----------------------------------------

Saturday, Sept. 27th

- Censorship and School Libraries (30 min) ALL DAY

Galen Noltenius Sky Platform on ALA Island (206, 100, 46) -- New Coordinates!

March 5, 1982 episode of "The Open Mind"

Host: Richard D. Heffner, University Professor of Communications and Public Policy at Rutgers University

Guests: George W. Lipp, Jr., counsel for the Board of Education, and Alan H. Levine, counsel for Steven Pico and the other students, for the legal case, Board of Education, Island Trees Union Free School District Number 26 et al vs. Steven Pico et al, 457 U.S. 853, which helped bring about Banned Books Week. Read the transcript. Courtesy of the Internet Archive of The Open Mind episodes.

(FYI: See the book Board of Education v. Pico (1982) by John C. Gold. New York: Twenty-First Century Books, 1994)

Sunday, Sept. 28th

- Frank Zappa On Crossfire, 1986-03-28 (30 min) ALL DAY

Galen Noltenius Sky Platform on ALA Island (206, 100, 46) -- New Coordinates!

March 28, 1986 episode of "Crossfire"

Hosts: Tom Braden and Robert Novak

Guests: Rock musician Frank Zappa and Washington Post reporter John Lofton debate labeling of rock music records and censorship of music videos

Courtesy of the Internet Archive of Open Source Movies.

Monday, Sept. 29th

12:30 Second Life Time/Pacific Time - 2:30 Central Time

Banned Books Week Town Square on ALA Island (203, 55, 61) -- New location!

- Discussion of And Tango Makes Three, written by Justin Richardson and Peter Parnell, and illustrated by Henry Cole.

What makes this the most challenged book for the last two years?

Comments and questions from audience encouraged

Judy Blume . . . and Our Children's Freedom to Read (1992) (30 min) ALL DAY

Galen Noltenius Sky Platform on ALA Island (206, 100, 46) -- New Coordinates!

1992 episode of "The Open Mind"

Host: Richard D. Heffner

Guest: Author Judy Blume

Courtesy of the Internet Archive of The Open Mind episodes

Tuesday, Sept. 30th

- Storylines Midwest episode (60 min) ALL DAY

Garden Storytelling Area on ALA Island (28, 103, 21) -- New location!

Featuring A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley, winner of Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 1991

Successfully banned at high school in Lynden, WA in 1994; successfully retained at high school in Round Rock, TX in 1996

AND

Storylines Midwest episode (60 min) ALL DAY

Featuring Native Son by Richard Wright. Challenged in New Hampshire and in New Jersey in 1978; challenged in Massachusetts in 1982; challenged in Michigan in 1988; challeneged in Washington in 1994; challeneged in North Carolina in 1996; challeneged in California and in Indiana in 1998.

Sky Book Platform on ALA Island (129, 156, 69)

Wednesday, Oct. 1st

12:30 Second Life Time/Pacific Time - 2:30 Central Time

Banned Books Week Town Square on ALA Island (203, 55, 61) -- New location!

- Discussion Topic: Is Banned Books Week Necessary?

Do you think Banned Books Week is necessary? Important? Or is it all just National Hogwash Week?

Discussion moderated by Second Life avatar Bryan Anderton/Bryan Campbell of ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom.

Comments and questions from audience expected!

Thursday, Oct. 2nd

4:00 Second Life Time/Pacific Time - 6:00 Central Time

- Dance at *new* Garden of ALA Island

Garden Storytelling Area on ALA Island (28, 103, 21) -- New location!

Theme: Arabian Nights or The Thousand and One Nights by Anonymous

Not allowed into the USA (1927-1931) and confiscated in Egypt (1985), said to threaten moral fabric of citizens.

SPECIAL!! -- Don't forget to enter the Name the Garden Contest!

Friday, Oct. 3rd

12:30 Second Life Time/Pacific Time - 2:30 Central Time

Banned Books Week Town Square on ALA Island (203, 55, 61) -- New location!

- Open debate on The Perks of Being A Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

What makes this book so objectionable to the parents of high school students?

Several volunteers needed to debate the two main opposing sides -- please contact Bryan Campbell of ALA's Office for Intellectual Freedom about participation. Or send an IM (Instant Message) to Second Life avatar Bryan Anderton.

Comments and questions from audience encouraged, but this will be more of a structured debate than a discussion.

Judy Blume (2000) (30 min) ALL DAY

Galen Noltenius Sky Platform on ALA Island (206, 100, 46) -- New Coordinates!

October 20, 2000 episode of "The Open Mind"

Host: Richard D. Heffner

Guest: Author Judy Blume

Courtesy of the Internet Archive of The Open Mind episodes

Saturday, Oct. 4th

12:30 Second Life Time/Pacific Time - 2:30 Central Time

Banned Books Week Town Square on ALA Island (203, 55, 61) -- New location!

- ALA Island Banned Books Week Read-Out & Fireworks

ALA Staff and guests will read aloud from selected works that have been banned or challenged. Readers will include Oberon Octagon, ALALibraryVal Miles, Bryan Anderton, Kay Tairov, Elaine Tulip, Bunny Iwish, and more.

Reading will use voice chat.

Feel free to volunteer -- more participants needed!

Party on the riverboat will follow.

The Delta Lady Riverboat on ALA Island (84, 15, 26)

5:00 Second Life Time/Pacific Time - 7:00 Central Time

Main Stage on ALA Island (127, 103, 29)

In-world appearance by author Chris Crutcher

=================

If you have questions or comments, please send IM or note card to Second Life avatars Kay Tairov, Oberon Octagon, or ALALibraryVal Miles.

Or send e-mail to the ALA Second Life Team.

All About Banned Books Week September 27 - October 4, 2008!

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 22:24:40 GMT

This week, ALA released its online video promoting Banned Books Week 2008, which stars ALA staffers Bryan Campbell and Valerie Hawkins -- which is me :)! You can see the video in a couple of places online, including:

Banned Books Week: I'd Like To Find *BLEEP*
http://alfocus.ala.org/videos/banned-books-week-id-find-bleep

and

http://alfocus.blip.tv/file/1284410

and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xa1aUmjf2ns

Banned Books Week 2008 will kick off in Chicago, with a Read-Out! The event will feature popular banned or challenged authors and local Chicago celebrities on Saturday, September 27, from noon to 4 p.m., at 401 N. Michigan Ave., Pioneer Plaza.

Each year since 2002, the Office for Intellectual Freedom has hosted a Read-Out! event to kick off Banned Books Week. The Read-Out! features a continuous reading of banned or challenged books, and the first event was first held right out on Huron Street, as some of you may recall. ALA staff read aloud from their favorite books and we were honored to have Studs Turkel and Sara Peretsky read with us as well.

This year, things are a little bigger. Not only do we have some well-known banned or challenged authors joining us – Judy Blume, Lois Lowry, Phyllis Reynolds Naylor, Stephen Chbosky, and Lauren Myracle will be in attendance, among others – but the event also will feature our very own Ilene Cooper! These authors will read from their own books or from their favorite books that have been banned or challenged. Keith Michael Fiels has graciously agreed to again serve as the Read-Out’s emcee.

We hope you will be able to join us for this year's event! The Read-Out! will be held this Saturday, September 27, from noon to 4:00 p.m. at Pioneer Plaza in downtown Chicago. Authors will be signing their books and a limited number of books will be given away for free. For more information about the event, please visit our Web site at www.ala.org/bbooks and click on the events page. We hope to see you there!

Judith Krug, ALA's office for Intellectual Freedom (see video clip below)

Celebrate Banned Books Week 2008!

gifninja.com -- Create custom animated gifs at gifninja.com!

ALA Library in Second Life

Mon, 30 Jun 2008 21:13:32 GMT

(originally posted to the ALA Marginalia Blog - <http://discuss.ala.org/marginalia/2008/06/28/ala-library-in-second-life>)

My name is Valerie Hawkins and I work in the Library of the American Library Association (ALA), where my title is Library Reference Specialist. Chiefly I respond to questions about ALA and about libraries and librarianship from ALA staff, members, and nonmembers, by phone, fax, mail, e-mail, and, most recently, by chat/instant messaging.

But an even newer development in my reference duties has been appearing in and responding to questions while in the Second Life virtual world, specifically on ALA Island, in the Member Lounge, as the avatar, ALALIbraryVal Miles. My virtual self has already conducted an in-world book talk, discussing the various books available that teach and instruct about living and thriving in Second Life, and also created an in-world scavenger hunt, for the specific purpose of directing both new and long-existing avatars to some of the more interesting locations and destinations in Second Life, from its virtual space and sea museums to its islands devoted to television shows and cable channels to the incredible original creation of the Alliance Library System in Illinois, Info Island and its Second Life Library.

The scavenger hunt was meant to function much like ALA’s initial “50+ Great Web Sites for Kids & Adults” and its sequel, “700+ Amazing, Spectacular, Mysterious, Wonderful Web Sites for Kids and the Adults Who Care About Them,” in which the goal was to spotlight the many educational and cultural destinations available in this new online virtual space, as opposed to the adults-only destinations that receive a disproportionate amount of media attention, creating the impression that all there is to offer in this new space are such decidedly mature, even prurient entertainments. Nothing could be further from the truth. Second Life provides a brand new, one-of-a-kind opportunity to teach, learn, and communicate about any and all subjects in visually creative ways.

Your Second Life avatar is a 3-D representation of you, which types to communicate with other avatars via text chat (and now has the relatively new option to communicate through voice chat, speaking and listening to others using a headset that connects to your computer). So far, ALALibraryVal Miles has spoken in-world with:

a university librarian, working with a professor that has integrated Second Life into his accounting class assignments, who was looking for a library-related place to rent space and therefore expand her sole library kiosk and message board, in order to provide better library service to the professor’s students;

a university student, sent to me specifically by her professor (with whom I was acquainted), to talk out what kind of graduate-level Second Life library project she could create to complete her class with the professor;

a librarian from a prominent university library looking for advice on a possible in-world digitization project;

a librarian looking for groups devoted to teen and young adult literature;

and several others, including ALA staff, members, and nonmembers, who needed more direction and instruction on navigating the Second Life virtual world.

In order to continue the guidance provided by both the book talk and the scavenger hunt, a kiosk was built in the Member Lounge that freely distributes the detailed notecards that accompanied both events, so that any visitor to ALA Island can walk, fly, or teleport away with both more information on how Second life works and on what there is to see there. There is an intention to update these existing notecards and create new ones as needs arise.

The Second Life virtual world is a valuable, special addition to the services that libraries can provide and to the knowledge that ALA can pass on to its members.

ALA Annual Conference - Links (del.icio.us)

Tue, 24 Jun 2008 18:11:07 GMT

(obsessively cross-posted)

FYI:

http://del.icio.us/alalibrary/alaannual08
Links to web pages regarding the 2008 ALA Annual Conference occurring June 26-July 2, 2008, in Anaheim, CA, including the pages on registration, housing, and the exhibits, and the Official Wiki, as well.

Especially see:

ALA | 2008 ALA Annual Conference Main Page

Official Wiki of the 2008 ALA Annual Conference

Check In at Conference - 2008 ALA Annual Conference Wiki

ALA 2008 Annual Conference Planner (fully registered attendees use only) - The Planner is only available to fully registered attendees. To log in, use the email address you provided when you registered, and the generic password "ala." You will be able to reset your password using the "My Profile" feature once you are logged in.

First Time Attendees Questions and List of Conference 101 Sessions at the 2008 ALA Annual Conference

ALA | Job Placement Services - 2008 ALA Annual Conference in Anaheim, CA - Friday, June 27-12:00 Noon to 5:00 pm / Saturday, June 28-9:00 am to 5:00 pm / Sunday, June 29-9:00 am to 5:00 pm / Monday, June 30-9:00 am to 1:00 pm

ALA | Programs and Sessions for the 2008 ALA Annual Conference

ALA | Registration at the 2008 ALA Annual Conference

Welcome to Anaheim - ALA Annual Conference 2008 Preview | AL Focus (online video)

Introducing the ALA Conference Materials Archive Wiki (ALA Marginalia Blog Post)

If there's something you're looking for and you just can't find it, comment below and I'll try to find you an answer! If you'd rather keep it private, please do not hesitate to send me an e-mail directly.

I don't usually get to attend the ALA Annual Conference -- "They also serve who sit and answer the phones back at ALA Headquarters," which is an old ALA saying I just made up (in the great tradition of UK actor/comedian Eddie Izzard) -- but I can certainly help attendees get where they need and want to be at the event.

Participate in Virtual Library Legislative Day 2008 in Second Life

Mon, 12 May 2008 16:56:41 GMT

National Library Legislative Day 2008
American Library Association - May 13 & 14, 2008
http://www.ala.org/nlld

Hi, everyone -- Valerie Hawkins of the Library of the American Library Association here!

On May 13 & 14, 2008, hundreds of librarians and library supporters of all kinds are coming to Washington, DC, for an event like no other: National Library Legislative Day (NLLD), a two-day event in which people who care about libraries participate in advocacy and issue training sessions, interact with Capitol Hill insiders, and visit Congressional member offices to ask Congress to pass legislation that supports libraries.

Can’t go to Washington? Participate in Virtual Library Legislative Day 2008 in Second Life!

Above is a picture of my avatar, ALALibraryVal Miles, modeling the free t-shirt now available from the kiosk in Second Life for ALA's National Library Legislative Day on ALA Island (134, 103, 29).

You can participate in Virtual Library Legislative Day 2008 in Second Life by having your avatar wear the National Library Legislative Day 2008 t-shirt on May 13 and/or 14.

Take a snapshot of your avatar wearing the t-shirt.

Upload the snapshot to an online photo sharing web site, such as Flickr, and add the tag "VLLD08" or "VLLD2008" for Virtual Library Legislative Day 2008.

Just to make sure we see it, send the link for the Flickr photo(s) by IM to ALALibraryVal Miles -- or send an e-mail to vhawkins@ala.org. Also use this contact information for any questions or concerns you might have.

NOTE: You have the option to take your VLLD2008 snapshot at the READ Poster Picture Frame Station on ALA Island (183, 94, 29).

National Library Workers Day 2008!

Fri, 25 Apr 2008 21:41:11 GMT

National Library Workers Day (NLWD) was created in 2004 by the ALA-APA (American Library Association-Allied Professional Association <http://www.ala-apa.org>), the organization for the advancement of library employees. It is the Tuesday of National Library Week.

This year it was celebrated April 15, 2008, with the theme: Libraries Work Because We Do!

There's more about it at the main National Library Week web page, including an interview (mp3) with ALA-APA director, Jenifer Grady, at:
http://www.ala.org/pio/nlw

There's also a link to the interview with Jenifer Grady on the new blog, Visibility @ your library, which comes out of ALA's public relations department, the Public Information Office (PIO <http://www.ala.org/pio>), in the entry, ALA-APA Director explains National Library Workers Day.

Library staff and patrons alike could nominate library employees as NLWD Stars -- see the press release, Why are library staff important? See the (NLWD) Stars.

In addition to a list of NLWD stars appearing on the ALA-APA web site, library workers could also enter Second Life and get pictures of their avatars taken and added to the NLWD Constellation of Stars wall on ALA Island.

Also, your Second Life avatar could get a free National Library Workers Day t-shirt.

Both my Flickr photostream and the ALA Staff Flickr photostream show photos from the ALA Island Second Life parties and events.

ALA Island will be around throughout the year, though. Feel free to drop by and talk to ALALibraryVal Miles (me!).

Happy National Library Week!

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:57:50 GMT

Introduction only bit of the series of video spots promoting National Library Week!

See the entire series of videos at http://alfocus.ala.org/categories/national-library-week

And see the spots featuring honorary National Library Week chairperson Julie Andrews both on the main National Library Week page (YouTube links) and at
http://www.ala.org/ala/pio/natlibraryweek/andrews.cfm

ALA celebrates National Library Week in Second Life (lightly cross-posted)

Fri, 11 Apr 2008 16:41:27 GMT

Proposed schedule of Second Life activities during National Library Week in Second Life. And I am avatar ALALibraryVal Miles!

SLBuzz.com Resident Profile for ALALibraryVal Miles -- http://profiles.slbuzz.com/alalibraryval-miles

===================

For fifty years, National Library Week (April 13-19, 2008) has been celebrated by libraries of all types all across the country. This year, ALA brings the celebration to Second Life with a week of "in world" activities.

All activities will take place on the ALA Island, ALA's virtual space, and will be hosted by Tina Coleman, ALA member specialist, whose Second Life avatar name is Kay Tairov or Val Hawkins, ALA library reference specialist, whose Second Life avatar name is ALALibraryVal Miles.

The ALA Island/ALA Main Stage is located at 128, 107, 29. In Second Life, teleport there directly: http://slurl.com/secondlife/ALA%20Island/128/107/29/

(times and/or activities subject to change)

Sunday, April 13

* 1:30 p.m. (11:30 p.m. Second Life Time (SLT)) - ALA President Loriene Roy kicks off the Second Life National Library Week celebrations with brief remarks about National Library Week.
* 6:00 p.m. (4:00 p.m. SLT) - Julie Andrews Costume Party at ALA Party Central. Andrews is the honorary chair of National Library Week 2008.

Monday, April 14

* 11:00 a.m. (9:00 a.m. SLT) - Opening fireworks

* 3:00 p.m. (2:00 p.m. SLT) - Book discussion at the Book Platform
* 6:00 p.m. (4:00 p.m. SLT) - "Come as your favorite intellectual" Party at Lake Maze

* 6:30 pm (4:30 p.m. SLT) - AASL Storytime at the Pond Space

Tuesday, April 15

* Library Stars Photo Op: For National Library Workers Day, take a snapshot of your avatar and have it posted on the Constellation of Library Stars gallery.

* 2:00-3:00 p.m. (12 p.m. SLT) - Tai Chi Session to celebrate wellness for National Library Workers Day at the Main Stage

* 6:15 p.m. (4:15 p.m. SLT) - Fireworks

* 6:30 -7:30 p.m. (4:30 p.m. SLT) - Public Programs Office Storytime at the Pond Space

Wednesday, April 16

* 11:00 - 12:00 am (9:00 a.m. SLT) - Libraries Across America: The Bold & the Beautiful at the ALA Gallery

* 1:00 -2:00 p.m. (11 a.m. SLT) Scavenger Hunt at the Main Stage

* 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. (4:30 pm SLT) Public Programs Office Storytime at the Pond Space

Thursday, April 17

* 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. (11:00 a.m. SLT) Young Adult Literature Trivia Contest to celebrate Support Teen Literature Day at the Main Stage

* Time TBD - YALSA Podcast and discussion at the Pond Space

* 6:00 - 7:00 pm (4:00 p.m. SLT) Books With Bite: Vamp it up for YALSA at ALA Party Central. This party will include fireworks display.

Friday April 18

* 11:00-11:30 a.m. (9:00 a.m. SLT) Gaming in Libraries Presentation at Sky Presentation Space to celebrate "gaming @ your library"

* 2:00 - 3:00 pm (12:00 p.m. SLT) Salon Huron Discussion Group at Salon Huron

* 6:30- 7:30 pm (4:30 p.m. SLT) Come as your favorite video game character party at ALA Party Central

Saturday 4/19
* 11:00 - 12:00 p.m. (9:00 a.m. SLT) Book Discussion at the Book Platform

* 5:00 p.m. (3:00 p.m. SLT) Knowledge Rocks Concert in conjunction with the Scholastic Library Publishing National Library Week Grant winner, the Public Library of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County at the Main Stage

To learn more about Second Life, visit ALA's Second Life wiki at http://wikis.ala.org/professionaltips/index.php/Second_Life.

For more information on National Library Week, visit the National Library Week Web page at www.ala.org/pio/nlw.

ALA Library's Valerie Hawkins is Second Life's ALALibraryVal Miles--and a Second Life prize winner!

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 16:10:13 GMT

On March 27, instead of heading home in the snow blizzard in downtown Chicago at 5:00 pm, I went into Second Life as my avatar, ALALibraryVal Miles, and attended an in-world author appearance of Sarah Robbins (Intellagirl Tully in SL/Second Life) and Mark Bell (Typewriter Tackleberry in SL/Second Life), the two writers of the 2008 Wiley publication, Second Life for Dummies. I admit to maybe knowing more about the Second Life virtual world than most staffers, but I certainly don't know everything!

The talk was both informal and informative, similar to how Robbins and Bell said they approached writing and compiling the book. It sounded like a solid, fun addition for the library of anyone wanting to know more about Second Life and how it works--and how it can work for you and help you to accomplish your goals, either with a group or individually.

It certainly sounds like a book the ALA Library should have--so it's a good thing that I won a copy, that I will be donating to the ALA Library!

Wiley, the book's publisher, put together four prize packages, each including a copy of the Second Life for Dummies book and a Dummies duffle bag and other Dummies items (apparently, March is For Dummies month). There was a trivia quiz at the end of the event, and I thought I was done winning when I answered one early "door prize" question correctly which netted me a cute floaty blue halo for my avatar to wear. The questions for the Dummies prize package were a little harder, but through a rather funny set of circumstances, I managed to answer the last one correctly and win!

The last question was the name of the island and the Second Life coordinates for publisher Wiley's in-world bookstore, which I found out in about as roundabout a way that you could imagine--! The "pre-show" entertainment was host Kim Anubis performing magic tricks (well, Second Life scripted magic tricks, of making items appear and disappear) for the audience that was gathering in the chairs in front of the stage. One of the tricks was Kim summoning up some big soap bubbles that anyone could click on and have their avatar ride in. Always game for anything (sadly...), I clicked on one of the bubbles and my avatar suddenly appeared inside it, and the bubble proceeded to float up higher and higher above the crowd and into the sky--and kept floating out further and further up and away from the event!? Yagh! I ended up clicking on the bubble itself, which popped and released me, but now I had no idea where I was or how to get back. Now, on my way in to the chairs and stage for the event, Wiley had set up a set of tables that you could click on and get sample chapters of all of their Second Life books, which included a Landmark (a kind of bookmark/favorites link for Second Life, to use to return to places). I assumed that the Landmark was for the event, so I double-clicked on it to use it, but it didn't teleport my avatar back to the event, it took me to--Wiley's in-world bookstore! At the time, I was really confused. I dug through my Inventory and found the Landmark I originally used and luckily made it back to the event and even back to my original chair. Little did I know such accidental information would come in handy!

Should you want your own cute floaty blue halo someday, it's not too late to read the AL (American Libraries) Direct Ask-the-Librarian question on Second Life as well as specific pages about it on the ALA Professional Tips Wiki, at:

Second Life and Libraries (2008 March 19) - includes step-by-step instructions on joining the free online virtual world

Second Life

Library Uses for Second Life

For more background on where ALA is going with Second Life, see:

Second ALA Life, Marginalia Blog Post by Jenny Levine (3/14/08)

ALA Staff in Second Life Flickr Photo Set

As I was writing this post, my prize arrived from Wiley!! Along with the Second Life for Dummies book, I got several branded For Dummies items, including the (gorgeous!) duffle bag, a notebook, a highlighter/pen, a pin, a travel coffee mug, CD travel case, and a collapsible keyboard! Most groovy and marvy!

Thank you, Wiley, Kim Anubis, Intellagirl Tulley, Typewriter Tackleberry, and most definitely, Krisser Deschanel at Wiley!

Inaugural ALA GLBTRT Rainbow Project 2008 List

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 17:49:08 GMT

As you know, "And Tango Makes Three" continues to be challenged in schools and libraries across the country, most recently in Virginia last week (which was discussed on "The View" on February 18, 2008):

2 Guys and a Chick Set Off Loudoun Library Dispute - 2/16/2008
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/02/16/AR2008021600749.html

The Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Round Table (GLBTRT) of the American Library Association (ALA) compiled and recently introduced the first installment of the Rainbow List on their blog <http://blogs.ala.org/glbtrt.php>, at:

Rainbow Project 2008 List
http://blogs.ala.org/glbtrt.php?cat=441
(excerpt)

Introduction

On the fortieth anniversary of the Kinsey report telling the world that glbtrq people are not alone in their feelings or experience, 25 years since the publication of the controversial Annie on My Mind, and almost 20 years after Daddy’s Roommate and Heather Has Two Mommies, the Rainbow Project proudly presents its inaugural bibliography, a bibliography of current books for young readers from birth through age 18 dealing with the myriad of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgendered or questioning issues.

For our first list, we included books with original copyrights in the U.S. for the years 2005-2007. The search for these books was eye-opening, revealing a lack of accessibility through missing subject headings and the promotion of inappropriate titles insulting to the GLBTQ population including such books as A Parent’s Guide to Preventing Homosexuality. The frustrations that we had in finding potential Rainbow books clearly demonstrate the vital need for this list of quality books, originally published during the current calendar year or the six months prior to that year, that validate same-gender lifestyles.

After examining more than 200 books to find the 45 on the list, we concluded that more titles are available than there were five years ago, and these books generally showed an improvement in the quality of writing. The existing material, however, is heavily weighted to the young adult audience with few books for younger readers not in high school. Also many current books paste in the GLBTQ characters in a secondary role in a weak attempt for diversity.

A major issue that GLBTQ books face is censorship. And Tango Makes Three, one of the books on this bibliography, topped the 2006 list of challenged books, according to ALA. We thank the authors, illustrators, editors, and publishers who are willing to confront these challenges and continue providing more quality books that portray GLBTQ characters in a realistic and prominent manner.

We would like to star four Rainbow Project List books, published in 2007: Peter Cameron, Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You; Julie Anne Peters, grl2grl; St. James, James, Freak Show; and Lu Vickers, Breathing Underwater. We look forward to more books of this quality for the 2009 list.

Committee Members: Jane Cothron, Lincoln County Library District/Coastal Resources Sharing Network (OR); Helma Hawkins, Kansas City Public Library (MO); Arla Jones, Lawrence High School (KS); Natalie Kendall, Greeley Elementary School (IL); Sharon Senser McKellar, Oakland Public Library (CA); Victor Schill, Harris County Public Library (TX); Nel Ward (OR); and Christie Gibrich, Grand Prairie Public Library (TX). The Rainbow Project is sponsored by the Social Responsibilities Round Table and the Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgendered Round Table of the American Library Association.

______________________________________________________________

Rainbow Final List – 2008
Books Copyrighted 2005-2007

Beginning Readers

Considine, Kaitlyn. Emma and Meesha My Boy: A Two Mom Story. Il. Binny Hobbs. 2005. unp. Two Moms Books, $10.95. (9780615189253). Pre-K. When Emma's two moms teach her to be nice to her cat, Emma enjoys being told yes instead of no.

Gonzalez, Rigoberto. Antonio's Card/La Tarjeta de Antonio. Il. Cecilia Concepcion Alvarez. 2005. 32p. Children's Book Press, $16.95. Gr. 1-3. Antonio comes to terms with his classmates’ ridicule of his mother’s partner, Leslie.

Jopling, Heather. Monicka’s Papa Is Tall. Il. Allyson Demoe. 2006. unp. Nickname (9780978073909). Pre-K. Monicka’s papa and daddy are very different, but the puzzle pieces show that both of them love her very much.

Jopling, Heather. Ryan’s Mom Is Tall. Il. Allyson Demoe. 2006. unp. Nickname Press, (9780978073916). Pre-K. Ryan’s mom and mummy are very different, but the puzzle pieces show that both of them love him very much.

Lindenbaum, Pija. Mini Mia and Her Darling Uncle. Trans. Elisabeth Kallick Dyssegaard. 2007. unp. R&S Books, $16.00. (9789129667349/9129667348). K-Gr. 2. Jealous of her uncle’s new partner, Fergus, feisty Mia plays tricks to drive him away until the day Uncle Tommy isn’t feeling well and she decides to accept his relationship with Fergus.

Richardson, Justin and Peter Parnell. And Tango Makes Three. Il. Henry Cole. 2005. unp. Simon & Schuster, $15.99. (9780689878459/0689878451). K-Gr. 2. At New York City's Central Park Zoo, two male penguins parent an egg and start a family.

Middle/Early Young Adult

Fiction

Burch, Christian. The Manny Files. 2006. 296p. Atheneum, $15.95. (9781416900399/141690039X). 296p. Gr. 5-8. Shy Keats Dalinger learns from his unconventional male “nanny” to be more self-confident and out-going while the “manny” becomes more and more a part of the family.

Hartinger, Brent. The Order of the Poison Oak. 2005. 211p. HarperTeen, $15.99. (0060567309). Gr. 7-10. Tired of being the school freak, gay 16-year-old Russel tries to escape as a summer camp counselor in a rural summer camp only to be attracted to the same counselor as his bisexual friend Min.

Howe, James. Totally Joe. 2005. 189p. Atheneum/Ginee Seo Books, $15.95. (978068983573/068983597X). Gr. 6-8. In 13-year-old Joe’s alphabiography assignment—the story of his life from A to Z—he bares his soul about his parents, teachers, friends, and enemies--and his coming out.

Larochelle, David. Absolutely, Positively Not 2005. 219p. Arthur A. Levine Books, $16.95. (0439591090). Gr. 7-10. Fifteen-year-old Steven conscientiously collects photos of girls in bikinis and dates his female classmates in this humorous attempt to fit into his Minnesota high school, only to find out some surprising things about the people around him—and himself.

Limb, Sue. Girl Nearly 16, Absolute Torture. 2005. 216p. Delacorte, $15.95. (0385732163). Gr. 7-10. Forced to leave her boyfriend and visit with her father for two weeks, 15-year-old Jess finally learns the reason her father left her mother.

Peters, Julie Anne. Between Mom and Jo. 2006. 232p. Little, Brown/Megan Tingley Books, $16.99. (0316739065). 232p. Gr. 7-10. Fourteen-year-old Nick has a great life with his two moms until they split up and he’s caught in the middle with no support.

Selvadurai, Shyam. Swimming in the Monsoon Sea. 2005. 280p. Tundra, $18.95. (08887767354). Gr. 7-10. Fourteen-year-old Amrith finds his life in Sri Lanka turned upside down when his Canadian cousin visits and Amrith falls in love with him.

Non-Fiction

Marcus, Eric. What If Someone I know Is Gay: Answers to Questions about What It Means to be Gay and Lesbian. 2007. 183p. Simon Pulse, $8.99. (9781416949701/1416949704). Gr. 7-12. This radically updated resource covers basics and not-so-basics in a question-and-answer format.

Miller, Calvin Craig. No easy answers: Bayard Rustin and the civil rights movement. [Portraits of Black Americans Series]. 2005. 160p. Morgan Reynolds, $27.95. (9781931798433/1931798435). Gr. 7-10. Although a leader in the US civil rights movement, Rustin’s arrest, prosecution, and imprisonment for a homosexual encounter were used to discredit his work.

When I Knew. Ed. Robert Trachtenberg. Il. Tom Bachtell. 2005. 120p. Regan Books, $22.95. (0060571462). Gr. 9-12. More than 80 contributors briefly describe their self-discovery “eureka moment” regarding their sexual orientation in a fun book with a magazine style.

Young Adult

Fiction

Alvarado, T. I. Wanted. 2006. 190p. Alyson, $14.95. (9781555839451/1555839452). Gr. 10-12. Bounty hunter Ladybird “Bird” Blacker has too much to deal with, from a pacifist partner to a six-foot-, seven-inch-tall business rival who wears a scowl you couldn’t scrape off with a chisel—and then her little sister comes to town.

Berman, Steve. Vintage: A Ghost Story. 2007. 148p. Haworth , $12.95. (9781560236313/1560236310). Gr. 10-12. Rejected by his parents because he’s gay and sent to live with his aunt, a teen is haunted by a handsome boy—in more ways than one—and only black magic will help.

Cameron, Peter. Someday This Pain Will Be Useful to You. 2007. 229p. Farrar/Frances Foster Books, $16.00. (9780374309893/03743098920. Gr. 10-12. Holden Caulfield, meet James Sveck, a white, middle-class New Yorker who disdains his peers and most of the adults in his life, except for the gay man who manages his mother's art gallery,

Davis, Will. My Side of the Story. 2007. 243p. Bloomsbury, $14.95. (9781596912946/1596912944). Gr. 10-12. Only 16, cheeky Jarold a.k.a. Jazz, hits the gay bars to escape the misery of his life.

Garden, Nancy. Hear Us Out!: Lesbian and Gay Stories of Struggle, Progress, and Hope,1950 to the Present. 2007. 230p. Farrar, $18.00. (9780374317591/0374317593). Gr. 8-11. Fact and fiction show the struggles for lgbt teens in America during the past five decades.

Goobie, Beth. Hello, Groin. 2006. 271p. Orca, $17.95. (9781551434599/1551434598). Gr. 9-12. Wanting to be normal, 16-year-old Dylan Kowolski tries to hide her lesbianism and develop sexual feelings for her boyfriend at the same time she has a passionate crush on her best female friend.

Humphreys, Helen. Wild Dogs. 2005. 185p. Norton, $13.95. (0393060152). Gr. 10-12. Alice, in love with a wildlife biologist, gathers at the forest’s edge with her and four other people to save their dogs that have become feral.

Hyde, Catherine Ryde. Becoming Chloe. 2006. 215p. Knopf, $15.95. (0375832580). Gr. 9-12. Attempting to protect Wanda (aka Chloe), another homeless teenager, 17-year-old Jordan finds the brutality and beauty in life on their road trip across the country.

Levithan, David. Wide Awake. 2006. 221p. Knopf, $16.95. (9780375834660/0375834664). Gr. 9-12: In a future American when gay Jewish Abraham Stein is elected president, lovers Jimmy and Duncan join the throngs of people traveling to Topeka to protest the governor’s threat to change votes.

Moore, Perry. Hero. 2007. 428p. Hyperion, $16.99. (9781423101956/1423101952). Gr. 10-12. Thom Creed, the son of superheroes, has to hide the fact that he’s gay if he’s going to fit into the League—but he finds a lot more problems than that facing him.

Noyes, Katia. Crashing America. 2005. 249p. Alyson, $14.95. (1555839118). Gr. 10-12. Afraid that she will kill herself at age 18 as her mother did, 17-year-old Girl (formerly Gretchen) flees San Francisco on a road trip to the Midwest, searching for a place where she belongs.

Peters, Julie Anne. Far from Xanadu. 2005. 282p. Little, Brown, $16.99. (031615881X). Gr. 9-12. Mike Szabo--ace softball player, weightlifter, a.k.a. Mary Elizabeth--has enough trouble surviving in her small town before a new girl, Xanadu, turns Mike’s life upside down.

Peters, Julie Anne. grl2grl. 2007. 151p. Little, Brown/Megan Tingley Books, $11.99. (9780316013437/0316013439). Gr. 9-12. The young women in this collection of ten short stories are at different levels of self-discovery, searching for satisfying relationships.

Rucka, Greg. Gotham Central: Half a Life. 2005. 168p. Il. Michael Lark et al. DC Comics, $14.99. (1401204384). 168p. Gr. 9-12. Police detective Renee Montoya's secret lesbian life, which she must keep from not only her co-workers but also her family, puts her in great danger when she is implicated in a murder and her main defender is the psychopathic criminal Two-Face.

Sanchez, Alex. Getting It. 2006. 210p. Simon & Schuster, $16.95. (9781416908968/141690896X). Gr. 9-12. Hoping to impress a sexy female classmate, 15-year-old Carlos secretly hires gay student Sal to give him an image makeover in exchange for Carlos’s helping to form a Gay-Straight Alliance at their Texas high school.

St. James, James. Freak Show. 2007. 298p. Dutton, $18.99. (978052547799-0). Gr. 9-12. Outrageously over-the-top teen drag queen Billy Bloom, a new student at the very conservative Dwight D. Eisenhower Academy, finds that life is not easy for him among the rich white students with their brutal homophobia.
Steinhofel, Andreas. The Center of the World. Trans. Alisa Jaffa. 2005. 467p. Delacorte, $16.95. (038572943X). Gr. 11-12. Seventeen-year-old Phil navigates his complicated family dynamics and his first sexual relationship in a lyrical novel first published in Germany.

Vickers, Lu. Breathing Underwater. 2007. 251p. Alyson, $24.95. (9781555839642/1555839649. Gr. 10-12.
In 1970s Florida, it’s literally sink or swim for12-year-old Lily who struggles for self-acceptance while dealing with her mother’s mental illness.

Wittlinger, Ellen. Parrotfish. 2007. 294p. Simon & Schuster, $16.99. (9781416916222/9781416916228). Gr. 9-12. When Angela, who has never felt comfortable as a girl, finally comes out as transgendered and begins life as a boy, she isn’t prepared for everyone’s reactions.

Nonfiction

Baez, John and others. The Gay and Lesbian Guide to College Life. 2007. 391p. Random/Princeton Review, $13.95 (9780375766237/037576237). Gr. 10-12. College life for GLBTQ students—financing, the right school, being out or not, dealing with GLBTQphobia, and more—is the focus of this guide for both students and those who love and care about them.

Beam, Chris. Transparent: Love, Family, and Living the T with Transgender Teenagers. 2007. 323p. Harcourt, $25.00. (9780151011964/0151011966). Gr. 10-12. Four transgendered girls share their world with a volunteer in a Los Angeles school for gay and transgender students.

Bechdel, Alison. Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic. 2006. 240p. Houghton Mifflin, $13.95. (9780618477944/0618477942). Gr. 11-12. Bechdel reveals her childhood experiences with a closeted gay father and her coming out as a lesbian in this powerful graphic-style memoir.

Carlip, Hillary. Queen of the Oddballs and Other True Stories From a Life Unaccording to Plan. 2006. 273p. Harper, $13.95. (9780060878832/0060878835). Gr. 10-12. This hilarious offbeat memoir chronicles the escapades of an unconventional girl surrounded by artists and rockstars in the 1960s and 1970s.

Cart, Michael and Christine A. Jenkins. The Heart Has Its Reasons: Young Adult Literature with Gay/Lesbian/Queer Content, 1969-2004. 2006. 205p. Scarecrow Press, $42.00. (978810850712/0810850710). Gr. 9-12. This overview of young adult glbtq fiction 1970 to 2004 includes lists of books for teens.

The Full Spectrum: A New Generation of Writing. Ed. David Levithan and Billy Merrill. 2006. 272p. Knopf, $9.95. (9780375832901/0375832904). 288pp. Gr. 8-11. This collection of essays and poetry from a wide diversity of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered teens shows the complexity of today’s LGBTQ youths.

Hear Me Out: True Stories of Teens Educating and Confronting Homophobia. Planned Parenthood of Toronto. 2005. 197p. Second Story Press, $12.95. (1896764878). Gr. 9-12. Twenty teens from a variety of social, economic, ethnic, and racial backgrounds give personal accounts of gay, lesbian, queer, transgender, transsexual, and questioning young-adult experiences.

Keen, Lisa. Out Law: What LGBT Youth Should Know about Their Legal Rights. [Queer Action/Queer Ideas Series] 2007. 158p. Beacon, $11.00. (0807079669). Gr. 9-12. LGBT young adults can make a difference

Patterson, Romaine, with Patrick Hinds. The Whole World Was Watching: Living in the Light of Matthew Shepard. 2005. 289p. Advocate, $24.95. (1555839010). Gr. 9-12. After young gay Matthew Shepard was brutally murdered in Laramie (WY), the author of this book formed a group of “angels” who surrounded the bigoted Fred Phelps of Topeka (KS) when he and a small group picketed outside the killer’s trial with such signs as “Matthew in Hell”: this is the autobiography of the young woman who conceived and carried out this idea.

Rouse, Wade. America’s Boy: A Memoir. 2006. 340p. Dutton, $24.95. (9780525949343/0525949348). Gr. 10-12. Growing up in southwestern Missouri in the 1970s and hopelessly out of step with the redneck masculinity surrounding him, Wade tries to hide the fact that he is gay by overeating.

=====================================================

Accompanying articles from the (non-ALA) School Library Journal magazine:

Nel Ward Talks about a New Annual 'GLBTQ Book List'
by Joan Aleck, 2/13/2008
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6532170.html

Out and Ignored: Why are so many school libraries reluctant to embrace gay teens?
by Debra Lau Whelan, 1/1/2006
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6296527.html

Celebrate Black History @ your library

Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:19:25 GMT

Celebrate Black History @ your library
Help promote the importance of black history with this moving poster and bookmark featuring Harriet Tubman crossing over into Canada and freedom. The artwork is by Jerry Pinkey, an illustrator of more than a hundred books for children. His exceptional art has won many awards, including Caldecott Honors and Coretta Scott King Awards and Honors. Special thanks to Jerry Pinkey.

The founding organization of Black History Month is the Association for the Study of African American Life and History. See the web site of this organization for more information:

Association for the Study of African American Life and History (ASALH)
http://www.asalh.org

National Black History Themes - http://www.asalh.org/themes_future.html

- 2008

Carter G. Woodson and the Origins of Multiculturalism

http://www.asalh.org/2008NationalBlackHistoryTheme.html

Common's READ Poster and Common Ground Foundation

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 17:28:54 GMT

ALA READ Poster featuring rapper Common

The multitalented Common desires to make a difference in the lives of others, especially youth. He has written several young adult books, including I Like You, But I Love Me, which was recently nominated for a NAACP Image Award. He also started the Common Ground Foundation, an organization dedicated to helping youth in underserved communities. His current album, Finding Forever, won the BET Hip-Hop Award for CD of the Year. Look for him on the silver screen in Wanted with Angelina Jolie and Morgan Freeman this spring.

Find out more about Common's Common Ground Foundation via the THINK MTV social network, at:
http://think.mtv.com/profile/CommonGroundFoundation

2008 ALA Award Winners

Mon, 14 Jan 2008 16:41:31 GMT

For Immediate Release,
January 14, 2008

American Library Association announces literary award winners

http://www.ala.org/ala/pressreleases2008/january2008/announce08.htm

PHILADELPHIA - The American Library Association (ALA) today announced the top books, video and audiobooks for children and young adults - including the Caldecott, King, Newbery, Schneider Family and Printz awards - at its Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia.

The following is a list of all ALA Youth Media Awards for 2008:

John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children's literature. “Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village,” written by Laura Amy Schlitz, is the 2008 Newbery Medal winner. The book is published by Candlewick.

Three Newbery Honor Books were named: “Elijah of Buxton,” by Christopher Paul Curtis, published by Scholastic; “The Wednesday Wars,” by Gary D. Schmidt, published by Clarion and “Feathers,” by Jacqueline Woodson, published by Putnam.

Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children. “The Invention of Hugo Cabret,” illustrated by Brian Selznick, is the 2008 Caldecott Medal winner. The book is published by Scholastic.

Four Caldecott Honor Books were named: “Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad,” illustrated by Kadir Nelson, written by Ellen Levine, and published by Scholastic; “First the Egg,” illustrated and written by Laura Vaccaro Seeger, and published by Roaring Brook/Neal Porter; “The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain,” illustrated and written by Peter Sís, and published by Farrar/Frances Foster; and “Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity,” illustrated and written by Mo Willems, and published by Hyperion.

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults. “The White Darkness,” by Geraldine McCaughrean, is the 2008 Printz Award winner. The book is published by HarperTempest, an imprint of HarperCollins. Four Printz Honor Books were named: “Dreamquake: Book Two of the Dreamhunter Duet,” by Elizabeth Knox, published by Frances Foster Books, an imprint of Farrar, Straus and Giroux; “One Whole and Perfect Day,” by Judith Clarke, published by Front Street, an imprint of Boyds Mills Press, Inc.; “Repossessed,” by A. M. Jenkins, published by HarperTeen, an imprint of HarperCollins; and “Your Own, Sylvia: A Verse Portrait of Sylvia Plath,” by Stephanie Hemphill, published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children's Books.

Coretta Scott King Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults. “Elijah of Buxton,” written by Christopher Paul Curtis, is the King Author Book winner. The book is published by Scholastic.

Two King Author Honor Books were selected: “November Blues,” by Sharon M. Draper, published by Atheneum Books for Young Adults and “Twelve Rounds to Glory: The Story of Muhammad Ali,” written by Charles R. Smith Jr., illustrated by Bryan Collier, published by Candlewick Press.

“Let it Shine,” illustrated and written by Ashley Bryan, is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book is published by Atheneum Books for Young Readers.

Two King Illustrator Honor Books were selected: “The Secret Olivia Told Me,” by N. Joy, illustrated by Nancy Devard, published by Just Us Books, and “Jazz On A Saturday Night,” by Leo and Diane Dillon, published by Scholastic Blue Sky Press.

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award; “Brendan Buckley's Universe and Everything in It,” written by Sundee T. Frazier is the Steptoe winner. The book is published by Delacorte Press.

Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody the artistic expression of the disability experience for child and adolescent audiences. “Kami and the Yaks,” written by Andrea Stenn Stryer, illustrated by Bert Dodson and published by Bay Otter Press of Palo Alto, Calif. wins the award for young children (age 0 to 10).

“Reaching for Sun,” by Tracie Vaughn Zimmer, published by Bloomsbury USA Children's Books, New York is the winner in the middle grades category (age 11-13).

“Hurt Go Happy,” written by Ginny Rorby, a Starscape Book, published by Tom Doherty Associates, is the winner in the teen category (age 13-18).

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished book for beginning readers. “There Is a Bird on Your Head!,” written and illustrated by Mo Willems is the 2008 Geisel Award winner. The book is published by Hyperion.

Four Geisel Honor Books were named: “First the Egg,” written and illustrated by Laura Vaccaro Seeger and published by Roaring Brook/Neal Porter; “Hello, Bumblebee Bat,” written by Darrin Lunde, illustrated by Patricia J. Wynne and published by Charlesbridge; “Jazz Baby,” written by Lisa Wheeler, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie and published by Harcourt; and “Vulture View,” written by April Pulley Sayre, illustrated by Steve Jenkins and published by Holt.

Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults. Orson Scott Card is the recipient of the 2008 Margaret A. Edwards Award honoring his outstanding lifetime contribution to writing for teens for his novels “Ender's Game” and “Ender's Shadow.”

The Pura Belpré Award honoring Latino authors and illustrators whose work best portrays, affirms and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in children's books. Yuyi Morales, illustrator of “Los Gatos Black on Halloween,” written by Marisa Montes and published by Holt is the winner of the 2008 Pura Belpré Illustrator Award. Margarita Engle, author of “The Poet Slave of Cuba: A Biography of Juan Francisco Manzano,” illustrated by Sean Qualls and published by Holt, is the 2008 Pura Belpré Author Award recipient.

Two Honor Books for illustration: “My Name Is Gabito: The Life of Gabriel García Márquez/Me llamo gabito: La vida de Gabriel García Márquez,” illustrated by Raúl Colón, written by Monica Brown and published by Luna Rising and “My Colors, My World/Mis colores, mi mundo,” written and illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez and published by Children's Book Press.

Three Author Honor Books were named: “Frida: ¡Viva la vida! Long Live Life!” by Carmen T. Bernier-Grand and published by Marshall Cavendish; “Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale,” retold by Carmen Agra Deedy, illustrated by Michael Austin and published by Peachtree; and “Los Gatos Black on Halloween,” written by Marisa Montes, illustrated by Yuyi Morales and published by Holt.

Robert F. Sibert Medal for most distinguished informational book for children. “The Wall: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain,” written and illustrated by Peter Sís, is the 2008 Sibert Award winner. The book is published by Farrar/Frances Foster.

Two Sibert Honor Books were named: “Lightship,” written and illustrated by Brian Floca, published by Simon & Schuster/ Richard Jackson and “Nic Bishop Spiders,” written and illustrated by Nic Bishop, published by Scholastic/Scholastic Nonfiction.

Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children's video. Producer Kevin Lafferty along with executive producer John Davis, and co-producers, Amy Palmer Robertson and Danielle Sterling, are the 2008 recipients of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Children's Video - for the production of “Jump In! Freestyle Edition.”

Mildred L. Batchelder Award for the most outstanding children's book translated from a foreign language and subsequently published in the United States.

VIZ Media is the winner of the 2008 Mildred L. Batchelder Award for “Brave Story.” Originally published in Japanese in 2003 as “Bureibu Sutori,” the book was written by Miyuki Miyabe and translated by Alexander O. Smith.

Two Batchelder Honor Books also were selected: “The Cat: Or, How I Lost Eternity,” published by Milkweed Editions, originally published in German as “Die Katze,” and “Nicholas and the Gang,” published by Phaidon Press, originally published in French as “Le petit Nicolas et les copains.”

The first-ever Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production is Live Oak Media for “Jazz.”

Five honor titles were named: “Bloody Jack: Being an Account of the Curious Adventures of Mary 'Jacky' Faber, Ship's Boy,” produced by Listen & Live Audio; “Dooby Dooby Moo,” produced by Scholastic/Weston Woods; “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows,” produced by Listening Library; “Skulduggery Pleasant,” produced by HarperChildren's Audio; and “Treasure Island,” produced by Listening Library.

Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences “American Shaolin: Flying Kicks, Buddhist Monks, and the Legend of Iron Crotch: An Odyssey in the New China,” by Matthew Polly, published by Penguin/Gotham Books; “Bad Monkeys,” by Matt Ruff, published by HarperCollins; “Essex County Volume 1: Tales from the Farm,” by Jeff Lemire, published by Top Shelf Publications; “Genghis: Birth of an Empire,” by Conn Iggulden, published by Delacorte; “The God of Animals,” by Aryn Kyle, published by Scribner; “A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier,” by Ishmael Beah, published by Farrar, Straus & Giroux/Sarah Crichton Books; “Mister Pip,” by Lloyd Jones, published by Random/Dial Press; “The Name of the Wind,” by Patrick Rothfuss, published by DAW; “The Night Birds,” by Thomas Maltman, published by Soho; and “The Spellman Files,” by Lisa Lutz, published by Simon & Schuster.

May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture recognizing an individual of distinction in the field of children's literature, who then presents a lecture at a winning host site. Walter Dean Myers, widely acclaimed author of picture books, novels, poetry and non-fiction for children and young adults, will deliver the 2009 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture.

Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, ALA awards guide parents, educators, librarians and others in selecting the best materials for youth. Selected by judging committees of librarians and other children's literature experts, the awards encourage original and creative work. For more information on the ALA youth media awards and notables, please visit the ALA Web site at www.ala.org.

©2007 American Library Association.

2008 ALA Newbery and Caldecott (and more!) Awards Announcement -- Date, Time, Options

Thu, 10 Jan 2008 21:35:36 GMT

The Newbery Medal and Caldecott Medal and several other literature and media awards of the American Library Association (ALA) will be announced on Monday, January 14, 2008, at 7:45 a.m. EST, from the site of ALA's Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia, PA. The awards announcement can be watched via a live webcast. Also, the winners can be delivered to your cell phone. See the following for details:

ALA to provide live Webcast of top children/teen literary awards

Youth Media Awards results available in real time on your cell phone

Kareen Abdul-Jabbar, Keynote Speaker at ALA Midwinter Meeting

Mon, 31 Dec 2007 16:13:24 GMT

Former professional basketball player Kareem Abdul-Jabbar is on the cover of the forthcoming joint January/February 2008 issue of ALA's American Libraries member magazine. He is the keynote speaker at the 2008 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia. Why Kareem? As I told a group at ALA:

Kareem Adbul-Jabbar is presently a history author, with his latest book being "On the Shoulders of Giants: My Journey Through the Harlem Renaissance." Before that, he co-wrote "Brothers In Arms: The Epic Story of the 761st Tank Battalion, WWII's Forgotten Heroes" and has written other titles. He had some interesting things to say in this interview that is freely available on the New York Times web site.

See Kareem at ALA headquarters at the ALA Staff Flicker page, at:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/alastaff/2074327362

Kareem is our keynote speaker at the Midwinter Meeting in Philadelphia in January. He stopped by ALA HQ to do an interview with AL associate editor Pam, which you can watch on AL Focus.

This picture is a little misleading, as Pam is not even close to being as tall as Kareem (who is?). He was sitting down for this picture.

Funny Christmas Dinner Moment - ¿Quién es más obsoleto?

Fri, 28 Dec 2007 18:49:07 GMT

The funny--yet not funny--Christmas dinner moment came when I talked about a paper I just completed on the future--or seeming lack of one--for print journalism.

When discussing my scholarly pursuits, you'll find I'm so single-minded that I forget little things like the fact that I'm saying this while sitting across the table from not just one but two newspaper journalist relatives--! I was quickly reminded! Hey, there!!

I protested that my own personal view was that I do still want print journalism around, and I said as much in my paper, but the articles and books that I found on the subject have been practically eulogies of the modern print newspaper (and I said nothing of Chicago Sun-Times columnist Neil Steinberg's growing, persistent taps on the funeral drum -- see the very end of his December 17 column).

Frankly, what reminded me of my paper and led to my mentioning it was the both of them talking about certain older reporters they knew who have been accepting the buyouts offered at their respective newspapers this year.

But of course the point came up of the irony of someone who works in a library talking about some other profession not having a future--! "Okay," I said, "we're all obsolete!"

Of the three of us, two are 40-years-old--and the other only 32!

Meanwhile, one of them has been asked to travel back to the alma mater and speak about the future of the profession to journalism students. How to sound encouraging while stepping over the real-life minefield--?

¿Quién es más obsoleto? Who is more obsolete?

Only time will tell...

My Google Reader Blog (it's so meta!)

Wed, 26 Dec 2007 19:41:44 GMT

With the Google Reader, you can "share" items that you see on other blogs--but then Google puts those items in their own blog (didn't I say it was meta??).

So see my blog of others' blog items, at:
http://www.google.com/reader/shared/17798245538117400783

Writers Guild strike means more reading!

Tue, 20 Nov 2007 18:51:44 GMT

Poll shows support for writers
http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-strikepoll14nov14,0,4940619.story
By Richard Verrier, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
November 14, 2007
Almost 2 of 3 Americans back guild members in their dispute with studios, a survey to be released today indicates.

EXCERPT

When asked about the prospect of reruns replacing new shows, 42% of the respondents said they would read more, and 35% said they would spend more time on the Internet.

************************************

That sounds to me like people will be VISITING THEIR LIBRARIES MORE! Seize the day :-)!

Happy 131st birthday, ALA!

Fri, 05 Oct 2007 20:18:29 GMT

ALA turns 131-years-old on Saturday, October 6 (and doesn't look a day over 60)! What would you give ALA as a present, if you could? Feel free to be creative!

Library Reference Specialist of ALA

Gabe Levinson and his Book Bike on Chicago Tonight, November 13, 2008

Second Life & Virtual World-related programs @ 2009 ALA Annual Conference

2009 National Library Week Event Schedule for ALA Island in Second Life

On ALA Island in Second Life, discuss National Gaming Day -- on Thursday, 3:30 pm Pacific Time/SLT

Author Cynthia Leitich Smith in Second Life TODAY on ALA Island at 5 pm Pacific Time/Second Life Tim

Most Challenged Books for 2007 and 2006 -- links to press releases

All About Banned Books Week in Second Life September 27 - October 4, 2008!

All About Banned Books Week September 27 - October 4, 2008!

ALA Library in Second Life

ALA Annual Conference - Links (del.icio.us)

Participate in Virtual Library Legislative Day 2008 in Second Life

National Library Workers Day 2008!

Happy National Library Week!

ALA celebrates National Library Week in Second Life (lightly cross-posted)

ALA Library's Valerie Hawkins is Second Life's ALALibraryVal Miles--and a Second Life prize winner!

Inaugural ALA GLBTRT Rainbow Project 2008 List

Celebrate Black History @ your library

Common's READ Poster and Common Ground Foundation

2008 ALA Award Winners

For Immediate Release, January 14, 2008

American Library Association announces literary award winners

2008 ALA Newbery and Caldecott (and more!) Awards Announcement -- Date, Time, Options

Kareen Abdul-Jabbar, Keynote Speaker at ALA Midwinter Meeting

Funny Christmas Dinner Moment - ¿Quién es más obsoleto?

My Google Reader Blog (it's so meta!)

Writers Guild strike means more reading!

Happy 131st birthday, ALA!

For Immediate Release,
January 14, 2008