Tag Archives: Book

Portraits Of Librarians Celebrate America’s Bookish Unsung Heroes

This Is What a Librarian Looks Like: A Celebration of Libraries, Communities, and Access to Information, by Kyle Cassidy

 

(From Huffington Post, by Claire Fallon)

“Libraries are more important to our world than people realize.”

“Librarians hold a deceptively humble, yet powerful, role: Whether you’re a young child or an adult, a new student or an erudite academic, they offer guidance to rich worlds of literacy and scholarship. Librarians are on the front lines, putting a friendly face to the idea of book love and helping millions of Americans get the resources, encouragement and support they need to become avid readers.

Who our librarians are, then, actually matters a great deal. In Kyle Cassidy’s new book This Is What a Librarian Looks Like, the photographer reveals portraits of hundreds of librarians, sharing both their sunny faces and their thoughts on the value of libraries. The result: a colorful tapestry of men and women of all ages, races and ethnicity, some dressed conservatively and some with tattoos and brightly dyed hair, but all bursting with smiles and enthusiasm for their life missions.

In his introduction, Cassidy writes that he began the project after one of his future subjects, Naomi Gonzales, asked him to attend an American Library Association meeting. “She promised me,” he recalls, “that librarians were both friendly and photogenic” ― a bold claim that is backed up by his project. His book, which features guest essays by writers like Jeff Vandermeer, Neil Gaiman and Amy Dickinson, doesn’t shy away from discussing the challenges libraries face in an era of threats to public funding and a rising emphasis on digital resources over print collections. Nonetheless, the tone is heartwarming and optimistic, encapsulating the idealistic value for the written word and commitment to equal opportunity that many associate with libraries.

Above all, the volume is a touching reminder of the loving human work that keeps our libraries thriving, ready to help us when we need them.”

(Read the entire article here, along with some photos from the book!)

How to win library funding through political advocacy

Winning Elections and Influencing Politicians for Library FundingWinning Elections and Influencing Politicians for Library Funding

Contact:

Rob Christopher
Marketing Coordinator
ALA Publishing
American Library Association
(312) 280-5052

 

CHICAGO — As the saying goes, all politics is local. And 90% of funding for public libraries comes from the will of local politicians and, in turn, from local voters. So it’s urgent that librarians, library supporters, and anyone interested in running an election or campaign for a library understand the strategies, resources, and tactics necessary for positive political action. Whether election day is four months away or four years away, there are immediate steps library leaders and local library ballot committees should take to help secure a successful ballot initiative later. Written by experienced library campaigners Patrick “PC” Sweeney and John Chrastka, “Winning Elections and Influencing Politicians for Library Funding,” published by ALA Editions, is an action-driven manual for anyone running a political campaign for libraries. It dives into:

  • proven successful campaigning techniques for rural, suburban, and urban settings;
  • expert analysis on how political perceptions are formed, how political power works, and ways libraries can reach funding or political goals;
  • starting the discussion internally;
  • the right approach to setting up the committee structure, and identifying the core leadership team for the committee;
  • tips on networking, cultivating good relationships with the power players in the community, and building a winning coalition;
  • canvassing and direct voter contact;
  • responding effectively to opposition, including voters who habitually resist taxes or library funding increases;
  • the differences between paid media and earned media; and
  • best practices for marketing and message development, fundraising, volunteer engagement, and other key areas.

Sweeney is the current political director for EveryLibrary. He is a former administrative librarian of the Sunnyvale (California) Public Library and was executive director of EveryLibrary California, a statewide ballot committee to support library ballot propositions. He is active in the California Library Association and across library social media as a cofounder of the ALA Think Tank. A sought-after speaker and presenter, he was named a 2015 Mover & Shaker by Library Journal. Chrastka is EveryLibrary’s founder. He is a former partner in AssociaDirect, a Chicago-based consultancy focused on supporting associations in membership recruitment, conference, and governance activities. He is a former president and member of the Board of Trustees for the Berwyn (Illinois) Public Library (2006–2015) and is a former president of the Reaching Across Illinois Libraries System (RAILS) multi-type library system. Prior to his work at AssociaDirect, he was director for membership development at the American Library Association. He was named a 2014 Mover & Shaker by Library Journal.

ALA Store purchases fund advocacy, awareness and accreditation programs for library professionals worldwide. ALA Editions publishes resources used worldwide by tens of thousands of library and information professionals to improve programs, build on best practices, develop leadership, and for personal professional development. ALA authors and developers are leaders in their fields, and their content is published in a growing range of print and electronic formats. Contact ALA Editions at (800) 545-2433 ext. 5052 or editionsmarketing@ala.org.

 

A Good Time for the Truth Author Panel: St. Kate’s event

Last spring, the Minnesota Historical Society Press published A Good Time for the Truth: Race in Minnesota. The book is described as: “sixteen of Minnesota’s best writers provide a range of perspectives on what it is like to live as a person of color in Minnesota. They give readers a splendid gift: the gift of touching another human being’s inner reality, behind masks and veils and politeness. They bring us generously into experiences that we must understand if we are to come together in real relationships.”

Some of the authors featured in the book include Kao Kalia Yang (The Late Homecomer, The Song Poet), and Heid E. Erdrich (Original Local: Indigenous Foods, Stories and Recipes from the Upper Midwest), among several more.

St. Catherine University is hosting a free author event on Thursday, Feb. 23rd from 7-9pm. The authors will speak about their contributions to the book and answer questions, as well as be available to sign books. Find more information here or on the event’s Facebook page.

 

 

Ever read a whole book in one sitting?

Summer Reading
Must be a good book!

Librarians have SO much more to their job than just working with books (teaching/dealing with technology, customer service, information literacy, plus so much more) however, books tend to be very special to librarians! Most, if not all, librarians are avid readers. So hopefully you will be able to relate to this cute slideshow all about finishing a book in one sitting!

Have you ever been so pulled into a book that you literally could not put it down until you found out what happened? Or, on the flip side, have you ever raced to finish a book because it was terrible but you wanted to just get it done? 🙂

My most recent race-to-finish books:
A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (because I needed a break from the intensity of the book, but also really wanted to find out what happened!)
A Thousand Pardons by Jonathan Dee (because I didn’t really care for it)

Discover books about old Yule traditions

Snow Tracks
What sort of creatures are roaming through the snow in winter?

Interested in reading some winter books that aren’t holiday themed? This article from Book Riot should help you out! The article includes several books that delve into some of the older traditions of the winter season. Daylight is short, and the nights are extra dark and long, so it seems logical that some spooky and mystical traditions exist during the season!

the-old-magic-of-christmas-yuletide-book-cover-linda-raedischOne of the books, The Old Magic of Christmas: Yuletide Traditions for the Darkest Days of the Year even includes cookie recipes and craft ideas alongside it’s description of the enchanted creatures of the season.

 

 

four-seasons-of-mojoThe list also thoughtfully makes a suggestion for your probably stressed-out body with Four Seasons of Mojo: An Herbal Guide to Natural Living that includes techniques to help with winter-related ailments like colds, flu, and depression.

 

legend-of-old-befanaFinally, since it’s likely you will be around some kids at some point during the winter season, you can’t go wrong with Tomie dePaola’s The Legend of Old Befana which tells the traditional Italian story of an old woman and her flight to find the baby Jesus.

 

life-and-adventures-of-santa-clausExtra credit: Not included on the list in the article, but also incorporating enchanted creatures and magical forests (although technically, yes, it is about Santa) is L. Frank Baum’s The Life and Adventures of Santa Claus which I grew up enjoying!

 

 

 

Do you know of any Yule or traditional winter folk books that we should be reading? Tell us in the comments!