News

ALA Summer Annual Planner
Have enough to do without sitting in meetings that are a snooze? You don’t have to drag the ALA program with you. From ALA politics to automation, collection development, certification, and celebs, John Berry mines the gold and silver from the ALA Disneyland conference offerings in LJ ’s annual Picks & Pans. Take it along and travel light. » » »

Aisle-by-Aisle Exhibitor Guide Coupons
Get a jump on ALA by filling out the coupons in the ALA / LJ Aisle-By-Aisle Exhibitor Guide & Coupon Book for special offers and prizes from participating vendors. Hit the show floor and stop by Booth 1338 for the latest copies of LJ, SLJ, Library Hotline , and Critícas . » » »

OC Eats
It happens at every ALA; you want to have a nice meal with colleagues but are stymied by the overwhelming question: “where’s a good place to eat?” Let Anaheim librarian Scott Douglas La Counte recommend a restaurant in this list of 48 local eateries from affordable to pricey, offering cuisines for every palate and running the gamut from burgers, barbecue, and beer to Mexican, Thai, and Disney-themed joints for the kids. » » »

The Real Libraries of the OC
With a diverse population of over three million, Orange County’s public libraries are a mix of urban and suburban facilities serving large and small pocket communities. Go inside the libraries in this in-depth analysis of the system and how it meets the needs of its multivaried users. » » »

Blogs

Shifting with the Paradigm

Shifting with the Paradigm
The feelings of librarians planning for the American Library Association (ALA) conference at Disneyland (aka Anaheim, CA, June 26–July 2) range from moderate pleasure to dread. Some remember the joys and difficulties of Orlando, especially the exorbitant cab fares and mediocre restaurants. Others quail at screaming kids and tourists in flip-flops, or are happy to be able to bring along their own spouse and offspring, knowing they will be entertained.
No huge issues
Every librarian in any library of any type faces the daunting challenges of moving fast enough to keep up with the shift afflicting libraries and all other institutions. Many conference programs welcome it and relish the technological and social changes ahead. Others offer advice on such menacing ideas as cutting staff to accommodate more machines or self-service librarianship. There are no other “burning issues” on the ALA conference agenda this year. Sure, there is the tired, old debate about how to reform library education that will pit educators who favor the “let a thousand flowers bloom” LIS philosophy against a growing chorus of practitioners pushing for more standardized curricula enforced by ALA accreditation. A debate over how much of ALA's business can be done online, with members participating from wherever they have access to a computer instead of paying the increasingly high price to attend conferences, may change ALA's methods and its revenue. Tracks and consultants
The preliminary program is as confusing and trackbound as always. The tracks seem to force folks to take part in only what they already know about, providing merely vague guidance as to what the programs in a given track really share. Beyond that, there are far too many consultants using the program to promote their services and firms, ranging from technology to head-hunting. LJ 's Picks & Pans are offered to help you find your way to the useful, entertaining programs, or the ones you need, without having to spend the effort to dig them out of the official ALA tome. As always, a star (*) by a program means we think it has great potential to inform, be useful, or entertain. Off to Anaheim! » » »

Highlights

FOLUSA Panels for Book Lovers
If you couldn’t make BookExpo America—and even if you did—there’s book talk aplenty at ALA. LJ ’s Book Review Editor Barbara Hoffert hosts a trio of writer-rich FOLUSA panels: Best Sellers of a Different Color: Ethnic Writers in America; Protecting Planet Earth; and First Author, First Book featuring such authors as Nina Revoy, Nikki Turner, Patrick Carman, Dan Koeppel, Janelle Brown (see below), and Daniel White. Click for full details. » » »

Video Interview with Janelle Brown
Get a sneak peak at first-time novelist Janelle Brown in this exclusive LJ video. The former library volunteer discusses her forthcoming title All We Ever Wanted Was Everything, which tells the story of a dysfunctional family forced to reconcile. Then watch Solano County Library's Terry Jacobsen discuss Brown's Book in this YouTube video. » » »

Library Wedding
If you liked Scott Douglas La Counte’s OC Eats article above, check out the cool pix from his library-themed wedding. Each table sported a different writer-related motif along with a library card and book-themed crossword puzzles. Mazel tov! » » »