Industry News

The 2013 American Library Association (ALA) annual conference in Chicago has come and gone, but the buzz is still with us from all that we saw, shared, and experienced of the exhibits, panels, committee meetings, and many special events with authors and colleagues. Out of all the memorable moments, following are the top ten sights from the event from Rocco Staino, SLJ contributing editor.

Ingrid Abrams, children’s and teen librarian at Brooklyn Public Library in NYC and Natalie V. Binder, a systems librarian at the Jefferson County R.J. Bailar Public Library in Monticello, FL, teamed up virtually to create Libraries Changed My Life (LCML), a patron-driven Tumblr initiative, in direct response to Michael Rosenblum’s article “What’s a Library?”, which was published in the Huffington Post this past May.

In celebration of its 25th Anniversary of children’s publishing, Chronicle Books hosted a cocktail reception at the American Library Association Annual conference that included a raffle of original artwork inspired by the company's spectacles logo. The pieces were created by many award-winning and bestselling illustrators, including Tom Lichtenheld, who presented the prize to winner and children's literature professor, Susannah Richards.

Holly Louise Meade, an artist and award-winning children’s book author and illustrator, died on June 28, 2013, at Blue Hill Memorial Hospital near her home in Sedgwick, ME, the local Newburyport Daily News has reported. She was 56.

Elaine Landau, author of more than 300 books that supported schools’ curriculum and children’s quest for information, died on June 29 in Miami, FL, due to complications from autoimmune disease. She was 65. Her death was announced by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Florida.

Do you know STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics)? From hosting “parties” with traditional building blocks to using science kits with young children, ideas for STEAM programming in libraries were shared at a recent panel at the ALA (American Library Association) annual conference.

It’s the 4th of July and I am delighted to share another important declaration.   Our new ALA President, friend, former school librarian, and Syracuse iSchool professor, Barbara Stripling declares that libraries are essential to a democratic society. She shares: My presidential initiative, entitled Libraries Change Lives, will focus on increasing public understanding of the value of libraries, [...]

The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) revealed its inaugural Best Apps for Teaching and Learning list on Jun 30 at the American Library Association annual conference. Head of children's services at Darien Library, CT, Kiera Parrott highlights some of her favorites from the 25 winning apps that cover a broad range of subjects, inspire curriculum connections, and can be used for classroom instruction and public library programming.

With her aunt's wedding day fast approaching, 16-year-old Ann Gilardi is determined to lose '45 pounds.' In her effort to do so, she learns more about herself−and her family−than she expected. Author K. A. Barson talks about the genesis of the book.