Tag Archives: American Library Association

Libraries supporting social inclusion for refugees and immigrants

Our friends at the American Library Association are inviting proposals for presentations to be made at the next ALA Conference in New Orleans on the topic of Libraries supporting social inclusion for refugees and immigrants. Given all the great work that so many of our members are doing in this space you may be interested in reading the call:

CALL FOR PROPOSALS
The American Library Association’s International Relations Roundtable Papers and Projects Committee invites proposals for presentations to be made at the next ALA Annual Conference in New Orleans, Louisiana, USA. Presentations will be delivered at the International Papers Session scheduled in June 2018. The International Papers and Projects Program provides librarians with an opportunity to exchange information about library services, collections and projects throughout the world. The program also serves to stimulate the interest of U.S. librarians in international library matters. We invite presentation proposals based on the International Papers and Projects 2018 theme:

Libraries supporting social inclusion for refugees and immigrants

UNESCO emphasizes the importance of social inclusion for international migrants and encourages cities and local governments to “ensure social rights for migrants to adequate housing, education, health and social care, welfare and decent standard of living according to basic needs such as food, energy and water.” Libraries can play an important role in helping new arrivals acclimate and thrive in a new community.

Do you have a story to share about how your library, on its own or in collaboration with community organizations, is providing social services and support for refugees and immigrants? Do you have advice on creating successful programming to support refugees and immigrants?

SUBMISSION GUIDELINES
Proposals, presentations, and papers must be written and delivered in English, which is the working language of the program.

Proposals should include:
1. Title of the presentation
2. Name, title, institutional affiliation, and full contact information (including a valid e-mail address) for each presenter
3. Abstract (300-500 words)
4. A short biographical profile of each presenter

Proposals should be submitted electronically (as a single Microsoft Word or PDF attachment) to the International Relations Office via email at intl@ala.org with a copy to jsolis@email.unc.edu and paromitabiswas7@gmail.com.
Deadline for submitting proposals is December 31, 2017 .

SELECTION PROCESS
Four proposals will be selected to present at the ALA Annual Meeting in June 2018. Notification of acceptance will be emailed by February 15, 2018.

PRESENTATION FORMAT:
The International Papers and Projects Program is 1.5 hours total. Presentations should run about 20 minutes each, followed by a question-and-answer session. Presenters are encouraged to prepare a dynamic and interactive presentation, incorporating visual prompts, technologies, games, questions for the audience, etc. PowerPoints are common, but speakers who want to read a paper or refer to it are welcome to do so.

We would like to invite you to view previous presentation titles listed on IRRT’s International Papers and Projects Session Committee website,

 

 

Libraries Transform

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The American Library Association has announced details of its new public awareness campaign, Libraries Transform, will launch in Washington, D.C. and in communities and libraries around the country on 29 October 2015.

The purpose of the new campaign is to increase public awareness of the ways that libraries of all types transform people’s lives and communities; shift perception of the library from “obsolete” or “nice to have” to essential; and energize library professionals and external advocates to influence local, state and national decision-makers and increase support for libraries of all types.

Wherever you are in the world be sure to visit this site and explore the resources.

Gift a Book and Change a Life

imagesCAABFM1VAre you coming to the IFLA Congress in Cape Town this August? If so make a little more room in your suitcase and bring a book to change a life.

Delegates are being asked to share the joy of reading and discovery through books with Cape Town’s children and youth! The Cape Town Book Project that will culminate at the IFLA  congress.

The American Library Association-International Relations Committee Africa Subcommittee, in partnership with the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) and the IFLA Section Libraries for Children and Young Adults, call for books to be gifted to Cape Town’s children and youth.  They  are asking each delegate to either :
• bring along a book
• purchase a book upon arrival at a local book store
• or make an advance online purchase

Before the end of the IFLA Congress, the collection will be handed over to LIASA for distribution to public libraries, schools and community centres in the Cape Town area.

What a FABULOUS idea. Please share it with your colleagues.
 

Public Library Advocacy in the US and Australia

Ilovelibraries

Often it takes everyday people to really bring issues home to local legislators. That’s the thinking behind the American Library Association’s Ilovelibraries.org initiative.

One of the features on the Ilovelibraries.org site is a library value calculator (What’s your library worth?) that visitors can use to determine how much they would pay for library materials and services if they actually had to buy them. Categories like the number of e-books downloaded, computer hours logged, and database searches conducted are included in the calculation.

The calculator, like most of the resources available on the site, is designed to help support ALA’s position that libraries remain relevant and much-needed information centres for local communities.

A key section of the Ilovelibraries.org site is dedicated to “real stories.” The site makes it easy FOR users to share their stories online by just clicking on the photo that asks, “Has the library made a difference in your life? Tell us your story.”

ALA believes the overall success of the initiative rests on its ability to continue to engage everyday advocates.

 

FAIR-Logo

Meanwhile the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA) has launched FAIR which campaigns for a fair, open and democratic society where information belongs to everyone.

FAIR stands for Freedom of Access to Information and Resources.

It will lobby for a series of issues including well funded libraries, copyright law reform, the digitisation of our history, evidence-based policy making, lifelong learning and qualified library staff in schools.

ALIA created FAIR to give people a way to actively support all kinds of libraries including public, TAFE, university, health, law, business, government as well as our National and State Libraries.

FAIR enables people to show their support for the FAIR issues and will help secure the future for libraries.

 

 

 

A Mobile with Pizazz, En bokbil med attityd, Ein Mobil mit Schwung

Bookmobile

 

From CILIP’s Public Libraries and Mobile Group’s June Newsletter comes this wonderful photograph and story:

Retired teacher Antonio La Cava promotes reading in the rural Basilicata region of Italy by driving his bookmobile around the local villages. La Cava announces his arrival with the sound of an organ and is often greeted by crowds of eager children.

For more read here

 

En bokbil med attityd

Från CILIP’S Public Libraries and Mobile Group’s nyhetsbrev i juni kommer denna härliga historia:
Antonio La Cava, en pensionerad lärare och läsfrämjare,  åker runt med sin bokbil i byarna på landsbygden i Basilicataregionen i Italien. La Cava annonserar sin ankomst med ljudet av orgelmusik och välkomnas av mängder med ivriga barn.
Läs mer här:

 

Ein Mobil mit Schwung

Aus dem Juni-Newsletter der CILIP-Gruppe “Public Libraries and Mobile” stammen dieses wunderbare Bild mit der folgenden Geschichte: Der pensionierte Lehrer Antonio La Cava engagiert sich für die Leseförderung in der Basilicata-Region Italiens, indem er mit seinem Buchmobil durch die Dörfer der Region fährt. La Cava tut seine Ankunft mit dem Ton einer Orgel kund und wird häufig von einer Traube aufgeregter Kinder begrüßt.

2014 State of American Libraries

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In conjunction with National Library Week in the United States this week (April 13-19) the American Library Association has released its report on the 2014 State of America’s Libraries , detailing library trends of the past year. Its findings include:

  •  More than 90% of the respondents in an independent national survey by the Pew Research Center’s Internet and American Life Project said that libraries are important to the community.
  • School libraries continue to feel the combined pressures of recession-driven financial tightening and federal neglect, according to the survey, and school libraries in some districts and some states still face elimination or deprofessionalization of their programs.
  • 96% of Americans agree that public libraries are important because they provide tech resources and access to materials, and the same number find libraries valuable because they promote literacy and a love of reading.
  • More than 90% of traditional public schools have a school library, but public schools continue to struggle with the impact of funding cuts and reductions in professional staffing.

 

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