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Other Highlights

Spectrum celebrates 10th anniversary

The year 2007 marked the 10th anniversary of the Spectrum Scholarship Program, a national diversity and recruitment effort that unifies the profession’s diversity recruitment and retention efforts at all levels. Established in 1997 as a three-year plan to double the number of library school students from underrepresented groups, Spectrum has become a recruitment template for the Association. Spectrum now supports and expands the recruitment efforts of individual library school programs and the diverse staffing initiatives of individual libraries. Moreover, Spectrum’s professional development and leadership components draw together diversity advocacy efforts across most library organizations, providing a mechanism by which these organizations can diversify their membership and involve proven new leaders with diverse perspectives in their programs and initiatives.

The program received significant continuation and new funding during the year from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), an independent federal grant-making agency dedicated to creating and sustaining a nation of learners by helping libraries and museums serve their communities.

The culmination of the year-long anniversary celebration was a luncheon at the 2007 Annual Conference that featured a keynote speech by poet, writer, commentator, activist, and educator Nikki Giovanni; a performance by recording artist, librarian, and Spectrum scholar Tracy Worth; and remarks by U.S. Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva (D-Ariz.) and Spectrum Champions and Past ALA Presidents Carla Hayden and Betty J. Turock, one of the creators of the Spectrum Initiative, who contributed $10,000 to the Spectrum program. José Aponte, San Diego County Library director, was host for the event.

In support of Spectrum and in recognition of Turock’s commitment to it, her family established the Betty J. Turock Spectrum Scholarship endowment in 2001, and Betty J. Turock Spectrum Scholars have been named in 2001, 2002, 2003, 2005, and 2006. Contributions to the Betty J. Turock Spectrum Scholarship endowment and the Spectrum Scholarship endowment may be made through the ALA Development Office.

A record number of Spectrum Scholars

The 80 Spectrum scholarships awarded in 2006–2007 mark the largest cohort to date. The substantial increase in available scholarships is due both to the generosity of individuals and organizations and to a substantial grant from the IMLS. Through its three-year “New Voices, New Visions” grant, the IMLS has funded more than 35 scholarships a year in 2005, 2006 and 2007. For 2007, scholarships were awarded in honor of Leo Albert, Louise Giles, and Howard M. and Gladys B. Teeple. In 2005, the Medical Library Association/National Library of Medicine raised its commitment to provide an additional named annual award and now is funding two scholarships a year through 2010. The MLA/NLM Spectrum Scholarships support students of color with an interest in the field of medical or health sciences librarianship. Ten of the 2007 Spectrum Scholarships were funded by proceeds from the ALA/ProQuest Scholarship Bash, which is held each year at the ALA Annual Conference.

Other Spectrum news: IMLS supports doctoral fellowship program

The ALA and the University of Pittsburgh School of Information Sciences announced the first six recipients of the Spectrum Doctoral Fellowship in June 2007. The IMLS is providing nearly $1 million to fund this program. At least four doctoral fellowships will be available for the fall of 2008; for details, visit the Spectrum Doctoral Fellowship Web site. . . . The ALA Office for Diversity has received a third IMLS grant for its proposal “Reach21: Preparing the Next Generation of Librarians for 21st Century Library Leadership.” The IMLS has awarded the Office for Diversity $872,920 to double the number of annual Spectrum Scholarship awards for the next three years and to expand Spectrum’s reach and leverage its impact by providing support to other diversity recruitment initiatives and LIS institutions. . . . Fourteen Spectrum scholars were paired with Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) Spectrum Scholar mentors in fiscal 2007, bringing the total number of mentor/mentee pairs to 41. Thirty-one individuals were accepted as mentors, and 10 mentees applied to receive mentors. The Dr. E. J. Josey Spectrum Scholar Mentor Committee hosted a reception for the group at the 2007 ALA Annual Conference.

ALA Scholarship Program

The ALA Scholarship Clearinghouse received more than 700 applications in 2006–2007 and awarded 99 academic scholarships totaling $594,500 across ALA units. Among them was the newly established Cicely Phippen Marks Scholarship, which supports a student enrolled in an MLS program who will work in a federal library. The scholarship, which was established by Charles L. Garris in honor of his late wife, provides $1,500 per year in student support. The Federal Armed Forces Libraries Round Table Awards Committee selected the winner.

Banned books “on the Chopping Block”

Nine books that faced expulsion from a high school curriculum in suburban Cook County, Illinois, were the “stars” of Books on the Chopping Block, a highlight of the 25th celebration of Banned Books Week, held Sept. 23–30, 2006. Each year, the Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) joins with authors, booksellers, and publishers to observe Banned Books Week, a celebration of the freedom to read in the United States. For Books on the Chopping Block, the OIF joined with the City Lit Theatre Company to present four performances, held at Gallery Mornea in Evanston, Ill. Banned Books Week 2006 featured a circus theme with the tagline, “Read Banned Books, They’re Your Ticket to Freedom.”

Librarians, teachers and the press use Banned Books Week as an opportunity to raise awareness in their communities about the importance of free speech and free expression, and the OIF is well-known for the colorful posters, bookmarks, brochures and other themed materials tied to each year’s celebration. In 2006, the OIF introduced “I Read Banned Books” totes and buttons that carry over from year to year, to accompany its popular banned books charm bracelets.

Coverage of Banned Books Week on its 25th anniversary included a Google blog post by ALA 2005–2006 President Leslie Burger that was picked up by several other blogs and online news services; a podcast interview with OIF Director Judith Krug, and a virtual panel discussion with OIF Committee Chair Kent Oliver. A Parade magazine story reached more than 35 million readers and had a companion online story that linked to the ALA OIF Web page. An Associated Press story reached news outlets nationwide, including the New York Times.

Other OIF news: National Conversation on Privacy

At the 2006 Annual Conference, the Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC) drafted a “Resolution on National Discussion on Privacy,” which was adopted by the ALA Council. The resolution directed the IFC to collaborate with other ALA units to facilitate a national conversation on privacy as an American value. The IFC developed plans for a national event, “The Many Faces of Privacy,” to raise public awareness about privacy and its importance in preserving civil liberties. A key component of the plan was outreach to organizations that share the ALA’s concerns about individual privacy. This initiative culminated in a meeting held in September 2007 that brought together representatives from major privacy and civil liberties organizations, corporations, and the OIF. The IFC and the OIF are continuing to work with these groups and the ALA’s offices, units, and divisions to advance the National Conversation on Privacy. . . . The OIF’s Lawyers for Libraries project marked its 10th year with training institutes in Columbus, Ohio, and Philadelphia, bringing to 11 the total number of regional trainings held since the program began. Almost 350 attorneys, trustees and librarians have participated in these sessions. In furtherance of the goals of Lawyers for Libraries, the OIF has maintained contact with the participants and calls on them to help with local intellectual freedom issues and concerns.

Three divisions celebrate 50th anniversaries

The Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS), the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), and the Library Administration and Management Association (LAMA) marked their 50th years of service in 2006–2007. The ALCTS and its research journal, Library Resources & Technical Services, marked the occasion with a commemorative publication edited by 2007–2008 ALCTS President Pamela Bluh), three 50th Anniversary Presidential Citations for Outstanding Contributions to ALCTS, and the granting of the special 50th anniversary Ross Atkinson Lifetime Achievement Award (sponsored by EBSCO) to Brian Schottlaender, Geisel University Librarian, University of California, San Diego. The ALCTS also inaugurated 50for50 ($50 for 50 years of ALCTS), a fundraising campaign. . . . LAMA, which now has more then 5,000 members, launched a campaign to raise $50,000 for its endowment fund and began implementing the first year of its new strategic plan, which aligns with the Association’s ALAhead to 2010 and has four goal areas: value to members, leadership and management, education, and organizational excellence. . . . YALSA, the fastest-growing division of the ALA, created a special logo for its anniversary year; hosted a packed party for members at the ALA Annual Conference following the Booklist Books for Youth Forum that celebrated the first-ever Michael L. Printz Award winners; and held its first Young Adult Author’s Breakfast, which featured more than 20 Printz and Margaret A. Edwards Award-winning authors. Participants had the opportunity to meet different authors as they moved from table to table at this “speed dating” event.

RUSA, AASL journals redesigned

The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA) redesigned its print journal, Reference & User Services Quarterly (RUSQ), and launched the RUSQ Online Companion Web site. The redesigned print edition incorporates suggestions made in surveys and RUSQ focus groups. Guided by the philosophy of the open access movement, the online companion is open to all users, provides full text of articles, and is running on blog software so readers can communicate with authors. The Sources database—reviews of reference sources and professional materials—has been redesigned and provides a searchable database of the full text of the reviews since 1997. RUSA has also launched the RUSA Blog and the RUSA Toolkit, which was designed to provide one-stop shopping for new committee chairs and members to find out what they need to know about their new responsibilities. . . . Knowledge Quest, the journal of the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), underwent a makeover debuting with its fall 2006 issue, moving to four-color press production for its 35th volume. KQWeb, the online companion to the print edition, was also redesigned and reorganized; KQWeb features a sampling of print articles from each issue, plus Web-only material available exclusively online.

AASL notes: Toolkit targets “65 percent solution”

The AASL’s Task Force on Instructional Classification has developed a toolkit that addresses the issue of the categorization of school library media specialists as currently “non-instructional.” The toolkit is designed to help school library media specialists explain their role as educators within their schools and districts and to provide talking points for opposing “65 percent solution” legislation, which threatens funding for school library media services on the state level. . . . The AASL also launched its first longitudinal survey of school library media programs during the 2007 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle. “School Libraries Count!” will be conducted annually to gather data on changes in the field and gain understanding of the state of school library media programs nationally. Almost 4,000 regular public schools and more than 200 independent schools completed the first survey. . . . AASL has a new Web editor, Gayle Bogel.

ALA Library notes: Questions, and more questions

Several years ago, the ALA Library set goals to support the work of other ALA staff as they serve the ALA membership and to provide the core information that people—librarians and the general public alike—seek from the ALA through its Web site. The initial efforts were the ALA Library Fact Sheets and the frequently-asked questions. In November 2006, the Library created the Librarian’s E-Library and the Professional Tips Wiki, followed by a weekly sidebar in AL Direct, a page of Tools for the Librarian from the ALA Library, and a page of questions and answers on ilovelibraries.org. Nevertheless, the ALA Library continues to answer more than 6,000 inquiries a year. More than half are e-mailed, with about one-third coming from staff and members. . . . At the local level, ALA Librarian Karen Muller participated an innovative program in April designed to increase communication among Chicago area libraries. The Chicago Public Schools (CPS) and the Metropolitan Library System (MLS), a membership-based organization serving academic, public, school, and special libraries in and near Chicago, joined forces to initiate “School Librarian for a Day.” Funded by a Library Services and Technology Act grant, the program involved 24 schools and 24 special librarians and was intended to enable the CPS and the MLS to cultivate lasting partnerships among all library types. Muller visited the South Loop Elementary School in Chicago, working with school librarian Lisa Martin Eatinger.

Advocacy Institute going strong in its third year

Richard Sweeney (left), Ismail Abdullahi, Patrick Jones, and Frances Roscello hold the Advocacy Institute luncheon panel discussion.

The Advocacy Institute, in its third year, continued to train library staff, trustees, and Friends to become stronger library advocates, improving the knowledge, skills, and confidence of library supporters nationwide. More than 100 people attended the Advocacy Institute at the ALA’s 2007 Midwinter Meeting in Seattle; it included sessions on making budget presentations, crisis communications, and passing bond issues and referenda, as well as a collaborative panel discussion with YALSA focusing on turning young adult readers into library advocates. During the Advocacy Institute at the ALA 2007 Annual Conference in Washington, advocacy expert Stephanie Vance gave a comprehensive presentation on strategies for advocates, and Patricia Glass Schuman, ALA President in 1991–1992, discussed methods of getting the library message out. A number of regional conferences were also held in 2006–2007. The Advocacy Institute is sponsored by the Public Awareness Committee, in cooperation with the Public Information Office, the Chapter Relations Office, the Washington Office, the Association for Library Trustees and Advocates (ALTA), and Friends of Libraries USA and is made possible by a grant by the Ford Foundation.

ALA-APA Council endorses minimum salary

The ALA-Allied Professional Association Council at the ALA 2007 Midwinter Meeting adopted a resolution to endorse a nonbinding minimum salary for professional librarians of not less than $40,000 per year. . . . The number of entries for the Submit a Star campaign held in connection with National Library Workers Day April 17 more than doubled from the prior year, attracting 590 nominations. The stars were from 47 states; 52 percent of the nominees worked in public libraries . . . In partnership with the ALA’s Office for Literacy and Outreach Services (OLOS), the ALA-APA surveyed rural librarians to find out what they thought about their salaries. Respondents reported many common concerns: pay inequity, low professional status, lack of qualified staff, high employee turnover and a concern about the effects of the new minimum wage on rural economies. However, the survey also revealed that many rural library workers have argued successfully for improved status and salaries. . . . The ALA-APA has created ALA-APA Union, a user-contributed wiki that is a resource both for current union members and for library professionals seeking information about joining or starting a union. . . . 2006–2007 was the first year that the ALA-APA has operated in the black, but a survey by Northwestern University Kellogg School of Business students of ALA-APA donors revealed that many still do not understand the organization and its relationship with the ALA. The ALA-APA will continue its awareness efforts.

ACRL notes: Assessing the future of academic libraries

In February 2007, the ACRL published “Changing Roles of Academic and Research Libraries,” an essay on technology and change in academic libraries that resulted from a November 2006 summit held in Chicago. Attended by 30 library leaders, the unscripted roundtable discussion imagined an alternative future for academic libraries. The resulting discussion paper asks key questions and suggests answers that should expand the national discussion of how academic libraries can best serve their institutions and the nation at large. The essay, a companion piece, and discussion are available online. . . . The first ACRL Fall Virtual Institute, “The User at the Center,” was offered in November 2006 and focused on how libraries can use technologies and practice to put the user at the center of the information enterprise on campus. The event was held completely online and featured both synchronous and asynchronous activities. . . . ACRL Podcasts, launched in late 2006, provide fresh dimensions on the issues and events in academic librarianship. The most popular podcast, with 2,811 listens, was a discussion of the top 10 assumptions for the future of academic libraries. ACRL Podcasts are available both on the ACRL Web site and through iTunes. . . . Two ACRL publications have new editors. Joseph Branin, director of Libraries at Ohio State University, is serving a renewable three-year term as editor of College & Research Libraries, and Craig Gibson, associate university librarian for Research, Instruction, and Outreach Services at George Mason University, was appointed editor for ACRL Publications in Librarianship. . . . ACRL has acquired valuable staff expertise by adding David Free as editor-in-chief of College & Research Libraries News. Free, a marketing and communications specialist, is helping ACRL use more 2.0 technologies.

Seventy-eight librarians enrolled in certification courses

The Certified Public Librarian Administrator program enrolled 78 librarians, many of whom took more than one course toward completing their certification. The program began in the spring of 2006, with the goal of helping public librarians with supervisory experience become better or higher-level managers and directors. The Public Library Association (PLA), LAMA, and the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies are the founding divisions of the program. The PLA became a course provider in 2006–2007 for all nine competencies; other courses are offered by library schools and library associations.

ALSC enhancement: “Tanto que ver. Tanto que hacer . . .”

A major enhancement to the Association for Library Service to Children’s Kids! @ your library public awareness campaign is the translation of components in the toolkit into Spanish, including the logo and tag line “So much to see. So much to do. @ your library.” (“Tanto que ver. Tanto que hacer. En tu biblioteca.”), print public service announcements (PSAs) in a variety of sizes, audio PSA scripts, and a “Top Ten List of Things to Do at Your Library.” The Kids! @ your library public campaign is part of the ALA’s Campaign for America’s libraries. . . . Every Child Ready to Read, a joint initiative of the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) and the PLA, entered a successful third year in 2007, and the two divisions agreed to launch and fund a comprehensive evaluation of the program. Every Child Ready to Read is an early literacy initiative designed to prepare librarians to help children start school ready to learn. . . . The ALSC worked with HarperCollins Children’s Books in 2007 to promote National “Drop Everything and Read (D.E.A.R.) Day” on April 12. This initiative encourages families to put aside all distractions and take at least 30 minutes to enjoy books together. . . . The ALSC is also working again with the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to develop a list of books for the We the People project, whose 2007–2008 theme is “Created Equal.” ALSC board member Pat Scales represented the ALSC at an NEH meeting in February 2007, and the ALSC submitted a list of recommended titles to the NEH in March.

ALTA restructures under new bylaws

The Association for Library Trustees and Advocates focused its efforts in 2006-2007 on restructuring under new bylaws that the membership approved by a 95 percent vote. The ALTA board and members believed that the restructuring will provide ALTA with the leadership and flexibility it needs to develop new products for its members, ensure its future viability, enhance its national visibility, and increase its membership. Two major areas of change were the transition from a 22-member ALTA Board with 15 committees to an 11-member board with 15 new committees organized into four committee clusters; and the development of an assembly of representatives from all 50 states that will provide a network for the exchange of information on activities and issues related to library trusteeship and advocacy and facilitate communication among members and state library organizations. The fully approved restructuring plan, including a complete set of the old and new Bylaws, is on the ALTA Web site.

ASCLA works for special populations

The Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies has published Guidelines for Library Services for People with Mental Illnesses, designed to help librarians establish detailed crisis management procedures and to provide the background librarians need to avert crises and arrive at successful library experiences for people with mental illnesses. In 2007, the ASCLA also began offering a new online course, “Selecting Spanish-language Materials for Adults,” in which librarians learn the basics of developing Spanish-language collections. And the ASCLA’s Century Scholarship continues to meet the needs of library school students with disabilities; the annual $2,500 scholarship funds services or accommodation that are either not provided by law or by the university, enabling students to successfully complete the course of study for a master’s or doctorate in library science and become a library or information studies professional.

RUSA creates juried list of best titles for adults

The Collection Development and Evaluation Section of RUSA, a key source for expert opinion on books, has added The Reading List, a juried list of the best titles published in eight genre areas for adults, to its nationally recognized programs for lists of book awards. The Reading List will help librarians build core collections in areas their readers love and help fans of genre fiction find great books to read. The eight genres are fantasy, historical fiction, horror, mystery, romance, science fiction, women’s fiction, and adrenaline titles, which collectively encompass suspense, thrillers and action adventure works. Lists will be juried yearly and the winning titles announced at each ALA Midwinter Meeting.

Eighth Year of ALA-FIL Free Pass Program

For the eighth year, ALA supported the ALA-FIL Free Pass Program for librarians attending the 2006 Guadalajara (Jalisco, Mexico) International Book Fair. The Association’s interest in ensuring diversity of collections for the growing Spanish-speaking community in the United States resulted in aid to 150 librarians to attend the Feria del Libro to review and buy Spanish-language materials for their users.

Recruitment notes

A record 46 recruiters had booths at the Placement Center during ALA conferences in 2007, 18 at the Midwinter Meeting and 28 at the Annual Conference. It is the highest number of recruiters that the ALA Placement Center has had. The Placement Service also provided free one-on-one sessions with a professional career counselor. . . . ALA recruitment activities were the cover story in the July issue of Forum magazine, the publication of the Association Forum of Chicagoland, the professional association for association executives.

LITA develops new education programs

As part of the Library and Information Technology Association’s (LITA) Strategic Plan, the LITA board created an Education Working Group comprising the chairs of the Education, Regional Institute and Program Planning committees to review current educational offerings and examine new delivery mechanisms. The group’s recommendation to merge the Regional Institutes Committee into the Education Committee was implemented, and the new Education Committee is focusing on a wide range of education programs through various delivery modes. As a pilot project, one existing Regional Institute, Establishing an Institutional Repository, presented by Susan Gibbons, was redesigned for online delivery. LITA also offered two Regional Institutes, twice each: User Centered Design: Design Process & Usability and Institutional Repositories.

Other LITA news: Interest groups and wikis

LITA’s Public Library Technology Interest Group (IG) met for the first time at the 2006 Midwinter Meeting. The status of other interest groups is reviewed regularly, and as a result the Technical Services Workstation IG was disbanded, the Open Source Systems IG was renewed, the Library Consortia & Systems IG was re-formed and the Next Gen Catalog IG was formed. . . . In addition to LITA’s blog, which allows its members to record summaries of conference meetings and post comments on topics of interest, LITA has launched a wiki. “The Toolkit for the Expert Web Searcher” has been moved there, and LITA’s new standards coordinator, Diane Hillman, has created a wiki entitled “Standards Watch: Keeping an Eye on Standards of Interest to LITA Members.” Also, “Information Technology and Libraries (ITAL)” is now available online to all LITA members upon publication; non-members have access after six months. Martin Kalfatovic, editor of Technology Electronic Review (TER), has lead the TER team in moving this electronic-only publication to the LITA wiki.

Public Library Funding & Technology Access study

The 2007 Public Library Funding & Technology Access study showed that 99.1 percent of U.S. public libraries now offer free public access to the Internet; 73 percent of libraries reported they were the only source of free public access to computers and the Internet in their communities. Not only does the public library offer access to the hardware—computers, printers, scanners—but also to trained staff who help library users gain skills and navigate the extensive material available online, according to the study. On the down side, many library buildings are ill-equipped to accommodate the space and electrical needs of more than a few computer workstations, and the study showed that another consistent capacity concern was the need for more bandwidth. The study was conducted by the ALA and the Information Use Management and Policy Institute at Florida State University and funded by the ALA and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

ORS studies provide data about libraries, librarians, and patrons

The Office for Research and Statistics (ORS) continues to conduct surveys that provide the Association its members with reliable data they can use to understand their profession and their customers and to improve services. . . . The ALA started collecting member demographic information in a voluntary online survey in May 2005. In the first year, more than 13,000 members had responded. . . . Jenifer Grady, director of the ALA–APA, working in collaboration with the ORS, took the lead on a salary survey, and the 2007 studies—MLS and non-MLS salaries—are completed. . . . A study of library networks, cooperatives, and consortia was completed in late 2007 and features a searchable database. . . . A survey, state site visits, and focus groups have been completed for the first year of a project on public library funding and technology access.

Other ORS notes: Public library service to the linguistically isolated

The ORS is working with OLOS, the Office for Diversity, and the Public Programs Office to collect information about public library services to non-English speakers. The project is funded by a World Book Goal Grant. . . . The ORS contracted with Decision Demographics to analyze 1990 and 2000 Census data by industry (library), type of library, race/ethnicity, age, and gender. The industry of “library” included credentialed (with an MLIS) and non-credentialed employees. The purpose of the analysis was to provide reliable estimates of employment in the profession and age, gender, and ethnicity figures for five types of libraries: public, academic, K–12, hospital, and legal, with all other types reported as a single category. . . . The ORS joined the Florida State University School of Information Studies in investigating how “best practice” evaluation strategies can demonstrate the value of public libraries to the communities they serve through a Web-based instructional, assistive, and management system (evaluation decision management system—EDMS). More information about all these projects is available at the ORS Web site.

Newspaper column leads to TV interview segment

In March, a Wall Street Journal column on how libraries are changing and dynamic places caught the interest of several newspapers and, eventually, the CBS Early Show. The Public Information Office (PIO) provided its producers with key messaging and statistics and coordinated an interview with ALA President Leslie Burger. Show producers and CBS correspondent Susan McGinnis toured Burger’s library in Princeton, N.J., and talked with patrons. The result was a 2��-minute segment titled “New and Improved Libraries,” which aired in 3.5 million households.

PIO uses National Library Week as a vehicle for coverage

The theme of National Library Week (NLW), April 15–21, 2007, was “Come together @ your library,” and ALA representatives participated in a number of radio and print interviews regarding the changing role of libraries. NLW stories were seen by more than 32.3 million people. More than 115 NLW television news segments aired on stations throughout the country, reaching more than 4.7 million households. Print PSAs featuring George Lopez were published in several national magazines, including O, the Oprah Magazine, Teen, and Parents, which resulted in more than 20.5 million “impressions” (circulation rate multiplied by 2.5) in publicity value. NLW also served as a platform for the release of the ALA’s State of America’s Libraries report; Associated Press (AP) reporter Hillel Italie followed up with an article that was published by more than 30 daily newspapers in the top 150 markets.

ALA units respond to book challenges

Articles on 2007 Newbery Medal winner The Higher Power of Lucky comprised the majority of positive press clips received regarding book challenges. The PIO worked closely with leadership from the ALSC, the AASL and the OIF to respond to reports that librarians planned to exercise self-censorship by not adding the book to their collections due to the book’s single use of the word “scrotum.” The PIO secured interviews for ALA spokespersons with the AP, the BBC World News, National Public Radio, Newsday, and the New York Times.

Other PLA notes: “Grow Your Own” scholarships

The Public Library Association awarded an $8,000 scholarship to each of nine public libraries in the second year of its pilot “Grow Your Own” Institutional Scholarship Program. “Grow Your Own” provides for the educational needs of public library staff working toward obtaining an MLIS; the scholarships reimburse an employee for tuition costs at the undergraduate or graduate level. . . . The PLA has launched an on-line version of the Public Library Data Service (PLDS) Statistical Report, which is designed to provide timely and library-specific data that illuminate and support a wide variety of management decisions. The on-line service allows subscribers to view 2007 PLDS tables, including summary and comparison tables; to access 2006 and 2007 summary tables in interactive charts; and to create customized PLDS datasets that can be saved and exported into Excel/CSV file formats. PLDS order forms and more information are available at www.pla.org.

Teen Read Week: Ongoing success story

YALSA notes: More events for young adult readers

YALSA established several new national events in 2006–2007. Teen Tech Week, held the first week of March each year, is designed to encourage teens to explore the non-print resources available at their libraries, including DVDs, databases, audiobooks, and electronic games. Support Teen Literature Day, held in April in conjunction with National Library Week, will help raise awareness about teen literature and will serve as the launch for each year’s Teen Read Week. Expanded from a pilot program in Chicago, the WrestleMania Reading Challenge extended Teen Read Week beyond the third week of October.; almost 500 high school libraries participated in the first year of the challenge, with five finalists competing at WrestleMania 23 in Detroit on April 1. YALSA also established a YA Author Breakfast, which will be repeated each year at the ALA Annual Conference. . . . Research indicates that more than 90 percent of youth age 8–18 nationwide have both a public library and a school library in their community and that 78 percent of them have a library card. (Girls age 10–15 are the head of the class in this regard — more than 80 percent have a card.) Data were based on a Harris Youth Poll survey conducted by YALSA in June and underwritten by the ALA Office for Research & Statistics. . . . Other surveys in 2007 also documented progress in staffing and use of library services for young adults. The PLA’s 2007 Public Library Data Service Statistical Report, which tracks young-adult service trends in public libraries, found that nearly 90 percent of the public libraries surveyed offer young adult programs; 52 percent employ at least one full-time equivalent dedicated to fostering young adult programs and services — a dramatic increase from 24 percent in 1994. . . . Stephanie Kuenn joined the YALSA staff as its first communications specialist.