Homeanaheim2008wrap

Contact: Macey Morales
Manager, ALA PIO Media Relations
(312) 280-4393
mmorales@ala.org

NEWS
For Immediate Release
July 2, 2008

Technology, literacy, privacy and advocacy key issues at ALA Annual Conference

CHICAGO –   Attendees at the American Library Association’s (ALA) Annual Conference, held June 26- July 2 in Anaheim, Calif., participated in discussions on how libraries are engines of learning, literacy and economic development. Sessions about technology, literacy, privacy and advocacy were popular.

According to final figures, 22,047 librarians and library staff, exhibitors and library supporters attended the ALA Annual Conference, held at the Anaheim Convention Center.

Of the 22,047, 5,752 were exhibitors (4,019 who registered in advance and 1,733 on-site), while 16,295 were attendees (11,514 registered in advance, 4,781 on-site.)

"This is the first time ALA has been in Southern California since 1983, and I think attendees loved the site, the exhibits, all the educational sessions, the networking and the beach," said Deidre Irwin Ross, director, ALA Conference Services.

More than 300 educational programs and 2,000 committee meetings and events were held  in the following categories: Authors, Literature and Cultural Programming, Administration and Leadership, Children and Young Adults, Research, Career Paths and Professional Development, Collection Management and Technical Services, Digital Information and Technologies Issues and Updates, User Services and Transformation and Innovations.

Information privacy was discussed on Sunday at the panel discussion, “Privacy: Is it Time for a Revolution?” Among the panelists was Cory Doctorow, boingboing blogger and acclaimed science fiction writer who says we should treat personal electronic data with the same care and respect as weapons-grade plutonium because it is dangerous, long-lasting and, once it has been leaked, there is no getting it back.

“Recently, heavy users of digital media – bloggers, social media experts and online journalists – are calling for Americans to recommit to privacy before we dive deeper into the information age. We think librarians are poised to lead the charge,” said Judith Krug, director of the ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom.

ALA incoming President Jim Rettig organized  a session entitled “Advocating for All Libraries: Saving the Library Ecosystem,” in which Rettig invited members to create elements of a plan for ALA’s advocacy initiative during his presidential year. The program was  organized  by the new Office for Library Advocacy.

“What happens to one type of library affects all of us,” Rettig said. “Library communities around the country need to speak with a unified voice, ready to advocate for all libraries.”

Attendees at the conference were able to make their voices heard on Tuesday, July 1, by taking part in Virtual Library Day on the Hill,  by  faxing and e-mailing members of Congress regarding  important library issues. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the basketball legend who is also honorary chair of  Library Card Sign-up Month in September, attended and wrote his members of Congress on the importance of library funding.

At a pre-conference hosted by the Office for Library Advocacy, library advocates heard the dynamic  “Spokane Moms,” the leaders of a grassroots effort on behalf of school libraries in Washington State that resulted in an additional $4 million in state funding.

The Spokane Moms, Lisa Layera Brunkan, Denette Hill and Susan McBurney, also received the 2007 Crystal Apple Award from American Association of School Librarians (AASL) President Sara Kelly Johns. Johns cited them for their “dedication to strong school library media programs and equal access to the 21st-Century skills for all students.”

On Saturday, June 28, the Washington office of the ALA delivered an update in which the major topic was reauthorization of the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), the  federal funding  for libraries. Those attending called for more flexibility in grant requirements.

The challenge of attracting a diverse corps of library workers was examined at “An Endangered Species: The Black Male Librarian,” sponsored by the Black Caucus of the American Library Association. In 2000, according to the program notes, only 3 percent of credentialed librarians were African-American males.

Principles and practices for effective multicultural communication was the focus of Sunday’s PR Forum, sponsored by the PR Assembly and the Campaign for America’s Libraries. The presentation was led by Eric Friedenwald-Fishman, creative director/president of the Metropolitan Group, a social marketing, PR/communication and resource development firm that has worked with library groups all over the United States. The forum emphasized the importance of cultural context and tailoring messages to meet specific needs and values.

The ALA got its game on Friday, June 27, with an Open Gaming Night at the Hilton Anaheim – Disneyland Hotel, sponsored by the Verizon Foundation. Gamers packed the room to play Rock Band, Dance Dance Revolution and Wii Sports, as well as a number of board games. That evening, ALA 2008  President Loriene Roy announced the first-ever Presidential Citation for Gaming.

The next day, at the ALA’s Opening General Session, it was announced that the Verizon Foundation will provide a $1 million grant to the ALA that will fund an innovative project to track and measure the impact of gaming on literacy skills and build a model for library gaming that can be offered nationally.

Verizon Foundation President Patrick Gaston said, “Gaming for learning presents a tremendous opportunity for libraries to further literacy skills in children as well as adults.” 

Roy said, “Through the Verizon Foundation’s gift, ALA’s gaming for learning project will provide the library community with vital information and resources that will model and help sustain effective gaming programs and services.”

Attendees had the chance to hear many speakers: radio and Internet host Ron Reagan; actress/author Jamie Lee Curtis; civil rights leader Vernon E. Jordan Jr.; television producer Stephen J. Cannell; astronaut Sally Ride – the first American woman to travel into space - and research partner Tam O’Shaughnessy; Dr. T. Berry Brazelton; and authors Greg Mortenson, Dean Koontz and Khaled Hosseini.

Reagan, the son of the 40th president of the United States, delivered the keynote address at the Opening General Session, noting that his father was a reading prodigy. He said neighbors would gather to watch the 3-year-old Ronald Reagan read the newspaper. “Books were never rationed in our house,” Reagan added.

Reagan analyzed the presidential campaign and offered his insights into the character and style of the leading candidates as well as his thoughts about the Bush administration’s execution of the war in Iraq.

Hundreds of conference attendees were entertained on Sunday, June 30, at the Book Cart Drill Team World Championship, sponsored by DEMCO. News coverage of the event was extensive with television stations throughout the country running footage from the competition.

Sunday’s ALA President’s Program included a claymation animation program presented by Roy Boney Jr., Cherokee Illustrator, graphic novelist, and animator, as well as a Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Fellow, Sequoyah Research Center, University of Arkansas.

On Monday, actress and author Jamie Lee Curtis delivered the keynote address at the Public Library Association President’s Program and Awards Presentation. That day, Curtis, an author of children’s books, read from one of her books to a gathering of children.

Also on Monday, the Office for Literacy and Outreach Services organized the American Dream Starts @ your library, which showcased libraries from throughout the country and their collections that have been developed to meet the literacy needs of new immigrants. Funding for the grant program was provided by the Dollar General Foundation.

The conference closed on Tuesday, with an address delivered by Oscar nominee Diahann Carroll, the first African-American actress in television history to star in her own series, “Julia.”

Exhibiting companies featured the latest in books, videos, computers and other materials vital to today's libraries, librarians and patrons.

For more detailed information on Annual Conference events, please visit ALA’s conference publication, ALA Cognotes at http://www.ala.org/ala/eventsandconferencesb/annual/2008a/cognotes.cfm.

For more information on the ALA’s - Annual Conference, please visit www.ala.org/annual.