If You Don't Already Have A Library Card...

Library Card Sign-Up Month is coming up in September and the ALA has announced that the 2015 Honorary Chair will be none other than Snoopy!

Michael Cavna of the Washington Post has written a terrific article praising the choice, which you can read here:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/comic-riffs/wp/2015/06/30/why-snoopy-is-the-first-perfect-pick-to-be-the-alas-library-card-month-luminary/

And to learn more about the ALA's Library Card Sign-Up Month and to access promotional materials for the event, visit:

http://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/card

Volunteers Needed for the Philadelphia Book Festival

The 2011 Philadelphia Book Festival is looking for volunteers to help run various author events, musical performances, interactive programs, and a festival street fair. From April 11th - 16th, the Central branch of the Free Library of Philadelphia will be bustling with activity and they need your help to make it happen. Get more details on the Book Festival's website about volunteering.

Image: (c) 2011 Mikey Burton

"Beyond Books" Graduate Fellowships Available

Check out this fantastic opportunity to attend "Beyond Books: News, Literacy, Democracy & America's Libraries." Apply for one of 10 fellowships which will pay for registration, travel, and lodging for the event in Cambridge, MA, April 6-8, at the MIT Center for Future Civic Media.

For more information, go to http://journalismthatmatters.org/biblionews/2011/03/03/fellowships/

Applications are due March 15.

Banned Books Week — the online event!

Do you want to win a banned book of your very own? Share your thoughts, comments and experiences about banned and challenged books and materials below and be entered for a chance to win. SCALA will randomly select one commenter to win a copy of one of the four books given away during Thursday's on-campus event.

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After Rancocas Valley Regional High School faced a full-fledged book challenge last spring, librarian Dee Venuto presented her take at ALA's Annual Conference. Check out her talk here (starting around 34 minutes): http://blip.tv/file/3998284/



For a closer look at the Prezi shown during the talk:  http://prezi.com/pnlljhzmikkd/book-challenge/

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NEW: Check out the notes from "Social Networks, Teens, and Controversial Content: A New Take on Banned Books Week" by iSchool associate professor Denise Agosto.

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ALA Banned Books Week site: http://www.ala.org/ala/issuesadvocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek/index.cfm
Mapping Book Censorship: http://bannedbooksweek.org/Mapofbookcensorship.html

Philadelphia Library's Budget is Spared

Image Credit: flickr - teachandlearn

After Mayor Nutter's threat to include libraries in his slashed budget for the 2010-2011 fiscal year, the Free Library of Philadelphia can now breathe a sign of relief. Library lovers will still enjoy five days of service, instead of having to make due with a proposed cutback of only four days.

While the Library may be rejoicing, police and fire companies are not happy about the cuts to their departments. Also, the Library may still face a large cut in state aid, almost $750,000 worth.

Read more about the budget and its details in the Philadelphia Inquirer's article ("$47 million in budget cuts spare libraries", July 15th, 2010).

What are your thoughts on how Nutter has handled the budget situation? Are you willing to have a cut in police and fire programs to keep libraries more accessible?

Commentary in Philadelphia Inquirer

In today's Philadelphia Inquirer, author Marilyn Johnson writes a rousing call for communities to get behind their libraries ("Are libraries unnecessary?" July 9, 2010).

Johnson most recently wrote This Book is Overdue! How Librarians and Cybrarians Can Save Us All. She also came to the Free Library of Philadelphia a few months ago to talk about her book and the many librarians she met who are doing some amazing work in the world.

How refreshing to have a non-librarian, someone who isn't part of the profession, coming out and advocating for libraries! I wish more people understood the vital role libraries play in maintaining an informed, educated, democratic society.