John Cotton Dana

Eight libraries were selected for the 2013 John Cotton Dana Award, honoring outstanding library public relations and marketing with a $10,000 award and plaque.  This award, named after John Cotton Dana, the former head of the Newark (N.J.) Public Library and former president of the American Library Association who died in 1929, has been given continuously since 1946 and is sponsored by EBSCO, the H.W. Wilson Foundation and the Library Leadership and Management Association (LLAMA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA).  It is considered to be the most prestigious of all library awards in the field of public relations and marketing.

“This was a very difficult judging year,” said award committee Chair Kim Terry. “The quality was outstanding. We had entries from a variety of libraries. Many of the submissions came from small-to medium-sized libraries. In these challenging economic times, It’s amazing how wonderfully gifted libraries are at leveraging what they have to produce effective marketing campaigns.

The John Cotton Dana Awards will be presented at a reception sponsored by EBSCO from 4:30 - 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, June 30 during the ALA Annual Conference in Chicago.

Eight libraries were honored:

The Craighead County Jonesboro (Ark.) Public Library “Meme Your Library” campaign engaged their community in a new way and positioned them as a 21st Century Library. The campaign, styled after popular ecards, resulted in increases in usage both physically and virtually, including an increase in mobile site visits by 118 percent and program participation by more than 100 percent.

In 2010 Hood River County Library (Ore.) district closed due to lack of funding. One year later, after a ballot measure to reopen the libraries passed by only 53 percent, the libraries reopened as an independent government agency needing to reboot their relationship with the community. The library’s outreach efforts included hiring bilingual staff, joining community organizations and bringing library services out into the neighborhoods. Despite being open only 25 hours per week for several months, circulation increased 5.2 percent and program attendance was up 20 percent.

The Lawrence (Kan.) Public Library engaged the community in the celebration of Banned Books Week by having local artists competitively design a week’s worth of trading cards. These unique cards succeeded in actively involving the arts community, putting a new marketing twist on typical banned books activities. The campaign attracted collectors and nationwide media attention.

Mid-Continent (Mo.) Public Library developed a cohesive and comprehensive rebranding campaign around the concept of “access” to help shift the perceptions of libraries in their community. The creative “Access Your World” campaign was embraced by library staff and community members alike, indicated by increased usage of online services and customers proudly touting their Access Passes (formerly known as library cards).

Richland Library (S.C.) used customer experience workshops with 400 staff members to “change from the inside out,” identifying the Library’s brand promises to the Richland community. The brand promises became the Library’s foundation for defining what the customer can expect from the library.

The Robert E. Kennedy Library at Cal Poly (Calif.) inspired its students and others around the world to declare, “I’m with the Banned,” through virtual outreach and library programming during 2012 Banned Books Week. An interactive website invited participation from more than 6,000 visitors, and dozens of libraries across the nation linked to the site. Cal Poly students gained awareness of the issue of banned books through multiple channels, including craftwork, t-shirts, exhibits and interviews and a capacity crowd of 500-plus community members attended author Stephen Chbosky’s week-ending talk.

The Santa Clara City (Calif.) Library launched the Project BEST campaign to educate the community about a new California law mandating that all food service employees complete the Food Handler Certification Program. As part of this campaign, the library positioned itself as a resource for job skills development. To this end, the library held 26 food handler classes resulting in 130 students obtaining food handler certification, assisted more than 550 people at job workshops and held a job fair attended by 13 companies and 375 potential job seekers.

Texas Tech Universities (Texas) used several print and electronic channels—even 3-D animation –to successfully reach its student population through six keywords: Action, Create, Help, Relax, Green and Connect. The creative graphical representations of these words could be seen all over campus, and the results were impressive, including a 110 percent increase in student use of the library’s e-resources and a 60 percent increase in Facebook fans.

Demographers predict that by the year 2050, African Americans, Asian Pacific Islanders, Latino/Hispanics and Native Americans will constitute the majority of Americans.  April 30 is El día de los niños/El día de los libros (Children’s Day/Book Day), also known as Día, and libraries, families and children will celebrate our nation’s rich cultural tapestry.

As our nation becomes more diverse, libraries continue their commitment to connecting children and their families to multicultural books, bilingual services and educational resources.

“Día provides an opportunity for libraries to showcase cultural programs and bilingual resources, “said Association of Library Service to Children President Carolyn Brodie. “Hundreds of libraries will host celebrations that will emphasize the importance of advocating literacy for children of all linguistic and cultural backgrounds.”

Without reading, everything in life is harder. Low literacy is linked to poverty, crime, dependence on government assistance and poor health. Through literacy initiatives like Día, libraries are working with parents and caregivers to spread “bookjoy.”  Current research on early literacy and brain development indicates that it is never too early to prepare children for success as readers.

Libraries are committed to supporting and embracing diversity. According to a study by the American Library Association, Spanish is, by far, the most supported non-English language in public libraries. Seventy-eight percent of libraries reported Spanish as the priority No. 1 language toward which they develop services and programs. Asian languages ranked second in priority at 29 percent. Another 17.6 percent of libraries indicated Indo-European languages as a priority.

Día supports efforts to help children and their families explore library resources and multicultural activities. For example, in Los Angeles children will enjoy stories, songs, crafts and face painting; while the library provides their parents with literacy resources and information on health and social services.  The Bond Hill Library in Cincinnati, Ohio will offer activities in French and Spanish, as well as African drumming and Indian dance.

Parents, caregivers and teachers also can celebrate Dia at home or in their classrooms with free bilingual book lists and activities from the Dia website at http://dia.ala.org.   Resources are available in Chinese and Spanish.

Día is sponsored by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association, and is an enhancement of Children’s Day, which began in 1925.   Children’s Day was designated as a day to bring attention to the importance and well-being of children.   In 1996, nationally acclaimed children’s book author Pat Mora proposed linking the celebration of childhood and children with literacy thus the inception of El día de los niños/El día de los libros.

Through a grant from the Dollar General Literacy Foundation, the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) continues to increase public awareness of the event in libraries throughout the country.  ALSC is collaborating on this effort with Día’s Founder, Pat Mora; and Founding Partner of Día, the National Association to Promote Library and Information Services to Latinos and the Spanish Speaking (REFORMA).

For book lists and additional information on Día please visit http://dia.ala.org.

For information on local events contact your local library, or visit http://cs.ala.org/websurvey/alsc/dia/map.cfm.

About The Association for Library Service to Children

ALSC is the world’s largest organization dedicated to the support and enhancement of library service to children. With a network of more than 4,000 children’s and youth librarians, literature experts, publishers and educational faculty, ALSC is committed to creating a better future for children through libraries. To learn more about ALSC, visit their website at www.ala.org/alsc.

About Dollar General

Dollar General is a leading discount retailer that has been delivering value to shoppers for more than 70 years with over 10,000 stores in 40 states. Dollar General stores provide convenience and value to customers by offering national brand and private-brand merchandise such as food, snacks, health and beauty aids and cleaning supplies, as well as basic apparel, house wares and seasonal items at everyday low prices. The company has a longstanding tradition of supporting literacy and education. Since its inception in 1993, the Dollar General Literacy Foundation has awarded more than $74 million in grants to nonprofit organizations, helping more than 4.4 million individuals take their first steps toward literacy, a general education diploma or English proficiency.

About REFORMA

Established in 1971 as an affiliate of the American Library Association (ALA), REFORMA has actively sought to promote the development of library collections to include Spanish-language and Latino oriented materials; the recruitment of more bilingual and bicultural library professionals and support staff; the development of library services and programs that meet the needs of the Latino community; the establishment of a national information and support network among individuals who share our goals; the education of the U.S. Latino population in regards to the availability and types of library services; and lobbying efforts to preserve existing library resource centers serving the interests of Latinos.

The 2013 shortlisted titles are:

Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Nonfiction:

“The Mansion of Happiness: A History of Life and Death,” by Jill Lepore. Published by Alfred A. Knopf, a division of Random House, Inc.

From board games, including one called The Mansion of Happiness, to public-library children’s rooms to cryogenics, historian Lepore’s episodic inquiry into our evolving perceptions of life and death is full of surprises, irreverent wit, and arresting perceptions.

“Short Nights of the Shadow Catcher: The Epic Life and Immortal Photographs of Edward Curtis,” by Timothy Egan. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Popular historian Egan turns the life and work of master photographer Edward Curtis into a gripping and heroic story of one man’s commitment to the three-decade project that ultimately resulted in The North American Indian, a 20-volume collection of words and pictures documenting the Native American peoples of the American West.

“Spillover: Animal Infections and the Next Human Pandemic,” by David Quammen. Published by W. W. Norton & Company.

Science writer Quammen schools readers in the fascinating if alarming facts about zoonotic diseases—animal infections that sicken humans, such as rabies and Ebola. Drawing on the dramatic history of virology, he profiles brave viral sleuths and recounts his own hair-raising field adventures. A vital, in-depth account offered in the hope that knowledge will engender preparedness.

Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction:

“Canada,” by Richard Ford. Published by Ecco, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

“First, I’ll tell you about the robbery our parents committed.”  So begins Ford’s riveting novel, an atmospheric and haunting tale of family, folly, exile, and endurance told in the precise and searching voice of Dell Parsons, a young man forced to navigate a harsh world.

“The Round House,” by Louise Erdrich. Published by Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

In her fourteenth novel, Erdrich writes in the voice of a man reliving the fateful summer of his thirteenth year. Erdrich’s intimacy with her characters energizes this tale of hate crimes and vengeance, her latest immersion in the Ojibwe and white community she has been writing about for more than two decades.

“This Is How You Lose Her,” by Junot Díaz. Published by Riverhead Books, a member of Penguin Group (USA), Inc.

Fast paced and street-talking tough, Díaz’s stories unveil lives shadowed by prejudice and poverty and bereft of reliable love and trust. These are precarious, unappreciated lives in which intimacy is a lost art, masculinity a parody, and kindness, reason, and hope struggle to survive like seedlings in a war zone.

The awards, established in 2012, recognize the best of the best in fiction and nonfiction books for adult readers published in the U.S. the previous year and serve as a guide to help adults select quality reading material. They are the first single-book awards for adult books given by the American Library Association and reflect the expert judgment and insight of library professionals who work closely with adult readers. Nancy Pearl, librarian, literature expert, NPR commentator, and best-selling author of “Booklust” serves as chair of the awards’ selection committee.

The awards are made possible by a grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York in recognition of Andrew Carnegie’s deep belief in the power of books and learning to change the world, and are co-sponsored by ALA’s Booklist publications and the Reference and User Services Association (RUSA).

Annotations and more information on the finalists and the awards can be found athttp://www.ala.org/carnegieadult.

About Carnegie Corporation of New York
Carnegie Corporation of New York was created by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding. In keeping with this mandate, the corporation’s work focuses on the issues that Andrew Carnegie considered of paramount importance: international peace, the advancement of education and knowledge, and the strength of our democracy.

About Booklist
Booklist is the book review magazine of the American Library Association, considered an essential collection development and readers’ advisory tool by thousands of librarians for more than 100 years. Booklist Online includes a growing archive of 135,000+ reviews available to subscribers as well as a wealth of free content offering the latest news and views on books and media.

About Reference and User Services Association (RUSA)
The Reference and User Services Association is responsible for stimulating and supporting excellence in the delivery of general library services and materials, and the provision of reference and information services, collection development, readers’ advisory, and resource sharing for adults, in every type of library.

About ALA
Established in 1876, the American Library Association (ALA) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization created to provide leadership for the development, promotion, and improvement of library and information services and the profession of librarianship in order to enhance learning and ensure access to information for all.

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

Additional contact:
Katherine Kelly,
630-200-8023, 
kkellyyma@gmail.com.

During the week of April 21-27, libraries will celebrate Preservation Week @ your library.

It is a time for libraries to highlight what all of us can do to preserve our personal and shared collections.

The week is highlighted by events and activities, as library patrons receive valuable tips on how to handle everything from home movies to old letters and newspapers.

Libraries, museums, archives and other organizations work every day to preserve cultural history.  Over 4.8 billion artifacts are held in public trust by more than 30,000 archives, historical societies, libraries, museums, scientific research collections and archaeological repositories in the United States.

Why is preservation important?  Some 2.6 billion items are not protected by an emergency plan such as natural disasters, and 1.3 billion of these items are at risk of being lost. If billions of items are at risk at our heritage institutions, than plausibly trillions of items held by the general public are at risk.

During Preservation Week libraries all over the country present events, activities, and resources that highlight what we can do, individually and together, to preserve our personal and shared collections.

Here are some resources to help you preserve your family treasures and learn what to when disaster strikes. There’s also an activity guide filled with fun projects to get the whole family involved.

For Preservation Week 2013, the American Library Association (ALA) has created a new section on the Preservation @your Library website focusing on issues that military personnel, their families and their friends encounter when they want to save, document or record their family’s military experience.

Librarians who serve this community were asked for information and suggestions based on their interaction with their patrons. Their wonderful feedback has made this new webpage,For Military Families, possible (http://atyourlibrary.org/passiton/military-families). The page features articles and resources. New, print-ready handouts, “Quick Preservation Tips: for Military Families” and “Quick Preservation Tips: Take the First Step” can be passed on to library patrons for easy reference.

This information is just the tip of the iceberg, and this effort is the beginning of a much longer conversation. To share personal stories that illustrate the importance of saving and preserving meaningful keepsakes for future family members, please share them on thePreservation Week Facebook page. Your stories and examples can encourage military families to take the time to preserve these important memories.

There are additional resources recommended to help librarians who serve military families and veterans on the Preservation Week website.

Steve Berry, New York Times best-selling author, is the first national spokesperson for Preservation Week. Berry started as spokesperson in January 2012 with an appearance at the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting in Dallas, where he gave the keynote presentation at the Preservation Week 2012 Kick Off, sponsored by the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS). He also commented on his role and the Preservation Week initiative in a YouTube video. We are thrilled that Steve Berry has agreed to continue as Preservation Week Spokesperson for 2013.

Berry is the author of 10 novels, including his most recent book, The Columbus Affair (Ballantine, May 2012), featuring as protagonist Tom Sagan, a disgraced Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist. His next book, The King’s Deception, will be released in June 2013.

Berry’s works have been translated into 40 languages with more than 12 million books in print in 51 countries worldwide. Other titles include The Emperor’s Tomb, The Paris Vendetta, The Alexandria Link and The Venetian Betrayal.

A devoted student of history, Berry and his wife, Elizabeth, founded History Matters, a nonprofit organization dedicated to aiding the preservation of the fragile reminders of our past. Since then, they have traveled the world raising much-needed funds for a wide range of historic preservation projects.

In a recent Wall Street Journal interview (Nov. 2, 2011), Mr. Berry notes, “What are we losing when that [on being told of the rapid loss of our historical record] happens? We’re losing windows to the past, thoughts to the past and ideas to the past, and that really affected me.”

A native of Georgia, Steve Berry graduated from the Walter F. George School of Law at Mercer University. You can learn more about Steve Berry and History Matters at steveberry.org.

As National Spokesperson, Berry appears in print and digital public service announcements (PSAs) promoting Preservation Week. Other promotional materials include a sample op-ed, proclamation, press release and scripts for use in radio ads.  All tools are available at www.ala.org/preservationweek.

Preservation Week is also part of the ALA @yourlibrary campaign.  Visit thepreservation@yourlibrary page at www.atyourlibrary/passiton.

Preservation Week @ your library is an initiative, the Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS), a division of the American Library Association (ALA).

Libraries and library staff continue to respond to the needs of their communities, providing key resources as budgets are reduced, speaking out forcefully against book-banning attempts and advocating for free access to digital content in libraries, with a keen focus placed on ebook formats.

Led by the American Library Association (ALA), libraries offer resources often unavailable elsewhere during an economic “recovery” that finds about 12 million Americans unemployed and millions more underemployed. And the library community continues to rally support for school libraries, which seem destined to bear the brunt of federal budget sequestration.

These and other library trends of the past year are detailed in the ALA’s 2013 State of America’s Libraries Report, released today during National Library Week, April 14 – 20.

The more than 16,000 public libraries nationwide “offer a lifeline to people trying to adapt to challenging economic circumstances by providing technology training and online resources for employment, access to government resources, continuing education, retooling for new careers, and starting a small business,” according to ALA President Maureen Sullivan. Three-fourths of public libraries offer software and other resources to help patrons create résumés and employment materials, and library staff helps patrons complete online job applications.

Meanwhile, there were events held nationwide that highlighted the benefits of free access to information and the perils of censorship by spotlighting the actual or attempted banning of books. Events like Banned Books Week, sponsored by the ALA and other organizations to stress the importance of maintaining First Amendment rights, marked its 30th anniversary Sept. 30–Oct. 6, 2012.

A perennial highlight of Banned Books Week is the Top Ten List of Frequently Challenged Books, compiled annually by the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF). OIF collects reports on book challenges from librarians, teachers, concerned individuals and press reports. A challenge is defined as a formal, written complaint filed with a library or school requesting that a book or other material be restricted or removed because of its content or appropriateness. In 2012, OIF received 464 reports on attempts to remove or restrict materials from school curricula and library bookshelves. This is an increase from 2011 totals, which stood at 326 attempts.

The most challenged books of 2012 are: “Captain Underpants” (series), by Dav Pilkey; “The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian,” by Sherman Alexie; “Thirteen Reasons Why,” by Jay Asher; “Fifty Shades of Grey,” by E. L. James; “And Tango Makes Three,” by Peter Parnell and Justin Richardson; “The Kite Runner,” by Khaled Hosseini; “Looking for Alaska,” by John Green; “Scary Stories” (series), by Alvin Schwartz; “The Glass Castle,” by Jeanette Walls: and “Beloved,” by Toni Morrison.

School libraries are bracing for further budget cuts as federal funding to the states shrinks and the states begin to reduce aid to education. Deborah Rigsby, director of federal legislation for the National School Boards Association, warned that this could lead to the closing of school libraries, among other things.

And Carl Harvey II, past-president of the American Association of School Librarians (2011 – 2012), said eliminating school librarian positions betrays “an ignorance of the key role school librarians play in a child’s education… . The value of school librarians has been measured in countless studies demonstrating that strong school library programs help students learn more and score higher on standardized achievement tests.”

As the ongoing economic slump leads many Americans to re-examine their financial circumstances, libraries are responding in many ways. Public and community college libraries, for example, provide patrons with reliable financial information and investor education resources and programs, many of which target teens and young adults.

Digital content and libraries, and most urgently the issue of ebooks, also continues to be a focus of the library community. Libraries and publishers of ebooks have spent much of the past year seeking some middle ground that will allow greater library access to ebooks and still compensate publishers appropriately.

Just recently Penguin Group USA removed a six-month embargo on new releases licensed to libraries and instead will offer new ebook titles immediately after they are released in the consumer market. Although other terms are expected to continue, including a one-year expiration date on ebooks licensed to libraries, this new development comes at a time when the ALA continues to reach out to the nation’s top publishers to explore ebook lending models in U.S. libraries.

But libraries have experienced changes that reach well beyond economics and the digital revolution to embrace community relationships, user expectations, library services, physical space, library leadership and the library workforce.

“You are on the front lines of a battle that that will shape the future of our country,” Caroline Kennedy told librarians at the ALA’s 2013 Midwinter Meeting in Seattle. “Whether it is [for] providing a social environment for seniors, a safe space for kids after school, or a maker-space to unleash the talent in the community, libraries are becoming more important than ever.”

Other key trends detailed in the 2013 State of America’s Libraries Report:

• Changes in technology and social networking continue at a dizzying pace, and libraries maintain their role as technology leaders — not in being first adopters, but in being early users of effective technologies.
• Academic librarians are helping students learn how to analyze information and apply it to new contexts, reflect on what they know, identify what they still need to learn and sort through contradictory arguments.
• Despite the anemic economy, library construction continued apace in 2012, concrete evidence that libraries still bring solid economic dividends to the communities they serve. The trend toward renovation, as opposed to new construction, was particularly striking.

The full text of the 2013 State of America’s Libraries Report is available at http://tinyurl.com/salr2013. The Zmags version of the report is available at American Libraries Magazine.

School Library Month (SLM) is the American Association of School Librarians’ (AASL) celebration of school librarians and their programs. Every April school librarians are encouraged to create activities to help their school and local community celebrate the essential role that strong school library programs play in a student’s educational career. The 2013 theme is Communities matter @ your library®.

AASL, a division of the American Library Association (ALA), on its website, offers a number of resources and activities to help librarians celebrate the event.

They include a series of webinars produced by the AASL Advocacy Committee.

In addition, librarians can decorate their library or library website with the Communities Matter @ your library poster and web graphics.

Also, audio public service announcements are available in English and Spanish to share with local media.

For more information, watch AASL’s Twitter and Facebook accounts for daily posts and be sure to share and retweet to spread the word.
Below is a video featuring several authors sharing their favorite experiences with school libraries.

In her role as honorary chair of National Library Week, author, editor, library and literacy advocate Caroline Kennedy visited with students at Sanislo Elementary School library in Seattle on April 8 to discuss the power of poetry and libraries. The visit was timed in conjunction with April’s School Library Month.

Kennedy met with Sanislo Elementary librarian and AASL member Craig Seasholes (pictured above) and first through third grade students in Sanislo’s poetry club. She also shared from her recent book, “Poems to Learn by Heart,” published by Disney-Hyperion, an imprint of Disney Publishing Worldwide. Students also shared some their favorite poems, including Janet Wong’s “Liberty.”

When Kennedy asked the students what they love about the library, one boy responded, “Reading makes me happy, and makes my brain work better.”

“You are showing everyone that kids like poems, they like to read and they like to share with friends,” Kennedy told the students.

Photos are courtesy of Seattle Public Schools. More great photos of Caroline Kennedy visiting with students are available on the @ your library Facebook page.

Kennedy is also making an appearance at Horace Mann Elementary library in California’s Beverly Hills Unified District.

In addition to her school library visits, Kennedy appears in two TV public service announcements that are running on the Disney Channel. Approximately 1.4 million viewers see the PSAs every time they air. Kennedy appears in the PSA with the star of Disney Channel’s “Austin and Ally,” Laura Marano. They discuss the value and opportunities available at libraries.

Librarians can watch the PSAs by visiting the National Library Week website and link to the PSAs or embed them on their own websites, blogs or Facebook pages.

Free customizable print and digital PSAs featuring Kennedy are also available on the National Library Week website. Print PSAs are available for librarians to download and feature National Library Week theme, Communities matter @ your library, for use in local newspapers, library newsletters, websites and blogs. ALA offers customization of the print PSA; a library’s logo can be added at no cost.

The PSAs complement National Library Week products offered by ALA Graphics. In addition to a poster and bookmark, a mini poster and downloadable graphics are available.

Other promotional tools for National Library Week include a sample proclamation, press release and letter to the editor, as well as scripts for use in radio PSAs. Two other radio PSAs in mp3 format are also download-ready.

National Library Week and School Library Month are initiatives of the American Library Association (ALA) and are celebrated by libraries across the country each April.  It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation’s libraries and librarians and to promote library use.

The American Library Association’s Campaign for America’s Libraries is a public awareness campaign that promotes the value of libraries and librarians. Thousands of libraries of all types – across the country and around the globe – participate. The Campaign is made possible by ALA’s Library Champions.

For additional information, please contact Jennifer Habley, Manager of Web Communications for the American Association for School Librarians (AASL), a division of ALA, at jhabley@ala.org, or Megan McFarlane Campaign Coordinator for the Campaign for America’s Libraries, at mmcfarlane@ala.org.

Kennedy appears in the PSA with the star of Disney’s “Austin and Ally,” Laura Marano, discussing the value and opportunities available at libraries.

Librarians can access the PSAs from the National Library Week website or the atyourlibrary.org YouTube channel, where the videos can be downloaded or embedded for use on their websites, blogs or Facebook pages.

In addition to the video PSAs, free customizable print and digital public service announcements (PSAs) featuring Caroline Kennedy are also available on the National Library Week website.  Print PSAs are available for librarians to download and feature National Library Week theme, Communities matter @ your library, for use in local newspapers, library newsletters, websites and blogs. ALA offers customization of the print PSA; a library’s logo can be added at no cost.

More information is on the National Library Week webpage.

The PSAs complement National Library Week products offered by ALA Graphics. In addition to a poster and bookmark, a mini poster and downloadable graphics are available.

Other promotional tools for National Library Week include a sample proclamation, press release and letter to the editor, as well as scripts for use in radio PSAs. Two other radio PSAs in mp3 format are also download-ready.

An advocate for reading, literacy and libraries, Kennedy has written or edited 10 bestselling books on American history, politics and poetry. Her latest book, “Poems to Learn by Heart” from Disney-Hyperion, an imprint of Disney Publishing Worldwide, with original illustrations by award-winning artist Jon J Muth—is a companion to her New York Times No. 1 bestselling collection “A Family of Poems.”

National Library Week is a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries across the country each April. It is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation’s libraries and librarians and to promote library use.

The American Library Association’s Campaign for America’s Libraries (www.ala.org/@yourlibrary) is a public awareness campaign that promotes the value of libraries and librarians. Thousands of libraries of all types – across the country and around the globe – participate. The Campaign is made possible by ALA’s Library Champions.

Throughout the summer of 2012, the Obama and Romney campaigns issued numerous public statements that were picked up by the national news media.

But were those statements accurate?

That was the job for a group of students from Decorah, Iowa to determine.

It was part of the News Know-how project, sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and supported by the Open Society Foundations to involve high school students in news literacy education.

Using public libraries as their “newsroom,” students learn to distinguish facts from opinions; how to check the source and validity of news and information and how to identify propaganda and misinformation.

The Decorah students – Rebecka Green and Michael Foster, worked with Lorraine Borowski of the Decorah Public Library. They attended News Know-how training in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. In the process, they learned Camtasia video editing software.

“It appealed to me, because of some of the controversial subjects that were going on,” as well as the challenge of verifying whether the information provided on those subjects on the Internet or on television was factual, said Borowski, who heard of the program through the State Library of Iowa.

The students, who are now sophomores, were found by consulting a government teacher at the high school, she said.

The result was a presentation called “Campaign News Bias,” which they delivered at the Decorah Public Library, the Decorah Rotary Club and eight classes at the Decorah High School.

The students received class credit for the project, which involved approximately 80 hours of work.

As Foster explained in the dual presentation, which is available on video, the methodology involved finding the controversy in the campaigns, locating the bias, analyzing the information they uncovered and reaching a conclusion.

The duo tackled some tough issues, such as the Affordable Care Act and gun rights, learning valuable lessons about the importance of checking their facts in evaluating the information they were given.

Splitting up their tasks, Green handled such topics as the controversy surrounding President Obama’s birth certificate, while Foster delved into such issues as the labor and investment practices of Romney’s investment firm Bain Capital.

In researching the birth certificate issue, Green was able to debunk the claims made by dentist/lawyer Orly Taitz and Donald Trump, finding that the birth certificate was released on April 27, 2011, with Hawaii officials witnessing the copying of the original certificate and certifying its authenticity. She also looked into a chain email that claimed Obama was a Muslim. The email included claims that the president had attended a madrassa in Indonesia and had been sworn in as president on the Koran. The truth, she found was that the president had attended elementary school for a time in Indonesia, but at a secular school. CNN, she said, had interviewed the headmaster, who confirmed the information. She also found that reports about Obama swearing on the Koran had mixed him up with Minnesota Rep. Keith Ellison.

In digging into the history of Bain Capital, Foster examined the content of ads by the Obama campaign claiming Romney destroyed companies and made a fortune from them. Those ads spotlighted one company in particular, GSIndustries. Looking into articles by the Kansas City Star and Reuters, he found that certain aspects of the ads regarding GS Industries were accurate. He also examined claims by the Romney campaign that Romney had left the firm after the GS Industries bankruptcy occurred, finding that recently released documents indicated Romney exerted influence over Bain longer than previously indicated.

Borowski praised the materials provided through the News Know-how program.

“The materials that they had were excellent, and they also gave listings of different websites to go to,” such as Real Clear Politics, as well as other fact checking websites and links.

“It was a great experience,” Borowski said of the News Know how project. “I was amazed at how well (the students) grabbed onto the concepts.

The maturity of their presentation reflected the seriousness with which they pursued their project. In the end, they summed up their experience at the conclusion of their presentation, declaring in unison, “We approve this message.”

Learn more about the News Know-how initiative and view all student presentations from 2012 at Newsknowhow.org.

Barbara Jones faces the media to address “Persepolis” controversy.

The issue was covered in an article in American Libraries magazine.

Following a statement by Barbara Jones, executive director of the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom and the Freedom to Read Foundation, Jones and Deputy Director Deborah Caldwell-Stone, fielded questions from the media.

Here is Part 1 of the question-and-answer session.

And here is Part 2.

According to a local television station, “Chicago Public Schools officials denied rumors Friday that they had banned the graphic novel Perseopolis from its schools, explaining they only determined it was inappropriate for use in 7th grade curriculum, but appropriate for juniors and seniors in high school, and students in Advanced Placement courses.”

The station said some teachers had reported receiving an email from district staff ordering them to remove the book from their schools and libraries.

This was denied by CPS Chief Executive Officer Barbara Byrd-Bennett, who said it was appropriate for juniors and seniors, and students in AP classes, but not for younger students.

She denied that the novel was being banned from school libraries.

In the following video taken at the press conference, Jones provided members of the local media with a statement.

The article shows how libraries can use local media to focus attention on the central role of libraries in their communities.

In this article, reporter Matt Arado, wrote, “Playing video games on the Xbox. Learning how to make crepes. Applying for a U.S. passport.

Katie LaMantia, teen librarian, and IT Department Technician Terry Nolan hook up computers in the teen center at the Schaumburg Township District Library. Photo by Mark Welsh, courtesy of the Daily Herald

“Different activities, yes, but with one thing in common: All can take place in a suburban public library.”

Arado also focused on the role of libraries in transforming their communities.

He wrote, “But library administrators say that, in fact, use of libraries has never been more robust. They say libraries have changed with the times, transforming themselves into vital community centers that provide access not just to books, but also new technology and recreational programs.”

A number of libraries are featured, including the Ela Area Public Library, located in an unincorporated area near Lake Zurich, Ill.

“Our basic role is the same as it always has been — we’re a conduit between the public and the world of information that exists out there,” said Matt Womack, executive director of the Ela Area Public Library. “What’s changed is how we fill that role.”

In addition, American Library Association (ALA) President Maureen Sullivan was quoted in the article, talking about how the popularity of libraries can be traced in part to libraries’ early readiness to “bridge the digital divide.”

She said, “Libraries did a fantastic job early on realizing that not everyone in their communities would have personal access to the Internet,” Sullivan said. “Providing that was a vital service to so many people.”

Arado also noted, “More recently, she said, the economic downturn drove people to their libraries, where they could look for jobs online, work on resumes and, in many cases, receive job-hunting assistance from staff members.”

Beneath the article on the Daily Herald website are several positive comments.

In addition, there is a video of Arado talking about the article on one of the Chicago television stations, ABC Channel 7.

As part of the Auditorium Speaker Series at the American Library Association’s 2013 Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, Caroline Kennedy, Honorary Chair of 2013 National Library Week, spoke to an enthusiastic crowd about her passion for libraries and the role that reading and poetry  has played in her family’s lives.

Kennedy said that all types of  libraries are, “tabernacles of personal freedom: freedom of thought, freedom of expression,  freedom of opportunity and the  true test of liberty – freedom to dissent,” and noted that, “Libraries have a critical role in teaching the higher order thinking skills that students need under the Common Core curriculum, and the research techniques  and analytics that are so critical in the information age.”

Video of Caroline Kennedy’s speech is available online.

Celebrate National Library Week  2013 (April 14-20) with Honorary Chair Caroline Kennedy. View 2013 National Library Week Public Service Announcement featuring Caroline Kennedy.

A list of all the 2013 award winners follows:

John Newbery Medal for the most outstanding contribution to children’s literature:

“The One and Only Ivan,” written by Katherine Applegate, is the 2013 Newbery Medal winner. The book is published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers.

Three Newbery Honor Books also were named: “Splendors and Glooms” by Laura Amy Schlitz and published by Candlewick Press; “Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon” by Steve Sheinkin and published by Flash Point, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press; and “Three Times Lucky” by Sheila Turnage and published by Dial Books for Young Readers, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group.

Randolph Caldecott Medal for the most distinguished American picture book for children:

“This Is Not My Hat,” illustrated and written by Jon Klassen, is the 2013 Caldecott Medal winner. The book is published by Candlewick Press.

Five Caldecott Honor Books also were named: “Creepy Carrots!” illustrated by Peter Brown, written by Aaron Reynolds and published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division; “Extra Yarn,” illustrated by Jon Klassen, written by Mac Barnett and published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of

HarperCollins Publishers; “Green,” illustrated and written by Laura Vaccaro Seeger and published by Neal Porter Books, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press; “One Cool Friend,” illustrated by David Small, written by Toni Buzzeo and published by Dial Books for Young Readers, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group; “Sleep Like a Tiger,” illustrated by Pamela Zagarenski, written by Mary Logue and published by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

Coretta Scott King (Author) Book Award recognizing an African American author and illustrator of outstanding books for children and young adults:

“Hand in Hand: Ten Black Men Who Changed America,” written by Andrea Davis Pinkney and illustrated by Brian Pinkney is the King Author Book winner. The book is published by Disney/Jump at the Sun Books, an imprint of Disney Book Group.

Two King Author Honor Books were selected: “Each Kindness” by Jacqueline Woodson, illustrated by E. B. Lewis and published by Nancy Paulsen Books, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group; and “No Crystal Stair: A Documentary Novel of the Life and Work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem Bookseller” by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson, illustrated by R. Gregory Christie and published by Carolrhoda Lab, an imprint of Carolrhoda Books, a division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.

Coretta Scott King (Illustrator) Book Award:

“I, Too, Am America,” illustrated by Bryan Collier, is the King Illustrator Book winner. The book is written by Langston Hughes and published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.

Three King Illustrator Honor Books were selected: “H. O. R. S. E.,” illustrated and written by Christopher Myers, and published by Egmont USA; “Ellen’s Broom,” illustrated by Daniel Minter, written by Kelly Starling Lyons and published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group; and “I Have a Dream: Martin Luther King, Jr.” illustrated by Kadir Nelson, writtenby Martin Luther King, Jr. and published by Schwartz & Wade Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Michael L. Printz Award for excellence in literature written for young adults:

“In Darkness,” written by Nick Lake, is the 2013 Printz Award winner. The book is published by Bloomsbury Books for Young Readers.

Four Printz Honor Books also were named: “Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe” by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division; “Code Name Verity” by Elizabeth Wein, published by Hyperion, an imprint of Disney Book Group; “Dodger” by Terry Pratchett, published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers; “The White Bicycle” by Beverley Brenna, published by Red Deer Press.

Schneider Family Book Award for books that embody an artistic expression of the disability experience:

“Back to Front and Upside Down!” written and illustrated by Claire Alexander and published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., wins the award for children ages 0 to 10.

“A Dog Called Homeless” written by Sarah Lean and published by Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, is the winner of the middle-school (ages 11-13) award.

The teen (ages 13-18) award winner is “Somebody, Please Tell Me Who I Am,” written by Harry Mazer and Peter Lerangis and published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.

Alex Awards for the 10 best adult books that appeal to teen audiences:

“Caring is Creepy,” by David Zimmerman, published by Soho Press, Inc.

“Girlchild,” by Tupelo Hassman, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

“Juvenile in Justice,” by Richard Ross, published by Richard Ross

“Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore,” by Robin Sloan, published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux

“My Friend Dahmer,” by Derf Backderf, published by Abrams ComicArts, an imprint of Abrams

“One Shot at Forever,” by Chris Ballard, published by Hyperion

“Pure,” by Julianna Baggott, published by Grand Central Publishing, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

“The Round House,” by Louise Erdrich, published by Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers

“Tell the Wolves I’m Home,” by Carol Rifka Brunt, published by Dial Press, an imprint of the Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc.

“Where’d You Go, Bernadette?,” by Maria Semple, published by Little, Brown and Company, a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc.

Andrew Carnegie Medal for excellence in children’s video:

Katja Torneman, producer of “Anna, Emma and the Condors,” is the Carnegie Medal winner.

Laura Ingalls Wilder Award honors an author or illustrator whose books, published in the United States, have made, over a period of years, a substantial and lasting contribution to literature for children. The 2013 winner is Katherine Paterson. Paterson was born in China in 1932 to missionary parents and grew up in the American South, moving eighteen times before she was 18. After graduating from King College in Bristol, Tennessee, she herself became a missionary in Japan. She returned to the U.S. to attend the Union Theological Seminary in New York, where she met and married John Paterson, a Presbyterian minister. Her first book, “The Sign of the Chrysanthemum,” was published in 1973. Katherine Paterson currently lives in Barre, Vermont.

Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement: Demetria Tucker is the 2013 recipient. Tucker has served as youth services coordinator within the Roanoke (Va.) Public Library System and library media specialist at the Forest Park Elementary School, where she was selected 2007 Teacher of the Year. As family and youth services librarian for the Pearl Bailey Library, a branch of the Newport News (Va.) Public Library System, Tucker now coordinates a youth leadership program, a teen urban literature club and many other programs that support the youth of her community.

Margaret A. Edwards Award for lifetime achievement in writing for young adults:

Tamora Pierce is the 2013 Edwards Award winner. Pierce was born in rural Western Pennsylvania in 1954. She knew from a young age she liked stories and writing, and in 1983, she published her first book, Song of the Lioness. She continues to write and even record her own audiobooks. She currently lives with her husband (spouse-creature) and a myriad of animals in Syracuse, New York.

May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award recognizing an author, critic, librarian, historian or teacher of children’s literature, who then presents a lecture at a winning host site.

Andrea Davis Pinkney will deliver the 2014 May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture. Andrea Davis Pinkney is a New York Times best-selling writer of more than 20 books for children and young adults including picture books, novels and nonfiction. During the course of her career, Pinkney has launched many high-profile publishing and entertainment entities, including Hyperion Books for Children/Disney Publishing’s Jump at the Sun imprint, the first African American children’s book imprint at a major publishing company.

Mildred L. Batchelder Award for an outstanding children’s book originally published in a language other than English in a country other than the United States and subsequently translated into English for publication in the United States:

“My Family for the War” is the 2013 Batchelder Award winner. Originally published in Germany in 2007 as “Liverpool Street,” the book was written by Anne C. Voorhoeve, translated by Tammi Reichel and published by Dial Books, an imprint of Penguin Group (USA) Inc.

Two Batchelder Honor Books also were selected: “A Game for Swallows: To Die, to Leave, to Return,” written and illustrated by Zeina Abirached, translated by Edward Gauvin and published by Graphic Universe, a division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.; and “Son of a Gun,” written and translated by Anne de Graaf, and published by Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.

Odyssey Award for best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States:

“The Fault in Our Stars,” produced by Brilliance Audio, is the 2013 Odyssey Award winner. The book is written by John Green and narrated by Kate Rudd.

Three Odyssey Honor Audiobooks also were selected: “Artemis Fowl: The Last Guardian,” produced by Listening Library, written by Eoin Colfer and narrated by Nathaniel Parker; “Ghost Knight,” produced by Listening Library, written by Cornelia Funke and narrated by Elliot Hill; and “Monstrous Beauty,” produced by Macmillian Audio, written by Elizabeth Fama and narrated by Katherine Kellgren.

Pura Belpré (Illustrator) Award honoring a Latino writer and illustrator whose children’s books best portray, affirm and celebrate the Latino cultural experience:

“Martín de Porres: The Rose in the Desert,” illustrated by David Diaz, is the Belpré Illustrator Award winner. The book was written by Gary D. Schmidt and published by Clarion Books, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

No BelpréIllustrator Honor Books were selected this year.

Pura Belpré (Author) Award:

“Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe,” written by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, is the Belpré Author Award winner. The book is published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division.

One BelpréAuthor Honor Book was named: “The Revolution of Evelyn Serrano” by Sonia Manzano, published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award for most distinguished informational book for children:

“Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon,” written by Steve Sheinkin, is the Sibert Award winner. The book is published by Flash Point, an imprint of Roaring Brook Press.

Three Sibert Honor Books were named: “Electric Ben: The Amazing Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin,” written and illustrated by Robert Byrd and published by Dial Books for Young Readers, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group; “Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95,” written by Phillip M. Hoose and published by Farrar Straus Giroux Books for Young Readers; and “Titanic: Voices from the Disaster,” written by Deborah Hopkinson and published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.

Stonewall Book Award - Mike Morgan & Larry Romans Children’s & Young Adult Literature Award given annually to English-language children’s and young adult books of exceptional merit relating to the gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender experience:

“Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe,” written by Benjamin Alire Sáenz and published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division, is the Stonewall Award winner.

Four Stonewall Honor Books were selected: “Drama,” written and illustrated by Raina Telgemeier and published by Graphix, an imprint of Scholastic Inc.; “Gone, Gone, Gone,” written by Hannah Moskowitz and published by Simon Pulse, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing Division; “October Mourning: A Song for Matthew Shepard,” written by Lesléa Newman and published by Candlewick Press; and “Sparks: The Epic, Completely True Blue, (Almost) Holy Quest of Debbie,” written by S. J. Adams and published by Flux, an imprint of Llewellyn Worldwide Ltd.

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award for the most distinguished beginning reader book:

“Up, Tall and High!” written and illustrated by Ethan Long is the Seuss Award winner. The book is published by G. P. Putnam’s Sons, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group.

Three Geisel Honor Books were named: “Let’s Go for a Drive!” written and illustrated by Mo Willems, and published by Hyperion Books for Children, an imprint of Disney Book Group; “Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons” by Eric Litwin, created and illustrated by James Dean and published by HarperCollins Children’s Books, a division of HarperCollins Publishers; and “Rabbit & Robot: The Sleepover,” written and illustrated by Cece Bell and published by Candlewick Press.

William C. Morris Award for a debut book published by a first-time author writing for teens:

“Seraphina,” written by Rachel Hartman, is the 2013 Morris Award winner. The book is published by Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.

Four other books were finalists for the award: “Wonder Show,” written by Hannah Barnaby, published by Houghton Mifflin, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers; “Love and Other Perishable Items,” written by Laura Buzo, published by Alfred A. Knopf, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, Inc.; “After the Snow,” written by S. D. Crockett, published by Feiwel and Friends, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group; and “The Miseducation of Cameron Post,” written by emily m. danforth, published by Balzer + Bray, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults:

“Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon,” written by Steve Sheinkin, is the 2013 Excellence winner. The book is published by Flash Point/Roaring Brook Press, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group.

Four other books were finalists for the award: “Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different,” written by Karen Blumenthal, published by Feiwel & Friends, an imprint of (Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group; “Moonbird: A Year on the Wind with the Great Survivor B95,” written by Phillip Hoose, published by Farrar Straus Giroux, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group; “Titanic: Voices from the Disaster,” written by Deborah Hopkinson, published by Scholastic Press, an imprint of Scholastic; and “We’ve Got a Job: The 1963 Birmingham Children’s March,” written by Cynthia Levinson, published by Peachtree Publishers.

Recognized worldwide for the high quality they represent, ALA awards guide parents, educators, librarians and others in selecting the best materials for youth. Selected by judging committees of librarians and other children’s literature experts, the awards encourage original and creative work.  For more information on the ALA youth media awards and notables, please visit www.ala.org/yma .

Funded through a grant from IMLS, the multi-phase initiative’s goal is to provide librarians with the tools and training they need to lead their communities in finding innovative solutions by advancing library-led community engagement and innovation.

Following the announcement, Sullivan and Harwood answered questions from the press.

During the press conference, Sullivan and Harwood talked about how the impact of the initiative will be gauged.

Earlier that day, Sullivan led a panel that included Harwood, Tim Henkel, president and CEO of Spokane County United Way, and Carlton Sears, past director at the Public Library of Youngstown and Mahoning County and now a certified coach with the Harwood Institute.

Duffy, who has accumulated more than 25 years of political campaign experience and polled voters during the recent presidential election, will instruct political activists on how to communicate their issues in ways that resonate with legislators and other decision makers in a session titled, “Legislative Issues – What the Election Results Mean for Libraries: An Outlook for the New Congress.” Duffy will share strategies and tips, as well as characteristics about the new Congress and the current political landscape.

If you are a library supporter, you are encouraged to attend the event to ask questions and discuss features of the newly elected Congress. Additionally, ALA Washington Office staff will provide updates on what library advocates need to know to be effective in the future.

To find out more information, visit the conference website.

As an expert in community engagement and reconciliation, Block will discuss how libraries create communities that work. By bringing people together through book programs, story times, classes and more, libraries offer a unique opportunity for people of all ages and cultures to come together and shift the narrative from all that is wrong to all that is possible.

Block is the author of several best-selling books including “Flawless Consulting: A Guide to Getting Your Expertise Used,” “Stewardship: Choosing Service Over Self-Interest” and “The Empowered Manager: Positive Political Skills at Work.” His most recent title is “The Abundant Community: Awakening the Power of Families and Neighborhoods,” co-authored by John McKnight.

Visit the conference website to find out more!

On Saturday, Jan. 26, Steven Johnson, the best-selling author of eight books will speak from 10 – 11 a.m. As an expert on contemporary culture, Johnson offers a unique and inspiring look into the future through intersecting science, technology and personal experience. Based on the ideas of his most recent release, “Future Perfect: The Case for Progress in a Networked Age,” Johnson will discuss political change its ability to transform our daily world.

On Sunday, Jan. 27, Carolyn Kennedy will speak from 10 – 11 a.m. Kennedy is the best-selling author/editor of 10 books including the forthcoming “Poems to Learn by Heart” (March 2013). Well known for continuing the strong Kennedy family tradition of public service and charitable work, Kennedy is also a strong advocate for reading, literacy and libraries.

To find out more information, visit the conference website.

From a sign that librarianship was a calling to the culmination of a lifetime of work, winning the 2012 Carnegie Corporation of New York/New York Times I Love My Librarian Award meant something different to each of the winners.

Each year, the Arthur Curley Memorial Lecture is presented by an individual who plays a unique role in bringing the arts to the library community and demonstrating the long-standing idea that libraries transform communities. With help from her extensive background in neuroscience, Genova was able to achieve this by bringing people together through their shared experiences with brain disorders.

On Saturday, Jan. 26 from 4-5 p.m., Genova will discuss her status as best-selling author and her newest release, “Love Anthony,” a story about life, love and autism. Genova’s two previous novels about life after a traumatic brain injury, “Left Neglected,” and living with Alzheimer’s disease, “Still Alice,” have also appeared on the “New York Times” best-seller list.

To find out more information, visit the conference website.