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ALA Releases 2010 State of America’s Libraries Report

ALA has released the 2010 State of America's Libraries Report.

The report shows the value of libraries in helping Americans combat the recession. It includes data from a January 2010 Harris Interactive poll that provides compelling evidence that a decade-long trend of increasing library use is continuing—and even accelerating during economic hard times.

However, the report also shows that increased library use did not lead to an increase in funding for libraries. Research by the ALA and the Center for Library and Information Innovation at the University of Maryland suggests a “perfect storm” of growing community demand for library services and shrinking resources to meet that demand.

Deadline Extended For NEH / ALA Programming Grant

The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) and the ALA Public Programs Office have extended the deadline for public libraries to apply for a $2,000 grant to support programs that incorporate the Picturing America collection.  Applications will be accepted through April 26.  Grant guidelines and instructions are available on the Picturing America website.

ALA at C2E2

The American Library Association will be presenting and exhibiting at the Chicago Comic & Entertainment Expo (C2E2), April 16-18, 2010 at Lakeside Center in McCormick Place Chicago.  C2E2 is the Midwest’s largest gathering of comic book, movie, television, manga, anime, and video game fans and professionals.  ALA will present programs for the library community and comics industry professionals during the Professional Day, Friday April 16th. 

C2E2 has generously extended free passes for all library staff members on Professional Day, with the hours of 10 AM to 1 PM open only to librarians, educators, and other industry members.  Please visit www.C2E2.com and click on the Professional Registration button.  You'll be able to register for a completely free badge for Friday.  If you'd like to attend all weekend long, a badge all three days is only $10.  Please plan to stop by ALA’s exhibit booth to say hello and to pick up more information about integrating games, comics and graphic novels into your collections and programming. 

ALA 2010 Best Lists

The March 1st issue of Booklist Online has links to ALA's 2010 Best Lists.  Included are links to the 2010 selections for the following lists:
Notable Books
The Reading List: Best Adult Genre Fiction
Alex Awards
Best Books for Young Adults
Quick Picks
Rainbow List
Great Graphic Novels for Teens
Notable Children’s Books
Notable Children’s Recordings
Notable Children’s Videos
Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults
Notable Videos for Adults

“Flash Burnout” wins 2010 William C. Morris Award

“Flash Burnout” written by L.K. Madigan and published by Houghton Mifflin, an imprint of Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, has been named the 2010 winner of the William C. Morris Award, which honors a book written for young adults by a previously unpublished author. The award was presented by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) at the American Library Association’s Midwinter Meeting held Jan.15 – 19 in Boston.

Blake’s life is way too complicated. He’s a sophomore with a girlfriend and a friend who is a girl. One loves him. One needs him. Can he please them both? The voices of the characters are accurate, evocative and humorous capturing the everyday adolescent stresses and misunderstandings that are so hard to live through.

“Charles and Emma” wins inaugural YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults

“Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith” written by Deborah Heiligman and published by Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, an imprint of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group has been named the 2010 winner of the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults, the first national award that honors the best nonfiction books for teens. The award was presented today by the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) at the American Library Association’s Midwinter Meeting, held Jan.15 – 19 in Boston.

After creating a list of pros and cons of marriage, science-minded Charles Darwin chooses to marry his strictly religious first cousin, embarking upon the most loving, creative and intellectually important relationship of his life. Heiligman flawlessly integrates primary source research into intimate, novelistic prose.

“Going Bovine” Wins 2010 Printz Award

“Going Bovine,” written by Libba Bray and published by Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Random House, has won the 2010 Michael L. Printz Award for Excellence in Young Adult Literature. The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) today announced the winner during the ALA Midwinter Meeting, held Jan. 15 – 19 in Boston.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Michael L. Printz Award. The award, first given in 2000, is named for the late Michael L. Printz, a Topeka, Kans., school librarian known for discovering and promoting quality books for young adults. The award is administered annually by YALSA and is sponsored by Booklist magazine.

Live Oak Media wins 2010 Odyssey Award for “Louise, the Adventures of a Chicken”

Live Oak Media, producer of the audiobook, “Louise, the Adventures of a Chicken,” written by Kate DiCamillo, narrated by Barbara Rosenblat and produced by Live Oak Media,   has won the third annual Odyssey Award for Excellence in Audiobook Production. The award announcement was made today during the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting in Boston, January 15 - 19.

The Odyssey Award is given to the producer of the best audiobook produced for children and/or young adults, available in English in the United States. The award is jointly administered by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) and the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), divisions of the ALA, and is sponsored by Booklist magazine.

Walter Dean Myers inaugural recipient of the Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement

Walter Dean Myers is the winner of the first Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement. The announcement was made today by the American Library Association (ALA), during the ALA Midwinter Meeting held Jan. 15 – 19 in Boston.

The Coretta Scott King-Virginia Hamilton Award for Lifetime Achievement is named in memory of distinguished and beloved children’s author Virginia Hamilton. The award is presented annually and will be presented in even years (i.e. 2010, 2012, 2014…), to an African American author, illustrator or author/illustrator for a body of his or her published books for children and/or young adults who has made a significant and lasting literary contribution.

Rebecca Stead and Jerry Pinkney win Newbery, Caldecott Medals

Rebecca Stead, author of “When You Reach Me” and Jerry Pinkney, illustrator of “The Lion & the Mouse,” are the 2010 winners of the John Newbery and Randolph Caldecott Medals, the most prestigious awards in children’s literature.

Rebecca Stead and Jerry Pinkney were among the award winners announced Jan. 18 by the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), during the ALA Midwinter Meeting in Boston, Jan. 15 - 19. The Newbery and Caldecott Medals honor outstanding writing and illustration of works published in the United States during the previous year.

The 2010 Newbery Medal for the most distinguished contribution to children’s literature went to Rebecca Stead for “When You Reach Me,” published by Wendy Lamb Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books. Twelve-year-old Miranda encounters shifting friendships, a sudden punch, a strange homeless man and mysterious notes that hint at knowledge of the future. These and other seemingly random events converge in a brilliantly constructed plot.