Midwinter ALA Meeting – Thoughts from some ACL Members who attended
Alan Bern, Berkeley Public Library reports: I had a really great time on the Carnegie Video Award Committee — the winner this year is terrific: www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/bookmedia/carnegiemedal/carnegiepast
Anna, Emma and the Condors, 20 min., Green Planet Films, DVD, 415-377-5471. Ages 7 and up. Anna and Emma, along with their parents, work to bring the amazing and magnificent California Condor back from the brink of extinction. This is a thought-provoking and visually splendid live-action film, as special as the children and birds at its heart. (2013 Carnegie Award)
Our notable Children’s Videos are also great – I have copies if people want to take a look; I hope to add all to our collections: www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/notalists/ncv
Here’s our happy Committee photo: www.flickr.com/photos/ala_members/8423763153/in/set-72157632636739170
Children’s Book Council (CBC) Diversity Panel – A vital program about a truly vital issue: diversity in both publishing and the decisions of whom and what to publish. Many, many strong emotions were expressed from many directions; for example, the issues of increasing both Latino/Latina authors and Native American authors were raised. Taking nothing away from the importance of these issues, I worry also about the future of publishing itself. For more about Children’s Book Council go to: www.cbcbooks.org/index.php
Starr Latronica and I, among many others, attended Consultant Peter Block’s (www.peterblock.com/about_peter/) discussion of how libraries could become more integral to, and integrated into, their communities through forms of personal conversation that he had us all model. Fascinating, and not a business model, but a model for us to consider: http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/news/ala/peter-block-transformation-and-leadership-ala-president-s-program-midwinter-meeting
Several times I sat in on ALSC’s Notable Children’s Book discussions, starring our very own Linda Perkins, among others. For their final list go to www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/notalists/ncb . I have a copy of their final discussion list if that is of interest. I was disappointed that No crystal stair : a documentary novel of the life and work of Lewis Michaux, Harlem bookseller by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson ; artwork by R. Gregory Christie, 2013 Coretta Scott King Author Honor Book, was not included in their final list. I hope that it will be chosen for the ACL Distinguished List. Come here Vaunda Micheaux Nelson speak at ACL Institute!
A fascinating historical discussion of Comics and Comics in Libraries: who knew that an early proponent of the ‘freedom to read’ was actually and totally against having comics in libraries. Also, back in the late 1940s there were many more comics in the hands of kids (and adults) compared to now because there were more published and they were cheaper to buy. YALSA’s Trends in YA Services session at the 2013 ALA Midwinter Meeting. Tilley’s paper is entitled “Comics: A Once-Missed Opportunity.” I hope that we can figure out a way to have comic books either added to our collection or given out free to interested kids, as BPL Teen does. http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/news/ala/tilley-selected-present-paper-yalsa-s-trends-ya-event-ala-midwinter
Alan Bern, Berkeley Public Library
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