ALA News for January 30, 2018 NEWS FROM THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION ALA Appoints Mary Ghikas as Executive Director through January 2020 The American Library Association (ALA) Executive Board has appointed Mary Ghikas executive director through January 2020, effective immediately. Ghikas has been serving as interim executive director since Aug. 1, 2017, after the retirement of Keith Michael Fiels. She was most recently senior associate executive director of member programs and services. “Mary has done an excellent job as interim executive director, and we are pleased to officially name her executive director through January 2020,” said ALA President Jim Neal. “Mary provides knowledge, experience, and stability to the association during this important period of transition as she leads critical work in infrastructure, organizational development, and technology for ALA.” The search process for the executive director will begin in spring 2019 after the position description requirements have been finalized. The ALA Executive Board plans to name a new executive director after the fall board meeting in October 2019. The new executive director will officially start at Midwinter 2020, and Ghikas will support the orientation and transition process through the Annual Conference in June 2020. http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2018/01/ala-appoints-mary-ghikas-exec... ALA to support multicultural literature for youth with enhanced 2019 Youth Media Awards The American Library Association (ALA) and its professional affiliates will highlight the best of the best in multicultural literature for youth by adding additional announcements to its 2019 ALA Youth Media Awards. In an effort to bring awareness about and encourage the creation of more books that depict diverse cultures, or by authors of color, the ALA will highlight titles selected by the American Indian Library Association (AILA), Asian/Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA), and the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL), during the upcoming 2019 ALA Youth Media Awards. http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2018/01/ala-support-multicultural-lit... Tim Wu to share Big Ideas at PLA 2018 Conference Author, policy advocate, and director of Columbia University's Poliak Center for the Study of First Amendment Issues Tim Wu has been added to the slate of speakers at the PLA 2018 Conference, the Public Library Association announced today. He will be the speaker for the Big Ideas session on Saturday, March 24. Wu’s best known work is the development of Net Neutrality theory, but he also writes about private power, free speech, copyright, and antitrust. http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2018/01/tim-wu-share-big-ideas-pla-2018-... ALA, Dollar General Literacy Foundation announce recipients of $10,000 adult literacy grants The American Library Association (ALA) and Dollar General Literacy Foundation announced that 20 U.S. public libraries will receive American Dream Literacy Initiative grants, $10,000 awards to expand services for adult English language learners or adults in need of basic education and workforce development. “Vast numbers of Americans rely on their public libraries for assistance with English literacy skills, high-school equivalency testing, and basic technology and job skills,” said ALA President Jim Neal. “ALA is proud to enable more of this critically important work in communities across the United States, and we are grateful to the Dollar General Literacy Foundation for their ongoing support.” http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2018/01/ala-dollar-general-literacy-f... PLA opens registration for 2018 Virtual Conference The Public Library Association (PLA) is offering an alternative opportunity for public library workers who are unable to attend the Association's 2018 Conference in Philadelphia. PLA will present a condensed, live, online conference experience -- the PLA 2018 Virtual Conference -- March 22-23. The PLA Virtual Conference will consist of live programming, including five hour-long programs each day, plus author interviews and opportunities for networking. Programs are chosen from among the highest rated in PLA’s session preference survey. http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2018/01/pla-opens-registration-2018-virt... ALA STORE New books, products, special events at the ALA Store at Midwinter Meeting http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2018/01/new-books-products-special-event... ALA PUBLISHING Free programs at the ALA Store at Midwinter Meeting http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2018/01/free-programs-ala-store-midwinte... Evans and Greenwell’s comprehensive text on academic librarianship http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2018/01/evans-and-greenwell-s-comprehens... A new edition of Peggy Johnson’s essential collection development and management text http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2018/01/new-edition-peggy-johnson-s-esse... ACRL PUBLICATIONS ACRL/ RBMS, SAA release Standardized Statistical Measures and Metrics for Public Services in Archival Repositories and Special Collections Libraries http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2018/01/acrl-rbms-saa-release-standardiz... AWARDS AND GRANTS Northern California & Nevada Medical Library Group sponsors Spectrum Scholarship http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2018/01/northern-california-nevada-me... Deadline extended: ALA Trustee Citation nominations due March 1 http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2018/01/deadline-extended-ala-trustee... HARRASSOWITZ award to Lauren Corbett http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2018/01/harrassowitz-award-lauren-corbet... Mary Case receives Ross Atkinson award http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2018/01/ross-atkinson-award-given-mary-c... Four libraries win YALSA’s Symposium Programming Contest http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2018/01/four-libraries-win-yalsa-s-sympo... ACRL announces Value of Academic Libraries Travel Scholarship recipients http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2018/01/acrl-announces-value-academic-li... ALCTS kicks off second year of mentoring program http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2018/01/alcts-kicks-second-year-mentorin... YALSA’s 2018 Great Books Giveaway provides more than $40,000 in materials to libraries in Mississippi, Virginia and Michigan http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2018/01/yalsa-s-2018-great-books-giveawa... ECOURSES AND WEBCASTS Mental Health Awareness and the Library Profession: An American Libraries Live webcast http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2018/01/mental-heath-awareness-and-li... Basic American Sign Language for Library Staff http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2018/01/new-iteration-basic-american-sig... Free LLAMA Webinar addresses the 'Evolution of Library Interiors and How Design Supports the Expanding Role of Libraries' http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2018/01/free-llama-webinar-addresses-evo...