ALA News for September 26, 2017 NEWS FROM THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION ALA Disaster Relief Fund to support Caribbean islands, Mexico, Puerto Rico, library rebuilding efforts The American Library Association (ALA) and the library community are supporting response and recovery efforts for libraries damaged by Hurricane Maria and the recent earthquake in Mexico through the ALA Disaster Relief Fund. “We extend our thoughts and prayers to everyone who has been affected by Hurricane Maria and the earthquake in Mexico,” said ALA President Jim Neal. “We encourage our members to consider donating to the ALA Disaster Relief Fund to help support recovery and rebuilding of libraries affected by both natural disasters as well as Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.” http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2017/09/ala-disaster-relief-fund-supp... AASL offers assistance to schools impacted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) offers its support to its colleagues impacted by Hurricanes Harvey and Irma. As recovery efforts begin, AASL encourages schools to apply for one of two AASL disaster relief grants: the AASL Beyond Words Grant funded by the Dollar General Literacy Foundation<http://www.ala.org/aasl/awards/beyond-words> and the Inspire Disaster Recovery Grant<http://www.ala.org/aasl/awards/inspire/recovery> sponsored by Marina "Marney" Welmers. http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2017/09/aasl-offers-assistance-school... Libraries Transform through Literacy: AEFL Week 2017 As we mark 2017’s National Adult Education and Family Literacy Week, from September 24-30, libraries across the country are transforming lives through literacy services for adults and families. The correlation between literacy and income inequality, health outcomes and rates of incarceration, among other issues of social and economic justice, underscores how literacy intersects with equity, access, and inclusion. http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2017/09/libraries-transform-through-l... PLA Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Task Force delivers update As the nation grapples with a resurgence of hateful rhetoric and white supremacist violence, public libraries are finding themselves, naturally, at the center of critical community conversations around inclusion, tolerance, and safety. The PLA Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Task Force<http://www.ala.org/pla/about/people/committees/pla-tfedi> began its work in earnest this summer at ALA Annual in Chicago. http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2017/09/september-2017-update-equity-div... New ACRL report: ‘Academic Library Impact’ The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) announces the release of “Academic Library Impact: Improving Practice and Essential Areas to Research<http://www.ala.org/acrl/files/publications/whitepapers/academiclib.pdf>.” Developed for ACRL by OCLC Research, this valuable resource investigates how libraries can increase student learning and success and effectively communicate their value to higher education stakeholders. The full report is freely available for download on the ACRL website<http://www.ala.org/acrl/files/publications/whitepapers/academiclib.pdf>. http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2017/09/acrl-releases-academic-librar... ALSC 2018 National Institute Registration Now Open The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), announced that registration for the 2018 ALSC National Institute has opened. The conference, themed "All Aboard! Embracing Advocacy and Inclusion” will be held Sept. 27-29, 2018 in Cincinnati. http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2017/09/alsc-2018-national-institute-reg... AASL NATIONAL CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION AASL National Conference & Exhibition advance registration deadline approaching http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2017/09/aasl-national-conference-exhibit... PLA 2018 CONFERENCE Registration & housing now open for PLA 2018 Conference http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2017/09/registration-housing-now-open... AASL AWARDS Applications open for the 2018 AASL awards program http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2017/09/applications-open-2018-aasl-a... ALA PUBLISHING ALCTS surveys textbooks in academic libraries http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2017/09/alcts-surveys-textbooks-academic... Creating a local history archive at your public library http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2017/09/creating-local-history-archive-y... Open licensing for cultural heritage http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2017/09/open-licensing-cultural-heritage Essentials for the government information librarian http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2017/09/essentials-government-informatio... WORKSHOPS AND WEBCASTS Accessibility and Libraries: An American Libraries Live Webcast http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2017/09/accessibility-and-libraries-a... Cataloging Judaica Resources http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2017/09/new-workshop-cataloging-judaica-...