Hello, all - Belated Happy New Year! Back on track with the ALA News - thank you for waiting on me. I'm off to Midwinter & looking forward to representing our libraries & library people on behalf of MLA. I'll have updates for you soon. If the links don't display below, or you want to see the latest news before the weekly round-up, visit: http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases In the meantime, please read on. Thank you for all you do! Jennifer JANUARY 8 Due to a brief holiday hiatus, today’s expanded issue of ALA News also includes items posted after Dec. 18 Jeanne Theoharis to keynote 20th annual King observance and Sunrise Celebration Professor and author Jeanne Theoharis will deliver the keynote address at the 20th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday Observance and Sunrise Celebration during the American Library Association’s Midwinter Meeting and Exhibits in Seattle. The 2019 Celebration will be held from 6:30-7:30 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 28 in the Sheraton Grand Seattle Metropolitan Ballroom. Read more Library community grieves tragic loss of Amber Clark of Sacramento Public Library Amber Clark, Sacramento Public Library’s North Natomas branch supervisor, was fatally wounded by a gunman in the library’s parking lot as she sat in her vehicle on the evening of Dec. 11. Since the time of this tragic event, the American Library Association (ALA) has contacted colleagues in Sacramento, California to offer resources and support. ALA President Loida Garcia-Febo released a statement regarding ALA resources available to ALA members and how the library community can lend additional support. Read more PLA to offer regional symposia on equity, diversity, inclusion and social justice in libraries The Public Library Association (PLA) has released the schedule for its highly anticipated symposium on equity, diversity, inclusion and social justice (EDISJ). The symposium Social Justice and Public Libraries: Equity Starts with Us will be offered three times in 2019, in Denver, Charleston, S.C. and Chicago.Read more Host libraries sought for 2019 PLA Inclusive Internship Initiative The Public Library Association (PLA) is now accepting applications from public libraries interested in participating in PLA's Inclusive Internship Initiative (III) for the summer of 2019. In alignment with PLA’s strategic goal related to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Social Justice, III was piloted in 2017 as a pathway program to increase diversity in public librarianship. The initiative has been a tremendous success, and PLA is proud to offer III once again with the support of the Institute of Museum and Library Services (grant RE-00-17-0129-17). Read more ALCTS appoints Stephen Hearn as ALA representative to NARDAC The Board of Directors of the Association for Library Collections & Technical Services (ALCTS) has appointed Stephen Hearn, metadata strategist at the University of Minnesota Libraries, as ALA representative to the North American RDA Committee (NARDAC). He will serve a three-year term as the ALA representative beginning in January 2019, with eligibility for a single three-year re-appointment upon approval. Read more ALSC seeks member content editor for Everyday Advocacy The Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), seeks a member content editor for its Everyday Advocacy (EA) website and "Everyday Advocacy Matters" newsletter. The mission of Everyday Advocacy is to educate youth services librarians on the importance of advocacy and to provide them with tools to assist in articulating their own value within the library profession and community. Applications for this position are due Feb. 4, 2019. Read more<http://bit.ly/2VAX2nz> ALA PUBLISHING A new edition of the classic RA guide to genre fiction by Wyatt and Saricks Hider’s updated text on information resource description ALA GRAPHICS Milo Ventimiglia and much more in new spring ALA Graphics catalog ELEARNING Library Website Rehab AWARDS AND GRANTS Spring 2019 PLA Leadership Academy participants announced 50 public libraries selected for American Creed: Community Conversations programming grants Will Eisner Graphic Novel Grant deadline extended to Feb. 8 AASL opens nominations for 2019 Social Media Superstars Jim Belair wins a year of free AASL membership ACRL accepting applications for 2019 Academic Library Impact Research Grants and Value of Academic Libraries Travel Scholarships CHOICE Choice sharing curated extracts of the 2018 Outstanding Academic Titles list with non-subscribers January 15 Meet the 2019 Intellectual Freedom Bloggers Eager and willing to start 2019 with trending news about book challenges, intriguing interviews of authors and librarians and authoritative content from the a broad range of library fields, the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) is introducing 10 new bloggers in addition to five strong voices who continue to share thought provoking original content about a core value of the librarian profession. The Intellectual Freedom Blog’s purpose is to educate and encourage discussions about intellectual freedom principles and promote the value of libraries, librarians, and professional membership in the American Library Association (ALA). The blog is managed and edited by staff of ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) to raise awareness of time-sensitive news, issues in the field, upcoming events, helpful resources, and the work of members. Read more Brakel and Carroll Seek 2020-2021 AASL Presidency AASL members Lisa Brakel and Kathy Carroll will seek the 2020-2021 AASL presidential term during the 2019 American Library Association (ALA) election. Read more ALA ANNUAL CONFERENCE New ALA Annual Preconference: Using Design Thinking to Create Transformative Learning Experiences AWARDS AND GRANTS Will Eisner Graphic Novel Grant deadline extended to Feb. 8 EBSCO and ALA award five scholarships for librarians to attend ALA Midwinter Moniz receives YALSA’s 2019 Innovation Award ECOURSES AND WORKSHOPS How to Respond to a Security Incident in Your Library Getting the Most Out of Library Volunteers Instructional Design for Online Teaching and Learning Cataloging for Newbies Making Games and Online Interactive Content U.S. Copyright Law in the Library: A Beginner's Guide Dealing with Mental Health on the Front Lines PUBLICATIONS ACRL releases The Globalized Library: American Academic Libraries and International Students, Collections, and Practices January 22 ALA’s Libraries Ready to Code awards 10 "Promising Practice" libraries for broadening participation and diversity in CS Ed programs The American Library Association’s (ALA) Libraries Ready to Code initiative, sponsored by Google, has announced 10 libraries to receive a “Promising Practice” award for programs they designed for Computer Science Education (CS Ed) Week in December 2018. Read more 2019 Google Policy Fellowship applications now open The American Library Association announces the opening of the application process for the prestigious Google Policy Fellowship program. For the summer of 2019, the selected fellow will spend 10 weeks in residence at the ALA policy office in Washington, D.C., learning about national policy and its impacts on the library and information science field and completing a major research project. ALA’s Google Policy Fellow will work closely with ALA staff to explore, alongside all of the Google Fellow cohort, diverse areas of information policy, ranging from digital copyright, net neutrality, digital divide, and other broadband policy, to open access to information, privacy, and freedom of expression. The Washington Office was a founding participant of the program in 2008. Read more Meeting room policies, displays and drag queen storytimes to be discussed at ALA Midwinter Meeting Meeting room policies, drag queen storytimes, research databases, and library book displays have made headlines and sparked controversy in libraries. At the 2019 ALA Midwinter Meeting, the ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom (OIF) will host “Intellectual Freedom and the Law: Issues and Updates for Meeting Rooms, Drag Queen Storytimes, and Library Displays.” The program will provide information about the legal issues surrounding these topics, as well as guidance on crafting library policies that protect and meet the needs of the library and its community; uphold intellectual freedom; and comply with the law. The program will provide ample time for audience questions and discussion. This “News You Can Use” session is presented by Theresa Chmara, general counsel of the Freedom to Read Foundation, and moderated by Deborah Caldwell-Stone, deputy director of OIF.Read more ALA joins W.K. Kellogg Foundation in observance of 2019 National Day of Racial Healing The American Library Association (ALA) will join the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and organizations across the country in observing the 2019 National Day of Racial Healing on Tuesday, Jan. 22. On Jan. 22, thousands will celebrate our common humanity and take collective action toward a more just and equitable world. Read more Dr. Clara Chu receives 2019 EMIERT Distinguished Librarian Award Dr. Clara M. Chu, director of the Mortenson Center for International Library Programs, is the recipient of the 2019 American Library Association Ethnic and Multicultural Information Exchange Round Table (EMIERT) Distinguished Librarian Award. The Distinguished Librarian Award recognizes significant accomplishments in library services that are national or international in scope and include improving, spreading, and promoting multicultural librarianship. Read more Booklist announces July 2019 as Graphic Novels in Libraries Month July 2019 will be Booklist’s Graphic Novels in Libraries Month, an innovative, first-of-its-kind program through which the American Library Association’s review journal for public libraries will forge key partnerships between libraries and publishers while providing librarians with the tools they need to select, curate, and promote graphic titles for patrons of all ages.Read more PLA develops early childhood literacy activity calendars The Public Library Association (PLA) has developed a new product designed to boost early childhood literacy programming in libraries, schools and daycare centers. PLA's 2019 Early Childhood Literacy Activity Calendar is now available for sale. Based on the core practices of Every Child Ready to Read @ Your Library, PLA's parent-education initiative, the publication emphasizes activities involving reading, writing, singing, talking, playing and counting. Read more Wilson named member manager of YALSAblog The Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) has selected Tess Wilson, Outreach Librarian at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh (Pennsylvania), as the new member manager of the YALSAblog. Read more YALSA names 2019 Best Fiction for Young Adults The list consists of 69 titles selected from 108 official nominations, which were posted and discussed in blogposts on The Hub. From the full list, a top ten list will be available after the Best Fiction for Young Adults Teen Feedback Session takes place at the 2019 ALA Midwinter Meeting. Read more YALSA names 2019 Amazing Audiobooks for Young Adults The list consists of 39 titles; with 35 fiction and 3 nonfiction audiobooks, selected from 62 official nominations, which were posted and discussed in blogposts on The Hub. The list is aimed towards young adults aged 12-18 and is drawn from the previous year of spoken-word releases. The committee listened to over 300 titles this year in their quest to choose a myriad of audiobooks that would appeal to all subsects of the teen audience. Read more YALSA names 2019 Great Graphic Novels for Teens The list consists of 138 titles selected from 205 official nominations, which were posted and discussed in blogposts on The Hub. The books, recommended for those ages 12-18, meet the criteria of both good quality literature and appealing reading for teens. Read more YALSA announces 2019 Quick Picks for Reluctant Young Adults The list consists of 50 titles selected from 120 nominations, which were posted and discussed in blogposts on The Hub. The list identifies titles aimed at encouraging reading among teens who are not avid readers for a variety of reasons. Read more ALA PUBLISHING New books, products, special events at the ALA Store at Midwinter Meeting in Seattle Igniting a spirit of inquiry in students An update to the classic Mother Goose on the Loose pre-literacy resource ACRL PUBLICATIONS Motivating Students on a Time Budget ECOURSES AND WORKSHOPS Strategies for Coping with Toxic People AWARDS AND GRANTS Glass selected as YALSA’s 2019 Board Fellow TRAVEL OPPORTUNITY Travel with ASGCLA-Ireland 2019 Jennifer L. Dean Dean, Libraries & Instructional Technology University of Detroit Mercy Sent using Outlook for Android<https://aka.ms/ghei36>