ALA News for September 19, 2017 NEWS FROM THE AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION Nation celebrates the power of words during Banned Books Week, Sept. 24 – 30, 2017 Libraries, bookstores and schools will celebrate Banned Books Week, Sept. 24 – 30, 2017, an opportunity to celebrate the power of words to open minds with new and diverse viewpoints, even those some people might find offensive. During the week thousands of libraries, bookstores, schools and theaters host dedicated events that focus on the dangers of censorship and celebrate the right to choose reading materials without restriction. http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2017/09/nation-celebrates-power-words-du... Library staff gather virtually for discussion of national opioid crisis

From discarded needles in outdoor spaces to overdoses in bathrooms, public libraries in communities of all sizes are acutely impacted by the dramatic rise in opioid abuse. More than 2 million people in the U.S. are estimated to be dependent on prescription opioids or heroin, and drug overdoses are now the leading cause of death among Americans under 50 years of age. Responding to this growing issue, the Public Library Association (PLA) and WebJunction teamed up to present a virtual “town hall meeting” on the opioid crisis earlier this month. During the 90-minute online event, representatives from libraries and other community organizations described their efforts and plans in addressing this crisis locally. http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2017/09/library-staff-gather-virtually-d...

Building partnerships and passing legislation the focus of new ALA and AASL webinar A new webinar from the ALA Chapter Relations Office (CRO), Office of Library Advocacy and the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) will facilitate a conversation about building partnerships and identifying library champions in order to pass school library legislation at the state level. http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2017/09/building-partnerships-and-pas... ALA announces slate of Council candidates Ballot mailing for the 2017 ALA election will begin on March 12, 2018 and will run through April 4, 2018, with the results being announced on Wednesday, April 11, 2018. http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2017/09/ala-announces-slate-council-cand... bibliotheca Sponsorship to Support GLBTRT bibliotheca was proud to host the Diversity Wall installation at this year’s American Library Association Annual Conference in Chicago in June. In total, 325 signatures were received and $1,625 was donated to the GLBTRT through bibliotheca’s Diversity Wall. http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2017/09/bibliotheca-sponsorship-support-... Partnership supports renewed 'From Awareness to Funding' advocacy study The Public Library Association (PLA), a division of the American Library Association (ALA), the ALA Office for Library Advocacy and OCLC are pleased to announce a partnership to produce an update to OCLC’s 2008 report, “From Awareness to Funding: A Study of Library Support in America,” which explored voter attitudes and perceptions about library funding. http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2017/09/partnership-supports-renewed-... ALA accepting scholarship application The American Library Association (ALA) has more than $300,000 available to students who are studying in library science or school library media programs at the master's degree level. http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2017/09/ala-accepting-scholarship-applic... ALA seeks nominations for ALA Recognition Awards and Grants Nominate yourself, colleagues or your library for the 2018 American Library Association (ALA) Recognition Awards and Grants. Unless otherwise noted, the deadlines are Feb. 1, 2018. For general information about these and other ALA awards, visit http://www.ala.org/ala/awardsgrants/index.cfm http://www.ala.org/news/press-releases/2017/09/ala-recognition-awards-and-gr... ASCLA launches new, modern website The new website includes additional resources and tools and is visually appealing to better support ASCLA members and their work. http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2017/09/ascla-launches-new-modern-websit... Barnhart to serve as YALSA’s first ALA Liaison The Young Adult Library Services Association has chosen Amanda Barnhart, teen librarian at the Kansas City Public Library (Independence, Missouri) as its ALA liaison to represent YALSA in various American Library Association (ALA) groups and committees. http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2017/09/barnhart-serve-yalsa-s-first-ala... RUSA's Reference and User Services Quarterly Journal seeks editor The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA)<http://www.rusaupdate.org/>, a division of the American Library Association<http://www.ala.org/>, seeks applicants for the position of editor or co-editors of Reference & User Services Quarterly (RUSQ)<https://journals.ala.org/index.php/rusq>. http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2017/09/rusas-reference-and-user-service... AASL NATIONAL CONFERENCE Amy Aldridge-Ritchey wins free AASL national conference registration, hotel and travel http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2017/09/amy-aldridge-ritchey-wins-free-a... PUBLICATIONS ACRL releases The Library Assessment Cookbook http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2017/09/acrl-releases-library-assessment... ECOURSES, WEBINARS AND WORKSHOPS Learner-Centered Pedagogy for Library Instruction http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2017/09/new-ecoursee-book-bundle-learner... How to Improve Your Library Instruction http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2017/09/new-session-how-improve-your-lib... Common Core Open Educational Resources and Websites & Google Classroom http://www.ala.org/news/member-news/2017/09/ccss-oer-and-more-new-aasl-webin...