Programming Librarian

July 2009

You Spoke, We Listened
Angela Hanshaw | July 31, 2009
You may have noticed a few changes to ProgrammingLibrarian.org. They’re subtle, but I think you’ll like them.

Special International Year of Astronomy Event Opportunity
Space Telescope Science Institute | July 28, 2009
Did you know that 2009 has been designated the International Year of Astronomy? We invite you to celebrate with NASA by holding a public event in your library featuring a special image of the center of our Milky Way Galaxy!

“Visions of the Universe” Hits the Road and NASA Lands in Libraries
Matt Fredericks | July 15, 2009
Librarians are boldly going where no library has gone before in 2009. So said Frank Summers, astrophysicist and educator with the Space Telescope Science Institute Office of Public Outreach (STScl), waking up a roomful of librarians with his excitement on a Sunday morning at the 2009 ALA Annual Conference.

Picturing America Connects: Project Directors Engage Librarians at ALA Annual Conference
Matt Fredericks | July 13, 2009
Picture this: a midnight Paul Revere ride to get the word out and bring the people together. Isn’t that what librarians try to do in their own way every day? We all know libraries are about building networks—connecting people, connecting communities, connecting institutions. Picturing America is a perfect example of the fruit that is borne of such partnerships.

“Soul of a People” at Annual Conference
Jennifer Dominiak | July 13, 2009
Zora Neale Hurston. Saul Bellow. John Cheever. Richard Wright. Studs Terkel. These are just a few of the thousands of unemployed writers put to work by the Federal Writers’ Project (FWP). At the ALA Annual Conference, attendees gathered on Sunday afternoon for a special presentation of “Soul of A People: Writing America’s Story,” a documentary about the Federal Writers’ Project, created by Spark Media.

Great Programs with Poets and Poetry @ Your Library
Colleen Barbus | July 13, 2009
What a great way to spend a Sunday morning—discussing the possibilities of poetry for libraries! This morning at Annual, we joined representatives from the ALA Public Programs Office, the Academy of American Poets, the Greensboro Public Library, and award-winning poet Jane Hirshfield for a discussion of best practices in poetry programming for public audiences.

“Prime Time Family Reading Time”: Turning Low-literacy Populations into Your Library’s Biggest Fans
Heather Paulson | July 13, 2009
As librarians, we tend to take for granted our love of reading. As we gather around our conference, lunch, and dinner tables our conversations often fall back on old favorites we recommend to a reluctant reader, new authors that are going to be the next big thing, and books that surprised our sensibilities or generated controversy. But what if we couldn’t have these conversations? For many adults and children living in our local communities, reading and discussing books is simply not part of their daily lives because of low literacy rates.

“My Father Couldn’t Swim” and Other Highlights from the Pride and Passion Annual Conference Program
Heather Paulson | July 11, 2009
I think most people who attended the “Pride and Passion: The African American Baseball Experience” event at the 2009 ALA Annual Conference were here to see Kadir Nelson, Sharon Robinson, and Lawrence Hogan speak on their experience of documenting and sharing their love of Negro League Baseball. However, I think we all came away with much, much more.

AAAS Offers Library Program Development Funding
American Association for the Advancement of Science | July 07, 2009
Skin is the body’s largest organ and it’s the most visible. It’s our natural body armor and it protects all the vital systems working hard under its coat. There is much to learn about skin structure, health, and care. The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is looking to libraries to help inform the public about skin health.

San Diego Public Library Collaboration with KPBS on “One Book, One San Diego”
Lynn Whitehouse | July 07, 2009
In January 2007, KPBS, San Diego’s local public broadcasting station, and the San Diego Public Library (SDPL) launched “One Book, One San Diego,” a community-wide reading initiative designed to educate and enlighten on topics and themes of concern to our community while promoting reading as a source of pleasure and enrichment. This campaign is similar to some found in other cities, but with the distinction of having a public television and radio station join forces with a public library. This joint effort expanded the campaign and created a stronger impact and connection with the community.