ALACognotes WASHINGTON — 2010 ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2010 Annual Conference Highlights Librarians Rally on Capitol Hill By Karen E. Brown, University of Hawaii amila Alire, ALA President 2009-2010 was the enthusiastic CMaster of Ceremonies for a rally on Capitol Hill June 29, leading the activities for Library Advocacy Day. More than 1,600 ALA members and advocates of all ages braved the 90-de- gree heat to take part in the largest federal advocacy event in ALA history, with chants of “We’re gonna tell ‘em” and “What do we want? Money! When do we want it? Now!” Holding up signs designating their state, the crowd with red shirts bear- ing the slogan “Vote for Libraries” didn’t just include librarians and information specialists, but also LIS students, members of YALSA and (1) Hundreds of librarians cheer for library support in Upper Senate Park on the ALISE, friends of libraries and even U.S. Capitol grounds during Library Advocacy Day. (2) Author Lauren Myracle makes her case for more financial support for libraries. Acclaimed songwriter and performer folks from as far away as Hawaii, Natalie Merchant performs selections Alaska and Qatar. Speakers included Alire emphasized the main themes Secondary Education Act (ESEA). from her newly-released Leave Your Lauren Myracle, author of beloved of the advocacy day including increas- Pumping up the crowd for their meet- Sleep, a two-CD set of songs adapted and contended books ttyl, ttfn, and l8r, ing Library Services and Technology ings on the Hill following the rally, she from the works of classic and g8r, Keith Michael Fiels, Executive Act (LSTA) funding to $300 million led the group with the rally cry, “We’re contemporary poets for the Exhibits Director of ALA, Senator Jack Reed, for FY2011 and including support going to tell them!” Closing Program June 28. Rhode Island, and Representative for school librarians in the upcoming Sen. Reed spoke eloquently about Vern Ehlers, Michigan. reauthorization of the Elementary » see page 4 Amy Sedaris Exhibitors Add International Flair Regales By Deb Nerud Vernon sell books at ALA, we are here to Audience make contacts between librarians he ALA Annual Conference and publishers.” At ALA Annual is a great place to gather all Scherer said that his association 2010 Closer T the items you need for your helps American librarians obtain library. The vendors and exhibitors German books easier…“so librar- By Frederick J. Augustyn, Jr. offer everything one could want or ians can order directly from U.S. The Library of Congress need that is library related, includ- companies, call a toll free number ing items to meet the needs of cul- and have an easier time with the olly Raphael, Pres- Amy Sedaris makes a bookmark during an tural awareness or a diverse patron payment.” He continued, “It’s a ident-Elect of ALA, entertaining Q&A with attendees at the Closing population. benefit to the Mintroduced Amy Se- Session June 29. I spoke with librarian that daris, television and film three exhibitors “[This] is the main has a foreign actor, author, and comedian on the it. She said she enjoys using the library at this year ’s library show and we plan language sec- morning of June 29. In a well-attended near her home in New York City. The conference, that to come for many years.” tion. For the appearance sponsored by Grand Cen- building used to be a women’s prison, r e p r e s e n t e d librarian look- tral Publishing, Sedaris, younger sister where she claims that she sometimes Germany, Spain ing to find a of humorist David Sedaris, followed hears the voices of “screaming dead and Asia who ex- certain book a few brief remarks of her own with women.” Sedaris asserted that “librar- plained the symbiotic relationships we have German Books in Print to an extensive, question-and-answer ies are so great because they are free.” they hope to form with American find that specific book or publisher.” session centered on the topic of her While Sedaris was answering fan mail librarians. “America Reads Spanish” is a forthcoming book slated to appear in (“all of seven letters”) one day, a friend Looking for German books and promotional campaign launched November—Simple Times: Crafts for of hers told her that she loves working periodicals? The Association of to promote books in Spanish and Poor People. She is also the author of: in a library because “she gets big hugs.” Publishers and Booksellers in Spanish language. Organizational I Like You: Hospitality under the Influ- She hoped that many of those present Baden-Württemberg, Germany representative Francisco Vives and ence and co-authored The Book of Liz » see page 15 exhibited for the 25th time this Alina San Juan, Trade Officer of and Wigfield: The Can-Do Town That year at ALA. Johannes M. Scherer, the Embassy of Spain were at the Just May Not. Executive Director, said that the conference to facilitate a way for Sedaris joked that she assumed that Inn vative publishers have the option to send librarians to buy books in Spanish, this was one of the quietest conventions i n t e r f a c e s a representative to be in the booth said San Juan. “[The ALA Annual around. The rapid interchange with the and meet attendees personally, or Conference] is important as this audience that soon followed proved her Click here to see send only their books. “We do not » see page 8 wrong, a result that she undoubtedly our ad on page 3. expected, reserving most of her time for Page 2 • Cognotes 2010 Annual Conference Highlights • WASHINGTON, D.C. John Grisham Thanks Libraries Best-selling By Kathryn Shields by numerous agents and publishers authors High Point University (NC) and was eventually picked up in 1989 David Small by Windwood Press. They published and Audrey “I have a long, wonderful history 5000 copies, and he bought 1000 of Niffenegger with libraries and librarians. From them. So, he went to the local library shared their a purely selfish view I want to say and asked if he could have a book experiences thanks,” said John Grisham as he party there. His librarian called other that led began his talk in front of a large libraries around Mississippi, and he them to crowd of librarians who gathered to took his show on the road, selling write graphic hear him as part of the Auditorium books from the trunk of his car for the novels Speaker Series sponsored by Penguin, rest of the summer of 1989. When he during the on Monday, June 28. Grisham, who published his second book, The Firm, Auditorium will serve as the Honorary Chair of in 1991 “most of the encouragement Speaker 2011 National Library Week, is an came from independent booksellers Series on internationally best-selling author. He and librarians.” June 28. recently introduced his first-ever se- ries of children’s books for 8-12 year olds, the first of which is entitled Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer and fol- lows the adventures of a 13-year-old Junot Diaz: His Life a Canvas boy who is an amateur lawyer and By Kathryn Shields things we fall in love with as a kid, in unwittingly becomes involved in a High Point University (NC) many ways, become our lives. He also high-profile murder trial. said that as a child of two illegal im- As a child, John Grisham’s family Junot Diaz exploded onto the liter- migrants, living in bitter poverty, “that moved a lot for his father’s job, and ary scene in 1996 with Drowned, a kind of a childhood leads you to think he lived in various small towns in collection of short stories and one of about how often young people are vul- Mississippi, Arkansas, and Louisi- the first books to illuminate the lives of nerable, asked to endure tremendously ana. “When we moved we did two Dominican-Americans. His first novel, challenging lives.” He felt, however things immediately—joined the John Grisham The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, that was a great canvas to build his art. local Baptist church… and went to won the 2008 Pulitzer Prize. Diaz Figueroa also asked Diaz what he the local library. The crucial point,” grew up in New Jersey and received felt it said about American life that his he said “was always how many books He got the idea to write Theodore a BA from Rutgers and an MFA from book won the Pulitzer Prize, which is you could check out in a week.” Their Boone from his daughter, who is Cornell. He currently teaches creative given to an American author presum- house was always filled with the an elementary teacher. She told writing at MIT. Diaz was interviewed ably writing about American life. Diaz stacks of books that he and his three him about the kinds of books her by Miguel Figueroa of the ALA Diver- said when we talk about an American siblings checked out from the library, students were reading, and none of sity Office as part of the Auditorium nation, it is always better to talk about and he remembers grabbing a book them were reading books about the Speakers Series sponsored by Penguin a collective than an individual. “Just and going to hide to “get lost” for a law. He came up with the idea of a on Monday June 28. because the Pulitzer committee nomi- few hours in a story. He also said 13-year-old kid who is an only child, Diaz said that of the institutions nated one book by a Dominican writer “you wouldn’t be caught dead reading whose parents are both lawyers and that shaped his life, “I would say the doesn’t mean that Latino writers are Nancy Drew [because it was a girls’ practice together.