Public awareness of crime, sexual harassment in libraries, and inappropriate books and web sites in schools due to American Library Association policy. ⚖️
School librarians claim that are "trusted experts" in school book selection. Yet many hate America. So why are school librarians trusted experts?
A number of librarians make this hate clear. But one went above and beyond.
One librarian detailed in a series of seven posts why he/she hates America. He/she did this on Fourth of July eve. On Bluesky. The image in the upper right was included in his/her leading post.
Here is what he/she wrote, and I'll leave him/her unnamed since his/her identity is irrelevant:
Why I’m Not Celebrating the 4th This Year
The disappointment I feel toward friends and family who continue to vote for, and cheer on, those destroying my profession—public education and libraries—is overwhelming. These aren’t just “political differences.” (1/7)
These are choices that directly harm the people and values I’ve devoted my life to.
I’m not in the mood to wave a flag while the people you elected are tearing this country apart. (2/7)
You claim to ❤️ America, but you stand by as your leaders attack free speech, ban books, dismantle public education, criminalize healthcare, mock the disabled, and fan the flames of division and hate. (3/7)
You cheer while they gut voting rights, spread lies, and treat fellow Americans like enemies for daring to think differently.
That’s not patriotism. That’s authoritarianism with a flag draped over it. (4/7)
These are choices you are making that are harmful to real people and to our country.
This behavior of worshiping a false idol named Trump is the opposite of how my religion as a Christian tells me to act and opposite of the way I was raised to “be ye kind, one to another.” (5/7)
This is not “love thy neighbor as thyself” behavior.
And to be honest, the personal toll is real.
So no, I won’t be celebrating “freedom” alongside those who vote to take it away from others. I’ve reached my limit. (6/7)
While others gather for fireworks and barbecues, I’ll be focused on the work of helping this country live up to its ideals—because real patriotism means standing up for justice, equality, and truth. (7/7)
[NOTE: This information was provided to me by a librarian who loves America and who wishes to remain anonymous for fear of job retribution. I'll assume most librarians love America, they simply fear those who promote inappropriate material for school children who seem to hold sway in American Library Association.]
The American Library Association [ALA] called for people to vote for the Democrats in the current election. That violates 501(c)(3) federal tax exemption rules. How do we know? Because the electioneering was then censored/deleted by ALA.
ALA and Wisconsin Library Association board member Nyama Reed said, "If you have patrons wondering why, or how, they should vote - send them this. Trust me. Click through." Included was a picture of Kim Kardashian and another of President Donald J. Trump together with Kanye West.
Give credit to those who did see it as inappropriate: "Could we keep politics off the page unless specifically library related." "[T]hese librarians are making their political opinion veeeerrryy clear by posting THIS as a way to encourage voter registration. I am not here for this garbage."
Before ALA censorship of electioneering:
Before ALA censorship of its electioneering.
Notice the URL is the same as in the other image.
After ALA censorship of electioneering:
After ALA censorship of its electioneering.
Notice the URL is the same as in the other image.
Notice the red warning triangle, warning of the censorship.
The above is just a single example of ALA electioneering. Leading ALA members created and control the ALA Think Tank open Facebook group, and top ALA leadership regularly participate. The page has been renamed to Librarian Think Tank then Library Think Tank, but the URL still includes "ALAthinkTANK." Almost anything on that page can be viewed as coming from ALA, either directly or indirectly.
We know Nyama Reed didn't remove the page since, for her, "No.filter.here. Not even kids computers.":
The American Library Association is the nation's top facilitator of child pornography. Enabling ALA in this facilitation is the Institute of Museum and Library Services [IMLS]. President Trump seeks to defund IMLS. That scares ALA that stands to lose millions in future funding, like the $9,589,105.00 IMLS has granted ALA in the past to help enable its facilitation of child pornography, even if indirectly by freeing up funding for furthering the facilitation.
#SaveIMLS is ALA's effort to keep the child porn facilitation funding flowing and keep awarding the libraries committing CIPA fraud by the millions of dollars since they follow ALA policy. Of course it is worded as saving libraries or "building youth literacy skills" or "maker spaces" or "libraries matter" or "libraries transform." ALA mocks parents who want to act on behalf of children but they sure use the trick when it really is faked for self gain.
Can you imagine if ALA was honest? #SaveIMLS! "Libraries facilitate child porn!" "Child porn is your First Amendment right unless you are caught and a judge says otherwise!" "We defend all child porn viewers from invasion of privacy in public libraries!"
Worse, #SaveIMLS is astroturfed, meaning if you see in newspapers that people and libraries oppose losing IMLS funding, it is because ALA put them up to it. It is literally fake news. Faked fake news. ALA astroturfed on net neutrality despite IRS 501(c)(3) rules, so why should it not do it again? It is doing it again and
It comes complete with a child character from Harry Potter chopping off the head of a snake, red blood and all, saying #NevilleFightsBack. #Resist! Meaning, apparently under the circumstances and given ALA's general hostility to the President, Neville fights back against the President of the United States by chopping off the head of the snake. That would be Donald Trump. Excellent propaganda to get kids to "#resist" and astroturf for ALA's #SaveIMLS:
There's so much more evidence, but that's enough for now. Just take a look at Sharyl Attkisson discussing astroturfing at a TED Talk:
American Library Association, Association of College and Research Libraries
Log Number:
NE-01-00-0003-00
Fiscal Year:
2000
Award: $149,924.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
National Leadership Grants for Libraries
State:
IL
Program Categories:
Education and Training
American Library Association
Log Number:
LG-06-05-0112-05
Fiscal Year:
2005
Award: $239,416.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
National Leadership Grants for Libraries
State:
IL
Program Categories:
Research
Recipient Type:
Library
In this project, the American Library Association (ALA) Office for Research and Statistics and the Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies (ASCLA) will survey library networks, consortia, and cooperatives to develop a clear and current understanding of how library networks and cooperatives operate and the many ways these collaborative organizations help advance learning communities. Currently, library planners and policy makers must rely on outdated and inadequate information because they lack reliable definitions and sufficient data. The project will develop definitions and classifications in a Web-based dictionary and create an online report generator. All resources developed in the project will be freely available from the ALA Web site. ASCLA will provide ongoing support and updating of the data after the end of the grant period.
American Library Association
Log Number:
LG-06-12-0494-12
Fiscal Year:
2012
Award: $486,587.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
National Leadership Grants for Libraries
State:
IL
Program Categories:
Research
Recipient Type:
Library
Issue Areas:
Management of Content and Collections
21st Century Skills
Inclusive and Accessible Learning
Community
Inclusive and Accessible Learning
Community
Access to Content and Collections
The American Library Association and the University of Maryland, in partnership with the International City/County Management Association, will conduct a three-year study of public libraries as providers of digitally inclusive services and resources. Digital literacy and digital inclusion are becoming increasingly important aspects of individual and community success. This study will generate new understanding of the roles public libraries are playing, and gaps or needs that must be addressed to help libraries fulfill their vision of equitable access for all. Building on the methods of the long-running Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study, this new investigation will provide useful new data for public policy decision makers and funders.
Public Library Association
Log Number:
LG-06-13-0203-13
Fiscal Year:
2013
Award: $499,741.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
National Leadership Grants for Libraries
State:
IL
Program Categories:
Research
Recipient Type:
Library
Issue Areas:
Inclusive and Accessible Learning
Inclusive and Accessible Learning
The Public Library Association and the Association for Library Service to Children, divisions of the American Library Association will support a three year project to conduct research that will examine how library programming about early literacy development affects parent behavior and engagement. Through the support of parent focused early literacy services and programs, public libraries can play a key role in helping children become ready to read and be ready for school. However, the research demonstrating the impact of parent education programming at public libraries has not been undertaken. “Bringing Home Early Literacy: Determining the Impact of Library Programming on Parent Behavior,” will determine whether parents or caregivers who engage in early literacy practices with their children help them develop the early literacy skills they need to be ready to read.
American Library Association
Log Number:
LG-07-10-0228-10
Fiscal Year:
2010
Award: $581,609.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
National Leadership Grants for Libraries
State:
IL
Program Categories:
Demonstration
Recipient Type:
Library
Issue Areas:
Community
The American Library Association will partner with the University of Illinois, the University of Maryland, and Florida State University to develop a Web-based resource to help libraries and governments provide better e-government–related services such as filing taxes, applying for citizenship, enrolling children in schools, and applying for social services. This project will enable greater coordination between government agencies and libraries, reduce costly duplication of effort, and provide a more comprehensive model for serving users of e-government. The Web-based resource will include useful content, tutorials, best practice recommendations, an embedded government information digital reference service, guidance on the provision of e-government services, an online forum for service providers to share and exchange information, and tools to facilitate local customization of e-government services provision in libraries. The project will design, develop, and test the Web-based resource in coordination with multiple states and public libraries.
American Library Association
Log Number:
LG-07-12-0495-12
Fiscal Year:
2012
Award: $249,867.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
National Leadership Grants for Libraries
State:
IL
Program Categories:
Demonstration
Recipient Type:
Library
Issue Areas:
Community
Building upon earlier planning work supported by IMLS, the American Library Association and its partner StoryCorps will develop and implement “StoryCorps @ Your Library,” a replicable program to be piloted at ten public libraries that will be selected from across the country. Recipient libraries will receive equipment, training, promotional materials, and other resources to help them implement community documentation projects using the popular StoryCorps interview model. Local libraries will retain copies of all interviews, but preservation copies will also be deposited with the Library of Congress. The project team will produce freely shareable training materials to help public libraries better understand strategies for sustaining local oral history programs.
American Library Association, Association of College and Research Libraries
Log Number:
LG-07-12-0571-12
Fiscal Year:
2012
Award: $249,330.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
National Leadership Grants for Libraries
State:
IL
Program Categories:
Demonstration
Recipient Type:
Library
Issue Areas:
21st Century Skills
Community
The American Library Association’s Association for College and Research Libraries will partner with the Association for Institutional Research and the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities to design, implement, and evaluate a new program that helps academic libraries develop new assessment plans that better reflect library contributions. The program will focus on library impacts in key areas such as student learning and success. As part of the project, 300 teams, each consisting of librarians and other campus representatives from U.S. colleges and universities, will receive training in data-informed advocacy, and each team will develop an assessment plan appropriate for its campus and academic library.
American Library Association, Association of Specialized and Cooperative Library Agencies
Log Number:
LG-55-11-0346-11
Fiscal Year:
2011
Award: $33,968.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
National Leadership Grants for Libraries
State:
IL
Program Categories:
Planning Grants
Recipient Type:
Library
The American Library Association (ALA) will conduct a four-month planning grant as the beginning of a multiyear collaboration, making StoryCorps services accessible to public libraries across the country. StoryCorps is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to record, preserve, and share the stories of Americans from all backgrounds and beliefs. Drawing on the knowledge of a diverse advisory group of library professionals, ALA and StoryCorps will convene a Board of Advisors to aid in the planning and design of this collaborative national program. In doing so, it will create a replicable model resulting in increased programming opportunities at libraries and collection growth that can benefit institutions of all sizes and their communities.
Association of College and Research Libraries
Log Number:
LG-62-11-0216-11
Fiscal Year:
2011
Award: $99,985.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
National Leadership Grants for Libraries
State:
IL
Program Categories:
Planning Grants
Recipient Type:
Library
Two national summits will be convened to recommend strategies that help academic libraries better demonstrate their value and better explain how their services align with the institutional goals of colleges and universities. The Association of College and Research Libraries, in partnership with the Association for Institutional Research, the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities, and the Council of Independent Colleges, will collaborate to host the two events, which will serve as the basis for a white paper that summarizes findings and establishes recommendations for future action.
American Library Association, Young Adult Library Services Association
Log Number:
LG-62-12-0538-12
Fiscal Year:
2012
Award: $99,937.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
National Leadership Grants for Libraries
State:
IL
Program Categories:
Planning Grants
Recipient Type:
Library
Issue Areas:
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)
21st Century Skills
Inclusive and Accessible Learning
Inclusive and Accessible Learning
Community
The American Library Association’s Young Adult Library Services Association will conduct a yearlong series of national forum activities to bring together key stakeholders from libraries, education, technology, adolescent development, and the for-profit and nonprofit sectors. Invited participants will meet both virtually and face to face to explore the world of young adult library services and ultimately produce a white paper that will provide direction on how these services needs to adapt to better meet the needs of 21st century teens.
American Library Association
Log Number:
LG-62-13-0210-13
Fiscal Year:
2013
Award: $99,996.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
National Leadership Grants for Libraries
State:
IL
Program Categories:
Planning Grants
Recipient Type:
Library
Issue Areas:
Preservation, Conservation, and Care of Content and Collections
Inclusive and Accessible Learning
Inclusive and Accessible Learning
Access to Content and Collections
The American Library Association’s (ALA) Public Program Office will use its grant to develop and disseminate a white paper that documents the characteristics, audiences, outcomes, and value of public programming in libraries at a national level. The project team will examine general trends emerging from recent evaluations and use that data to create a framework for describing public programming in libraries, identify gaps in current knowledge, and develop research strategies to serve the field. Assessing the state of library programming on a national level will increase understanding of how library programs increase broad public access to knowledge and foster support for lifelong learners across diverse geographic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
American Association of School Librarians
Log Number:
LG-62-13-0212-13
Fiscal Year:
2013
Award: $99,398.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
National Leadership Grants for Libraries
State:
IL
Program Categories:
Planning Grants
Recipient Type:
Library
Issue Areas:
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)
Inclusive and Accessible Learning
Community
Inclusive and Accessible Learning
Access to Content and Collections
Early Learning
The American Association of School Libraries will host a national forum to determine if a causal relationship exists between strong school library programs and student academic achievement. The forum will lead to the creation of an interdisciplinary, networked community of researchers focused on causal research in school libraries that meet the rigorous criteria for scientifically based empirical research. While past studies have suggested a correlation between school libraries staffed by professional school librarians and containing adequate resources to increased student achievement, further progress requires the more rigorous experimental design of causal studies. Fifty invited scholars from the school library and related research fields will participate in the forum, which will lead to the publication of a white paper that will guide further inquiry on this topic.
American Library Association
Log Number:
LG-00-12-0755-12
Fiscal Year:
2012
Award: $50,000.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
National Leadership Grants for Libraries
State:
IL
Program Categories:
Planning Grants
Recipient Type:
Library
The Public Library Association (PLA), a division of the American Library Association, will partner with Influx Library User Experience Consulting in this planning grant to develop and deploy a lightweight prototype of a web-based “summer reading app”. The project team will then coordinate with other organizations, including the Digital Public Library of America, to use the prototype software application as a means of gathering feedback from a variety of stakeholders, as to what features and functions would be desirable in a more fully-functional software application, to support summer reading programs in libraries across the country. PLA will use this feedback to draft a fuller functional requirements specification to potentially guide future software development efforts.
American Library Association, Reference and User Services Association (RUSA)
Log Number:
LG-46-13-0234-13
Fiscal Year:
2013
Award: $25,000.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
Sparks! Ignition Grants for Libraries
State:
IL
Issue Areas:
21st Century Skills
Community
Inclusive and Accessible Learning
The Reference and User Services Association (RUSA), a division of the American Library Association, will create National Guidelines and Best Practices for Financial Literacy Education (FLE) in libraries nationwide. Both guidelines and best practices guides will be located and freely available on the RUSA website. Guidelines will consolidate and standardize best practices, innovative thinking, and successful service delivery models for library-based FLE, offering an essential framework for interventions to help patrons gain financial knowledge, literacy, and even fluency. The guidelines and best practices will spark substantial improvements in how and how many libraries offer appropriately tailored FLE services, filling a substantial nationwide service gap. Documents will be complemented by single- and three-session FLE webinars to help prepare librarians and library staff.
American Library Association
Log Number:
RE-40-16-0137-16
Fiscal Year:
2016
Award: $243,922.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program
State:
IL
Program Categories:
Continuing Education
Recipient Type:
Library
American Library Association's Public Programs Office will develop and deliver web-based and in-person workshops that equip librarians with skills like coalition-building and dialogue facilitation so they can better understand, support, and engage with their communities. To meet this goal, the American Library Association will collaborate with the National Coalition on Dialogue and Deliberation to create a broader offering of free community engagement resources for exploration learning by library professionals. Training will be provided through a series of free webinars and three in-person pre-conference trainings. American Library Association will also offer 25 travel scholarships for small and rural librarians to participate in the in-person training.
American Library Association
Log Number:
RE-40-16-0081-16
Fiscal Year:
2016
Award: $305,085.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program
State:
IL
Program Categories:
Continuing Education
Recipient Type:
Library
The American Library Association's Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) will create a training program for library staff around college and career readiness services for middle schoolers. Working in partnership with the Association of Rural and Small Libraries, the project is geared to library staff in libraries with a service population of 15,000 or fewer, as well as libraries that are 25 miles or more from an urbanized area. Initially, the project will train 80 library staff through a highly collaborative and inquiry-based process before adapting the training into self-paced eLearning modules that are freely available to the library community. Additionally, YALSA will support a community of practice within its existing Teen Programming HQ to promote peer-to-peer learning and will develop, test, and refine a suite of college and career-readiness resources for libraries to adapt based on individual community needs.
For more information on the project: http://www.ala.org/yalsa/future-ready-library
American Library Association
Log Number:
RE-00-15-0108-15
Fiscal Year:
2015
Award: $50,000.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program
State:
IL
Program Categories:
Continuing Education
Recipient Type:
Library
The American Library Association will provide 50 scholarships to help a diverse group of librarians, library staff, and library students in the United States attend the World Library and Information Congress in Columbus Ohio. The scholarships will be provided to individuals in the early or middle-stage (20 years or fewer) of their careers who are not already actively engaged in International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA). The project will help to ensure the next generation of participants and leaders on the global stage from the United States fully represents the diversity in the community and in the country.
American Library Association
Log Number:
RE-00-15-0114-15
Fiscal Year:
2015
Award: $498,755.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program
State:
IL
Program Categories:
Research in Early Careers Development
Recipient Type:
Library
This research project builds on a prior IMLS-funded research symposium to find out what works at the intersection of formal and informal learning in the school library through a planned and coordinated research agenda. Project activities will build on previous investigations underlying learning in libraries, testing findings of research, theory, and best practices. The project team will make recommendations about next steps in evaluating the impact of school libraries on student achievement and help determine methodologies for future research. The authors will also help identify key features of educational interventions that can be used as indicators that an intervention is likely to develop key skills needed to have significant positive impact on student performance.
American Library Association
Log Number:
RE-06-07-0047-07
Fiscal Year:
2007
Award: $407,111.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program
State:
IL
Program Categories:
Continuing Education
The American Library Association, in partnership with the Western Council of State Librarians, will develop a national voluntary certification program for support staff in rural or small town public and academic libraries. Needs assessments for the last fifteen years have called for a national, standardized certification program for library support staff. The three-year project will result in a set of core competencies and policies and procedures. It will provide alternative options for assessing current knowledge of the field and experience for non-traditionally trained library staff. The resulting plan will be tested in five sites and will be sustained by ALA.
American Library Association
Log Number:
RE-06-07-0051-07
Fiscal Year:
2007
Award: $358,690.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program
State:
IL
Program Categories:
Continuing Education
The American Library Association’s Public Programs Office will create and administer the Online Resource Center for Library Cultural Programming (ORC), a professional development Web site to help librarians find authoritative resources for cultural programming, and will train librarians in cultural programming techniques. The ORC will organize and make accessible through links and online documents a wide array of national cultural program information and training tools, and provide access to successful "turnkey" programs developed by cultural organizations such as state humanities councils, thus extending the value of the original investment in the programs. The ORC will be particularly useful for librarians in small rural libraries who rarely can attend conferences and have little professional development funding. The three-year project includes a major evaluation of the Web site by librarians, educators, and students.
American Library Association
Log Number:
RE-06-10-0082-10
Fiscal Year:
2010
Award: $590,110.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program
State:
IL
Program Categories:
Continuing Education
This American Library Association project focuses on disseminating information on the availability, accessibility, and value of the Library Support Staff Certification (LSSC) program; adding additional approved courses and competency sets for specializations; collaborating with state libraries and Library Technical Assistant programs to develop reciprocity agreements and promote the LSSC Program; and measuring the impact of the program on an estimated 900 participants and the services they provide in their libraries.
American Library Association, Office for Literacy and Outreach Services
Log Number:
RE-06-15-0073-15
Fiscal Year:
2015
Award: $106,669.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program
State:
IL
Program Categories:
Continuing Education
The American Library Association (ALA) Office for Literacy and Outreach Services, in partnership with ProLiteracy, will develop online training and supporting resources to better equip librarians and library staff to serve adult learners. This project will put into practice ALA’s “Adult Literacy through Libraries National Library Literacy Action Agenda.” The project supports lifelong learning and addresses the need for community engagement by developing tools to help frontline library staff prepare people to fully participate in their local communities and our global society. This project provides the information and tools libraries need to go all-in on adult literacy.
American Library Association, Public Library Association
Log Number:
RE-56-12-0031-12
Fiscal Year:
2012
Award: $45,145.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program
State:
IL
Program Categories:
Collaborative Planning Grant
Issue Areas:
Community
Community
The Public Library Association, a division of the American Library Association, in partnership with the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), will undertake a one-year collaborative planning project to design and develop a leadership training model for key staff in public libraries across the United States. This project will design, pilot test, and develop an outcomes-based evaluation plan to provide leadership training to public library administrators, senior managers, and staff who want to increase their capacity to lead within the library and the community. With insight and instruction from ICMA, the grant project will also create a mechanism for librarians to work with municipal officials towards enhancing the capacity of libraries to be more active and successful participants in community initiatives.
American Library Association
Log Number:
RE-00-12-0117-12
Fiscal Year:
2012
Award: $250,837.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program
State:
IL
The American Library Association will partner with The Harwood Institute on The Promise of Libraries Transforming Communities, a scalable program that will advance community engagement, innovation, and transform the role of libraries in their communities. The project will develop the tools, innovations and resources that will help libraries lead a collaborative approach to community engagement and community development. It will address the need in local communities for public innovators and change-agents by preparing library leaders who can make more intentional choices and judgments about fulfilling the promise of libraries in transforming communities. The partnership will develop ALA capacity, train more than 350 librarians as facilitators to their communities, and create a pilot set of inter-related professional development components.
Public Library Association
Log Number:
RE-00-12-0119-12
Fiscal Year:
2012
Award: $291,179.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program
State:
IL
The Public Library Association will partner with the ALA’s Office for Information Technology Policy and the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies to develop an online collection of digital literacy resources that will be accessible to libraries, patrons, and other community-based organizations. The team will gather and evaluate existing state and public library resources related to digital literacy, and promote these resources to increase library awareness. Grant activities will include development of training curricula in English and Spanish, technology trainer competencies, handouts, and patron skills assessment.
American Library Association
Log Number:
RE-00-13-0096-13
Fiscal Year:
2013
Award: $50,000.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program
State:
IL
Issue Areas:
Inclusive and Accessible Learning
The American Library Association (ALA), in consultation with thought leaders from the library and information science community and from other sectors, will use its grant to establish the Center for the Future of Libraries, modeled on the successful American Alliance of Museums Center for the Future of Museums. The goal will be to provide library planners and community leaders with information resources and tools that will help them understand the trends reshaping their libraries and communities and incorporate foresight into their planning processes. ALA will focus on collaborative planning, initial program and product development, and laying the groundwork for economic sustainability.
American Library Association, Office for Diversity
Log Number:
RE-01-04-0015-04
Fiscal Year:
2004
Award: $928,142.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program
State:
IL
Program Categories:
Master’s Level Programs
The American Library Association's Office for Diversity will double the number of underrepresented master's in library science students in its Spectrum Initiative program from 105 to 210 and will create mechanisms to aggregate and disseminate information about diversity recruitment and education initiatives. It will collaborate with Association for Library and Information Science Education to hold a national-level dialogue and build an outreach program to enhance the capacities of library schools to attract diverse students. Match: $936,384
American Library Association
Log Number:
RE-01-07-0098-07
Fiscal Year:
2007
Award: $872,920.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program
State:
IL
Program Categories:
Master’s Level Programs
Building on the success of the Spectrum Scholarship Program, which provides scholarships for ethnically and racially underrepresented students attending graduate library and information science programs, the American Library Association will initiate “REACH 21: Preparing the Next Generation of Librarians for 21st Century Library Leadership.” The project will foster the recruitment, matriculation, and early career development of 150 minority students in master’s-level library and information science programs; provide mentoring and coaching of sixty additional students from underrepresented backgrounds; establish a formal, year-long mentoring program that will leverage community and support networks and aid educational and early career retention; and create an outreach services component.
American Library Association
Log Number:
RE-02-11-0025-11
Fiscal Year:
2011
Award: $886,499.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program
State:
IL
Program Categories:
Doctoral Programs
Issue Areas:
STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)
Inclusive and Accessible Learning
Diversifying library and information science education is critical to the preparation of future librarians, the advancement of research within the field, and the sustained relevance of the profession and its practice to an increasingly diverse nation. The American Library Association Spectrum Doctoral Fellowship Program: Building Change will provide tuition and stipends for at least seven ethnically diverse students pursuing PhDs in library and information science at one of 21 participating academic programs. Currently, only 15 percent of doctoral degrees awarded by library school programs are to ethnic minorities. Funding from IMLS will support fellows’ first two years of study while participating programs will fund subsequent years of required study.
American Library Association
Log Number:
RE-03-10-0063-10
Fiscal Year:
2010
Award: $432,495.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program
State:
IL
Program Categories:
Pre-Professional Programs
The American Library Association will launch a three-year national initiative to recruit 50 ethnically diverse high school and college students to careers in libraries by developing a stronger professional presence at local career, education, and cultural events. New professionals from ALA’s Spectrum Scholarship Program and other national diversity recruitment programs will serve as field recruiters at events such as the McNair National Research Conference, the MechA National Chicana/Chicano Leadership, powwows, and the Annual Conference of the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities.
American Library Association, Association of College and Research Libraries
Log Number:
RE-06-05-0057-05
Fiscal Year:
2005
Award: $93,106.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program
State:
IL
Program Categories:
Continuing Education
The Rare Book and Manuscript Section of the Association of College and Research Libraries, a division of the American Library Association, will support a major national conference focused on examining issues of mutual interest to special collections library and museum communities and creating greater collaboration between them. The funds will provide 30 attendance scholarships for new and aspiring professionals from both fields, including 10 from professionally underrepresented minorities, and costs of speakers from the museum community. The conference is expected to attract 250 to 275 attendees. Titled Intersecting Missions, Converging Futures: Libraries and Museums in the Twenty-First Century, the conference will bring together practicing and aspiring professionals from both fields to investigate common concerns and to explore ways in which they can work together more closely in the future to fulfill their respective roles in society. Match: $96,589
Public Library Association
Log Number:
RE-06-14-0001-14
Fiscal Year:
2014
Award: $213,682.00
City:
Chicago
Program:
Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program
State:
IL
Program Categories:
Continuing Education
Recipient Type:
Library
The Public Library Association (PLA), a division of the American Library Association, in partnership with the International City/County Management Association, developed the PLA Leadership Academy (successfully piloted in Spring 2013), with an asset-based curriculum that educated librarians on how to build relationships with local government and other agencies. In the Navigating Change and Building Community project, PLA will refine and implement the PLA Leadership Academy, measuring the impact on participants and their libraries. The project team also will convene a meeting of leadership training providers to share evaluation results and best practices and further raise awareness and understanding of the PLA leadership model.
$149,924.00 + $239,416.00 + $486,587.00 + $499,741.00 + $581,609.00 + $249,867.00 + $249,330.00 + $33,968.00 + $99,985.00 + $99,937.00 + $99,996.00 + $99,398.00 + $50,000.00 + $25,000.00 + $243,922.00 + $305,085.00 + $50,000.00 + $498,755.00 + $407,111.00 + $358,690.00 + $590,110.00 + $106,669.00 + $45,145.00 + $250,837.00 + $291,179.00 + $50,000.00 + $928,142.00 + $872,920.00 + $886,499.00 + $432,495.00 + $93,106.00 + $213,682.00 = $9,589,105.00
NOTE ADDED 17 JUNE 2017:
The Annoyed Librarian absolutely rips into the "ALA propaganda machine" on this #SaveIMLS hoax:
Andy Woodworth: Yeah, linking Breitbart on the Think Tank is never a great move.
Andy Woodworth: Edit: The only reviews I see are on Goodreads and Amazon. A quick check of the library's website shows that they own it as a book, audiobook, paperback, OD eBook, and OD audiobook.
The library isn't wrong to say that they have plenty of copies of that book and in multiple formats; that's certainly true. Whether it should be added as a graphic novel for a book that is already a year old is pretty up in the air. I'm not sure what it adds to the collection other than yet another format for the same material. Personally, I'd add it but only because we have the space. Otherwise, I wouldn't.
Crissy Hensley: The local news version adds that the library has accepted 35 out of 39 of the patron's suggestions in the last 2 years. I wonder if she complained about the other refusals to this extent...
Philip Levie: Or anywhere. Ever.
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Terry Moore: “We want all the books on the shelves. We want the people to make the decision,” Lhota told WUFT-TV. She wants "all the books" on the shelf. Will she vote for a bond to expand the library to the size of the Western US? Not having every book on the shelf is not censorship, it's Collection Development.
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Richard Sandstrom: If she was the only person requesting it, no matter what it is, most libraries will say no. It is a matter of limited space, limited budget, and demand. The standard here is to offer to interlibrary loan it to her from a library that does have it.
Michelle Eisele: In this case, the article says she offered to purchase it and donate it to the library and they have said they will refuse to shelve it. On the other hand, it does appear that they have it in 11 other formats, so I can see why they could say no. It's not exactly censorship to not want to shelve the graphic novel version of a book they have already...in that many formats. It does seem a little petty to refuse a donation. I can honestly see both sides of this issue.
Jill Grunenwald: Michelle Eisele donations are not free. They still cost staff time and resources to process.
Richard Sandstrom: Looking into it further, the graphic novel seems popular and based on the statistics I looked up on the county, the library should have a copy. There are several copies of Clinton Cash the book and they seem to be circulating well. Depending on the policy the library may not be able to accept the book, but it is surprising that I do not see it in the catalog. But, that does not mean it hasn't been ordered and I know nothing of the library's internal structure and policies that really do have more to do with this situation than the book itself.
Megan Esseltine Hathaway: Michelle Eisele Donating a book does not give a patron decision-making power over a collection. If the library refuses to buy it for reasons other than cost, denying the request to accept a donation makes sense. We do nto accept donations that come with such stipulations-they are given to the Friends book shop (from which we can snag items for the shelves) or the patron can keep their book and hope we see value in buying the item.
Michelle Eisele: I'm not purely advocating for the patron, I said I could see BOTH sides of the issue.
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Nicole Renée Gustavsen: Interesting choice of the term "banned" in the title when the lede clearly indicates something different.
Andy Woodworth: Didn't buy it in all available formats, therefore BANNED
Diane Lapsley: Nothing draws an eye like "banned,' except maybe "aliens."
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JP Porcaro: lol breit bart
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John Sandstrom: Hopefully the library has a collection development policy in place that justifies their decision.
JP Porcaro: i dont even think you need a policy - librarians are obsessed with policy - a simple "we don't have space for everything" will suffice - policy or no policy doesn't prevent misleading briet bart articles like this
Andy Woodworth: Yes, you do need a policy. You need something you can show people (new staff, stakeholders, community, whatever) that says "here's how we decide things". If you say "we don't have space" and don't have a document that backs you up, it makes you look like you just made it up.
Shawn Bliss: I'm with Andy on this one. Carefully crafted policy is the CYA gift that never stops giving. Especially for public libraries.
Sally Breedlove: Yes, a policy is in place for any decline to purchase
John Pappas: A policy will back up your decisions when breitbart attacks!
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Sarah Dentan: Declining to add =/= "banning".
Tim Spalding: I hold no brief for this book whatsoever—the point is general—but this sort of argument falls apart, at least at the margins. Consider a bright-line case, the history of South African public libraries systematically declining to buy popular, well-known and much-praised books by black people, or that might seem to undermine Apartheid, even if they had not been explicitly sanctioned by the government. None of us would shrink from saying that they had "banned" them. None of us would say "Not adding isn't banning!" or "But they had collection- development policy!"
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Gregg Whitmore: Admittedly I'm not familiar with Breitbart , which might be part of the issue. And a good CD policy, multiple formats, money and space are always issues. Having a colleague in Mississippi that has to deal with outside politics constantly thwarting her ideas gave me pause when I read this . As a medical librarian, politics rarely plays a part in my CD policy, but I'm always interested to see what issues other librarians are facing. Thanks all!
David Rachlin: Brietbart is a conspiracy spewing tea party mouthpiece that routinely publishes inflammatory headlines that mask the true story. They purposely try to rile up conservatives with non-stories to take their minds of the real issues in the world.
John Ward Beekman: And the editor is now a major manager of a presidential campaign. No points for guessing which one.
Terry Moore: Pssst, it's the racist one.
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Janet Genchur Lukas: I once had a director take the swiftboating book on John Kerry off the shelves. He asked me where it came from and I answered that it was a donation. He opened the front door and tossed the book out the door. "it's missing."
Moni Rae: Wow.
John Jack: That is appalling.
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Ben Kenobii: Sounds more like a collection issue than a political one, huge beat up
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Alma Chavarria: So you all know Breitbart is a xenophobic, misogynistic, racist website from the alt-right. Right?
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Edward Pellaeon: Possibly two things going on here. They have the books but they're all checked out or someone is going out of their way to not shelve them. Most likely the former. With enough attention now, we'll see more copies once county and library board get media pressure despite any policies currently in place.
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Sally Breedlove: I work at this library. Suffice to say there is a lot more to this story. Also we didn't ban it.
Michelle Eisele: Can you share what's more to the story? Because while I was reading the article I definitely had that thought, we're obviously missing a lot here.
Brittany Turner: Michelle Eisele probably better that she not. May not be authorized to speak on behalf of the library, and probably better that she not open her personal Facebook account up to public records requests (which may have already happened with this post).
Michelle Eisele: I totally understand if she's not able to share, but I'm curious so I just thought I would ask!
Brittany Turner: Michelle Eisele agree... I'm assuming there will be more to come in the media, or on the library's Facebook page if they have one
Sally Breedlove: I'm the Facebook person for my library. We've already gotten people commenting, but I don't work outside of reg. hours. I can't say more, but if this were happening to your library you would know there was a lot of backstory.
Gregg Whitmore: Thanks for the insight, Sally. Much appreciated!
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Emily Whitmire Sluder: I wouldn't add it just because there would not be much circulation of it, and interest would wane more quickly than say, most other graphic novels.
Glynn Dowrgeun: Right, we have just a few weeks until the election.
Erik Wilkinson: Assume much Emily Whitmire Sluder?
Emily Whitmire Sluder: Haha!!!! I know you're joking! Our adults requesting the Clinton cash book would not want to read the graphic novel. You should have seen the uproar when Janet Evanovich had a graphic novel come out. "You mean it's not a real book?!" And our graphic novel fans usually stick to Walking Dead, game of thrones, um yeah... Clientele differences. Not to say other adults wouldn't like it or current gn fans wouldn't like it. There just aren't enough to justify! Plus to me it is like all the other political books about candidates. Interest wanes.
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Glynn Dowrgeun: That's not "banning'. That's "declining". A responsible journalist would learn that librarians have to decline crackpot offers of additions to the library all the time. And noncrackpot offers too. Breitbart is, of course, mischaracterizing for maximum sensational effect.
Philip Levie: Breitbart just got shared on my fb. This is one strike towards me unfollowing the Think Tank.
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Johna Von Behrens: "have even offered to pay for the book and donate it to the library." I dont see the issue here??
Brittany Turner: I have never heard of a library system that adds every donated item to a collection. Collection development policies exist and for good reason.
Alma Chavarria: We have a process that includes reading reviews from professional publications, input from librarians and collection development staff, and consideration on whether a book fits in our collection. Few books get a pass without going through all the steps.
Mike Cendejas: I used to work at a small bible college (sub-50 students) and their policy was to accept any donations from pastors and bump them to the head of the line for cataloging. We had 19 copies of the first Left Behind book. All cataloged and on the shelf.
Mara Connolly: That does not sound like a good use of shelf space!
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Lara Faekitty: Depends on the quality of the book and demand.
Philip Levie: Audiobook on CD, Ebook, Print, AND E-Audiobook available. The librarians thought there would not be demand in GN format beyond this one very squeaky wheel. Move along, non-issue.
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Lisa Eichholtz: Libraries can't buy everything requested and not adding something to the collection isn't banning it.
Libraries’ Denial Of Anti-Clinton Book Draws Frustration
In mid-August, Ann Lhota, a Newberry resident, requested that the Alachua County Library District purchase “Clinton Cash: A Graphic Novel,
WUFT.ORG
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Wanda Mae Huffaker: I think I might have thought to myself: " It's a political year. Perhaps, I can find a little room for a display and display every political related book I can. I think I can get it, and every format, every Trump book, every voting book...everything and see if we can get circ up. It might not sit on the shelves. THEN, next year, when interest is down, we will reevaluate what our needs are. It's a win/win, and nobody calls the press".
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Nishan Stepak: If the decision is based on a disapproval of the ideas expressed and desire to keep those ideas away from public access then it fits the definition of censorship.
Jill Grunenwald: But that's not what is happening here. They already own the same book in multiple formats.
Nishan Stepak: A graphic novel is a different style of presentation than a book. Visual narrative and storyboards have a different process of creation than novels. A graphic novel is much closer to a film than a book. The process of creation is different. A writer of novels for the most part cannot create the visual imagery in a comic or graphic novel. The content is significantly different because of the images.
Megan Esseltine Hathaway: The audience for standard print vs. graphic novel are not the same audience. I would probably not purchase it for my collection, either, without a patron request (I don't get a ton, and am in a position to say yes to most of them).
Media Matters looks back at the some of Breitbart News’ most outrageous and over-the-top headlines during...
MEDIAMATTERS.ORG
Erik Wilkinson: I agree that Breitbart is a shill for Trump, however it's also important to note that MMfA is a pro-Hillary organ (in fact she was one of its founders).
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Alma Chavarria: What say we look at the fine authoritative source that Breitbart is and ponder whether this site should be instrumental in collection development decisions. Hm?
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Diane Lapsley: Sure hope they circ a copy of "The Art of the Deal" or there'll be all sorts of hell....
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Nitko Odvaseg Poslovanja: If they have 11 copies in the catalog and they're not on the shelf, then they're all checked out.
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Nitko Odvaseg Poslovanja: Yeah. That library system has multiple copies of that book currently available for checkout.
Jack Baur: They don't have the graphic novel.
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Erik Wilkinson: I remember my public library carrying a a pro-Obama graphic novel back in 2008 so I do not see the harm in providing a timely and relevant one that may be critical of the Clintons. After all, a good library should have something to offend everyone. And as a personal aside, I think that as librarians we should further encourage the publishing of dense, complicated topics in GN format; it serves the public well.
John Ward Beekman: this line from the better-sourced news story makes a troubling point: "After the denial, the library district purchased “A Child’s First Book of Trump,” a satirical picture book that mocks Clinton’s Republican opponent, Donald Trump, Lhota said."
Erik Wilkinson: *sigh...*
Harriet Bedell: "better-sourced"?
John Ward Beekman: WUFT, a public radio station, vs. Breitbart
Harriet Bedell: ok, bc public radio isn't liberally leaning at all. Very subjective. At first I thought WUFT was you trying to cuss me out! lol
John Ward Beekman: liberal "leaning" perhaps, but with that outmoded sense of propriety and commitment to at least attempt objectivity, vs. an avowedly partisan mission.
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Tim Spalding: One thing I'd get into a collection-development policy: "We may add fewer hot political books than people expect." Because books like that seldom retain interest over the long term.
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Jen Crouse: Just searched catalog. No longer appears to be there. Odd.
Jack Baur: It doesn't sound like the ever had the graphic novel -- they said that having the audiobook, ebook, hardcover, and movie was enough.
Jen Crouse: Did you search the catalog?
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Tim Spalding: Final comment:
This is Breitbart bull. But I'd be very interested in a systematic analysis of political bias in library collections. (One could compare similar, but politically differing titles that sold equally across library collections. One could also look at holdings- vs-check-out ratios. There are lots of ways.) My gut tells me bias happens, and that it differs in both direction and magnitude in different places. And while I understand the various defenses, a significant systematic mismatch between patron demand and library holdings--all other things being equal--should be a concern.
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Jack Baur: If they've got multiple patron requests and people offering to provide copies of the book, I would say they are quickly running out of legitimate reasons to have it, unless they can fall back on a plurality of professional reviews.
Tim Spalding: Library collections are a planned, intentional, curated thing. You can't have a library filled with conservative titles because local conservatives donate books any more than you can have a library filled with liberal titles because liberals donate them.
JP Porcaro: Tim Spalding yea, tim is right re: curation.
as an aside, conservative think tanks spend huge money buying up books by talk radio folks and the like - which in turn, rises them up on the NY time best seller charts - which makes it *seem* at first glance like a legit reason to buy those books. without someone curating the collection (aka, just letting your collection be steered by donations, ofr the ny times list, or the whim of the few folks who fill out book requests). I don't see demand by a few folks as a legit reason to include the book.
JP Porcaro: this is also the reason why I dont include any of the DOZENS of great-looking hard-cover titles that we are constantly getting shipped here, unsolicited, from L. Ron Hubbard's folks. One or two books is enough.
Tim Spalding: JP: There's truth to that, but popularity manipulation is hardly restricted to right-wing outlets. (It's gotten to the point where, if a book is called an "Amazon bestseller," you should *expect* it was so for a day or less. The algorithm is absurdly sensitive to spikes, and, if you time your purchases right, you can make it spike for very little.)
FWIW, even if nobody you or I know would read it, Clinton Cash is no small book.
JP Porcaro: Tim Spalding even a big book isnt necessarily right for every, or even "the average", collection is what im saying- maybe i should have left politics out. i dont trust the 'charts' at all, for sure.
Tim Spalding: JP Porcaro There's no real way to dispute an individual case. It's too mired in empirical questions none of us can really solve. The larger, philosophical question is worth it, however. And, as I've said, I'd love to see a systematic "big data" analysis of political bias in libraries.
(Between the commercial and the library holdings data at my company, I've got more than enough to do that. But, fun as it would be—I *live* for what's now called "big data" analysis—I can't mine my customers' data for that sort of thing.)
Tim Spalding: Aside: I once did such an analysis of LibraryThing users' libraries--picking a dozen paradigmatic "red" and "blue" titles, and then inferring the red- or blue-ness of millions of other titles, as well as of the members collections. The red/blue divide is very real in bookland—most people's collections lined up neatly on one side. I never pushed it live because, well, that sort of thing, even if only seen by you, can get into people's noses like pepper. I envy OKCupid's data team.
JP Porcaro: Tim Spalding that is truly interesting!!! fictional title divides? red folks reading some fiction while blue folks read another?
Tim Spalding: Right. This is unexpected?
JP Porcaro: Tim Spalding not unexpected as much as unrealized. we - myself included - like to live in our little enlightened bubbles.
Tim Spalding: The effect is very strong. I remember early on noticing that "people who like The Mists of Avalon like Our Bodies Ourselves." On one level, it was silly—people don't expect recommendations to cross the fiction/non-fiction divide, unless the subject matter is identical. On another level, I'd seen the two rubbing shoulders on half the bookshelves of my Cambridge, Massachusetts childhood.
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Jack Baur: Also I'm really disappointed in Chuck Dixon right now.
Jan Arrah: Why? If we're talking about the same CHuck Dixon, comic book writer, his political beliefs have been well known for decades. It's one of the reasons people threw a fit when he was picked to write the Grifter/Midnighter series several years ago.
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JP Porcaro: as a related issue here: this is partially librarianship's fault. as long as we are out there banging the "banned book!!" drum for books that actually arent "banned" and are widely available everywhere, this is what we get. We get other people bending the definition of a banned book just as we ourselves bend it.
Michelle Eisele: That's a very interesting point. We understand the difference, but they might not always get it.
JP Porcaro: Michelle Eisele in this case, they might actually be even closer to the REAL definition of a banned book than librarians use - our banned books are available in libraries, this book isnt.
Tim Spalding: I think there's an excellent case against stocking this book. But your point is also where I get off the bus. Things seems to boil down as follows: Something is banned ("banned and challenged," but "banned" for public purposes) if a cranky private citizen writes a comment card against an available book, and the library staff appropriately do nothing whatsoever about it. But nothing that trained librarians do in the field of acquisition and weeding, although government employees, can ever quality for a spot on the banned-and-challenged continuum.
JP Porcaro: Tim Spalding I think we are saying the same thing? We librarians call it a "banned" book if we decided it should be there against the wishes of a one/a few people, but we'd never dare call it a "banned" book if we ourselves decided it shouldn't be on the shelves?
JP Porcaro: which, btw, is my big issue with banned books week.
Michelle Eisele: I actually do think you guys are making the same point.
Tim Spalding: Right. We are. I'm just saying it in a lot more words.
JP Porcaro: oh ha sorry when you said "get off the bus" i thought you meant we weren't saying the same thing
Tim Spalding: Bus, not train. The "librarian common wisdom bus" or something.
Also the way ALA's list is presented as real, verifiable and statistical data, but is really an impressionistic marketing tool. I found that episode very depressing. There are few topics I care more about than freedom of expression, so statistical and methodological sloppiness here steams me up.
Wanda Mae Huffaker: We will never report on ourselves anyway, because we justify everything we do so that we are never wrong. Thus the reason we aren't reported to OIF.
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Jan Arrah: I'd just like to point out that despite what people seem to think, Breitbart is not alone in the idea of misleading headlines (though theirs is very specific and only talking about the graphic novel..) and yes they used a sensational headline.. but so has every single news outlet I've ever seen and they often have a headline that is COMPLETELY different than the story inside all to manipulate people on the headline alone.
And yes, I think this is a misleading headline.. but then again we do over use the word ban in our society and as JP Porcaro pointed out.. it no longer means what we think it means. I remember not that long ago people getting very annoyed with me for pointing out an anti-gun ad that stated that Little Red Riding Hood was banned in America, but guns weren't that it wasn't accurate.. and people happily stood by banned in THAT case.. (though someone did make a more accurate ad..)
The archival copy shows all the typical Facebook graphics, notations, and indentations that I removed from my republication above for readability/searchability reasons.
I know of no other source for this post/document that the ALA people censored. I'm happy to resurrect it and make it available for public discussion.
"This post has been removed or could not be loaded."
Actually, it was censored by ALA censorship police.
I was able to obtain a copy, before it was censored, of course. I republish it as a courtesy to those seeking to expose how the American Library Association [ALA] harms communities. It contains admissions and statements that go against the usual picture of good librarians caring for school children and communities. These librarians are instead mocking patrons and otherwise showing they are social justice warriors, not civil servants acting in the public good, actively working to shape what patrons see.
Not all, of course. Some librarians did indeed stand up for patrons and for common sense. But the group counterattacks scare off many. Even the first comment was to attack the messenger for posting a Breitbart News link. I myself, a volunteer librarian, have been blocked from seeing, let alone commenting upon, this "open" Facebook group run by ALA heavyweights.
Why this matters: The censorship was done by the very same people who claim it is censorship to keep school children from inappropriate material in public schools. It was done for the purpose of censoring their admissions that so-called "Banned Books Week" is a hoax. As one candidate for ALA President put it (and the guy who blocked my access, self-arrogated free speech proponents that they are):
this is partially librarianship's fault. as long as we are out there banging the "banned book!!" drum for books that actually arent "banned" and are widely available everywhere, this is what we get. We get other people bending the definition of a banned book just as we ourselves bend it.
Exactly. He also said,
We librarians call it a "banned" book if we decided it should be there against the wishes of a one/a few people, but we'd never dare call it a "banned" book if we ourselves decided it shouldn't be on the shelves?
which, btw, is my big issue with banned books week.
Another librarian said,
Something is banned ("banned and challenged," but "banned" for public purposes) if a cranky private citizen writes a comment card against an available book, and the library staff appropriately do nothing whatsoever about it. But nothing that trained librarians do in the field of acquisition and weeding, although government employees, can ever quality for a spot on the banned-and-challenged continuum.
Correct. And that's how books about ex-gays are banned by ALA and children's Rush Revere books by Rush Limbaugh are banned, even during Banned Books Week. See:
It also exposes just how much librarians hate conservative ideas, Donald Trump, and Breitbart News. Seething hatred. Just read it. No wonder they deleted it. No wonder I resurrected it.
It also exposes how librarians practice their own brand of censorship that never makes it into ALA's "Banned Books Week" hoax list, as the one librarian pointed out, like the library director who threw Jerome Corsi's New York Times #1 Bestseller out the front door for obvious political reasons, then said it is now missing:
I once had a director take the swiftboating book on John Kerry off the shelves. He asked me where it came from and I answered that it was a donation. He opened the front door and tossed the book out the door. "it's missing."
Unfit for Command; Swift Boat Veterans Speak Out Against John Kerry never appeared on any ALA Banned Books Week annual list.
Here we see the very same people involved with that Banned Books Week hoax are themselves censors when they need to hide their own censorship and their own hatreds. They admit Banned Books Week is a hoax, bash the President and conservative media, then censor the whole conversation. Only the got caught at it.
