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COGNOTES

CONFERENCE & EXHIBITION

JUNE 22–27, 2017

CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS

CHICAGO, ILAMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION

Clinton Closes ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition with Admiration for Librarians

Colleen Cirocco/Wayne State University (MI)

Delivering a speech combining uplifting support for librarians and accounts of personal experiences, former Secretary of State, U.S. Senator, and bestselling author Hillary Rodham Clinton closed the 2017 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition. Clinton covered many topics that are at the heart of the library profession in her potent presentation. She told the audience, “We need librarians more than ever.”

Reading changes lives

Clinton reminisced about the excitement she felt when she got her first library card, how it served as her “passport to the world.” She reflected on the escapism reading provides, even how books helped her get past the difficult period after the 2016 election. Clinton acknowledged many specific bonding points between herself and the library community. In her opening remarks, she lightheartedly referenced the “important” work librarians put into the conference such as “debating topics in archiving,” and “taking home heavy boxes of books.”

But she then talked only about libraries’ importance. With the theme of “reading changes lives,” she shared that some of her favorite memories were of she and Bill [Clinton] reading to their daughter Chelsea as a child, and now reading those same books, such as Curious George and Goodnight Moon, to her grandchildren. She juxtaposed those fond memories with some unsettling statistics, such as, only one in three low-income children are read to in their first two years of life, and that by the time they are four years old they have heard 30,000,000 fewer words than their affluent peers. They are set up for a drastic disadvantage from the start.

She asserted that raising readers means raising good citizens. Reading helps to develop empathy; by putting oneself in the shoes of the characters, you begin to understand different ways of living, different ways of thinking.

Libraries are places where communities come together

Clinton referenced a recent visit to a public library in Queens, N.Y., where she realized that the library is the only public space that people of all races, genders, religions, and sexual orientations utilize. She described her visit as “thrilling,” seeing the broad range of public programming, such as story time, coding club, job interview training, and language tutoring. Remarking on the essential services libraries provide, she referenced the statistic that there are five million children who do not have access to the internet, in an age where much of their homework requires it. She also praised the dedication of librarians, citing one recent example in Philadelphia, where some are being trained to administer antidotes to patrons suffering from drug overdoses, during this extreme epidemic. “Librarians are literal lifesavers.”

We need critical thinkers more than ever

“Long before fake news and alternative facts, libraries have been teaching media literacy.” Clinton praised the work libraries do in helping people learn to “build arguments on rational evidence.” She referenced the quote by former senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, “Everyone is entitled to his own opinion, but not his own facts.” Libraries are places to delve deeper into the facts, and to learn about opposing points of view. “Libraries and democracies go hand in hand,” Clinton stated. She praised librarians as “guardians of the First Amendment” who stand up to censorship and foster an open, inclusive, and diverse space. She implored the audience to “fight to defend evidence, truth, and facts.”

Clinton beamed admiration for librarians, and displayed a deep understanding of not only the financial, but also the emotional hardships that the profession entails. “You are making a difference, even when it feels hard and thankless.” It was clear that every person in the auditorium left feeling appreciated and motivated to go back to their work with a renewed sense of drive, dedication, and compassion.

Saujani: Where are the Girls?

Stephanie Barnaby, San Jose State University

ALA President Julie Todaro kicked off the Opening General Session on June 23, thanking the sponsors and highlighting some of the sessions she was most excited about. Todaro emphasized the librarian’s role in society, stating, “Ours is a noble profession, dedicated to equity and inclusion.” Now more than ever, libraries must be safe spaces and as welcoming as ever before.

The Opening General Session highlighted various attractions in the Exhibits and throughout the conference space. With over 1,800 programs and more than 2,500 events happening in Chicago, there was something for everyone. Todaro mentioned the self-serve kiosk where interested individuals can sign up for the Libraries Transform campaign for free swag and support. The Stand for the Banned recording booth and the Global Literature booth were also highlighted.

The featured speaker, Reshma Saujani, CEO and founder of Girls Who Code, demonstrated the importance of inspiring young girls to be involved in the technology and science fields. As she looked in on a computer science class, she saw a classroom full of young boys and asked herself, “Where are the girls?” This is a question Saujani continues to ask. Even though technology is one of the fastest growing fields with many potential job openings, the number of women in computer science is decreasing. The problems stem from a societal bias, without media images of women in coding.

Echoing the sentiments of her TED Talk, Saujani thinks that it has become fashionable for girls to say, “I hate math/science.” She put forth the idea that we teach boys to be brave and girls to be perfect. If a young girl is focused on “perfection or her bust, they will be unlikely to try to learn skills that they don’t perceive they will be good at.” This concept prevents women from being fearless, willing to take big risks and fail. Girls Who Code makes use of three central concepts when teaching young women: capabilities, careers, and community. This community, a sisterhood, Saujani explained, is created when the average graduate of a Girls Who Code program goes out and teaches four other girls what they have learned.

As the creator of a series of 13 books, featuring five diverse female characters who meet in a coding club, Saujani hopes to change the image of coding in the media, making it more accessible for young girls today. Her forthcoming book, Girls Who Code: Learn to Code and Change the World, aims to appeal to every girl.

Reshma Saujani on Bravery, Librarian Impact

From Mars to the Moon: Author Weir Flies High

by Michelle Kowalsky, Rowan University

Right before the June 26 Auditorium Speaker Series, bestselling author Andy Weir caught a glimpse of his first galley copy of Artemis (Crown Publishing, 2017). Weir surprised the audience by explaining that the librarians present would be the first people to see the new book aside from the publishers. Weir is also the author of The Martian, on which the Ridley Scott film starring Matt Damon was based.

The premise of Artemis involves building a city on the moon; it is based on scientific fact as closely as possible to be authentic. “I had to write some code to help me calculate plausible landing trajectories,” said Weir, who was a software engineer in real life before becoming famous for his science fiction. “Nerds are my people!” he cajoled, maintaining that his readers likely enjoy identifying scientific errors and the conversations they ignite. He also admitted to having more than a layman’s knowledge of the space industry, which helps him to craft accessible stories which include details from multiple scientific disciplines.

Weir’s jovial and humorous banter included onstage interactions with the sign language interpreters, as he paced around and challenged them to replicate unusual scientific words, alternately apologizing and then teasing them by repeating difficult terms. He answered many questions from the audience about the impact of The Martian’s first line, his VIP visit to Johnson Space Center, and writing from a female protagonist’s point of view. Among others, he mentioned the influence of his mother and father for providing a home library filled with hundreds of science fiction books from the 1950s and 60s.

2017 ANNUAL EXHIBITS HIGHLIGHTS