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National Book Foundation Honors ALA Executive Director with Literarian Award

Chase Ollis on November 16, 2022

Librarians across the country will be tuning in tonight as one of their own is honored at the 73rd National Book Awards in New York City.

The National Book Foundation, which presents the annual awards, will honor Tracie D. Hall, executive director of the American Library Association (ALA), with its 2022 Literarian Award for Outstanding Service to the American Literary Community. The award is given each year to an individual for a lifetime of achievement in expanding the audience for books and reading. Author and professor Ibram X. Kendi will present the award.

Hall said her first thoughts on receiving the award were of her family.

“My first thought upon being notified about this honor was wishing my grandparents could share this moment,” she said. “They were the ones who, because of their own interrupted schooling, introduced me to libraries as places for self-education. Because they-especially my grandmother-saw libraries and librarians as advocates for the community, they fostered in me the belief that libraries can and should play a role in bolstering equity and access. It is that foundation that has informed my work in libraries and at ALA, and that provides daily a sense of urgency.”

Prior to joining ALA as the first Black woman to lead the Association since its founding, Hall served in a wide array of academic and public service roles, including at the Joyce Foundation, Dominican University’s Master of Library and Information Science program, and public libraries across the country.

“Libraries are essential for all readers-they are spaces of learning and community whose importance has only been amplified by the pandemic and the ever-increasing tensions of resource equity,” said David Steinberger, chair of the National Book Foundation’s board of directors. “The Foundation is honored to recognize Hall’s extensive contributions to the diversification of the library and information science fields and her commitment to digital literacy in an age of misinformation, which will have a lasting impact of readers and communities everywhere.”

Hall joins a glowing roster of Literarian Award honorees, including legendary poet Maya Angelou, author and founder of McSweeney’s Dave Eggers, and National Public Radio’s Terry Gross. This will also be the second consecutive year the Literarian Award has been given to a librarian, after author and librarian Nancy Pearl received the 2021 award.

The National Book Awards will be broadcast live on November 16 at 8:00 p.m. ET. Book lovers can stream the ceremony live here.

“History is freaking cool you guys!” Lizzo Brings History to Life with James Madison’s Flute

Chase Ollis on September 28, 2022

It was history more than 200 years in the making. While performing her Tuesday night set on “The Special Tour” in Washington, D.C., superstar performer and classically trained flautist Lizzo treated fans to a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle: playing a crystal flute owned by former U.S. President James Madison that is currently held by the Library of Congress (LC).

“I just twerked and played James Madison’s crystal flute from the 1800s,” she said onstage to roars of applause. “We just made history tonight! Thank you to the Library of Congress for preserving our history and making history freaking cool. History is freaking cool you guys!”

The possibility of the moment had been teased for days by LC after Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden invited Lizzo to view LC’s flute collection via Twitter.

“@lizzo, we would love for you to come see it and even play a couple when you are in DC next week,” she tweeted on September 23 along with pictures of several flutes in the collection. “Like your song they are ‘Good as hell.'”

“IM COMING CARLA!” Lizzo enthusiastically replied. “AND IM PLAYIN THAT CRYSTAL FLUTE!!!!!”

The crystal flute is part of LC’s collection of more than 1,800 flutes-the largest such collection in the world-and its origin is a mysterious one. It was made by French craftsman Claude Laurent in 1813 and gifted to Madison in honor of his second inauguration as president. On August 24, 1814, just before Washington D.C. was set ablaze by British troops during the War of 1812, First Lady Dolley Madison fled the White House with several valuable artifacts, including an iconic portrait of George Washington. It’s plausible, though unknown, that the flute was one of the items rescued by the first lady.

The flute’s rarity and preciousness can’t be understated. As detailed on LC’s blog,

“[Laurent] patented a leaded glass flute in 1806. Most flutes at the time were made of wood or ivory, but Laurent’s glass invention held its pitch and tone better during changes in temperature and humidity. They were popular for a few decades, but he was almost alone in making them and they faded from popularity after flutes began to be made of metal in the mid-19th century. Today, only 185 of his glass flutes are known to survive, and his crystal flutes are even rarer. LC holds 17 Laurent flutes, by far the largest collection in the world.”

Of LC’s Laurent flutes, only two are made of crystal, and for something so rare, preservation and security are top priority. Ahead of Lizzo’s performance, library curators and security officers worked to ensure the item’s safe handling, including transporting it in a customized protective container.

The fourth U.S. president, James Madison grew up on a plantation that employed slave labor and was the first to suggest what became known as the Three-fifths Compromise, which determined the counting of enslaved persons as 3/5 of a person for taxation and representation in the U.S. House of Representatives. Madison is also credited with the idea of creating a congressional library. That his crystal flute was played by a Black female performer in collaboration with the Librarian of Congress-the first African American and first woman to hold the position-is an ironic and symbolic intersection of fate.

Lizzo’s crystal flute performance in front of thousands of fans brought history to life and is a prime example of how libraries preserve our history and make it available to all.

“It’s about damn time” we got to hear it.

Photo: Lizzo plays one of the flutes in the Library of Congress’s flute vault. Credit: Shawn Miller/Library of Congress.

Spider-Man Slings into Another Library Adventure

Chase Ollis on September 2, 2022

Marvel Comics recently celebrated an incredible milestone when it published its landmark 900th issue of The Amazing Spider-Man, which coincides with the 60th anniversary of the hero’s first appearance in the comics, and it’s one for the books!

In the extra-special story, “Better Late than Never!”, Peter Parker eagerly slings into New York Public Library (NYPL) to return a mountain of overdue books after he learns the library is waiving all late fees (which NYPL really did in 2021). But as Peter soon discovers, fine clemency can only go so far when your books get damaged in scuffles with supervillains like the Lizard and Carnage. And he later finds himself in perhaps one of his most harrowing adventures yet: storytime at the library!

Spider-Man at storytimeThose with keen spidey senses may know this isn’t the webslinger’s first library adventure. NYPL is a regular feature in the comics, including a 1988 story where Spider-Man must fight the library’s famous lions Patience and Fortitude after they come to life. And in a 1974 issue of Spidey Super Stories, Spider-Man teams up with the first Spider-Woman, Valerie the Librarian, who was notably Marvel’s first Black female hero. Spider-Man has even dropped into his own READ poster!

If you’re looking to discover a new comic book adventure, your local library is here to save the day. Many libraries carry a wide array of comics, graphic novels, and manga for readers of all ages. And during Library Card Sign-Up Month this September, now’s the perfect time to check out your library’s selection.

Want more library comics action? Celebrate National Comic Book Day on September 25, and follow the hashtag #CreatorsGetCarded on social media all month long as comics creators share their work and their love of libraries.

As Marvel Comics executive editor Nick Lowe writes in the story’s introduction, “Libraries (and librarians) RULE!” We couldn’t agree more.

Show Your Librarian Some Love!

Chase Ollis on July 8, 2022

Not all superheroes wear capes, and some just happen to be librarians!

Is your librarian a local hero? Do they go above and beyond in serving your community? Are they a champion for inclusivity or a defender of the freedom to read? Tell the world how awesome your librarian is by nominating them for the 2023 I Love My Librarian Award!

Nominations for the award are now open and will be accepted online through September 30, 2022.

Since the award’s inception in 2008, library users nationwide have submitted more than 22,000 nominations detailing how librarians transformed their communities, including efforts to improve inclusivity, digital access, and literacy. To date, 140 librarians have received this distinguished honor. And now the American Library Association (ALA) is looking to add another 10 to the list.

ALA member leaders will select 10 librarians from thousands of nominations, and each selected librarian will receive $5,000 in recognition of their outstanding public service. The Association will honor award recipients on stage at the I Love My Librarian Award ceremony at ALA’s LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience in January. Honorees also will receive complimentary LibLearnX registration and a travel stipend as part of their award package.

Check out last year’s inspiring honorees, then nominate your favorite librarian for the recognition of a lifetime. You can also help spread the word about the award in your community with our promotional tools.

Collections To Be Proud Of: Celebrating LGBTQIA+ Libraries and Archives

Chase Ollis on June 23, 2022

You’ll find them in community and health centers or inside larger university libraries, in locations across the country or fully online. LGBTQIA+ libraries and archives are relatively few and far between, comprising just a few dozen of the more than 116,000 libraries scattered throughout the United States. But despite their small footprint, the impact of these institutions on the communities they serve is immense.

LGBTQIA+ libraries and archives embody the heart of the intersection of library services and the community, with curated collections and resources as well as specialized programming meant to explicitly address the information needs of local LGBTQIA+ communities or educate the wider public. They also serve as a safe space for individuals to come and be themselves when they may not feel able to elsewhere.

a photograph from Gerber/Hart's GALS collection. Courtesy of Jen Dentel / Gerber/Hart Library and Archives

A photograph from Gerber/Hart’s GALS collection. Courtesy of Jen Dentel / Gerber/Hart Library and Archives

You may be familiar with some. The Lesbian Herstory Archives, an independent institution in New York City founded in the 1970s, holds the world’s largest collection of materials by and about lesbians and their communities; the Digital Transgender Archive, a fully digital project and international collaboration among more than 60 institutions and organizations, was created to increase the accessibility of transgender history through the digitization and retrieval information of historical trans-related materials; and ONE National Gay & Lesbian Archives at the University of Southern California Libraries is the largest repository of LGBTQIA+ materials in the world.

Others are smaller or more focused in their collections, such as the Leather Archives and Museum in Chicago (adults only!), the student-focused Rainbow Resource Center at the University of Wyoming, or the online Queer Zine Archive Project. And while they each may differ in their size or collection scope, they all carry out the critical mission of preserving and making visible the history and stories of LGBTQIA+ communities.

As public and school libraries across the country face a growing swell of challenges from conservatives toward LGBTQIA+ materials and programming, the work of these libraries is even more important today. Beyond collecting and preserving LGBTQIA+ books and history, the collections in these libraries tell much needed stories of queer joy otherwise lost in time.

Unboxing Queer History

Located above an LGBTQIA+ health center on the far north side of Chicago, the Gerber/Hart Library and Archives is the largest LGBTQIA+ library and archives serving the Midwest. It boasts a circulating collection of over 24,000 volumes and more than 160 collections of historically significant personal and organizational materials that spans decades. Some of the many unique collections include materials from the lesbian fishing group GALS (the Great Angling Lesbian Society), a trove of photos of drag queen Miss Tillie, “the Dirty Old Lady of Chicago” who performed around the city from the 1940s through the 1990s, and an array of materials from the Gay Liberation movement that swept Chicago and the rest of the country in the 1970s following the Stonewall Riots in New York City.

Most impressively: It’s all donated, and the library is almost entirely volunteer-run. And yet, it slides under the radar for many.

“So many people that I tell about Gerber/Hart have lived in Chicago for years and don’t know we exist,” says Jen Dentel, programs and social media coordinator at Gerber/Hart. “We have such an incredible collection, but we need to keep growing, and the only way to do this is to reach a bigger section of the community.”

a copy of an issue of the newspaper Gay Life stands next to a used dart board featuring a portrait of Anita Bryant, an American singer who rose to fame for her anti-gay activism. Photo by Chase Ollis

A copy of an issue of the newspaper Gay Life stands next to a used dart board featuring a portrait of Anita Bryant, an American singer who rose to fame for her anti-gay activism. Photo by Chase Ollis.

Beyond its collection, Gerber/Hart offers programming and curates exhibits that bring the collection to life. In the last few years, it has hosted exhibits covering the pre-Stonewall Homophile Movement, Chicago’s rich drag history, Gay Liberation, and opening this month, [De]Coded: Surviving the Law as a Sexual Deviant, which will trace the history of the legal codes targeting LGBTQIA+ communities.

Those who don’t live near Gerber/Hart can still experience the stories of its collections through the library’s new grant-funded podcast, Unboxing Queer History. Each episode takes a deep dive into one of the library’s specific archival collections, including Miss Tillie, GALS, and trans activist and founder of transGenesis Lorrainne Sade Baskerville.

“Our library and archives collections feature so many rare treasures that can’t be found anywhere else,” says Gerber/Hart’s interim operations director Erin Bell. “They contain so many stories yet untold.”

As communities around the country celebrate Pride Month this June, you may want to stop into the LGBTQIA+ library or archive near you and see what treasures you can unbox. Not sure where to look? The American Library Association’s Rainbow Round Table has created a helpful map.

Feature image: “Unboxing Queer History” podcast hosts Hannah Viti, Erin Bell, and Ariel Mejia hold a photo of trans activist Lorrainne Sade Baskerville inside the Gerber/Hart Library and Archives. Courtesy of Jen Dentel / Gerber/Hart Library and Archives.