Industry News

From The Washington Post: Saving for an American Girl doll might take months or even a year. But now there’s a way for local kids to bring one home without paying the $110 price tag. Beginning this month, anyone with an Arlington County library card can sign up to borrow one of eight dolls for [...]

The American Library Association (ALA) will be selecting the presidents of its three youth divisions in the coming weeks, with voting opening tomorrow at 9:00 a.m. Central Time and closing at 11:59 p.m. on April 26, 2013. School Library Journal asked each of the candidates why they want to be president of their respective division, and what they would bring to the position. Here is what they had to say.

Be a Super Hero, Read! is a writing contest for kids in grades 3–6 sponsored by DC Entertainment and Capstone. Children are encouraged to write about a real super hero in their lives who has amazing human qualities such as courage, generosity, or imagination. Entries must be approved by the child’s librarian, teacher, parent, or guardian. Judging criteria includes originality, creativity, and heroism displayed.

Picture book author Jon Klassen, Little, Brown editor Susan Rich, and Little, Brown Art Director Patti Ann Harris at the Little, Brown picture book celebration.

As a part of YALSA’s year-long National Forum on Libraries & Teens project, the association is sponsoring three virtual town halls via its Adobe Connect space. The first session, scheduled for March 19 at 2:00 PM ET, will focus on partnerships. As facilitator Linda Braun explains, library staff are encouraged to invite stakeholders from their communities to join the conversation. YALSO also be using Twitter (#yalsaforum) and Facebook to encourage participation.

Award-winning poet, author, and photographer Nancy Wood, who devoted her career to exploring the culture and lives of the Native American people of the Southwest, died this week in Santa Fe, NM.

If you use Google Reader to read and share RSS feeds you’re going to need to find a new tool. Google just announced that as of July 1st, 2013 they will “retire” the service. Here’s what they had to say in a blog post: We launched Google Reader in 2005 in an effort to make [...]

Finalists for the Lamda Book Awards and Audie Awards were announced; Illustrators and Authors honored with Ezra Jack Keats Awards; March is Music in Schools Month, and other news tidbits for librarians.

SLJ caught up with prolific author and history buff David Baldacci for a candid interview about his new YA book The 39 Clues: Cahills vs. Vespers: Day of Doom (Scholastic), his writing inspirations, the importance of museums and libraries, his lifelong passion for literacy, and his belief that literacy is the key to ending poverty in America.