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Presents highlights of the American Library Association's (ALA) Midwinter Meeting held in San Antonio, Texas January, 2000. Unveiling of Libraries and the Internet Toolkit, a paper and web-based packet that explains ALA policies, offers advice, and provides sample speeches and letters; Anticipation that the United States Congress will move forward with filtering legislation; Possible change in the Library Bill of Rights. INSET: Hightower Speaks Out on Filtering the Net.

The article reports on the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting, which took place in Seattle Washington. In response to criticism for having closed five of its agency libraries, Mike Flynn, of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), said they will not close any more libraries without further consultation and noted that the EPA had been ineffective in communicating its plan to rely more on electronic documents. ALA Council members avoided politically-charged resolutions.

The article reports on the American Library Association's (ALA) Midwinter Meeting in San Antonio, Texas. The ALA council approved an increase in dues, and suspended the meeting for 15 minutes so that participants could call legislators to urge changes to the Patriot Act. Author Andrei Codrescu used the forum to protest ALA's stance on Cuba's independent librarians. The ALA annual conference to be held in New Orleans, Louisiana was also discussed as well as other topics.

Highlights the American Library Association (ALA) convention in Chicago, Illinois. The high energy of this show; Overview of the sessions; Focus on the future; Inauguration of ALA's new president, Michael Gorman; Speakers, including Richard M. Daley, mayor of Chicago, and Illinois Senator Barack Obama, both of whom criticized the USA Patriot Act; How the five libraries involved in Google's library digitization plans expressed their visions; Resolutions; Financial report; Role of paraprofessionals, who held a conference aimed at this majority of library employees; Panel on unions; Concerns about library information science education.

The article discusses the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting, held January 14-17, 2005 in Boston, Massachusetts. The meeting showed a bounce back in attendance from 2004. Unlike in past years, there was less of a highly charged atmosphere regarding national or international issues. While Midwinter exhibits are usually modest, the venue attracted an eclectic mix ranging from publishers and tech purveyors to the ASPCA and feature film producers Walden Media.

In a different economic climate, the big news of the American Library Association 2003 Midwinter Meeting held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, would have been the progress made by the American Library Association's Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA). The big news could have been the welcome preconference announcement by First Lady Laura Bush, a librarian, that President Bush planned to request $20 million to help recruit and train librarians and $166.4 million for library grants to states. However, the budget cuts faced by so many libraries--from public to academic to state library entities--was the predominant theme in chilly Philly. Indeed, on the first day of the conference, ALA President Mitch Freedman drew nearly 500 people in an urgently planned rally to "Save America's Libraries." Freedman's signature cause, higher salaries, sustained a high profile at the conference, with training sessions and working groups throughout the program. The Better Salaries and Pay Equity for Library Workers Task Force released a new version of the Toolkit. The dark days extended to the show floor, where many exhibitors groused about slow traffic. While in previous years, the conference placement office featured more jobs than applicants, this time 293 registered job seekers competed for 196 openings, with the best chances in public and academic library administration. At the ALA-APA Midwinter Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, Council approved bylaws for the new organization, which will conduct activities--advocacy for library pay and the issuing of postgraduate certification--that ALA cannot do. Councilor Bernie Margolis, president of the Boston Public Library, said he would ask the ALA Executive Board to seek another legal opinion to determine if better salaries advocacy would be possible without jeopardizing ALA's tax-exempt status. INSETS: Library of the Year Nominations Sought;ALISE Meeting Focuses on Technology.

Deals with the annual conference of the American Library Association (ALA) in Atlanta, Georgia from June 13 through 19, 2002. Initiative introduced by Mitch Freedman, the incoming ALA president; Participants; Topics discussed; Products launched at the conference.

Focuses on the American Library Association's (ALA) formation of the Allied Professional Association (APA) to allow advocacy on librarian salary issues. Debate over the APA's establishment at the ALA's 2002 Midwinter Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana; Role of President-elect Mitch Freedman in lobbying for better wages; Details of the forum on low pay in libraries; Other topics addressed at the meeting, including 2004 candidates, crisis communications training for librarians, and digital reference.

Focuses on the annual meeting of the American Library Association (ALA) in June 2001. Speakers; Questions regarding the Children's Internet Protection Act; Future prospects of digital rights management; Issue of database protection; The interest in electronic books; Children's books, which dominated the exhibits; Ethnic coalition-building. INSETS: Honoring Paraprofessionals;You Gotta Have Friends;Mystery Authors Lunch;Striking It Richland: Library of the Year 2001

Presents an overview of the American Library Association (ALA) convention held in New Orleans, Louisiana in June 1999. Efforts of the (ALA) to handle the problem of filtering Internet content for children; Speech delivered by General Colin Powell; Expansion of electronic publishing; Other issues discussed such as privatization. INSET: Berman's Valedictory Message As Friends, Supporters Pay....

The article looks at the Public Library Association's 11th national conference in Boston, Massachusetts. The attendance was the largest group ever for an American Library Association division meeting. The article discusses the keynote speaker, journalist and author Linda Ellerbee, the debate on funding, the readers' advisory panels, and the session examining whether a master of library science is needed for a career in public librarianship.

The article examines partnerships made by reference publisher R.R. Bowker to create new bibliographic research data merchandise. Alliances were formed with the American Library Association's Association of College and Research Libraries division, H.W. Wilson, and Blackwell. In addition, the company has upgraded their already existing research products.

Focuses on the American Library Association annual Midwinter Meeting in January 2001 in Washington, D.C. Plan to challenge the Children's Internet Protection Act; Speakers including former United States Commerce Department official Larry Irving.

Focuses on the American Library Association's (ALA) Executive Board decision to move ALA's 1995 Midwinter Meeting, scheduled for Cincinnati, to Philadelphia. Cincinnati voters had overturned a city measure protecting the rights of gay and lesbian citizens.

Discusses the work of the American Library Association's Outsourcing Task Force. The broad mission that the task force has been entrusted with; Comments from Pat Schuman, former ALA president and currently a member of the task force; Why the task force has been unable to agree on a definition of outsourcing; How the relationship between technology and outsourcing has changed librarianship; The potential dangers of overreliance on vendors.

Features the American Library Association's Midwinter Meeting slated in January 1992 in San Antonio, Texas. Developments in the association; Conference activities; Projects.

Announces the retirement of associate executive director Peggy Barber of the American Library Association. Background and biographical information; Plan to continue reviewing literary fiction for 'Booklist.'

The article discusses EBSCO's products announced at the American Library Association's 2007 Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, Washington. EBSCO and the American Economic Association (AEA) partnered for EconLit with Full Text, which includes EconLit index bibliographic content plus full text of hundreds of economics and finance journals. EBSCO also added Brill Academic Publishers' Index Islamicus, an international bibliography of publications in European languages covering Islam and Muslims.

The article reports on events taking place at the 2007 winter meeting of the American Library Association in Seattle, Washington. The piece reports that those librarians attending the conference were appraised of a number of significant merger and acquisitions of library-related companies by private equity firms.

The article reports on concerns about the American Library Association's conference in New Orleans. While facilities should be open and the French Quarter has been restored, many vendors fear fewer people will attend. Services are returning to Louisiana libraries. SOLINET has partnered with state agencies to run a survey of damage to collections. New Orleans universities are cutting staff.

The article discusses the American Library Association (ALA) Midwinter Meeting, held in Boston, Massachusetts January 14-17, 2005. The demo-destroying sluggishness of the show floor's net connection at Boston's Hynes Convention Center received almost as much grumbling as the two-tier exhibits. All the top tech houses were ganged on the upper floor, which received little traffic despite an increase of several thousand attendees over the 2004 show in San Diego, while the ground floor exhibitors enjoyed droves of visitors. Boston proved a typically quiet Midwinter, with few significant vendor announcements. Nonetheless, enough products and word of forthcoming ones made the show interesting. The hot topics at recent meetings--RFID, self-check, Wi-Fi, federated searching, and ebooks--continued to fire discussion, despite privacy concerns, rising costs, and infighting among vendors.

Discusses concerns among the library community about how strong the American Library Association (ALA)/Canadian Library Association's turnout will be for their joint conference in Toronto, Ontario. Concerns that severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and budget restrictions could limit attendance; Decision of Gale Group to cut its booth size in half; Decision of Sirsi, EBSCO, and Ingram to maintain their space and staff at the show; Concerns of ALA about the conference's finances and programming; Importance of the conference for the tourism industry in Toronto; Decision of the Urban Libraries Council to cancel its activities associated with the conference.

The executive committee of the Israel Association of Libraries and Information Centers (ASMI) has condemned the American Library Association (ALA) Council's June 19, 2002 passage of a resolution calling upon the U.S. and other governments to "prevent further destruction of libraries and cultural resources" in Palestinian territories. In his response to ASMI, ALA President Mitch Freedman stated, "ALA policy does not differentiate between deliberate or unintentional destruction. Whether it is intentional or unintentional, justified or unjustified, the destruction of libraries, library collections, and property [is deplored by ALA]." The ALA resolution calls for cooperation between ALA and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions to "establish a study group on Palestinian libraries and cultural institutions, and establish a mechanism for providing assistance to Palestinian libraries and cultural institutions…." A December 24, 2002 article headlined "Librarians Against Israel" in the New York-based Jewish Press criticizes ALA and the Social Responsibilities Round Table (SRRT) for linking to "a smorgasbord of articles calling for the annihilation of Israel." The article, written by the pseudonymous N. Leonard Tolkan, a librarian, further excoriates the ALA Council for condemning "no other nation with anywhere near the frequency and vitriol it has reserved for Israel."

Discusses the online MONEYTALKS forum that the American Library Association's (ALA) Special Presidential Task Force on Better Salaries and Pay Equity launched. Frustrations of librarians over low salaries and lack of public respect; Campaign by ALA president Mitch Freedman for better librarian salaries; Poor salaries for paraprofessionals in libraries; Response to MONEYTALKS.

Focuses on the products launched at the annual conference of the American Library Association in Atlanta, Georgia from June 14 through 18, 2002. Polaris PowerPAC software from Gaylord company; AgeLine, a database on topics related to life after age 50, from EBSCO; DigitaLink software from epixtech.

Presents an interview with Keith Michael Fiels, the executive director of the American Library Association (ALA). Why he wanted the job; His plans to communicate ALA's message to the public; Use of Internet filters in libraries; Efforts to strengthen ALA's outreach.

Focuses on the Charleston Conference directed by the American Library Association. Issues of electronic journal archiving, electronic books, scholarly communication, portals, and other access to electronic information; Presentation by John McDonald on the circulation of books.

Reports that Carla Hayden and Katina Strauch have both announced their candidacies for the 2003-04 presidency of the American Library Association (ALA). Information about their qualifications; Role of Hayden as executive director of the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore, Maryland; Role of Strauch as head of collection development at the College of Charleston Libraries in South Carolina; Comments of both women.

Reports on the retirement of William Gordon, executive director of the American Library Association (ALA). Comments of Gordon and of ALA President John W. Berry; How the ALA increased membership under Gordon's leadership; Brief career details.

Reports on the death of Lois P. Mills, a librarian and one of the founding members of the American Library Association's Government Documents Round Table (GODORT). Career as a librarian; Achievements.

Offers advice to library workers on how to approach their directors for greater flexibility to allow them to go to American Library Association Conferences. Opinion that workers should investigate reimbursement for work-related travel expenses; Possibility that money is available for the development of newly hired employees; Suggestion that libraries need to focus on staff development in order to keep talented workers.

Focuses on the recommendations of the United States National Commission on Libraries and Information Science (NCLIS) concerning the proposal to eliminate the National Technical Information Service (NTIS) from the Department of Commerce (DOC). Details of the NCLIS report, which suggests that the NTIS be retained through 2001; Recommendation of the American Library Association (ALA) that the NTIS be transferred to the Government Printing Office.

Reports on a ruling by the United States Supreme Court that allows the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) to destroy electronic records once paper copies are created. Challenge against the destruction of electronic records by the American Library Association (ALA) and the American Historical Association (AHA); Claim that some records were destroyed without the creation of a printed copy.

Reports the advice of legal council to the American Library Association (ALA) regarding library use of Internet filtering software. Discussion of the legality of censoring children's access to the Internet; Beginning of a study by the National Research Council of the National Academies to research strategies for protecting kids from pornography and other inappropriate Internet content.

Focuses on the concern of the American Library Association (ALA) over legislation being discussed in the United States Congress. The efforts of ALA members in lobbying against the Collections of Information Antipiracy Act; Details of bills proposed to regulate Internet filtering and telecommunications discounts for libraries and schools; ALA concern for the privacy of electronic library records and patron information.

Discusses the focus of the American Library Association meeting held in Texas in January, 2000, being partnerships between vendors rather than new products. Announcement by epixtech, inc. of their plans to become an application service provider; How Auto-Graphics Inc. has signed a contract with Alibris that will alow library customers to order rare tomes over the Web; How Ingenta has purchased CARL Corporation's UnCover.

Reports the American Library Association (ALA) appointment of a committee to hear an appeal from the University of Arizona in response to the denial of continued accreditation to its School of Information Resources & Library Science by the ALA Committee on Accreditation. History of the school's loss of accreditation; Speculation of what the appeal would argue; Comments from Betty Marcoux, acting associate director of Arizona's library school; Outlook.

Presents news from the 1999 American Library Association (ALA) conference. Efforts of the ALA to promote unlimited Internet access for all library patrons; Debut appearance of netLibrary; Details of 3M Library Systems's identification system which uses digital identification tags instead of bar codes; Tests being done on the ID system; Decision of California State University to choose EBSCO Publishing to supply its 21 libraries systemwide access to full text electronic journals.

Reports on the naming of Andrew A. Venable Jr. as the successor to retiring Marilyn Gell Mason in the position of Cleveland Public Library director. Comments by Venable about his selection; Venable as a self-proclaimed library evangelist; Educational history; Employment history; Membership in the American Library Association.

Reports the arrest of Andrew Roberts for viewing child pornography at a computer terminal at the Lafayette Public Library, Lafayette, Louisiana. Recommendation for stricter Internet control by the Director of Libraries; Policy of the American Library Association about child pornography; Action taken by UNESCO and the United States National Action Committee for Innocence in Danger.

Reports that members of the United States House of Representatives introduced a database protection bill in June 1999. How the bill has received the endorsement of the American Library Association (ALA); Details of the Consumer and Investor Access to Information Act of 1999; How the bill would prohibit the sale or distribution to the public of a database that duplicated another database.

Reports that in May 1999 the Executive Board and division presidents of the American Library Association (ALA) held a meeting where a ALA-wide task force was established to develop and recommend new policies for ALA's web site. How the meeting was held as a result of comments made on a radio news program.

Discusses the victory of New York University Bobst Library assistant dean Nancy Kranich in her race for the presidency of the American Library Association (ALA) for 2000-2001. Mention of her opponent, San Jose State University, California librarian Jim Schmidt; Statistics of voter turnout; Membership numbers in the ALA; Stated goals of Kranich; Other offices held by Kranich; Election of several ALA council members.

Focuses on a new parent-filtering website released by the Federal Communications Commission. School shootings at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado the impetus for the site; Mention of a broader program called 'One Step Away'; Role of Vice-President Al Gore in the development of One Step Away; Details of the program; Involvement by the American Library Association.

Discusses criticism of the American Library Association (ALA) by physiologist Dr. Laura Schlessinger concerning the website 'Go Ask Alice.' Schlessinger's comments on the sexually explicit nature of the site; Her criticism of the ALA's recommendation of the site for those aged 12-18; Response by ALA spokesperson Linda Wallace; Public opinion of ALA decisions.

Notes that the American Library Association (ALA) presented the 1999 Lippincott Award to Peggy Barber. Barber's service and accomplishments; Response from Barber.

Describes discussion of filtering software at a meeting of Internet filtering companies with the American Library Association (ALA). Reconsideration of the Library Bill of Rights; Awkwardness of the ALA's policies acknowledged by President Ann Symons; Symons' recommendation that the issue be debated again by the Intellectual Freedom Committee (IFC) of the ALA; Response from ALA members; Comment from IFC chair Steve Herb.

Offers information on issues important to libraries. The American Library Association's (ALA) biannual briefing of librarians in Washington, D.C.; Dangers of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act; Efforts to revive the Database Protection Act; Desire to abolish the E-rate by elected officials; The ALA's position; Details on E-rate applications.

Offers information on an automation and publishing exhibit in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in early 1999. Domination of children's books at the show; Treatment of the American Library Association members; List of books that were given to library representatives.