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The article presents an interview with Chicago Public Library Commissioner Mary Dempsey, on what it was like to clean up somebody else's mess in city hall, a task that she calls part of a commitment to an ever-better quality of life in her beloved city. When asked why she took the unusual assignment in city hall, he said that first, she was asked. She did not seek it out. The major asked her to do it, and she had reasons for saying yes. Dempsey cited factors that influenced Chicago Public Library in Illinois to open new branches at a time when other big systems are closing them. INSET: Illinois Humanities Council Honors Chicago Public Library….

Reports on the 2005 Annual Conference of the American Libraries Association (ALA) held in Chicago, Illinois. Conference attendance; Increase in exhibition space; Resolutions presented by the ALA Council regarding library materials and the U.S. military forces in Iraq.

This article highlights the annual spring meeting of the American Library Association's (ALA) Executive Board, which was held from May 1-2, 1991 in Chicago, Illinois. ALA treasurer Carla Stoffle commented on the issue of how ALA will continue to support priority activity while a national recession forces the organization's to reduce expenses. Board members agreed that there are some things ALA will not be able to continue doing, but no one seemed willing to admit that anything ALA does is expendable. Stoffle argued that management has been asked repeatedly to name tasks they will stop doing, however, there has been no response to that request. Various expense reductions within the revenue-generating units of ALA have been made to achieve a revised budgetary ceiling of $16,479,000 for the organization's general fund, and hiring for several new positions approved for the fiscal 1991 budget has been delayed. Management has incorporated other downscaling decisions into the fiscal 1992 preliminary general fund budget, including elimination of the ALA Video unit. Meanwhile, re-emphasizing his visibility theme, ALA President Richard M. Dougherty called for a media blitz, and pointed to the long-range communication plans of ALA. The board also discussed the compensation package of ALA, and has approved 4 percent for compensation improvements, including benefits totaling $190,000. While board members Dennis Day and Nancy Bolt favored asking the Committee on Program Evaluation and Support to reconsider a 5 percent improvement, other board members disagreed sharply and defeated a motion to that effect.

Looks at libraries which are dedicated to preserving the record of gay and lesbian life. Chicago's Gerber-Hart Library and Archives; Other facilities in the United States and Canada; Thoughts on why such libraries are necessary; Protests of the book `Daddy's Roommate'; More. INSET: Gay archives list available..

Features librarian and Broadside Press founder, Dudley Randall. Induction into the National Literary Hall of Fame for Writers of African Descent, which is located at Illinois' Chicago State University's (CSU) Douglas Library; Comments of B.J. Bolden professor at CSU; Randall's book of poems, `Cities Burning'; Career highlights, which includes activism in the Black Arts Movement; Honors that Randall has received; List of African-American Hall of Fame writers.

The article discusses the highlights of the annual meeting and exhibition of the Medical Library Association (MLA) in Chicago, Illinois, from May 16 to 21, 2008. Breakout sessions throughout the conference reflected the emphasis on social networking. The conference also included an update from the National Library of Medicine and a number of section seminars devoted to specific areas of medical specialization.