Again I am late getting out an Annual blogpost. Fiscal rollover plus weather-extended family vacation will do that, I guess. I am going to try to keep it short. Usually I fail.
My main accomplishment (?) at Annual 2026 was reluctantly agreeing to re-up as chair of the Core Awards and Scholarships Coordination Committee. I kind of saw this coming. We are considering structural changes to the committee, such as including one member each from the various award committees on our division-level committee. Also on the Core front, at the Core & John Cotton Dana Awards Presentations (a nice little breakfast event on Saturday), I played a tiny role, manning the table out in the hallway and kind of helping to wrangle people. It was neat seeing the happy and deserving award recipients receive their recognition. Soon after the conference Steve Kelley took over as president of Core, and this year I expect a free ride.
I also went to several educational sessions, some of which I had helped vet as a member of the Core Conference Program Coordination Committee; I like that job. A few highlights:
- ALA/IIDA Library Interior Design Awards – this one was fun. Libraries all over the country continue to build super cool public spaces. Architects turn out to be adorable. I thought about what a nice architectural feature ZSR’s atrium is, especially with its new ceiling/roof.
- New Issues in Library Acquisitions – wait, an acquisitions program?? Presenters discussed tariff-related shipping chaos, especially with foreign journals. UNLV was informed that they were under investigation for DEI-related things. After careful consideration, one university-wide DEI committee did continue; but it became harder to get faculty to serve on it, because individuals feared professional harm/retribution.
- Disrupting the School-to-Prison Pipeline [STPP] – cool, if harrowing. Presenters defined the STPP as “criminalizing normal adolescent behavior and mental health issues, forcing students out of school, temporarily or permanently.” Many young people who end up incarcerated are neurodivergent. The Cook County IL and Los Angeles County CA prison systems are the two biggest mental health providers in the country, so people aren’t getting help until after they are incarcerated. Things libraries can do: create safe spaces, facilitate tele-visits between kids and incarcerated parents, offer internships, co-develop programs with social service agencies and police departments, host workshops to help released inmates with IDs and other docs upon reentry; more generally, foster community and connection.
Finally, I saw Lois Lowry speak on the main stage. She was, unsurprisingly, awesome: wise, funny, casual, and a little belligerent. I came home and told my kids “You guys should read Lois Lowry!” and they were like “We have already done that, dad.” Well, then maybe I will. I never have. Don’t judge me.
3 Comments on ‘Jeff at ALA Annual 2026’
I laughed out loud multiple times. Thanks for the informative and entertaining write-up — and better late than never!
Yessss to reading Lois Lowry! thanks for posting, Jeff!
“Soon after the conference Steve Kelley took over as president of Core, and this year I expect a free ride.” No free rides, pal. I will work you like a dog.