‘Essentially an American Institution Planted on Foreign Soil’: The American Library in Paris, the Paris Herald, the Paris Tribune and Ex Libris

In 1920, the American Library in Paris (ALP) was incorporated, with the desire to ‘be a somewhat adequate representation of American life and thought’ in the city. This paper will argue that the ALP - an institution established for overseas soldiers in 1918, which became its own entity in 1920 and celebrated a century of service in 2020 - would do more than represent America in the interwar period: it would play a role in shaping American identity as well. Through archival materials, this paper explores the ALP’s representation in the three periodicals most imbricated with its interwar existence: the Paris editions of the Chicago Tribune and the New York Herald, and the little magazine, Ex Libris. I argue that the ALP - in both its physical and psychic forms - was an important site for the formation of transnational American identity in the interwar period, and that it strived to weigh in on conversations about emerging literary movements, including modernism and the Harlem Renaissance. American identity, as the Library represented it, combined national exceptionalism with a true desire for transnational cooperation. It was firmly at home on international soil, and well-versed in the era’s literary debates.

Digital resources of the American Library Association for green and sustainable libraries

The experience of Russian libraries in educating ecological (ecological information) culture is widely discussed in domestic professional media. However, in Russia we feel the lack of information on relevant activities of foreign libraries and/or library associations. The authors offer their analysis of digital resources in sustainable development, green movement and ecological education of the population as provided by the American Library Association (ALA) and presented on ALA website. The resources comprise information on the efforts of ALA structural units related to organization of sustainable development activities at libraries; ALA politics and guiding materials; the interactive blog on libraries’ supporting sustainable communities; the catalog of new books in the “American Libraries” series within the subject scope “Sustainable development at the libraries”, and key international documents on sustainable development. The concept of three components of sustainable development of the society – Economy, Ecology and Equity – aka Three E, which ALA considers to be fundamental for sustainable libraries, is analyzed. Based on their analysis, the authors suggest that libraries will design and realize their own projects unifying all Three E. They conclude that further studies of the efforts of foreign libraries and/or library associations in ecological education and development of ecological (ecological information) culture, and, in particular, the study of relevant digital (electronic) resources are vitally important for Russian libraries and library science, including commencing digital (electronic) library science.Ecology and studying the related experience of libraries are among the major lines of activities of the Russian National Public Library for Science and Technology (RNPLS&T). The paper is prepared within the framework of the State Order № 075-01300-20-00.

Literature on Information Literacy

The paper provides an overview of the research conducted on various aspects of Information Literacy. Many studies have been conducted in India and abroad on different facets of Information Literacy and pinpointed that information literacy is an essential skill in the era of information explosion. This paper provides an outline of the research done on Information literacy all over the world. By analysing 104 studies on information literacy, the present study indicates that Information Literacy is an essential skill in the current society. The importance of libraries in imparting information literacy is also mentioned in many studies. The literacy training has to be started at the school level, and it should be included in the curricula. The review shows that the only solution to reduce the digital divide gap among the information-rich and information-poor citizens is information literacy. Many initiatives have been started in India to bridge this gap. Many organisations and Associations like UNESCO, IFLA, American Library Associations, Society of Colleges, National and University Libraries (SCONUL) have framed different standards and Information Literacy models for various types of information users.

Locating Banned Books: A Collection Analysis of Libraries in Arkansas and Tennessee

No library can make everything available to its patrons. However, libraries should adhere to the American Library Association (ALA) for guidance on what items are banned from the library's collections. Censorship and intellectual freedom have gained attention for how it affects libraries and the restraints it individualized for banned or forbidden items. Difficulties are characterized as formal, composed complaints recorded with a library or school asking for specific materials to be expelled from view because the substance may not be considered appropriate for the users. The purpose of this study is to compare a selected set of previously banned books or challenged titles in the collections of twelve public libraries within two southern states: Arkansas and Tennessee. The titles include: I Know Why the Cage Birds Sings by Maya Angelou; Beloved by Toni Morrison; Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison; and The Color Purple by Alice Walker.

Exploring Library Core Competencies: A Text Mining Study of American Library Association’s Job Advertisements From 2006 Through 2017

Are core competency requirements for relevant positions in the library shifting? Applying natural language processing techniques to understand the current market demand for core competencies, this study explores job advertisements issued by the American Library Association (ALA) from 2006 to 2017. Research reveals that the job demand continues to rise at a rate of 13% (2006–2017) and that the requirements for work experience are substantially extended, diversity of job titles becomes prevalent, and rich service experience and continuous lifelong learning skills are becoming more and more predominant for librarians. This analytical investigation informs the emerging demands in the American job market debriefing the prioritization and reprioritization of the current core competency requirements for ALA librarians.

The American Library Association: The landmarks of international library and bibliographic cooperation (1876–1976)

During the first 100 years of its existence, the American Library Association (ALA), the oldest national library association in the world, contributed much to the international library and bibliographic cooperation. The author describes the key areas of ALA international activity during the period under review. He identifies the following areas: support of building national library associations of other countries, projects and programs of international information exchange, promotion of basic democratic principles of libraries’ work, shared cataloguing, building the professional library education system, creation of the library periodicals and others. Based on the facts revealed in the periodicals, the author claims that national library associations are among the key instruments of library development both on the national and international levels. The fact that the American Library Association played a critical role in interlibrary relations strengthening during the described period evidences the association’s importance in the process of international library cooperation development.

Livros e política nas relações culturais dos Estados Unidos com o Brasil (1930-1946)*

Objetivo: Este artigo analisa o contexto e as motivações dos subsídios da Office of the Coordinator of Inter-American Affairs para os programas editoriais na década de 1940, relacionando-as aos programas financiados pela Fundação Rockefeller desde a década de 1930, em especial aqueles coordenados pela American Library Association. Metodologia: Para isso, as fontes primárias disponíveis nas seguintes instituições foram analisadas comparativamente: o National Archives and Records Administration II, a Fundação Rockefeller, a American Library Association e o American Council of Learned Societies. Originalidade: o artigo destaca a ação estadunidense que objetivava evidenciar sua superioridade e neutralizar as “atividades subversivas” e o “antiamericanismo” no continente americano por meio dos livros, um dos bens culturais pouco explorado na historiografia da chamada Política da Boa Vizinhança. Conclusões: a análise mostra que o fortalecimento da distribuição de livros funcionou como uma estratégia de maior inserção ideológica nos países alvos, além do combate às atividades subversivas e ao antiamericanismo na década de 1940.