So you’re interested in AJL and want to connect with a group of AJL librarians local to you? Here’s a list of some of the websites and blogs set up for and by some of AJL’s regional chapters.

Greater Cleveland AJL Chapter

Judaica Librarians’ Group (Israel) (in Hebrew)

Judaica Library Network of Metropolitan Chicago

New England AJL Chapter

AJL of Southern California

South Florida AJL

Some of these are fully-functional website and some are blog-style; all of them provide great basic information on what folks are up to elsewhere in the United States, and elsewhere in the world.

This list is also included in AJL’s blogroll, which is linked to on the right hand side of this page. The list is updated regularly. If you are part of a regional chapter and you don’t see your chapter’s site listed, please email me at mcloutier at jewishlibraries.org and I’ll be sure to include it.

Posted by Marie.

The Jewish Publication Society has honored People of the Books with the “Beautiful Blogger” award for our efforts at building community in the Jewish book blogosphere through our Jewish Book Carnival initiative (and they’re going to host in September!).

In return, the rules of the award state that we must share seven interesting facts about AJL and pass the award along to seven of our favorite blogs.

The facts:

1. AJL has held 45 annual conventions in the US, Canada and Israel, beginning in 1966 in Philadelphia. Ohio and California are tied for hosting the largest number of conventions over the years – six each, and Canada will catch up by holding its 6th AJL convention in 2011 in Montreal. While conventions are always exciting, we have persevered through many outrageous adventures such as the SARS scare (Toronto in 2003) and the transvestite beauty pageant being held at the convention hotel (Miami Beach in 1991).

2. AJL is the Association of Jewish LIBRARIES, not LIBRARIANS. We have members from all streams of Judaism and members who are not Jewish. What we all have in common is an interest in sharing Jewish culture and knowledge through libraries.

3. AJL is a volunteer-run organization with no central office. Members volunteer their time for everything from running local chapter meetings to writing publications to organizing international conventions.

4. AJL has been podcasting its convention sessions and other events since 2008. You can hear recordings of lectures, panel discussions, author talks, and workshops at jewishlibraries.org/podcast.

5. AJL has two divisions- the Research Libraries, Archives and Special Collections division (RAS) for academic libraries and the School, Synagogue, and Community Centers division (SSC) for general interest libraries.

6. AJL publishes a quarterly Newsletter and an occasional scholarly journal called Judaica Librarianship, as well as various guidebooks and bibliographies available through the Publications Department [link: http://www.jewishlibraries.org/ajlweb/publications/publications.htm].

7. AJL recognizes great Jewish literature through several annual awards: the Sydney Taylor Book Award [link: http://www.jewishlibraries.org/ajlweb/awards/stba/index.htm] and Manuscript Award [link: http://www.jewishlibraries.org/ajlweb/awards/st_ms.htm] for children’s literature, and the Reference and Bibliography Awards for scholarly works [link: http://www.jewishlibraries.org/ajlweb/awards/ref_and_bib.htm].

The seven blogs we’d like to nominate are:

Jewish Book Council

Jewish Publication Society

Jewish Womens Archive

Kar-Ben Publishing

My Machberet

The Sisterhood, a blog of The Forward

Tablet Magazine

Thank you to JPS for this honor!

Posted by Marie

Today I have the privilege of sharing an interview I recently conducted with author Carla Jablonski, who’s written many books for teens and young adults. You can visit her website and find out more about her and her books at carlajablonski.com. Her first graphic novel, Resistance: Book 1, has recently been published by First Second. What follows is a conversation we had about this book, which focuses on the French resistance to Nazi occupation during World War II and in particular about the efforts of a French family to save French Jews.

1. The narrative, while fictional, is based in historical fact and makes reference to several historical events and circumstances. The Velodrome d’Hiver roundup, the use the Paris sewers as hiding places and the significant presence of French Jews in the Resistance are all alluded to, and although it’s not named explicitly, Paul and Marie’s efforts to help Henri recall the activities of the Oeuvre de secours aux enfants (Children’s Relief Efforts or OSE). When you were researching all this for the book, did you learn anything that surprised you about the Resistance or about France during the war, or anything else?

So much! As an American, what I learned in school was primarily about the American entrance into the war, or very specifically about the Jewish experience. I really didn’t know all that much about what it must have been like for ordinary French people during the war, their daily life, their struggles, and — especially — the ways life, although altered, still went on.

I admit I was shocked by the wide-spread and deep strain of anti-Semitism in France, resulting in an overwhelming amount of denunciations. I was also surprised by — and then used as part of the story — all of the conflicts within the Resistance itself.

The role of luck and coincidence in many of the successful — or tragic — events of the Resistance also was quite startling.

And of course, all the research got me asking the question: “What would I do if my country were occupied?”

1. What was it about the Resistance that intrigued you? Why is it an important subject to learn about in the context of Holocaust studies for children?

The passion and commitment of people who became part of the Resistance was very compelling to me. How people made choices, what they were willing to risk, and conversely, what lines they weren’t willing to cross were all elements I wanted to explore. Also, the struggle for victory against enormous odds while suffering terrible difficulties is both dramatic and inspiring. I also find the idea of secrets a very appealing subject for fiction– keeping them, having them, and the danger of them — particularly as an element in a book for early teens.

For all those same reasons that I was drawn to the Resistance is why I think it’s an important subject for children to learn about. Children often feel helpless in the face of conflicts created by adults. These people took action — in spite of so much being against them and the dire consequences of failure. Doing the right thing, even if that makes you the minority, is also an important lesson. Discovering that people can all want to do the right thing, yet not agree on how to go about it is also an important topic that can be discussed via the Resistance.

1. One thing I enjoyed about the book from a reader’s perspective was the way you built the suspense slowly and tell the story unflinchingly, sparing neither the horror nor trauma of war. Was it challenging to present these things in a way that’s appropriate for children? What audience did you envision as you were writing?

I’ve written a lot for kids and teens, so I actually didn’t find that difficult. I guess I’ve somehow internalized those limits and so the story unfolds in an age-appropriate way without my consciously having to police it!

I think the ideal reader for this is probably about thirteen, though I hope it will appeal to those older (like Sylvie and Jacques) and to those who are younger, like Marie.

1. What themes or ideas were you trying to illustrate with the choices you made about how to tell the story?

I purposely chose to have three children at different ages so that I could explore the impact of the war at different levels of maturity. Because it’s a graphic novel, I decided to make Paul an artist to really exploit the visual medium. I came up with ideas for his drawings in his sketchbook to reveal what he’s feeling but wouldn’t feel comfortable expressing another way — while also providing a believable skill that would make him valuable to the Resistance. It was also really important to me to not just be historically accurate (while also being entertaining) but to allow the kids to really be kids — not little superheroes or overly noble. I worked hard on the dialogue so that it would have the feel of real conversation.

1. This book is titled Resistance Book 1, suggesting that there may be a Book 2 in the works. Is there? What’s it going to be about?

Actually there are two more! It’s a trilogy, following Marie, Paul, and Sylvie through to the liberation of Paris. Each book is set one year apart, and as the kids get older and more deeply involved, the conflicts get more intense and the stakes get higher. Their roles in the Resistance change, they uncover more secrets about people they know, and their relationships change — with friends, with other Resistance members, with Germans, and even with each other — sometimes quite dramatically!

Carla, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to AJL and best of luck with the trilogy!

For all those who will be attending the American Library Association Annual Conference in Washington, DC from next Thursday June 24-Tuesday, June 29, 2010 ­

You are very cordially invited to attend any or all of the following ALA Jewish Information Committee and AJL-related events (AJL is now an affiliate of ALA):

Sunday, June 27th: 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
ONE POEM, ENRICHING LIVES ACROSS THE GLOBE: SAMUEL UULLMAN, GENERAL
DOUGLAS MACARTHUR, AND “YOUTH” ALA ETHNIC & MULTICULTURAL INFORMATION EXCHANGE ROUND TABLE (EMIERT) JEWISH INFORMATION COMMITTEE and REFERENCE & USER SERVICES ASSOCIATION (RUSA) HISTORY SECTION
Washington Convention Center -147A
Judith Schaefer’s 59-minute film, “So Long Are You Young: Samuel Ullman’s Poems and Passion,” tells the remarkable story of the serendipitous international influence of one poem. This inspiring
documentary highlights Ullman’s life (1840-1924), community humanitarian work, and personal courage as an immigrant Jew in Birmingham, Alabama, and how his philosophy came to influence General Douglas MacArthur, postwar Japanese society, and world leaders like Robert and Ted Kennedy.  Ullman biographer and historian Margaret Armbrester will facilitate audience discussion following the screening.

Monday, June 29th: 1:30 p.m. – 3:30 p.m.
IMMIGRANT VIGNETTES: THE SAGA OF ROMANIAN JEWS IN THE US AND CANADA
EMIERT JEWISH INFORMATION COMMITTEE
Washington Convention Center -147A
Overview of two millennia-long Jewish community in Romania including the Holocaust, Communist, and post-Communist periods; immigration and history of Jews in the USA and Canada; Romanian Holocaust survivors and righteous Gentiles; biographical sketches of noted Romanian Jews; library materials on North American Romanian Jewry including Multicultural Review; and a discussion of the publication, The Romanian Jews in America and Canada (1850-2010) are the main components of this program.  Speakers: Lyn Miller-Lachman, Multicultural Review, Editor-in-Chief; Vladimir Wertsman, EMIERT Publishing and Multicultural Materials Committee, Chair.

Monday, June 29th: 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.
EMIERT JEWISH INFORMATION COMMITTEE
Washington Convention Center -147A
Jewish Information Committee Meeting.
Please join us to discuss Jewish-related activities in ALA; to talk about how AJL’s recent affiliation with ALA will impact the JIC; and to help us plan for the future in relation to programming at ALA’s
upcoming Annual Conferences in New Orleans, June 23–28, 2011; Anaheim, CA: June 21–26, 2012; Chicago, June 27- July 2, 2013; and Las Vegas, June 26-July 1, 2014.  Full listing of upcoming ALA Midwinter Meetings and Annual (summer) Conferences through June 2017 can be found at http://www.ala.org/ala/conferencesevents/upcoming/index.cfm

Monday, June 29th: 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
EMIERT JEWISH INFORMATION COMMITTEE
Eli’s Restaurant
Kosher* dinner at popular Dupont Circle restaurant where we can continue the discussion in more relaxed surroundings and unwind from the intense activity of the world’s oldest and largest professional
library association conference.  This is the same heymish/homey place we dined in 2007 as then co-ordinated by JIC immediate Past Chair Ellen Zyroff and current AJL/ALA Co-Liaison.

Directions, menus, and more information at http://www.elisdc.com/
Reviews: http://www.shamash.org/kosher/comments.php?Recno=10789

*Eli’s menu and facility are strictly kosher under the supervision of the Vaad Harabanim of Greater Washington
http://www.capitolk.org/supervised/restaurants.html

****PLEASE NOTE: If you are certain that you will be joining us for
dinner, please let me know as soon as possible, but no later than
next Wednesday, June 24th to insure your reservation by contacting me
directly (off list) at egertel@umich.edu ****

Howard Droker is a lawyer, a historian, an author, and a docent for the Washington State Jewish Historical Society. He will be leading a tour of Jewish Seattle for convention-goers on Wednesday, July 7.

Howard, can you give us a little sneak peek into the kinds of things people will see on this tour?

Our tour’s first stop will be in Pioneer Square, at the Gold Rush National Historic Park. We will briefly examine the role of Jewish merchants in outfitting the prospectors bound for Alaska and the Canadian Yukon. If participants are interested, we can take a 4 or 5-block walk to see the historic buildings that housed some of the Jewish merchants.

We’ll then head east to Capitol Hill to visit Temple de Hirsch, the oldest Reform synagogue. The Schoenfeld Chapel houses some of the accoutrements of the 1907 building. And the Temple library is worth seeing. Then we’ll drive around the neighborhood where the prosperous Central European founders and members of the Temple lived, south of Volunteer Park.

Driving south, we’ll see how the other half lived, the Yesler/Cherry neighborhood where the Eastern Europeans and Sephardim mostly settled. We’ll see several former synagogues and the Talmud Torah that have been converted to other uses.

Finally, we’ll visit the Seward Park area where three Orthodox (two Sephardic, one Ashkenazic) synagogues relocated from the Central Area between 1954 and 1968. I hope to make arrangements to see the sanctuaries of two or three of the synagogues.

Please give us a brief overview of the history of Jews in the Pacific Northwest.

Being a historian, I can’t give you a brief overview! But I’m attaching a pdf of a relatively brief article (about 3 pages) called A Sketch of Seattle’s Jewish History.

What’s one Jewish thing about Seattle that most people would be surprised to learn?

I think the most surprising thing about Jewish Seattle is the prominence of the Sephardic community. Seattle has had historically, and continues to have, by far the largest percentage of Sephardim of any city in the country. As a result, Sephardic traditions and culture have survived to a surprising degree.

Can you tell us about any Jewish books set in Seattle, or books about Jews in the area?

I co-authored Family of Strangers: Building a Jewish Community in Washington State (University of Washington Press, 2004) with Molly Cone and Jacqueline Williams. The book draws on hundreds of newspaper accounts, articles, and oral histories to provide the first comprehensive account of Washington State’s Jewish residents. You may recognize the name Molly Cone, as she is also a well-known and widely published author of books for Jewish children and teenagers.

What Seattle experience should visitors be sure not to miss?

Visitors should not miss the Pike Place Market on the western edge of downtown Seattle. Jews, especially the Sephardim, were prominent fish mongers and vegetable sellers in the market from almost the beginning in 1907. I think there is only one Jewish-owned business remaining, Pure Food Fish Market. The Market today is colorful and interesting, with farmers selling produce and flowers, craftsmen offering their wares, restaurants, and buskers. Plus the views of Elliott Bay from the Market are stunning.

Howard, thanks for the preview! We’ll be seeing you on the tour!

MENTION CONVENTION

Enter the Mention Convention weekly drawing for a $10 Amazon gift card by linking back to this interview on your blog, on Facebook, or on Twitter (hashtag #AJL10) — just email pr@jewishlibraries.org to tell us what you did!

Wendy Marcus, the music director at Temple Beth Am in Seattle, has been hard at work on arrangements for the AJL Convention!

Wendy, you will be wearing several hats at the AJL convention, as a presenter and as a musician. Can you tell us a little about your various AJL activities?

Full disclosure: I am a daughter of a librarian.

I’m connected to NW AJL Chapter president Toby Harris through Temple Beth Am, in Seattle’s Jewishly happening North End, where I am music director and editor of Drash: Northwest Mosaic. Toby and Ronnie’s daughters were Bat Mitzvah students of mine!

I’ve scheduled musicians and presenters for the open-to-the-public afternoon on Sunday, July 4, and will serve as emcee. As well, on Tuesday, July 6 at 10:30am, I will gab about community building with the creation of an annual Jewish/Northwest literary journal, Drash: Northwest Mosaic – we’re releasing Volume IV! — and about Drash readings in farflung corners of the region (fair number of ferries involved).

Your book, Polyglot, was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award. Please tell us a little about the book!

Since 2004, I’ve been writing short stories, especially when inspired by unforgettable characters. I gathered those characters up into Polyglot: Stories of the West’s Wet Edge and won the 2009 Serena McDonald Kennedy Award from Georgia’s Snake Nation Press. Polyglot chronicles lives between Vancouver, BC, and Vancouver, Washington. The stories are linked by the advice of a gay Gypsy columnist (I am a former newspaper reporter), and there are sprinklings from ten different languages (hence the book’s title) – including the language of my heart,Yiddish. The Jewish Book Council kindly named Polyglot one of three finalists in its annual contest this spring. A sequel is in the works.

Studies have shown that Seattle is the most literate city in the nation. What makes Seattle such a great place for reading and libraries?

Between October and April, when skies are gray and sodden here, a good book and a hot cup of coffee keep serious depression at bay! While Seattleites love a good chat and at the slightest sun break leave work early to kayak, hike, bike, run, ski, or garden, we seek individual space, humbled by our dramatic natural elements. There’s a loner streak in us – we like to think, write, read, observe – alone; our external landscape mirrors our internal one.

Can you give us a recommendation for any recent Jewish books you enjoyed?

If you can overlook the typos, Borgo Press has come out with an edited version of short stories by Montague Glass (1877-1934), Potash and Perlmutter, about fictitious partners Abe Potash and Morris Perlmutter, and immigrant foibles in New York’s garment industry. While the dialog is dated and laced with wacky Yidddishisms and German-Jewishisms, the book is a valuable curio. It provides a lowbrow glimpse into the way people in the shmatte business really spoke and lived in the 1910s and 1920s. My grandfather, Louis Marcus, was in the ribbon business in NYC and the book allows me to imagine the kind of schmoozing that went on between him, competitors, buyers, salesmen, and social climbers.

The Seattle area is the home of both Amazon and Apple. What’s your preference, Kindle or iPad? What are your feelings on digital books?

Feh. I don’t even have a cell phone.

What Seattle experience should visitors be sure not to miss?

Take a round-trip ferry ride between downtown Seattle and Bainbridge Island (about 40 minutes one way). Horizon to horizon mountains, glorious fresh air and all these guys baring their chests in 50-degree sunshine!

MENTION CONVENTION

Enter the Mention Convention weekly drawing for a $10 Amazon gift card by linking back to this interview on your blog, on Facebook, or on Twitter (hashtag #AJL10) — just email pr@jewishlibraries.org to tell us what you did!

Here are some great articles, book reviews and news on Jewish books, publishing and libraries this week.

Book review: The Making of a Reform Jewish Cantor at the Indiana University Press blog.

Lemon Cake Rising at EarlyWord.com.

Library Blog Awards Announced at Points of Reference. Maybe AJL next year?

Not Your Father’s Fiction Guide, a review of American Jewish Fiction, by Sanford Pinsker at JBooks.com.

Happy 122nd Birthday, JPS! at JPS.com.

Israeli author scoops German literary peace prize, at Yahoo.com.

The Skala Yizkor Book at Shtetlinks.jewishgen.org.

Got a link you’d like to share? Email me at mcloutier at jewishlibraries.org and I’ll take a look.

April Halprin Wayland won the 2010 Sydney Taylor Book Award for her picture book New Year at the Pier: A Rosh Hashanah Story. She will be speaking at the 2010 AJL Convention, and will also be an honored guest at the Tuesday night gala, where she will receive her award.

April, the first AJL convention you ever attended was in 2009 in Chicago. The very next year, you’re attending as an honored guest, winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award! Please talk a little about that transformation.

Honestly, I attended the AJL convention because it was the week prior to ALA in the same Chicago hotel, I finally had a Jewish book coming out…and I had frequent flyer miles. Since I live in Southern California, this was a magic one-two punch—how could I NOT attend?

I didn’t know much about AJL but I’d known Susan Dubin for years in Los Angeles—in fact, she was one of the first readers of an early version of New Year at the Pier (and thank goodness for her terrific comments on that 2003 manuscript!)—but I had NO IDEA she was a mover and shaker in AJL until much later—silly me!

I’ve always loved the excitement of ALA and didn’t know what to expect at the AJL. The intimacy of this convention and the warm and welcoming hugs won me over. I enjoyed the Authors and Illustrators luncheon, loved attending sessions and gathering informally with attendees and other authors.

There was one amazing evening of pizza and camaraderie at certified “readiologist” Esmé Raji Codell’s Planet Esme Reading Room—a private, magical library which Esmé opens to speakers, writing groups, class field trips and gatherings like ours.

I was utterly star struck by you Heidi, by Barbara Beitz and others, including Mark Blevis of Just One More Book. I am still starstruck by you, Heidi!

Another favorite memory is when I nervously introduced myself to Natalie Blitt, program director of the PJ Library. I wanted to ask her how to submit my book for consideration by her organization. She looked at me a bit surprised…and then smiled. “New Year at the Pier is on our list. It’s being sent out in August.” ALREADY on their list? Already a special edition printed to be sent in August? I was over the moon!

Are you working on any new books, especially anything with Jewish content? Please tell us about your recent writing.

I am working on several books…one is a picture book with a Jewish theme. But I’ve learned that if I talk about an idea before it’s fully hatched, energy leaks out of it… It’s an idea I’ve been playing with for years. I recently wrote a poem incorporating this topic and that has helped me structure the book. Fingers crossed!

What else am I up to? I’ve been teaching a class on writing picture books for ten years through the UCLA Extension Writer’s Program. In addition to that one, I’ll be rolling out a new class this summer which I’m looking forward to.

And I took the Poem-A-Day Challenge for National Poetry Month, which was scary because it can take weeks for me to write one poem. Write a poem every single day and post it for all to read? But I did and I can actually say that it changed my life.You can read the poems at http://www.aprilwayland.com/poetry/poetry-month.

Can you give us a recommendation for any recent Jewish books you enjoyed?

I am embarrassed to say that I’ve just discovered the 2006 book, Across the Alley by Richard Michelson, illustrated by E.B. Lewis (Putnam, 2006). Michelson wrote the wonderful As Good as Anybody, illustrated by Raul Colon (Knopf, 2009), about Martin Luther King Jr. and Abraham Joshua Heschel [which won the 2009 Sydney Taylor Book Award].

I bought both books at The AJL’s Western Regional Jewish Literature for Children Conference this year in Los Angeles.

The Seattle area is the home of both Amazon and Apple. What’s your preference, Kindle or iPad? What are your feelings on digital books, and the online world in general?

I love the size of my Kindle, which revolutionized my reading. But holding my Kindle as they introduce the iPad is like owning a black and white TV when they introduced color. Suddenly I am drooling over the newest thing. HOW DO THEY DO THAT? That, my friend, is the glory and the danger of how our appetites for new stuff are created. (See The Story of Stuff.)

As a poet and the author of a novel in poems and several picture books, I am waiting for the next generation of digital reader that allows us to increase the font size without messing with the alignment of each poem or the arrangement of text next to an illustration. It doesn’t work yet but it will…soon.

As I said, my Kindle, which my husband and son gave me as a surprise when New Year at the Pier was first published, has changed me as a reader. I can read effortlessly at night when my eyes are tired, of course.

But more than that: when my mother, a voracious reader, was in an auto accident on a Sunday and needed a book, the fact that I could download one instantly and teach this 87-year-old technophobe to use it in a few minutes was a game changer for us both.

And when we were in Kauai, Hawaii, looking for Makua Beach where the sea turtles hang out, I downloaded a copy of Hidden Kauai as we were driving! That made my husband a true believer.

What are you most looking forward to about visiting Seattle?

Seeing my cousins! Pike’s market and local thrift stores!

Okay, for a more erudite answer, I can’t wait to take in all the convention has to offer…especially after a year of presenting my first Jewish book at workshops, schools and synagogues.

Also, I’m crossing my fingers that Stéphane Jorisch, the illustrator of New Year at the Pier will be able to attend the convention. I’ve never met him but I adore the man from his kind emails and his extraordinary art.

April, as always, we love your enthusiasm! We can’t wait to see you in Seattle!

Thanks, Heidi. And one final thing? Please listen to and then pass on: Circulate This: Stories from the School Library (http://www.csla.net/audio/) It’s a wonderful NPR-style audio magazine of interviews with teacher librarians, library staff, teachers, community members, parents, administrators, an author and most importantly, students…telling personal stories of the importance of school libraries and teacher librarians in their lives. (It’s about 47 min. long…I’m interviewed 20-24 minutes in.)

MENTION CONVENTION

Enter the Mention Convention weekly drawing for a $10 Amazon gift card by linking back to this interview on your blog, on Facebook, or on Twitter (hashtag #AJL10) — just email pr@jewishlibraries.org to tell us what you did!

Rosenbloom is the incoming AJL President and will take up his duties on July 1, 2010.

I am the Judaica Librarian at Brandeis University, where I have worked since 1976.  I am responsible for all subjects taught in the Near Eastern and Judaic Studies Dept., as well as Classics and Religion.  I am part of the Special Collections Dept., and recently mounted an exhibit from the collection of Prof. Benjamin Ravid on his father Simon Rawidowicz.  I also serve as a “lead” for the humanities librarians.  In AJL I was vice-president, and am currently president of the RAS Division.  I have also served on the RAS awards committee for a number of years, and I chair the RAS Digitization Committee.

Over the last couple of years, many of our AJL members have proposed and then implemented ways in which we can make the wider Jewish community aware of the  importance of our organization in the training and support of Judaica librarians in all  Jewish educational, social and religious organizations, as well in academic settings.  Increased visibility on the web, an improved website and a major increase in public relations outreach are only a few of the recent areas in which we have made major strides.  I look forward to supporting all outreach efforts.

We also need to make ourselves an important part of the professional lives of all those interested in Judaica librarianship.  I recently went as AJL representative to a major technology and library conference in Tel Aviv.  I met with a number of people there, as well as with librarians at the National Library and Yad Vashem, as well as  some professors to discuss ways in which librarians from Israel, America, Europe and other areas can coordinate efforts.  We can exchange ideas, and perhaps participate in projects together, especially in the realm of digitization.  We  have already been asked to contribute metadata for  a project called Judaica Europeana.

If you are an author, editor, or publisher of Jewish books for children  or teens, please submit your 2010 titles for consideration. Click here for submission instructions, or e-mail Chair@SydneyTaylorBookAward.org for full details.

The AJL Convention will take place at Seattle’s Fairmont Olympic Hotel. We spoke to Conference Services Manager Sarah Carter to find out what’s in store for convention attendees.

Sarah, please tell us a little about the Fairmont Olympic Hotel.

The Fairmont Olympic Hotel was the original site of the University of Washington, dated all the way back to 1861. Once converted into the “Grand Dame” hotel that it is now considered, in 1924, the property began hosting some of the Pacific Northwest’s most celebrated events. The Olympic boasts 450 rooms including 219 Suites and 2 Presidential Suites; a full service health club including indoor swimming pool, Jacuzzi, work out arena and saunas; as well as over 25,000 sq. ft. of meeting space. The Olympic has hosted Kings and Queens of over a dozen countries, celebrities of every art form and 8 different U.S. Presidents.

What makes the Fairmont the perfect place for a Jewish library convention?

The Fairmont Olympic Hotel has a long standing tradition of catering events specifically to the customers needs and preferences. One of our proudest features is our Kosher kitchen and our Kosher Catering process that has been in place since 1984. Carving out an entire sector of our kitchen and dedicating it to Kosher preparation and ensuring all staff have undergone proper training and education has made The Olympic the only high-end Kosher Catering company in the Seattle area.

Can you give us any insider tips about the hotel? What should convention attendees be sure not to miss?

Guests of The Fairmont Olympic are entitled to a plethora of amenities on site to help make their stay most enjoyable. For the active guest, our full service health club is equipped with state-of-the-art equipment, a full length indoor swimming pool, free weights and yoga balls. Be sure to check out to sign up for our Fairmont Presidents Club membership (www.fairmont.com/fpc) which is a free rewards program that grants you access to complimentary Addias sports attire rentals during your stay!

Happy hour is the best hour here at The Olympic. Both Shuckers and The Terrace Lounge have delicious small plates and drink specials that are sure to wet your appetite in the afternoon. Try the Halibut ‘n Chips or $1 oysters on the half-shell in Shuckers or the all-you-can-eat cheese platter for $12 in The Terrace. Bon appetit!

What’s a highlight of the neighborhood around the hotel?

The hotel is situated in the heart of downtown Seattle in what is known as the Financial District. Just a few short blocks from the famous landmark, Pike Place Market, guests of The Olympic and locals alike love strolling through its stalls browsing all the local farmers and crafts. The renowned 5th Avenue Musical Theatre is located across the street from the hotel, entertaining the masses with some of Broadway’s biggest hits. Guests enjoy shopping at Westlake Center and Pacific Place where entertainment, dining and fashionable boutiques collide. If its adventure you are looking for, Mount Rainer is a beautiful drive away for hiking and picnicking. South Lake Union, Lake Washington and Puget Sound all offer gorgeous views, pristine parks, boat tours and fishing escapes as well. There is truly something for everyone.

Be sure to stop by our Concierge Desk and chat with one of our agents to learn more about what Seattle has to offer you!

For you, what’s the best thing about Seattle?

To me, the best thing about Seattle is the abundance of nature so close to the city. The amazing views of the Olympic mountain range, Cascade Mountain range, Mount Rainier, Lake Washington, the Puget Sound and its many islands all surround the city with such beauty! Boat cruise and hiking are among my favorite activities. My second favorite thing about Seattle is the friendliness. The people are friendly- they wave when you let their car merge into your lane, they say excuse me when they walk too close. Seattle with its natural beauty and friendliness is a place I am proud to call home!

Can you tell us about any of your own favorite books or authors?

One of my favorite writers is actually a husband & wife team that writes historical fiction. Their names are Bodie and Brocke Thoene and I believe they are actually Christian writers, but a few of their series have focused strongly on Jewish history during World War II and during the early years of Israel. The series I have read include: The Zion Chronicles, The Zion Legacy and The Zion Covenant, each with 5 or more books. These books are educational, as they are based on true events, yet they are also fun to read as they include adventure, romance and relationships that draw the reader in.

Sarah, thanks for giving us this taste of the The Olympic! We’re all looking forward to staying with you.

We are so excited here at The Olympic to welcome AJL for the conference in July. We truly hope that each guest leaves with a wonderful memory of our hotel and great city!

MENTION CONVENTION

Enter the Mention Convention weekly drawing for a $10 Amazon gift card by linking back to this interview on your blog, on Facebook, or on Twitter (hashtag #AJL10) — just email pr@jewishlibraries.org to tell us what you did!

Ellis Island: Coming to the Land of Liberty, by Raymond Bial

Ellis Island: Coming to the Land of Liberty, by Raymond Bial. Published 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Books for Children.

Ellis Island: Coming to the Land of Liberty is a fine, straightforward account of the history behind one of America’s most famous landmarks, Ellis Island, and the many people from all over the world who passed through its gates.

Illustrated throughout by photographs of archival material and modern-day buildings, the book begins with the famous poem by Emma Lazarus (see last week’s Nonfiction Monday for a lovely picture book about Lazarus) and takes the reader, immigrant’s-eye style, through the process of entering the United States in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Author Raymond Bial, a photographer and prolific author, covers such topics as the “buttonhook test” for disease and others in an authoritative yet accessible style.

Readers see passports used by immigrants, exhibits of clothing and personal effects- even a mattress slept on by children in steerage class. Bial also talks about the “nativist” anti-immigration movement and other trends in American politics that affected how immigrants were viewed and treated. In the end, Bial quotes Harry Truman’s statements reinforcing the benefit to the nation of accepting people “from every race and from every quarter of the world.

Ellis Island is  inspiring and informative look at an important chapter in American history.

Nonfiction Monday is a moving meme headquartered at Picture Book of the Day and hosted this week at 100 Scope Notes.

Here are this week’s links on Jewish books, reading, writing and libraries.

From the KarBen blog, Books Bring Shavuot into Your Home

From the New York Jewish Week, The Case for a Jewish Snopes

From The Forward, Becoming the People of the Pixel?

For the holiday of Shavuot, there are two great link roundups, one at The Jewish Book Council and one at the Jewish Women’s Archive.

Got a link about Jewish books you’d like me to see?  Email me at mcloutier at jewishlibraries.org. Have a great week!