AJL - The Association of Jewish Libraries

2012 Sydney Taylor Book Award Authors

heidi — Mon, 11 Mar 2013 22:49:00 GMT

The 2012 Sydney Taylor Book Award Committee introduced its award winning authors. Susan Goldman Rubin, gold medalist in the Older Readers Category, started off the session with a discussion of Music Was It: Young Leonard Bernstein. She was followed by Rob Sharenow, gold medalist in the Teen Readers Category, discussing The Berlin Boxing Club.

Presented at the 2012 AJL Conference in Pasadena, CA.

1 hr 1 min 58 sec

Jews in the Civil War

heidi — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 19:49:00 GMT

In this 150th year commemoration of the Civil War, Levin and Bermatt focus on such burning questions as which side Jews supported and how critical issues of this period impacted the Jews. They share the trials of Jews in the North and South and their contributions to this national watershed event.

Presented by Bea Levin and Suzanne Bermatt at the 2012 AJL Conference in Pasadena, CA.

46 min 04 sec

Jews in China

heidi — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 19:45:00 GMT

A Jewish presence in China can be traced back to the Tang period in the 8th century. In modern history, the rise of anti-Semitism in Russia and Eastern Europe in early 19th century and the Holocaust propelled waves of Jews to North and South China. These historical events have been researched and updated by Jewish people ever since their gradual departure from China in the beginning of the 1950s. This presentation provides details on Chinese records of Jewish "guest dwelling" in China.

Presented by Teresa Sun at the 2012 AJL Conference in Pasadena, CA.

43 min 04 sec

Library of Congress's Israel and Judaica Section Update

heidi — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 18:39:00 GMT

Representatives from the Israel and Judaica Section at the Library of Congress discuss developments in acquisitions and cataloging during the past year, and address questions submitted in advance by AJL members. The session includes a report by Joan Biella of LC and Heidi Lerner of Stanford University on progress in RDA implementation as it relates to Hebraica/Judaica cataloging.

Presented by Joan Biella, Marina Korenberg, Heidi Lerner, Gail Shirazi, Aaron Taub and Galina Teverovsky at the 2012 AJL Conference in Pasadena, CA.

1 hr 14 min 34 sec

PJ Library: How the Gift of 3,000,000 Books is Shifting Jewish Community and Jewish Children's Literature

heidi — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 18:34:00 GMT

With intermarriage hovering at 50% and diminishing rates of Jewish affiliation, Jewish community leadership has been concerned about how to reach and engage young families while they are in the critical stage of exploring how they want to raise their children. Ms. Eisen shows how the JP Library, founded in 2005, helps address these issues by offering the gift of free, high-quality Jewish books and music each month, sent directly to families' homes, making resources accessible for making Jewish choices and establishing Jewish connections.

Presented by Rosalie Eisen at the 2012 AJL Conference in Pasadena, CA.

36 min 14 sec

New Tools of the Trade: Managing Archival Collections with the Archivists' Toolkit

heidi — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 18:26:00 GMT

The Archivists' Toolkit, developed as a collaboration among several major research libraries and funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, was the first open-source application to provide comprehensive, integrated support for the functions of archives. Launched in 2006, it is currently used by a broad range of repositories to manage their archives and manuscript collections. Ms. Schwimmer discusses its particular value in small to mid-sized collections.

Presented by Deena Schwimmer at the 2012 AJL Conference in Pasadena, CA.

31 min 08 sec

ASF Survey of Sephardi/Mizrahi Archives in Northeastern United States

heidi — Thu, 31 Jan 2013 18:20:00 GMT

In July 2011, the American Sephardi Federation Library and Archives was awarded a NHPRC grant to conduct the first detailed survey of Sephardi-Mizrahi archival collections throughout the northeastern United States, the first step towards providing a comprehensive research portal for Sephardi/Mizrahi studies. The results of this survey will be published within a newly-created website to publicize this work in its historical context. Mr. Belinfante discusses the background, methodology, progress and future plans for this project.

Presented by Randall Belinfante at the 2012 AJL Conference in Pasadena, CA.

29 min 20 sec

Announcing the 2013 Sydney Taylor Book Awards

heidi — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 14:28:00 GMT

Aimee Lurie, Chair of the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee, announces the 2013 winners during the AJL Midwinter Council meeting, January 2013 in Manhattan, NY.

10 min 15 sec

The Wonderful World of Electronic Books

heidi — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 18:26:00 GMT

In the fast-changing world of e-books, how do you determine what the best product is for your school or institution and which vendors do you use? Three experienced librarians from the Los Angeles area will introduce youto some of the different publishers, vendors and platforms entering the e-book market and discuss the main questions to be considered as schools and institutions move forward into this volatile area.

Presented by Shannon Acedo, Cathy Leverkus and Lisa Silverman at the 2012 AJL Conference in Pasadena, CA.

1 hr 12 min 40 sec

JSTOR: Supporting Judaica Scholarship through Preservation and Digitization

heidi — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 18:06:00 GMT

As part of its mission to serve the Jewish Studies scholarly community, JSTOR has engaged two initiatives to increase coverage of this field in the JSTOR archive. The first is to expand inclusion of Jewish Studies academic journals by including more international titles and expanding broad interdisciplinary coverage of the field. The second is to include periodicals in the Hebrew language. This second initiative was made possible in part through a grant-funded collaboration between JSTOR, the University of Haifa Library and the National Library of Israel, and began with a pilot project to digitize and test the complete back runs of four academic serials in Hebrew through the JSTOR platform, the first of its kind. Throughout the process, we have gained from the input and insights of library and faculty advisors in the Jewish scholarly community. Drawing on these two initiatives, JSTOR will soon launch a unique Jewish Studies collection, offering the full runs of key academic journals. Our intention over the coming years is to continue to build resources in this field to support research, teaching, and learning. we also seek to serve different communities of scholarship, from traditional higher education institutions to museums, theological seminaries and libraries. This presentation will report on findings learned through this pilot project on how readers of advanced Hebrew use digitized academic serials, provide an update on developing this resource to provide value to academic research libraries and other institutions, and invite librarians to participate in developing these resources further in JSTOR.

Presented by Toja Okoh at the 2012 AJL Conference in Pasadena, CA.

22 min 09 sec

Launching an International Digital Ephemera Initiative

heidi — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 18:00:00 GMT

Increasingly, the day-to-day reality of current events in the Middle East is documented not in the pages of printed newspapers, but through Facebook postings, tweets, Smartphone photos, and other informal ephemera material. The UCLA Library received a $3.4 million grant to digitize, preserve, and provide broad public access to print items, images, multimedia, and social networking resources produced in the Middle East, to offer primary sources to students and scholars. Mr. Strong discusses the challenges and opportunities in working with new forms of social media and other primary sources in real time and with international partners including the National Library of Israel.

Presented by Gary Strong at the 2012 AJL Conference in Pasadena, CA.

23 min 45 sec

Collections, Cooperation, Digitization: A Report from Two Conferences

heidi — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 16:06:00 GMT

In early November 2011, the Center for Jewish History held a gathering of academicians, librarians, and archivists, "From Access to Integration." At this two-day conference, the North American, European, and Israeli participants showcased a variety of digital projects, discussing avenues for a more coordinated way to share information about present and future digital initiatives. From June 4-6, 2012, the National Library of Israel hosted a meeting complementing the New York conference: "Curating and Cultivating Exchange: The First International Conference of Judacia Collection Curators." Mr. Baker provides firsthand impressions of both conferences.

Presented by Zachary Baker at the 2012 AJL Conference in Pasadena, CA.

26 min 10 sec

Great Scholars, Great Collectors: The Building of Columbia's Judaica Manuscript Collection

heidi — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 16:01:00 GMT

Columbia's rare Judaica manuscript collection is the third largest in the United States, behind JTS and HUC, ranging from the 10th to the 20th century, from India to the Caribbean. Ms. Chesner gives a history of the collection, detail the stories found within it, and discuss ways they are promoting use and awareness of the collection.

Presented by Michelle Chesner at the 2012 AJL Conference in Pasadena, CA.

24 min 40 sec

Cantorial Manuscripts at Yeshiva University

heidi — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 14:47:00 GMT

Ms. Berger describes a project to digitize the Yeshiva University Archives' cantorial manuscripts colleciton, which includes compositions by well-known cantors such as Zeidel Rovner, as well as working notebooks used by cantors in their positions in synagogues.

Presented by Shulamith Berger at the 2012 AJL Conference in Pasadena, CA.

30 min 26 sec

Looking for Jewish Content in Award-Winning Translated Children's Books

heidi — Fri, 21 Dec 2012 14:06:00 GMT

Which children's books with significant Jewish content are among the winners of the two most important US awards for translated books? Goldsmith describes the Mildred L. Batchelder Award and the Outstanding International Books (OIB) List, analyzes editors' decision-making processes and discusses the modest number of winners with Jewish content. Findings from her dissertation research outlines editors' motivations for and barriers to publishing translations, as well as editors' awareness of helpful resources that are available to them.

Presented by Annette Goldsmith at the 2012 AJL Conference in Pasadena, CA.

42 min 13 sec

The 2012 Sydney Taylor Book Awards Revealed

heidi — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:38:00 GMT

The Sydney Taylor Book Award is presented annually to outstanding books for children and teens that authentically portray the Jewish experience. The award memorializes Sydney Taylor, author of the classic All-of-a-Kind Family series.

Michael J. Rosen and Robert Sabuda, author and artist of Chanukah Lights, Susan Goldman Rubin, author of Music Was It: Young Leonard Bernstein, and Robert Sharenow, author of The Berlin Boxing Club, are the 2012 winners of the prestigious Sydney Taylor Book Award. The awards were announced at the mid-winter meeting of the Association of Jewish Libraries.

The winners were revealed at the 2012 council meeting of the Association of Jewish Libraries in January, 2012 in Manhattan, NY. Awards chair Barbara Bietz made the official announcement, and shared her thoughts on this year’s winners in this interview, originally recorded for The Book of Life at bookoflifepodcast.com and cross-posted here by permission.

Click here for the 2012 press release and full list of award, honor and notable books.

13 min 11 sec

The 2011 Awards Banquet

heidi — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:51:00 GMT

At the annual awards banquet, authors, illustrators and publishers are recognized for their excellent work. This presentation includes acceptance speeches by the 2011 winners of the RAS Bibliography and Reference Awards, the Sydney Taylor Book Awards, and the Sydney Taylor Manuscript Award.

Presented at the 2011 AJL Convention in Montreal, Quebec.

56 min 38 sec

Sparks, Swords and Siblings: Highlights from the Sydney Taylor Book Award

heidi — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:45:00 GMT

The Sydney Taylor Book Award committee shares insights of the many books received in 2010, from picture boooks to young adult novels, as they worked to select the 2011 winners. Categories of books discussed include: "Chickens and Roosters and Hens, Oy Vey!" "Learning About Our Neighbors and Ourselves," "Woulda Coulda Shoulda," "Sneak Peaks," "Teen Picks," "Holocaust books/series for Libraries," "WWII Perspectives," and "Hot/Not Books."

Presented by members of the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee at the 2011 AJL Convention in Montreal, Quebec.

1 hr 39 min 50 sec

Gathering Sparks

heidi — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:41:00 GMT

Author Howard Schwartz discusses his book Gathering Sparks, illustrated by Kristina Swarner, the 2011 gold medal winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award in the Younger Readers category.

Presented by Howard Schwartz at the 2011 AJL Convention in Montreal, Quebec.

28 min 07 sec

The Things a Brother Knows

heidi — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:35:00 GMT

Author Dana Reinhardt discusses her book, The Things a Brother Knows, the 2011 gold medal winner of the Sydney Taylor Book Award in the Teen Readers Category.

Presented by Dana Reinhardt at the 2011 AJL Convention in Montreal, Quebec.

24 min 35 sec

The Story and Secrets of Priest's Grotto

heidi — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:30:00 GMT

In the spring of 1943, odds of a Ukranian Jew surviving World War II were less than 5%. Hitler's final solution had reached a furious climax with no safe place left to hide, except below ground in a cave. This is the story of how several families, some of whom eventually settled in the Montreal region, chose this option, and fought to survive during one of the darkest times in history. Through the use of slides and an accompanying natrative, Chris Nicola tells this amazing story of survival, as well as his 10 year search for those who lived this remarkable story and his subsequent work in the making of a documentary, featuring himself and some of the Priest's Grotto survivors, based on his book, The Secret of Priest's Grotto: A Holocaust Survival Story.

Presented by Chris Nicola at the 2011 AJL Convention in Montreal, Quebec.

1 hr 12 min 32 sec

Indoctrination and Imagination in Early Israeli Children's Literature: The Case of HaSaMBaH

heidi — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:23:00 GMT

One of the most popular and most influential children's adventure books in Irael in the 1950s and 1960s was HaSaMBaH (an acronym for Havurat Sod Muhlat Be-HeHlet/The Gang of the Ultimate Secret), authored by Igal Mosehnzon. Led by a teenager named Yaron Zehavi and his aide Tamar, this group of teenage boys and girls set out to secretly assist the adults intent on ousting the British and on setting up the modern State of Israel. While promoting values such as courage, camaraderie, and freedom, the series also dealt with political ideologies, gender equality, and ethnic diversity. This presentation illuminates the creative modes of delivering societal norms and political ideologies in pre-State Israel and the lasting impact of the series as evident in its recent revival in Israel.

Presented by Yaffa Weisman at the 2011 AJL Convention in Monteral, Quebec.

27 min 19 sec

Digital Copyright Issues for Libraries

heidi — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:19:00 GMT

Of all the legal issues libraries face in the digital world, copyright is certainly the most important. Issues abound, from legislative reforms that impact library operations to mass digitization projects or digital licensing of materials. Libraries and the professionals who care for them must build an understanding of how digital copyright imposes new constraints on our institutions.

Presented by Olivier Charbonneau at the 2011 AJL Convention in Montreal, Quebec.

36 min 17 sec

Digitization in Progress in the Bibliotheca Rosenthaliana, Amsterdam

heidi — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:11:00 GMT

The Bibliotheca Rosenthaliana has invested considerably in the digitization of its collections. The Rosenthaliana hosts a large biographical database of Jews in the Netherlands during the 20th century, containing more than 6,000 biographical entries. On the occasion of the exhibition of the Swiss private collection of Rene Braginsky in the Bibliotheca Rosenthaliana in 2009, several dozens of the most important Amsterdam holdings were published on the web. In 2011, some fifty online inventories of Jewish archival collections will be published. Further digital collections planned to be published include the incoming correspondence of the charitable organization "Pekidim and Amarkalim" of Amsterdam, Dutch-Jewish newspapers, and a substantial section of the Hebrew manuscripts of the Rosenthaliana, including its small but important collection of medieval manuscripts (in cooperation with the Naitnoal Library of Irael). The Rosenthaliana will also upload its holdings to the Judaica Europeana project. The presentation not only showcases the ongoing project, but also discusses technical and strategic aspects of the library's digitization efforts.

Presented by Rachel Boertjens at the 2011 AJL Convention in Montreal, Quebec.

27 min 10 sec

The Literary Expression of the New Sephardic Immigration of Quebec

heidi — Tue, 09 Aug 2011 16:04:00 GMT

In the past 50 years, a new Sephardic migration originating from Mediterranean countries, specifically Morocco, has settled in Quebec. This new community was mainly French speaking and had to find its place within the Anglophone Jewish establishment and in the land of the two Canadian solitudes, French and English. Innovative solutions have been found on the institutional level and important cultural events have allowed the expression of artists in the wide spectrum of literature, theater, movie making, music, and arts. The themes, topics, and languages of expression reveal the deep desire to connect the past experiences of the old country, the new reality of Israel, and the religious dimension with the new Jewish, Quebecois and Canadian identity.

Presented by Dr. David Bensoussan at the 2011 AJL Convention in Montreal, Quebec.

30 min 05 sec