77-557: The American Library Association Equality Award has been given annually by the American Library Association since 1984 in recognition of achievement for outstanding contribution toward promoting equality in the library profession, either by a sustained contribution or a single outstanding accomplishment. The award may be given for an activist or scholarly contribution in such areas as pay equity, affirmative action, legislative work and non-sexist education. The inaugural award
154-475: A historically black college or university . She also was president during COVID-19 and the live annual conference was cancelled and delivered virtually. Brown characterized her presidency as one of "change, loss, and hope." In 2021, Patty Wong became the first Asian-American president of the ALA. In 2022 Lessa Kananiʻopua Pelayo-Lozada was the first Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander American president. In 2023
231-415: A labor union . The Joads find work as strikebreakers in a peach orchard. After picking for most of the day, they are only paid enough to buy food for that night's supper and some for the next day. The next morning the peach plantation announces that the pay rate for the picked fruit has been reduced by half. Casy is involved in a strike that turns violent. When Tom witnesses Casy being struck and killed with
308-465: A pickaxe , he kills the attacker and takes flight. The Joads quietly leave the orchard to work at a cotton farm where Tom risks being arrested, and possibly lynched, for the homicide. Knowing he must leave to avoid capture and protect his family from being blacklisted from working, Tom bids his mother farewell and vows to work for the oppressed. The family continues to pick cotton and pool their daily wages to buy food. Upon its birth, Rose of Sharon's baby
385-563: A "great work" and as one of the committee's main reasons for granting Steinbeck the Nobel Prize for Literature . In 1999, French newspaper Le Monde of Paris ranked The Grapes of Wrath as seventh on its list of the 100 best books of the 20th century . In the UK, it was listed at number 29 among the "nation's best loved novels" on the BBC 's 2003 survey The Big Read . In 2005, Time magazine included
462-677: A field; Granma dies close to the California state line; and both Noah (the eldest Joad son) and Connie Rivers (the husband of the pregnant Joad daughter, Rose of Sharon) leave the family. Led by Ma, the remaining members continue on, as nothing is left for them in Oklahoma. Reaching California, they find the state oversupplied with labor ; wages are low, and workers are exploited to the point of starvation. The big corporate farmers are in collusion and smaller farmers suffer from collapsing prices. All police and state law enforcement authorities are allied with
539-409: A great and firm novel but a disappointing melodrama in which complex good is pitted against unmitigated, unbelievable evil." Others accused Steinbeck of exaggerating camp conditions to make a political point. He had visited the camps well before publication of the novel and argued their inhumane nature destroyed the settlers' spirit. In 1962, the Nobel Prize committee cited The Grapes of Wrath as
616-668: A group of librarians proposed that the ALA schedule a new round table program discussion on the social responsibilities of librarians at its annual conference in Kansas City . This group called themselves the Organizing Committee for the ALA Round Table on Social Responsibilities of Libraries. This group drew in many other under-represented groups in the ALA who lacked power, including the Congress for Change in 1969. This formation of
693-525: A journal, Leonard A. Slade lays out the chapters and how they represent each part of the slaves escaping from Egypt. Slade states “Chapters 1 through 10 correspond to bondage in Egypt (where the bank and land companies fulfill the role of Pharaoh), and the plagues (drought and erosion); chapters 11 through 18 to the Exodus and journey through the wilderness (during which the old people die off); and chapter 19 through 30 to
770-719: A permanent committee – Committee on Intellectual Freedom. The ALA made revisions to strengthen the Library Bill of Rights in June 1948, approved the Statement on Labeling in 1951 to discourage labeling material as subversive, and adopted the Freedom to Read Statement and the Overseas Library Statement in 1953. The ALA has worked throughout its history to define, extend, protect and advocate for equity of access to information. In 1945
847-446: A remake of The Grapes of Wrath for DreamWorks . The Japanese animated series Bungou Stray Dogs portrays a character based on Steinbeck whose superpower is named "The Grapes of Wrath". Woody Guthrie 's two-part song—" Tom Joad – Parts 1 & 2 " – from the album Dust Bowl Ballads (1940), explores the protagonist's life after being paroled from prison. It was covered in 1988 by Andy Irvine , who recorded both parts as
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#1733094493565924-549: A single song—"Tom Joad"—on Patrick Street 's second album, No. 2 Patrick Street . The 1981 song "Here Comes that Rainbow Again", by Kris Kristofferson , is based on the scene in the roadside diner where a man buys a loaf of bread and two candy sticks for his sons. The band The Mission UK included a song titled "The Grapes of Wrath" on their album Carved in Sand (1990). The progressive rock band Camel released an album, titled Dust and Dreams (1991), inspired by
1001-574: A standard against censorship and was adopted by the ALA in 1939. This has been recognized as the moment defining modern librarianship as a profession committed to intellectual freedom and the right to read. ALA appointed a committee to study censorship and recommend policy after the banning of the novel The Grapes of Wrath in Kern County , California and the implementation of the Library Bill of Rights. The committee reported in 1940 that intellectual freedom and professionalism were linked and recommended
1078-402: A time when the publishing world has little diversity. Works from authors and illustrators of color make up less than 8 percent of children's titles produced in 2013. The ALA hopes this regrettable incident will be used to open a dialogue on the need for diversity in the publishing industry, particularly in regards to books for young people." In 2020 Wanda Kay Brown was the first president from
1155-451: Is stillborn . Ma Joad remains steadfast and forces the family through the bereavement. With the winter rains, the Joads' dwelling is flooded and the car disabled, and they move to higher ground. In the final chapter of the book, the family takes shelter from the flood in an old barn. Inside they find a young boy and his father, who is dying of starvation . Ma realizes there is only one way to save
1232-411: Is the beginning—from "I" to "we". If you who own the things people must have could understand this, you might preserve yourself. If you could separate causes from results, if you could know that Paine , Marx , Jefferson , Lenin were results, not causes, you might survive. But that you cannot know. For the quality of owning freezes you forever into "I", and cuts you off forever from the "we". Steinbeck
1309-668: Is the oldest and largest library association in the world. During the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876, 103 librarians, 90 men and 13 women, responded to a call for a "Convention of Librarians" to be held October 4–6, 1876, at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania . IL At the end of the meeting, according to Edward G. Holley in his essay "ALA at 100", "the register was passed around for all to sign who wished to become charter members", making October 6, 1876,
1386-503: The Dust Bowl , the Joads set out for California on the " mother road ", along with thousands of other " Okies " seeking jobs, land, dignity, and a future. The Grapes of Wrath is frequently read in American high school and college literature classes due to its historical context and enduring legacy. A celebrated Hollywood film version , starring Henry Fonda and directed by John Ford ,
1463-668: The National Book Award and Pulitzer Prize for fiction, and it was cited prominently when Steinbeck was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1962. Set during the Great Depression , the novel focuses on the Joads, a poor family of tenant farmers driven from their Oklahoma home by drought, economic hardship, agricultural industry changes, and bank foreclosures forcing tenant farmers out of work. Due to their nearly hopeless situation, and in part because they are trapped in
1540-542: The 2024–2025 term is Cindy Hohl . President-elect, Sam Helmick , will preside in 2025-2026. The executive director of the American Library Association delegates authority within ALA headquarters to ALA’s department heads, who, in carrying out their assigned duties, are called upon to use ALA’s name, and, in that name, to commit the Association to programs, activities, and binding agreements. Secretaries of
1617-582: The ALA "does not promote any 'ideology'". The Association received the Toni Morrison Achievement Award from the National Book Critics Circle . The Library History Round Table published the "Bibliography of Library History" database containing over 7,000 entries for books, articles, and theses in library history and related fields published from 1990 to 2022. Cindy Hohl , the first SPECTRUM Scholar to be elected president
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#17330944935651694-597: The ALA and the Office for Literacy and Outreach were established in 1970. In 1971, Barbara Gittings staffed a kissing booth at the ALA Conference underneath the banner, "Hug a Homosexual." This was the precipitating event that evolved into the Rainbow Round Table dedicated to supporting the information needs of LGBTQIA+ people. The American Library Association celebrated its centennial in 1976. In commemoration
1771-625: The ALA commissioned a study, Access to Public Libraries , which found direct and indirect discrimination in American libraries. In 1967, some librarians protested against a pro- Vietnam War speech given by General Maxwell D. Taylor at the annual ALA conference in San Francisco; the former president of Sarah Lawrence College , Harold Taylor , spoke to the Middle-Atlantic Regional Library Conference about socially responsible professionalism; and less than one year later
1848-663: The ALA established an Office in Washington, D.C. named the National Relations Office under the direction of Paul Howard. In 1961, the ALA took a stand regarding service to African Americans and others, advocating for equal library service for all. An amendment to the Library Bill of Rights was passed in 1961 that made clear that an individual's library use should not be denied or abridged because of race, religion, national origin, or political views. Some communities decided to close their doors rather than desegregate. In 1963,
1925-410: The ALA guidelines on library services to the poor. The Office for Information Technology Policy was established in 1995 to act as a public policy advocate for libraries in the area of information technology. The "Congress on Professional Education" took place from April 30 to May 1, 1999 in Washington, D.C., with over 100 participating. Its purpose was to reach consensus among stakeholder groups on
2002-589: The ALA, serving as its acting president from April 11 to July 22 in 1976 upon the death of Allie Beth Martin and then elected president from July 22, 1976 to 1977. In 1979 and 1991 the ALA collaborated with the National Commission on Libraries and Information Science on two White House Conferences. In 1983 in response to the National Commission on Excellence in Education Report, A Nation at Risk , leaders in library and information science launched
2079-405: The ALA. In 2014, Courtney Young , president of the association, commented on the background and implications of a racist joke author Daniel Handler made as African American writer Jacqueline Woodson received a National Book Award for Brown Girl Dreaming . "His comments were inappropriate and fell far short of the association's commitment to diversity," said Young. "Handler's remarks come at
2156-484: The Association prior to Carl Milam were George Burwell Utley (1911–20); Chalmers Hadley (1909–11); Edward C. Hovey (1905–7); James Ingersoll Wyer (1902–09); Frederick Winthrop Faxon (1900–02); Henry James Carr (1898–1900); Melvil Dewey (1897–98); Rutherford Platt Hayes (1896–97); Henry Livingston Elmendorf (1895–96); Frank Pierce Hill (1891–95); Mary Salome Cutler (1891); William E. Parker (1890– 1891) and Melvil Dewey (1879–90). The official purpose of
2233-731: The Bibliographical Society of America . In 1911, Theresa Elmendorf became ALA's first woman president. An analysis of the writings of the first fifteen women presidents gives more insight into the expanded role of women in the association. During World War I the ALA Executive Board initiated by Walter Lewis Brown established the Library War Service Committee to supply books and periodicals to military personnel at home and overseas. The American Library in Paris
2310-577: The Library History Round Table has been documented by the first archivist, Maynard Britchford. Additionally, the American Library Association Institutional Repository (ALAIR) provides digital access to the publications and intellectual work of the Association. ALA membership is open to any person or organization, though most of its members are libraries or librarians. Most members live and work in
2387-608: The Public Library Association of ALA published the Public Library Services for Strong Communities Report addressing the myriad ways libraries nationwide serve and sustain their communities. That same year, the Montana State Library Commission withdrew from the ALA, citing comments made by Emily Drabinski , who self-identified as a "Marxist lesbian". The Digital Public Library Ecosystem
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2464-515: The Republic'. Apparently, then the title suggests, moreover, 'that story exists in Christian context, indicating that we should expect to find some Christian meaning'." These two interpretations by Slade and other scholars show how many religious aspects can be interpreted from the book. Along with Slade, other scholars find interpretations in the characters of Rose of Sharon and her stillborn child. This
2541-537: The United States, with international members comprising 3.5% of total membership. The ALA is governed by an elected council and an executive board. Policies and programs are administered by committees and round tables. One of the organization's most visible tasks is overseen by the Office for Accreditation, which formally reviews and authorizes American and Canadian academic institutions that offer degree programs in library and information science . ALA's President for
2618-487: The association is "to promote library service and librarianship." Members may join one or more of eight membership divisions that deal with specialized topics such as academic, school, or public libraries, technical or reference services, and library administration. Members may also join any of the nineteen round tables that are grouped around more specific interests and issues than the broader set of ALA divisions. Task forces: The Committee on Literacy develops and recommends
2695-553: The association published Libraries and the Life of the Mind in America. The American Library Association Archives, established at the time of the centennial, created an online exhibit which includes a history of the centennial. Clara Stanton Jones , president, Inaugural address was titled, “The First Step into ALA’s Second Century.” Clara Stanton Jones was the first African American president of
2772-432: The association's policies related to the promotion of multiple literacies. The Chapter Relations Committee develops and recognizes chapters as integral components of ALA, encourages discussion, activities and programs that support the mutual interests of ALA and the chapters. The Grapes of Wrath The Grapes of Wrath is an American realist novel written by John Steinbeck and published in 1939. The book won
2849-410: The biblical passage Revelation 14:19–20, an apocalyptic appeal to divine justice and deliverance from oppression in the final judgment . This and other biblical passages had inspired a long tradition of imagery of Christ in the winepress , in various media. The passage reads: And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vine of the earth, and cast it into the great winepress of
2926-580: The book directly inspired the promulgation of the Library Bill of Rights by the American Library Association . Sanora Babb 's Whose Names Are Unknown was written in the 1930s and published in 2004. Some scholars noted strong parallels between that work — the notes for which Steinbeck is widely believed to have examined — and The Grapes of Wrath . Writing in The Steinbeck Review , Michael J. Meyer noted numerous "obvious similarities" between
3003-447: The book's influence: " The Grapes of Wrath may well be the most thoroughly discussed novel – in criticism, reviews, and college classrooms – of 20th century American literature." The Grapes of Wrath is referred to as a Great American Novel . At the time of publication, Steinbeck's novel "was a phenomenon on the scale of a national event. It was publicly banned and burned by citizens, it was debated on national radio; but above all, it
3080-623: The committee was approved in 1969 and would change its name to the Social Responsibilities Round Table (SRRT) in 1971. After its inception, the Round Table of Social Responsibilities began to press ALA leadership to address issues such as library unions, working conditions, wages, and intellectual freedom. The Freedom to Read Foundation was founded by Judith Krug , Alexander Allain , and Carrie C Robinson and established by ALA's executive board in 1969. The Black Caucus of
3157-480: The date of the ALA's founding. Among the 103 librarians in attendance were Justin Winsor ( Boston Public Library and Harvard University ), William Frederick Poole ( Chicago Public Library and Newberry College ), Charles Ammi Cutter ( Boston Athenæum ), Melvil Dewey , Charles Evans ( Indianapolis Public Library ) and Richard Rogers Bowker . Attendees came from as far west as Chicago and from England. The ALA
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3234-519: The echoes of Grapes that abound in her prose." Steinbeck scholar David M. Wrobel wrote that "the John Steinbeck/Sanora Babb story sounds like a classic smash-and-grab: celebrated California author steals the material of unknown Oklahoma writer, resulting in his financial success and her failure to get her work published ... Steinbeck absorbed field information from many sources, primarily Tom Collins and Eric H. Thomsen, regional director of
3311-614: The family is at Uncle John Joad's home nearby. Graves says the banks have evicted all the farmers. They have moved away, but Muley refuses to leave the area. The next morning, Tom and Casy go to Uncle John's. Tom's family is loading their remaining possessions into a Hudson sedan converted into a truck; with the crops destroyed by the Dust Bowl , the family has defaulted on their bank loans and their farm has been repossessed. The family sees no option but to seek work in California, which has been described in handbills as fruitful and offering high pay. The Joads put everything they have into making
3388-403: The fecundity of nature and agriculture, and the contrast with the impoverishment of the migrants; and the disparity between those willing to extend assistance to the migrants and others who view "Okies" as subhuman. Meyer, a Steinbeck bibliographer, stops short of labeling these parallels as plagiarism but concludes that "Steinbeck scholars would do well to read Babb — if only to see for themselves
3465-651: The federal migrant camp program in California, who accompanied Steinbeck on missions of mercy...if Steinbeck read Babb’s extensive notes as carefully as he did the reports of Collins, he would certainly have found them useful. His interaction with Collins and Thomsen — and their influence on the writing of The Grapes of Wrath — is documented because Steinbeck acknowledged both. Sanora Babb went unmentioned." Writing in Broad Street (magazine), Carla Dominguez described Babb as "devastated and bitter" that Random House cancelled publication of her own novel after The Grapes of Wrath
3542-434: The few enduring Great American Motion Pictures." The documentary American: The Bill Hicks Story (2009) revealed that The Grapes of Wrath was the favorite novel of comedian Bill Hicks . He based his famous last words on Tom Joad's final speech: "I left in love, in laughter, and in truth, and wherever truth, love and laughter abide, I am there in spirit." In July 2013, Steven Spielberg announced his plans to direct
3619-549: The growers. At the first migrant Hooverville camp the Joads stop at, Casy is arrested for knocking down a deputy sheriff who is about to shoot a fleeing worker for alerting others that the labor recruiter, travelling with the officer, will not pay the wages he is promising. Weedpatch Camp , one of the clean, utility-supplied camps operated by the Resettlement Administration , a New Deal agency, offers better conditions but does not have enough resources to care for all
3696-426: The journey. Although leaving Oklahoma violates his parole, Tom takes the risk, and invites Casy to join the family. Traveling west on Route 66 , the Joads find the road crowded with other migrants. In makeshift camps, they hear many stories from others, some returning from California. The group worries that California may not be as rewarding as suggested. The family dwindles on the way: Grampa dies and they bury him in
3773-451: The man. She looks at Rose of Sharon and a silent understanding passes between them. Rose of Sharon, left alone with the man, goes to him and has him drink her breast milk. Many scholars have noted Steinbeck's use of Christian imagery within The Grapes of Wrath . The largest implications lie with Tom Joad and Jim Casy, who are both interpreted as Christ-like figures at certain intervals within
3850-420: The migrants. They denounced the book as a 'pack of lies' and labeled it 'communist propaganda ' ". Some argued that his novel was filled with inaccuracies. In his book The Art of Fiction (1984), John Gardner criticized Steinbeck for not knowing anything about the California ranchers: "Witness Steinbeck's failure in The Grapes of Wrath . It should have been one of America's great books...[S]teinbeck wrote not
3927-440: The needy families, and it does not provide work or food. Nonetheless, as a federal facility, the camp protects the migrants from harassment by local deputies. How can you frighten a man whose hunger is not only in his own cramped stomach but in the wretched bellies of his children? You can't scare him – he has known a fear beyond every other. In response to the exploitation , Casy becomes a labor organizer and tries to recruit for
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#17330944935654004-502: The novel in its "100 Best English-language Novels from 1923 to 2005". In 2009, The Daily Telegraph of the United Kingdom included the novel in its "100 novels everyone should read". The Grapes of Wrath has faced a great amount of controversy since publication, including book bans and other challenges on a variety of political and religious grounds in the United States and other countries. The early attempts to suppress and censor
4081-469: The novel, including Ma Joad, Rose of Sharon, her stillborn child, and Uncle John. In an article first published in 2009, Ken Eckert even compared the migrants' movement west as a reversed version of the slaves' escape from Egypt in Exodus . Many of these extreme interpretations are brought on by Steinbeck's own documented beliefs, which Eckert himself refers to as "unorthodox". To expand upon previous remarks in
4158-611: The novel. American rock singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen named his 11th studio album, The Ghost of Tom Joad (1995), after the character; and the first track on the album shares the same title . The song – and to a lesser extent, the others on the album – draws comparisons between the Dust Bowl and modern times. Rage Against the Machine recorded a version of " The Ghost of Tom Joad " in 1997. Like Andy Irvine in 1988, Dick Gaughan recorded Woody Guthrie's "Tom Joad" on his album Outlaws & Dreamers (2001). An opera based on
4235-515: The novel. When preparing to write the novel, Steinbeck wrote: "I want to put a tag of shame on the greedy bastards who are responsible for this [the Great Depression and its effects]." He famously said, "I've done my damnedest to rip a reader's nerves to rags." His work won a large following among the working class, due to his sympathy for the migrants and workers' movement, and his accessible prose style. Steinbeck scholar John Timmerman sums up
4312-537: The novel. These two are often interpreted together, with Casy representing Jesus Christ in the early days of his ministry, up until his death, which is interpreted as representing the death of Christ. From there, Tom takes over, rising in Casy's place as the Christ figure risen from the dead. However, the religious imagery is not limited to these two characters. Scholars have regularly inspected other characters and plot points within
4389-414: The people the grapes of wrath are filling and growing heavy, growing heavy for the vintage. The image invoked by the title serves as a crucial symbol in the development of both the plot and the novel's greater thematic concerns: from the terrible winepress of Dust Bowl oppression will come terrible wrath but also the deliverance of workers through their cooperation. This is suggested but not realized within
4466-577: The project, "Libraries and the Learning Society." Librarians examined how public libraries, academic libraries, library and information science training institutions, and school library media centers could best respond to A Nation at Risk. In June 1990, the ALA approved "Policy on Library Services to the Poor" and in 1996 the Task Force on Hunger, Homelessness, and Poverty was formed to resurrect and promote
4543-450: The reader participate in the actuality, what he takes from it will be scaled on his own depth and shallowness. There are five layers in this book, a reader will find as many as he can and he won't find more than he has in himself." While writing the novel at his home, 16250 Greenwood Lane, in what is now Monte Sereno, California , Steinbeck had unusual difficulty devising a title. The Grapes of Wrath , suggested by his wife Carol Steinbeck,
4620-528: The settlement in the Promised Land-California, whose inhabitants are hostile… formulate ethical codes (in the government camps)”. Another religious interpretation that Slade brings up in his writings is the title itself, stating “The title of the novel, of course refers to the line: He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored in Julia Ward Howe’s famous 'Battle-Hymn of
4697-459: The two novels "that even a cursory reading will reveal", such as Babb's account of two still-born babies, mirrored in Steinbeck's description of Rose of Sharon's baby. Among other scenes and themes repeated in both books: the villainy of banks, corporations, and company stores that charge exorbitant prices; the rejection of religion and the embrace of music as a means of preserving hope; descriptions of
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#17330944935654774-413: The values and core competencies of the profession and on strategies for action to address common issues and concerns. At the beginning of the century The Congress on Professional Education recommended that the Association develop a set of Core Values. In 2007, Loriene Roy was elected as the first Native American President of the ALA. In 2009, Camila Alire became the first Hispanic president of
4851-406: The wrath of God. And the winepress was trodden without the city, and blood came out of the winepress, even unto the horse bridles, by the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs. The phrase also appears at the end of Chapter 25 in Steinbeck's book, which describes the purposeful destruction of food to keep the price high: [A]nd in the eyes of the hungry there is a growing wrath. In the souls of
4928-465: Was bestowed on Margaret Myers, Director, Office of Library Personnel Resources of the American Library Association in 1984. American librarianship and human rights Diversity in librarianship American Library Association The American Library Association ( ALA ) is a nonprofit organization based in the United States that promotes libraries and library education internationally. It
5005-511: Was chartered in 1879 in Massachusetts . Its headquarters office is in Chicago . Another important founder was Frederick Leypoldt , publisher of Library Journal , who published the conference proceedings. Justin Winsor was the first president of the ALA, serving from 1876 until 1885. Many early presidents were also officers in the Bibliographical Society of America. See List of presidents of
5082-483: Was deemed more suitable than anything by the author. The title is a reference to lyrics from " The Battle Hymn of the Republic ", by Julia Ward Howe (emphasis added): Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord: He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored; He hath loosed the fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword: His truth is marching on. These lyrics refer, in turn, to
5159-527: Was eclipsed in 1939 by the success of The Grapes of Wrath and was shelved until it was finally published in 2004, a year before Babb's death. The Grapes of Wrath developed from The Harvest Gypsies , a series of seven articles that ran in the San Francisco News , from October 5 to 12, 1936. The newspaper commissioned that work on migrant workers from the Midwest in California's agriculture industry. (It
5236-482: Was founded as part of this effort. In the 1930s, library activists pressured the American Library Association to be more responsive to issues such as peace, segregation, library unions, and intellectual freedom. In 1931, the Junior Members Round Table (JMRT) was formed to provide a voice for the younger members of the ALA. The first Library Bill of Rights (LBR) was drafted by Forrest Spaulding to set
5313-600: Was inaugurated in July 2024. Her presidential theme is “A Good Way for ALA.” Standards for Library Services for the Incarcerated or Detained was published in 2024. The ALA Archives, including historical documents, non-current records, and digital records, are held at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign archives. The establishment of the archives and the roles of David Horace Clift , Robert Wedgeworth , Beta Phi Mu , and
5390-409: Was known to have borrowed from field notes taken during 1938 by Farm Security Administration worker and author Sanora Babb . While she collected personal stories about the lives of the displaced migrants for a novel she was developing, her supervisor, Tom Collins, shared her reports with Steinbeck, who at the time was working for the San Francisco News . Babb's own novel, Whose Names Are Unknown ,
5467-413: Was later compiled and published separately. ) In mid-January 1939, three months before the publication of The Grapes of Wrath , Steinbeck wrote a long letter to Pascal Covici, his editor at Viking Press. He wanted Covici, in particular, to understand this book, to appreciate what he was up to. And so he concluded with a statement that might serve as preface in and of itself: "Throughout I've tried to make
5544-529: Was noted for Steinbeck's passionate depiction of the plight of the poor, and many of his contemporaries attacked his social and political views. Bryan Cordyack wrote: "Steinbeck was attacked as a propagandist and a socialist from both the left and the right of the political spectrum. The most fervent of these attacks came from the Associated Farmers of California; they were displeased with the book's depiction of California farmers' attitudes and conduct toward
5621-443: Was published by ALA in 2023. It is a comprehensive overview of the current state and operations of the relationships and roles of stakeholders including authors, agents, publishers, distributors, the library community, governments, and trade organizations. In 2024, in response to proposed Georgia legislation that would prohibit public expenditures on the ALA, the ALA responded that the legislation "is based on false narratives", and
5698-504: Was quickly made into a famed 1940 Hollywood movie of the same name directed by John Ford and starring Henry Fonda as Tom Joad. The first part of the film version follows the book fairly accurately. However, the second half and the ending, in particular, differ significantly from the book. John Springer, author of The Fondas (Citadel, 1973), said of Henry Fonda and his role in The Grapes of Wrath : "The Great American Novel made one of
5775-536: Was read". According to The New York Times , it was the best-selling book of 1939 and 430,000 copies had been printed by February 1940. In that same month, it won the National Book Award , favorite fiction book of 1939, voted by members of the American Booksellers Association . Soon, it won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction , and its Armed Services Edition went through two printings. The book
5852-478: Was released in 1939. It is clear, she wrote, that "Babb's retellings, interactions, and reflections were secretly read over and appropriated by Steinbeck. Babb met Steinbeck briefly and by chance at a lunch counter, but she never thought that he had been reading her notes because he did not mention it." When Babb's novel was finally published in 2004, she declared that she was a better writer than Steinbeck. "His book", Babb said, "is not as realistic as mine." The book
5929-489: Was released in 1940. The narrative begins just after Tom Joad is paroled from McAlester prison , where he had been incarcerated after being convicted of homicide in self-defense. While hitchhiking to his home near Sallisaw, Oklahoma , Tom meets former preacher Jim Casy, whom he remembers from childhood, and the two travel together. Arriving at Tom's childhood farm home, they find it deserted. Disconcerted and confused, Tom and Casy meet an old neighbor, Muley Graves, who says
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