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Idina Menzel (left) and Cara Mentzel Photo: ENPAC When Idina Menzel was contemplating writing a children’s book, her first thought was to join forces with her younger sister. “I wouldn’t have done it any other way,” Menzel—a world-renowned singer and performer best known for her stage and screen roles in Frozen, Rent, and Wicked—said about […]
Snapshots from ALA’s 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago.Photos: Rebecca Lomax/American Libraries The atmosphere was charged at the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago. At the center of it all, as usual, was its popular Library Marketplace. Thousands of attendees marveled at the rows of vendor booths that hosted […]
I recently attended an Institute of Museum and Library Services convening focused on the role of libraries in expanding information literacy. I was pleased to see that community engagement kept appearing as a vital component in combating the tide of misinformation (false information), disinformation (intentionally false information), and information withdrawal (censorship and book bans) that […]
Growing up in Boise, Idaho, my dream was always to be a writer in New York City. Instead, in 2000, I found myself fact-checking at Lucky, a magazine about shopping. I wasn’t penning trenchant essays on the state of the world for an audience of adoring readers. I was confirming the prices of handbags and […]
Illustration: ©greens87/Adobe Stock It’s been five years since librarianship’s largest event has taken place in Chicago, the hometown of the American Library Association (ALA). So much, both in the profession and the world around us, has changed since then. But so much of the 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition will feel familiar—including top-tier authors, educational […]
From left: Deep-dish pizza at Pizano’s Pizza and Pasta, Hudson Valley foie gras at Moody Tongue, and wood-roasted pig face at Girl & the Goat. Photos: Pizano’s Pizza and Pasta (pizza); Moody Tongue (foie gras); Galdones Photography (pig face) Welcome to Chicago! We have no doubt the American Library Association’s 2023 Annual Conference will provide […]
Want to get away from the hustle of conference and into the bustle of American Libraries’ home city? Here you’ll find staff members’ favorite jaunts—from neighborhoods gems to tourist attractions—just a bus, train, or bike ride away. Chicago’s grid system makes it an easy place to explore in between sessions, signings, and celebrations. Walk or […]
Illustration: ©PureSolution/Adobe Stock School libraries come in many forms. They may be book sanctuaries, hangout spots for learners during noninstructional time, technologically advanced media centers full of activity tubs and work tables, or a combination of these. Whatever your school’s library is like, the opportunity to bring in culturally responsive principles exists. If you are […]
A patron at Charleston County (S.C.) Public Library picks up fruits and vegetables from a Free and Fresh Fridge. These fridges opened at three branches in 2021. Photo: Charleston County (S.C.) Public Library Kathleen Montgomery views food, much like access to information, as a fundamental right. “We know that if people don’t have enough food, […]
In January, Billings (Mont.) Public Library installed the Community Cabinet in its lobby. The cabinet contains hygiene products that patrons can take freely and discreetly. Photo: Billings (Mont.) Public Library Last summer, Taylor Arnold, media and reference librarian at Billings (Mont.) Public Library (BPL), pedaled a bike library around the city. From an outfitted tricycle, […]
Since January 2022, Grosse Pointe (Mich.) Public Library has been delivering a welcome kit, along with a handmade baby cap, to new parents.Photo: Grosse Pointe (Mich.) Public Library When outreach librarian Annie Spence was working from home during the pandemic, a colleague dropped off a care package of books at her doorstep. The package made […]
Students in the English for Older Beginners class at Jones Library in Amherst, Massachusetts, build their language skills through activities like field trips. Photo: Lynne Weintraub It’s not unusual for libraries to offer English as a Second Language (ESL) and citizenship preparation programs. But Jones Library (JL) in Amherst, Massachusetts, has designed a program specifically […]
Ken Jennings Photo: Faith Jennings As a kid growing up during the 1970s and 1980s, record Jeopardy! champion-turned-host Ken Jennings was surrounded by stories about the world’s greatest mysteries: the Bermuda Triangle, UFOs, Bigfoot. But for him, what’s beyond our physical world has always been the biggest and most exciting enigma. Jennings explores the afterlife […]
Salt Lake City Public Library’s community garden. Photo: Jeri Gravlin 71Number of institutions recognized by the Council on Botanical and Horticultural Libraries. These libraries are often housed within public gardens, arboretums, or universities around the world. 2004Year the first seed library opened in a public library. Hudson Valley Seed Library—which has since evolved into Hudson […]
In my work as a literacy equity advocate, I often note how we’re living in a new Gutenberg Era. In the Middle Ages, Johannes Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press expanded our capacity for mass communication. It catalyzed movements like the Protestant Reformation and Enlightenment—but also spurred centuries of religious wars and disseminated ideas faster […]
A rock garden stands tribute outside El Progreso Memorial Library in Uvalde, Texas. Well-wishers from around the world have sent painted rocks to memorialize the 19 children and two teachers who died at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde following a mass shooting on May 24, 2022. Photo: Nora Neus On a recent spring Saturday morning […]
Illustration: ©Good Studio/Adobe Stock In recent years, business acquisitions have brought high-stakes changes to the library technology industry, creating seismic shifts in the balance of power. But other events in 2022—primarily advances in open source software—have even bigger implications for the market. Although proprietary products continue to dominate, open source alternatives are becoming increasingly competitive. […]
Ava Kirtley raised money to purchase books from frequently banned lists and gave them away to teens in Walla Walla, Washington. Ava Kirtley was a high school junior when she first learned about attempts to ban books at her school library in Walla Walla, Washington. In summer 2021, several parents and community members challenged a […]
Illustration: ©Alina.Alina/Adobe Stock When I have connected with public librarians about sharing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) information, a common refrain has been that patrons do not come to the reference desk for this information. This isn’t surprising. How comfortable would you be going up to a stranger and asking them a question about your […]
Certified ikebana instructor Huimei Lai (seated) provides feedback to a student during a February class for older adults at Scripps Miramar Ranch Library in San Diego.Photo: Meiling Yueh Ikebana—the ancient Japanese art of flower arranging—is finding new fans among library patrons. Through online and in-person workshops and exhibitions, many participants find that it brings them […]
