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Looking for creative, literary gift ideas for the bookworms on your holiday list? American Libraries has curated a list of potential presents for those special librarians and literature lovers in your life. Each costs less than $50 and many are less than $20, making them affordable gifts in a time of high inflation and economic […]
Illustration: Gaby FeBland Poets Reginald Dwayne Betts and Randall Horton both discovered the transformative power of literature while incarcerated, and both have dedicated their lives since their release to bringing that power to others. Betts founded Freedom Reads, an organization that installs 500-book Freedom Libraries in prisons and juvenile detention centers. Horton cofounded Radical Reversal, […]
Libraries of all sizes across the US are more than just information access points: They’re social hubs, technology centers, and can be safe havens for the marginalized. In rural areas and small towns in particular, libraries are often one of the few—or only—places to serve these functions in a way that’s free and accessible to […]
Why do librarians and teachers—the very professionals who specialize in information literacy, equitable access to information, and the advancement of learning—have so many anxieties and misconceptions about copyright? Many of us harbor an unfounded fear of copyright litigation. “Better safe than sorry” is a frequent assertion. But that attitude can keep users and creators of […]
The Chinese American Librarians Association (CALA), an affiliate of the American Library Association (ALA), celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. In the five decades since its formation, the organization has become known for its scholarship, awards, and humanitarian efforts—and has grown to include nine chapters across North America and the Asia Pacific region. CALA President […]
Tracy K. Smith Photo: Andrew Kelly Author, professor, and librettist Tracy K. Smith is as prolific as she is distinguished. She has won a Pulitzer Prize for Poetry (for 2011’s Life on Mars), earned a National Book Award nomination (for her 2015 memoir, Ordinary Light), and served as 2017–2019 US poet laureate. With To Free […]
Photo: Aaron Clamage All signs pointed to Philip Espe joining the Marines. The 34-year-old comes from a long line of military family members. But he also had a calling in music. Espe studied clarinet performance, earned a master’s of music in orchestral conducting, and directed community and youth orchestras. He used those skills when serving […]
Welcome to the 2023 Library Design Showcase, American Libraries’ annual celebration of new and renovated libraries that address patron needs in exciting and effective ways. This year’s selections represent a return to prepandemic normalcy and demonstrate a firm step into the future, with physical spaces designed to draw in communities, celebrate local history, and acknowledge […]
The following libraries are winners of the 2023 Library Building Awards, sponsored by Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures (a division of the American Library Association) and the American Institute of Architects. The awards, recognizing the best in library architecture and design, are open to any architect licensed in the US. Projects may be located anywhere in […]
Illustrations: Tom Deja Amanda Jones has been called a pedophile and a groomer. She’s received death threats. She’s lost friends, weight, and hair. She even had to take a leave of absence from her job as a school librarian in Louisiana for mental health reasons. All because she spoke at a public library board meeting […]
Every year, the American Library Association (ALA) recognizes the achievements of more than 200 individuals and institutions with an array of awards honoring their service to librarians and librarianship. Winners are chosen by juries of their colleagues and peers and embody the best of the profession’s leadership, vision, and service as well as a continued […]
Simon & Schuster Senior Vice President and Publisher Justin Chanda (left) interviews author Judy Blume at the 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition. Photo: EPNAC This summer marked a homecoming for the American Library Association (ALA), as thousands of library workers and advocates gathered in Chicago for the 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition. The conference, which […]
The Library Marketplace at the American Library Association’s 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition, held June 22–27 in Chicago. Photo: Rebecca Lomax/American Libraries With 15,851 total registrants and nearly 600 vendors represented, the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition (June 22–27) in Chicago continued to make progress toward prepandemic attendance numbers. The Library […]
National Central Library’s Open Lab Multimedia Center includes a DIY studio, for activities like sewing, and music rooms. Two libraries earned this year’s American Library Association (ALA) Presidential Citation for Innovative International Library Projects. The winning entries are the National Central Library (NCL) in Taipei City, Taiwan, and Seoul National University Library (SNUL) in South […]
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 […]
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 […]
