You are browsing archives for
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
A pilot program at Banff (Alberta) Public Library offers fentanyl test strips to detect the presence of the potent synthetic opioid in drugs.Photo: Banff Public Library Opioid overdoses remain a significant health crisis not just in the US but also Canada. An estimated 32,630 Canadians died from an apparent opioid-related overdose between 2016 and 2022, […]
Illustration: Gaby FeBland This March marks three years since COVID- 19 brought the country to a standstill. While the pandemic is still ongoing—tens of thousands of cases continue to be recorded daily in the US—the effects it has had on our everyday lives, and our libraries, have abated and become somewhat normalized. In those early […]
Illustration: Gaby FeBland When COVID-19 shuttered businesses, schools, and public spaces in March 2020, we knew little about the virus and how long it would last. But even in the absence of answers, library workers did what they do best: shared information, pivoted programs and services, and tried to plug noticeable equity gaps. Three years […]
Illustration: Gaby FeBland At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Ari Brooks wasn’t sure how to move forward with her library’s fundraising efforts. In a milieu of uncertainty caused by worldwide shutdowns, Brooks, executive director of Friends of the Library, Montgomery County (FOLMC) in Maryland, didn’t know if it was insensitive to ask the community […]
Illustration: Gaby FeBland In September 2017, Hurricane Maria devastated the Puerto Rican coastal city of Humacao. Much of The Palmas Academy (TPA), a K–12 school serving kids from across the island, was left damaged or destroyed—including its library. The library served as a hub for the school’s approximately 400 students and faculty. It had separate […]
With a grant from the National Library of Medicine, Pickens County (S.C.) Library System created medical wellness kits, including blood pressure kits, for checkout. Photo: Pickens County (S.C.) Library System Julie Lepore noticed that many of her patrons were feeling isolated following COVID-19 exposures, positive tests, or caring for sick family members. “We’re a fairly […]
Each phone in Las Vegas–Clark County (Nev.) Library District’s Cellphone Lending Program was loaded with more than 50 social service provider contacts. Photos: ©carballo/Adobe Stock (person); Las Vegas-Clark County (Nev.) Library District (phone) When Las Vegas–Clark County (Nev.) Library District (LVCCLD) closed its doors at the start of the pandemic, the technological barriers that existed […]
When a mutual aid organization approached Annika Clark about her library hosting a gender-affirming closet, she says the timing was perfect. “We have a diverse staff that wants this kind of thing,” says the associate librarian at Salt Lake City Public Library’s (SLCPL) Glendale branch. And Clark had been looking for new ways to connect […]
Illustration: Gaby FeBland When a handful of books stopped being returned at Vinton (Iowa) Public Library, Janette McMahon suspected it was more than just forgetfulness. McMahon, the library director at the time, says residents of the east central Iowa town of 5,000 had been discussing book bans, and it had become heated. “We had five […]
Every year, voters from small towns and big cities alike decide on ballot measures that affect libraries. This year was no different—and as in past years, American Libraries and the Public Library Association have partnered to look at some of the wins and losses across the country. While libraries notched notable victories in 2022, some […]
Every year, voters from small towns and big cities alike decide on ballot measures that affect libraries. This year is no different—and as in past years, American Libraries and the Public Library Association have partnered to look at some of the wins and losses across the country. While libraries notched many victories in 2022, some […]
Illustration: Chelsea Feng High-profile book banning and boycott stories have included everything from Susan Meyers and Marla Frazee’s Everywhere Babies to Pizza Hut’s Book It! program, which some attacked in June for featuring LGBTQ books in celebration of Pride Month. These stories, especially when shared on social media, have accelerated the culture wars and negatively […]
Bedford (Tex.) Public Library hosted a Halloween-themed goat yoga program during fall 2021, in which goats were dressed in silly costumes. Photo: Mary Woodward/Bedford (Tex.) Public Library It’s not every day that patrons dodge prancing barnyard goats while navigating instructor-led yoga sessions, but goat yoga (exactly what it sounds like—yoga in the company of goats) […]
