You are browsing archives for
A sign outside the Columbia branch of Seattle Public Library announcing that “All library computer systems down,” on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, after the system suffered a ransomware attack. Photo: KUOW On a morning in October 2023, an accountant at Orion Township (Mich.) Public Library (OTPL) saw something in her accounting software that alarmed her: […]
In May 2025, the European Union levied financial sanctions on the owners of Stark Industries Solutions Ltd., a bulletproof hosting provider that materialized two weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine and quickly became a top source of Kremlin-linked cyberattacks and disinformation campaigns. But new findings show those sanctions have done little to stop Stark from simply rebranding […]
Microsoft Corp. today issued security updates to fix more than 80 vulnerabilities in its Windows operating systems and software. There are no known “zero-day” or actively exploited vulnerabilities in this month’s bundle from Redmond, which nevertheless includes patches for 13 flaws that earned Microsoft’s most-dire “critical” label. Meanwhile, both Apple and Google recently released updates […]
At least 18 popular JavaScript code packages that are collectively downloaded more than two billion times each week were briefly compromised with malicious software today, after a developer involved in maintaining the projects was phished. The attack appears to have been quickly contained and was narrowly focused on stealing cryptocurrency. But experts warn that a […]
The chairman of the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) last week sent a letter to Google’s CEO demanding to know why Gmail was blocking messages from Republican senders while allegedly failing to block similar missives supporting Democrats. The letter followed media reports accusing Gmail of disproportionately flagging messages from the GOP fundraising platform WinRed and sending […]
Thalia Lightstone recently joined the Digital Content Processing Section as Librarian in Residence on the Digital Services track. The Librarians-in-Residence program (LIR) supports and develops the next generation of librarians and information professionals by providing meaningful work experiences at the Library of Congress. In this interview, Thalia chats with Pedro Gonzalez-Fernandez, Digital Collections Specialist, about […]
Welcome to the 2025 Library Design Showcase, American Libraries’ annual celebration of new and renovated libraries throughout North America. Today’s libraries are places where people from diverse communities can connect, learn, and grow. The institutions featured in this year’s showcase embody the library’s role as a true third space while honoring local histories and cultures […]
The following libraries are winners of the 2025 Library Building Awards, sponsored by Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures (a division of the American Library Association) and the American Institute of Architects. The awards recognize the best in library architecture and design and are open to any architect licensed in the US. Projects may be located anywhere […]
Illustration: Tom Deja Librarian Sondra Eklund spends her time stocking books for the public library system she works for in Virginia. One of her patrons recently asked the library to acquire a children’s book about pets other than cats or dogs, so she went looking. When she came across a book titled Rabbits: Children’s Animal […]
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. Chosen by juries of their colleagues and peers, winners embody the best of the profession’s leadership, vision, and service as well as a continued commitment to […]
A patron at Orange County (Fla.) Library System takes the wheel of a virtual driving simulator. The technology has helped people with limited access to traditional driver’s education feel more confident on the road. Photo: Orange County (Fla.) Library System Not everyone has access to a safe, reliable car. And even those who do sometimes […]
Author Andreas Souvaliotis appears at Toronto Public Library’s sensory-friendly Autism Employment Expo, which drew nearly 200 autistic adults and support people. Photo: Toronto Public Library In 2022, as part of the City Librarian’s Innovation Challenge, Toronto Public Library (TPL) asked staff to submit ideas for workforce development initiatives. Recognizing Canada’s high unemployment rate among autistic […]
Author Rebecca F. Kuang Photo: John Packman For Rebecca F. Kuang, academia is more than a fictional setting. After writing The Poppy War in 2018 as an undergraduate at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C., Kuang went on to study at two of the world’s most famous universities, Cambridge and Oxford in the UK. Her fourth […]
20th-century vintage sewing and knitting patterns in the library at Arizona State University’s Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles. Photo: Arizona State University’s Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising London, Milan, New York, and Paris will host their Fashion Weeks throughout September and October. 754Number of 20th-century vintage sewing and knitting patterns […]
Photo: Aaron Clamage First things first: Legends don’t need middle names. “It’s Smokey Bear, not Smokey the Bear,” says Sara Lee (pictured), lead librarian for special collections at the National Agricultural Library (NAL), who oversees the US Forest Service Smokey Bear Collection. That’s just one of many intriguing tidbits to be learned while visiting the […]
Sustainability is a promise we make to future generations that libraries will continue to be cornerstones of community life and prosperity. Recognized as a core value of our profession, sustainability is one of the five essential values guiding our work and decisions to balance environmental stewardship, societal well-being, and economic feasibility. Aldo Leopold, a writer […]
The recent mass-theft of authentication tokens from Salesloft, whose AI chatbot is used by a broad swath of corporate America to convert customer interaction into Salesforce leads, has left many companies racing to invalidate the stolen credentials before hackers can exploit them. Now Google warns the breach goes far beyond access to Salesforce data, noting […]
Last month, KrebsOnSecurity tracked the sudden emergence of hundreds of polished online gaming and wagering websites that lure people with free credits and eventually abscond with any cryptocurrency funds deposited by players. We’ve since learned that these scam gambling sites have proliferated thanks to a new Russian affiliate program called “Gambler Panel” that bills itself […]
Today’s guest post is from Hana Beckerle and Spencer Zidarich of the Collections Digitization Division at the Library of Congress. Hana Beckerle and Spencer Zidarich of the Library’s Collections Digitization Division (CDD) have been named as the Library of Congress co-leads for the Federal Agencies Digital Guidelines Initiative (FADGI) Still Image Working Group, effective July 1, […]
Some people still have the notion in their minds that libraries are quiet, old-fashioned places, only good for finding books you like. Obviously, this is incorrect, and recurring guest writer Nina Grant is here to show what modern libraries are really like – and that even the libraries of tomorrow are already here. Forget everything […]
