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Today’s post is an interview with Rachel Trent, a Senior Digital Collections Data Librarian here at the Library of Congress. Carlyn: Hi Rachel! Could you tell us a bit about your role here at the Library of Congress? What do you like most about your job? Rachel: I’ve been working in libraries and archives for about fifteen years, and I like […]
The Instagram accounts for the Obama White House and the Chief Master Sergeant of the U.S. Space Force were briefly defaced with pro-Iranian images and messages over the weekend, after instructions began circulating on Telegram showing how to trick Meta’s “AI support assistant” bot into resetting account passwords. A screenshot from a video released on […]
Photo: Ionel/Adobe Stock The American Library Association (ALA) was founded in Philadelphia in 1876 amid the patriotic spectacle of our nation’s centennial celebrations. But it’s Chicago, the Association’s home for more than a century, that will welcome the library community for a milestone 150th anniversary celebration at the 2026 Annual Conference and Exhibition, to be […]
Brunch items at Bronzeville Winery Photo: Bronzeville Winery Welcome back to Chicago! It’s the perfect place to host the American Library Association’s (ALA) 150th anniversary, and we’ve compiled a master list of restaurants and cafés where you can celebrate while attending the 2026 Annual Conference and Exhibition. From healthy breakfasts to decadent splurges and feasts, […]
Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly becoming ubiquitous. Its integration is not just limited to our personal technology but now also includes library resources (see examples in “2026 Library Systems Briefing”). Meanwhile, vendors are constantly introducing new tools or integrations into existing products, and we must measure emerging AI platforms against our library’s tried-and-true resources […]
Illustration: IKON Images/Adobe Stock The library technology industry is at a critical juncture, driven by uncertainties in funding and disruptions in technology, particularly around artificial intelligence (AI). Business transitions have included changes in executive leadership, acquisitions, and new ownership. Despite these shakeups, most vendors advanced along their development road maps, with some launching new or […]
A fairy house on display at Port Townsend (Wash.) Public Library. The library uses items from nearby beaches and trails for its workshops. Photo: Port Townsend (Wash.) Public Library It wasn’t her usual workplace attire, but Katherine Bunker was really looking forward to donning a pair of glittery green fairy wings. Bunker, children’s librarian at […]
Photo: Marco Giugliarelli Megha Majumdar lit up the book world in 2020 with her first novel, A Burning, a galvanizing tale of social media and tyranny. It became a bestseller, was named best book of the year by many publications, and was a finalist for ALA’s Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction. Born and raised […]
This morning, NVivo 15.5 threw up this warning that the software won’t be compatible with future versions of macOS. I found the following FAQ entry on the Lumivero Community pages, so fingers crossed they get there in time! When Rosetta 2 Support is EndingApple Support for intel-based apps will continue through MacOS 27 (expected in […]
Interested in learning more about what’s new in the Library of Congress’s digital collections? The Signal shares regular updates and we love showing off our colleagues’ hard work from across the Library. Read on for a sample of recent additions and a few favorite highlights. Click here for all previous updates. Did you know that some of […]
Authorities in the Netherlands have arrested the co-owners of two related Internet hosting companies for operating IT infrastructure used by Russia to carry out cyberattacks, influence operations and disinformation campaigns inside the European Union. The two men were the focus of a 2025 KrebsOnSecurity story about how their hosting companies had assumed control over the […]
Today’s guest post is from Lauren Algee, a Senior Digital Collections Specialist & By the People community manager at the Library of Congress. Commemorate the 250th birthday of the United States through service! Join us for a webinar on Thursday, June 4, from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM EDT to learn about The American Revolution in Context, a […]
As the American Library Association (ALA) celebrates 150 years, we’re drawing inspiration from key events since its 1876 founding: from the first conventions and library schools, through wartime and the fight for civil rights, to seismic technological advancements and the existential threats of the current moment. Though not a comprehensive timeline of library history, the […]
From wartime appeals to celebrity-studded reading campaigns, library posters have long captured the evolving role of libraries in American life. This feature traces the American Library Association’s (ALA) history through some of its most iconic visuals—the patriotic mobilization of ALA’s Library War Service, the pop-culture energy of its READ posters, the spirited encouragement of the […]
For 150 years, the American Library Association (ALA) has shaped the landscape of libraries and the profession itself—but its leadership has often reflected the racial and gender biases of society at large. For this special anniversary issue, American Libraries spoke with eight barrier-busting Association leaders about their struggles, triumphs, breakdowns, and breakthroughs. The stories and […]
Colleen Barbus, librarian and archivist for the ALA Library in Chicago. Photo: Lauren Ehle Like many American Library Association (ALA) staffers, librarian and archivist Colleen Barbus remembers the Association’s previous headquarters—especially the tendency of new employees to eventually “stumble across the ALA Library and say, ‘Oh, I didn’t even know this was here,’” she says. […]
In 1876, the year of our nation’s centennial, 103 dreamers gathered in Philadelphia. These librarians and library advocates did not come merely to talk. They came to weave a vision of libraries as lanterns in the night, as havens of thought, as places where minds and hearts could be set free. From that gathering, the […]
While the commemoration of the American Library Association’s (ALA) 150th anniversary kicked off in January, ALA staff and member leaders have been building momentum toward its largest in-person celebration, the 2026 Annual Conference and Exhibition in our hometown of Chicago. I feel honored and privileged to be here in this moment as we celebrate this […]
A Brazilian tech firm that specializes in protecting networks from distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks has been enabling a botnet responsible for an extended campaign of massive DDoS attacks against other network operators in Brazil, KrebsOnSecurity has learned. The firm’s chief executive says the malicious activity resulted from a security breach and was likely the work […]
A flier promoting ALA Workers United. Approximately 100 ALA employees began voting on April 24 to form a new union at the 150-year-old association. About 100 employees at the American Library Association (ALA) began voting on April 24 to form ALA Workers United (ALAWU), a new union at the 150-year-old association. If a majority of […]
