Barron, Heather | American Libraries Magazine

Heather Barron has been named director of Warsaw (Ind.) Community Public Library effective October 2.

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Elissa Malespina writes: “On October 9, Moms for Liberty announced a new artificial intelligence (AI)-powered program that the organization says monitors school board agendas across more than 13,000 districts nationwide. The tool reportedly checks agendas every 12 hours, flagging issues involving curriculum, diversity and equity policies, gender identity, and other topics. The goal is to alert members before school boards vote so they have time to respond. What concerns me is not that someone is reading school board agendas, but who is operating this technology, what the organization has already done in public education, and how AI could expand those efforts.”

The AI School Librarian, Oct. 13
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ALA and the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies have opened registration for National Library Legislative Day (NLLD) 2027. Hundreds of library advocates from across the country will gather in Washington, D.C., February 24–25, 2027, to make the case for federal support of libraries of all types. The event will open with an afternoon briefing on February 24 that includes education, advocacy training, and networking activities, followed by a day of meetings with federal legislators on February 25. The deadline to register is November 25, and capacity is limited.

ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, Oct. 7
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Gena Parsons-Diamond writes: “The Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) has published The State of US Academic Libraries: Findings from the ACRL 2025 Annual Survey. The annual Academic Library Trends and Statistics Survey gathers critical information about academic library staff, expenditures, collections, circulation, and information services. The data helps staffers and administrators evaluate library performance over time and make peer comparisons. It can also help articulate the value of academic libraries and their impact on higher education, demonstrating the core services libraries provide and the resources needed to support institutional missions.

ACRL Insider, Oct. 13
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Eliminating E-Rate would have serious negative effects on the US economy, according to a new economic study released October 8 by the Schools, Health, and Libraries Broadband (SHLB) Coalition, ALA, and coalition partners. The analysis, conducted for SHLB by independent economic consulting firm The Brattle Group, estimates that removing roughly $2.6 billion in annual E-Rate support would reduce annual real GDP by about $4.2 billion, or about $1.60 in lost economic activity for every $1 of support removed.

ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, Oct. 9
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Steve Tetrault writes: “Despite what too many adults continue to believe, students are not very good with technology. For the most part, their use and understanding of technology is surface-level. Their technological inabilities are compounded by the fact that many of the productivity tools adults use on a regular basis are not regularly used by students. Email? Why would they, when they have texting? Printing, and/or understanding file types? They carry a display screen on their person—no need to deal with files or printing. So the kids aren’t alright when it comes to ‘basic’ tech use.”

Knowledge Quest, Oct. 7
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Jaime Eastman writes: “Whether in the library or in our lives, stress often doesn’t come from one big thing. Instead, it comes from lots of little things happening at once, or the cumulative effect of those little things over time. To reduce stress, we need to identify and address those causes. Programming should be exciting, not exhausting. Time spent at the desk should encourage connection, not avoidance. Well-rested staff members bring more creativity and enthusiasm. Sustainable systems keep staff members and patrons engaged and appreciative. When we can reduce stress, we improve consistency, and everyone wins.”

ALSC Blog, Oct. 8
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Sam Suber writes: “Choice’s latest white paper, “The Optimized Library: Prescriptive Foundations for Resource Stewardship in an Era of Fiscal Austerity,” shows academic libraries how to navigate fiscal threats by bridging library science and operations research. Through case studies and by translating operational research concepts into practical collection strategies, the paper grapples with a tension many libraries are facing: They have the data to identify future fiscal threats but lack the mathematical framework to steer around them.”

Choice, Sept. 29

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