May 2020

Features & Trends

American soldiers in Paris just after the armistice of World War I. The American Library in Paris was a continuation of the work of the Library War Service, which ALA created in 1917 to supply reading materials to US servicemembers stationed in Europe during the war.

We’ll Always Have the American Library in Paris

By Leonard Kniffel

Founded in 1920, the American Library in Paris is the largest English-language lending library in continental Europe. Burton Stevenson, one of the library’s founders and among its first directors, was well known for assisting the American Library Association (ALA) as it established army libraries abroad during the First World War. He wanted to continue the … Continue reading We’ll Always Have the American Library in Paris →

Photo illustration: © Dariusz Jarzabek/Adobe Stock (library); © nongkran_ch/Adobe Stock (circles)

2020 Library Systems Report

By Marshall Breeding

Technology for public library automation has been mired in stagnation. It takes a substantial level of development to both maintain existing products and build next-generation technologies for the emerging realities of a given library sector. Will Ex Libris opt to invent a new platform for public libraries, as it did for academics? How it responds may … Continue reading 2020 Library Systems Report →

Emerging Leaders 2020

By Phil Morehart

Launched in 1997 as a one-year program under former ALA President Mary R. Somerville and revived in 2006 under former ALA President Leslie Burger, Emerging Leaders recognizes the best and brightest new leaders in our profession. It’s open to librarians of any age who are new to the profession and who have fewer than five … Continue reading Emerging Leaders 2020 →

Columnists

Latest Library Links

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Kendra Winchester writes: “Disability Pride Month is all about taking strength in who we are as disabled people, celebrating our lives, and coming together as a community. That includes the kiddos in our lives. That’s where picture books come into play. These stories aren’t just sweet stories; they are reflections of the many different kinds of disabled lives lived around the world. They illustrate the incredible diversity in disabled communities. Here are a few to help get you started.”

Book Riot, July 2
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Paul Goble writes: “The Lenin State Library in Moscow is setting up a special restricted access collection to hold what officials call ‘destructive literature’ that scholars and officials may need to see to do their work but that ordinary Russians will not be able to access, according to Zhanna Alekseyeva. The Russian deputy culture minister says other libraries will follow suit and will place books not on the approved list in such restricted collections.”

Eurasia Review, June 26
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Vincent Safuto writes: “Paper copies of BookPage magazine are gone from Hernando County’s (Fla.) public libraries, though the free book-review publication remains available online. The move follows months of complaints from some residents who argued the magazine pushed a political agenda and that the subscription wasted county money. County Commissioner Steve Champion questioned whether libraries are an essential service. He said the county may have to cut nonessential services if Gov. Ron DeSantis’s proposed property tax reduction wins approval from 60% of Florida voters.”

Tampa Bay (Fla.) Beacons, July 6
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Carolyn Jones writes: “California librarians were stunned when a last-minute budget change stripped K–12 schools of a trove of research materials. Without notice to schools or librarians, the legislature canceled $5.5 million that pays online fees for Compass, an online database of research and curriculum materials that have been vetted by teachers and librarians. Since the program launched in 2018, it’s received nearly 1 billion hits. The cut goes into effect on July 1, 2027. Meanwhile, librarians are launching an aggressive campaign to save the program.”

Cal Matters, June 30; California School Library Association, July 1
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Jaime Eastman writes: “Let’s talk about ways that intentional, scaffolded program structures create organization and clear direction for patrons and staff alike. While each library’s program structure is different, my goal today is to share replicable models that work for all types of libraries and programs. I’ll explore how scaffolded programs help you reach specific audiences and customize patron experiences. At its core, scaffolded programming is about purposeful program design over time.”

ALSC Blog, July 1
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Audrey Richardson writes: “Imagine you’re in a new job with a newish liaison responsibility. Things you know and knew going into this position: There is a three week stretch where you’re supporting 2 specific assignments, and you know that’s your whole life. Now imagine you’re gearing up for that stretch, and you’ve suddenly lost your voice. What do you do? Having this experience made me really think about how we plan for success with faculty partners while also taking care of ourselves.”

Info Literal, July 1
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Mollee Holloman and Heather Pennica write: “When we wrote about advocacy amplification in our recent Knowledge Quest article, we described a school librarian who designed a social media campaign for School Library Month, shared it with a statewide cohort, and watched it travel further than she ever expected. That librarian is Jennifer Long, a school library media coordinator in Rockingham County, North Carolina, and her story deserves more than a paragraph. Jennifer to give school librarians something they could actually use during School Library Month: Not just inspiration, but a ready-made framework.”

Knowledge Quest, July 7,