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A swastika and the word “heil” were scrawled on a bulletin board at the Glencoe (Ill.) Public Library. The vandalism was found April 10 in a second-floor room in the library and reported to police the next day, library executive director Andrew Kim said in a statement. Kim said he did not believe the graffiti indicates a larger bias problem in the village. After the discovery, library staff turned the “heil” into the word “hello” and made the swastika into another design.
Chicago Tribune, Apr. 20
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The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, Illinois, announced April 19 that it is publishing “the most complete documentary collection ever produced” of the sixteenth president’s first 33 years. The digital collection covers much of Lincoln’s early years in Springfield, including the establishment of his law office and his four terms in the Illinois General Assembly. The oldest item archived is a “ciphering book” Lincoln used as a student that shows him learning how to do math.
Springfield (Ill.) State Journal-Register, Apr. 19
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Earth Day is April 22. It began in 1970 and is now celebrated in more than 150 countries. The day is intended to raise awareness about the environmental issues facing the world. Writing on the environment has a long legacy. The genre took a dramatic turn in the 20th century with the publication of a series that highlighted the dangers faced by various environments and species. The 19th-century themes of appreciation and understanding were joined by concern for the environment’s future and demands for conservation.
AbeBooks' Reading Copy, Apr. 16
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Jacob Nadal writes: “Every spring, libraries all across the US celebrate Preservation Week. The Library of Congress has a special role in this. Our vast scope of collecting requires us to support an extensive program of preservation services and research. From time to time, though, Congress gives the library special direction to attend to preservation issues of concern for the American people. It is a particular honor to share an example of this in the form of the Veteran’s History Project.”
Library of Congress Blog, Apr. 20
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Sarah Laskow writes: “Used from the 14th to 17th centuries, girdle books were texts that their owners needed to keep close at hand: prayer books used by monks or law books used by traveling judges. Though they were valuable objects, these books were meant to be consulted and read. Girdle books had to be small and light. From the bottom edges of their bindings extended a length of leather, usually gathered into a knot at the end. This extension could be used to carry the book like a purse or tucked into a girdle or belt.”
Atlas Obscura, Apr. 19
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The US Department of Education has announced the beginning of the application period for Innovative Approaches to Literacy grants. This program, which is open to school libraries, provides $27 million to support the improvement of literacy skills for youth in high-need schools and communities. Applicants have until May 18 to submit a grant proposal to the department. Of note this year, the department has placed a priority on funding proposals that meet specific priorities.
District Dispatch, Apr. 19
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Keturah Cappadonia writes: “Food insecurity is a growing problem across the US. Food security is a federal measure of a household’s ability to provide enough food for every person in the household to have an active, healthy life. Food insecurity is one way to measure the risk of hunger. Public libraries are increasingly stepping up to assist in combating food insecurity in their communities by collaborating with national and regional organizations that fight hunger.”
ALSC Blog, Apr. 20
