Shingi Muzondo explains the Africa Portal.

September 23, 2015 450 × 602 Strong Libraries, Heritage, and Crises: IFLA in Africa

Shingi Muzondo explains the Africa Portal. Photo: George M. Eberhart

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14h

Madison Dearnaley writes: “Do you ever wish you promoted and marketed your library more? I certainly do. I feel there are so many opportunities I miss to promote the libraries services and resources. But before I know it, the term has disappeared and I’ve hardly managed to make the school newsletter deadlines (and to be honest, I miss some of those as well). So, I’ve decided to be a little bit more organized and strategic about my marketing this semester.”

Madison’s Library, Feb. 12
18h

Susan Haigh writes: “The US State Department has ordered certain public libraries nationwide to cease processing passport applications, disrupting a long-standing service that librarians say their communities have come to rely on and that has run smoothly for years. The agency began issuing cease and desist orders to not-for-profit libraries in late fall, informing them they were no longer authorized to participate in the Passport Acceptance Facility program as of February 13. ALA estimates about 1,400 libraries nationwide could be affected” at a time when demand is surging due to Real ID requirements, potential new voting rules, and immigration crackdowns. ALA has endorsed a bipartisan bill to allow all public libraries to serve as passport acceptance facilities.

Associated Press, Feb. 13; Feb. 11; Jan. 30; Dec. 1, 2025; ALA Public Policy & Advocacy Office, Feb. 13
21h

Phil Morehart writes: “Until recently, Caldecott Medal–winning author-illustrator Brian Selznick had never written for young adults, nor written a full-fledged love story. That changed with Run Away with Me (Scholastic, 2025), a YA novel about a transformative summer romance between two teenage boys in 1980s Rome that is interwoven with love stories spanning centuries in the Eternal City. Selznick, known for the children’s books The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Wonderstruck, spoke with ALA’s How I Library podcast about finding revelatory love, building on cultural history, and why books scare those in power.”

American Libraries Trend, Jan./Feb.
5d

Dominic Bayley writes: “I used to be clunky in Microsoft Excel, not knowing the most efficient way to do things. That was before I learned some helpful shortcuts. Now I move around my tables super quickly and efficiently. Here are some Excel shortcuts every user should know.”

PCWorld, Feb. 9
5d

Martin Holland writes: “The Central Intelligence Agency has taken The World Factbook, one of the oldest and most well-known sites on the internet, offline. Old pages are still accessible via the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine. The World Factbook has been around for more than 60 years and went online in 1994.” The Trump administration has discontinued collection of or cut off access to an estimated 3,000 data sets.

Heise Online, Feb. 5; NOTUS, Feb. 2
6d

Maya Marchel Hoff writes: “Iowa public and charter schools would not be able to enter into agreements with public libraries providing students with access to books and other materials, under a bill advanced by Iowa lawmakers February 4. The legislation, House Study Bill 636, was advanced by the Iowa House Education Committee, 14–9. It is the latest effort by Republicans in the legislature to limit children’s access to content and materials they view as obscene.” ALA President Sam Helmick and 10 other people testified against the bill, while two spoke in support.

The Gazette (Cedar Rapids, Iowa), Feb. 4
6d

Jaimie Seaton writes: “The Institute of Museum and Library Services is now accepting applications for its 2026 grant cycle. But this time, it has unusually specific criteria. In cover letters accompanying the applications, the institute said it ‘particularly welcomes’ projects that align with President Donald Trump’s vision for America. The solicitation marks a stark departure for the agency, whose guidelines were previously apolitical and focused on merit. Former agency leaders from both political parties, as well as those of library, historical, and museum associations, expressed concern that funded projects could encourage a more constrained or distorted view of American history.”

ProPublica, Feb. 6

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