Knowledge Creates Power

Librarian's Library by Araceli Mendez Hintermeister

Libraries serve as important connectors for patrons navigating how to be active citizens in their communities. By providing knowledge and resources, libraries can play a role in social change and empower patrons to comprehend and tackle issues at large. These featured books underscore the various ways libraries can help cultivate stronger societies through civic engagement and community development.

Library Collaborations and Community Partnerships: Enhancing Health and Quality of Life
This title showcases libraries as vital collaborators in communities through their efforts to foster engagement, build connections, and serve as partners in leadership. Firsthand accounts of projects and programs help illustrate the ways these institutions are uniquely positioned to recognize local needs and facilitate resource and knowledge sharing to empower the people they serve. The applicable strategies and lessons of each chapter allow readers to view the examples within the context of their own libraries and consider how they can play a transformative role in community engagement and growth. Routledge, 2020. 248 p. $48.95. PBK. 978-1-1383-4329-0. (Also available as an ebook.)

Young Activists and the Public Library: Facilitating Democracy
By Virginia A. Walter
In this insightful book, Walter—former president of the Association for Library Service to Children—uses case studies and interviews to explore how libraries can support young patrons’ desire to get involved in their communities by providing them with reliable information and creating leadership opportunities. By providing examples of library programs and projects for budding activists, this title will help readers grow their civic literacy and civic engagement efforts. ALA Editions, 2020. 128 p. $45.99. PBK. 978-0-8389-4738-8.

Practicing Futures: A Civic Imagination Action Handbook
By Gabriel Peters-Lazaro and Sangita Shresthova
Practicing Futures is a guide for those interested in civic imagination, the practice of using imagined worlds as a means of analyzing real-world social issues and potential solutions. By outlining its six key functions, this transformative book explores how civic imagination activates, mobilizes, and empowers individuals. Readers will discover the potential of this tool for creating meaningful conversations and change. This book provides examples, facilitation notes, and handouts for workshops on brainstorming, collaboration, and action planning around civic engagement that will inspire librarians to think differently about how they foster those conversations. Peter Lang Group, 2020. 176 p. $45.05. PBK. 978-1-4331-7270-0. (Also available as an ebook.)

Informed Societies: Why Information Literacy Matters for Citizenship, Participation, and Democracy
Edited by Stéphane Goldstein
Goldstein asserts that information literacy, the ability to critically analyze and evaluate information, empowers citizens with evidence-based perspectives while equipping them with the capability and confidence to navigate the abundance of information in their everyday life—some of which may not be factual and could even be harmful. With chapters authored by scholars from a variety of fields, such as psychology and public policy, this comprehensive book delves into the theory and practical applications of information literacy, providing readers with a profound understanding of how it contributes to a healthier democracy. Facet Publishing, 2020. 272 p. $101.99. PBK. 978-1-78330-422-6.

Power to the Polls: A Guide to Developing Civic Learning, Election Engagement, and Political Action in Higher Education
Edited by Marianne Magjuka
This collection of stories highlights different strategies that college administrators, faculty, and staff have used to promote learning about the democratic process on their campuses. Chapter authors showcase how faculty and staff have embraced their role in educating students on activism and creating collaborative spaces for it on campus—a transferable lesson for academic librarianship. Other library workers will find ways to equip their communities, particularly young people, with the necessary knowledge and skills to contribute to an informed and engaged society. Stylus Publishing, 2022. 267 p. $42.95. PBK. 978-1-6426-7405-7. (Also available as an ebook.)

What Should We Do? A Theory of Civic Life
By Peter Levine
Drawing from his research and examining the motivators and obstacles in social movements like the Montgomery Bus Boycott and Black Lives Matter, civic studies expert Peter Levine provides practical guidance on how to better understand the political participation and motivation of others, allowing readers to participate more meaningfully in civic discourse and action. What Should We Do? serves as a thoughtful reflection and lesson for library workers who are trying to understand their institutions’ role in larger collective action. Oxford University Press, 2022. 248 p. $29.95. 978-0-1975-7049-4. (Also available as an ebook.)

Latest Library Links

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Keahi Adolpho and Stephen G. Krueger write: “This comprehensive review illuminates the current state of scholarly literature on trans and gender diverse inclusion in libraries, with the intention to provide a foundation and identify gaps for further research. We found that, with the exception of works on archives and cataloging, little scholarly literature goes beyond introductory talking points on basic information about trans and gender diverse people. We conclude with a call for much more in-depth research on this essential topic.”

In the Library with the Lead Pipe, Apr. 24
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Allison Escoto writes: “There’s no doubt about it. Librarianship can be a demanding career path, and the quest to find just the right work-life balance while managing stress is perennial. This eclectic collection of books speak to that delicate balance by covering the importance of wellness, preventing burnout, practicing mindfulness, and essential self-care practices.”

American Libraries column, May
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Emily Drabinski writes: “When you’re president of the ALA, you get asked a lot of questions. But here’s one that’s hard to answer: ‘What’s your favorite library?’ When you’ve seen as many amazing libraries as I have, it’s impossible to choose, so my favorite library is always the most recent one I’ve visited. As much as individual libraries are distinct, they also have a lot in common. Librarians select, acquire, describe, organize, and provide access to information. These fundamentals might look different in time and place, but they remain the core of our profession.”

American Libraries column, May
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Marshall Breeding writes: “The library technology industry had a quiet year in 2023. But in the absence of major business moves and acquisitions, companies set their sights on executing strategies to strengthen their market position. Previous cycles of business consolidation have yielded a layered landscape with distinct levels of competition. Competition at each level remains vigorous. Libraries may have fewer product choices because of past acquisitions, but the options remaining are distinctive. Most libraries can choose between for-profit and nonprofit vendors, and between proprietary and open source products.”

American Libraries feature, May
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ALA’s redesigned website went live on April 30. Upgrades include simplified menus, smoother navigation, enhanced functionality, and fewer pages for a cleaner experience. The enhanced calendar collects all events in one place with filters to search by topic, event type, location, audience, and more. A new awards and grants interface makes it easier to find and apply for funding opportunities. The new site is compliant with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.2, and the Reference and User Services Association’s Accessibility Assembly is continuing efforts to improve accessibility.

ALA, Apr. 30
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Tania Otero Martinez writes: “Since a shocking plunge in math and reading scores on the latest National Assessment of Educational Progress, educators, administrators, and policymakers have grappled with how to address learning challenges following the pandemic. One factor that has largely escaped notice, however, is the role school libraries and librarians play in academic performance. School libraries are too often treated as a luxury rather than an essential part of the public education system with a proven impact on learning. It is time to turn around years of disinvestment in school libraries and librarians.”

Center for American Progress, Apr. 18
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Cynthia Hudson Vitale writes: “The Association of Research Libraries has issued Research Libraries Guiding Principles for Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI technologies, and in particular, generative AI, have significant potential to improve access to information and advance openness in research outputs. AI also has the potential to disrupt information landscapes and the communities that research libraries support and serve. The increasing availability of AI models sparks many possibilities and raises several ethical, professional, and legal considerations. These principles will serve as a foundational framework for the ethical and transparent use of AI and reflect the values we hold in research libraries.”

Association of Research Libraries, Apr. 25