All posts by Megan Bennett

Librarian's Library by Araceli Mendez Hintermeister

Beyond the Bookshelves

Academic Libraries for Commuter Students: Research-Based Strategies Edited by Mariana Regalado and Maura A. Smale With commuter students making up most of the country’s undergraduate population, academic librarians need creative solutions to meet their diverse needs. This book, produced by a multidisciplinary team from City University of New York, provides examples of services specifically for … Continue reading Beyond the Bookshelves

A series of photos of Annual attendees taking photos of themselves or others.

Bookend: Say Cheese!

Clockwise from top: Haley White, reference department manager at Springfield-Greene County (Mo.) Library District, takes a selfie with actor and author Max Greenfield during a book signing for his upcoming children’s title, Good Night Thoughts; Newbery Medal–winning author Jerry Craft captures a photo of the crowd during fellow Newbery winner Kwame Alexander’s talk on June 29; … Continue reading Bookend: Say Cheese!

Image of multiple drawn faces with different moods.

Working for Well-Being

Institutions continue to innovate while meeting community needs, piloting targeted tools, dedicating roles and spaces to well-being, and investing in specialty programming and services for both patrons and staff. American Libraries spoke with workers from four libraries that are pioneering mental health practices in the field. Supporting Staff Strategically Oak Park (Ill.) Library When, in … Continue reading Working for Well-Being

Photo of the bronze Dr. Seuss and Cat in the Hat statue outside Geisel Library, the main library of University of California San Diego

By the Numbers: Literary San Diego

The American Library Association’s 2024 Annual Conference and Exhibition will be held June 27–July 2 in San Diego. 4 Number of crown-shaped chandeliers designed by author L. Frank Baum for the Hotel del Coronado, located on San Diego Bay. The hotel, where Baum frequently stayed as a guest, is said to have inspired the Emerald … Continue reading By the Numbers: Literary San Diego

Headshot of Mel Baldwin

Prioritizing Trans Privacy

With nearly 400 active anti-trans bills pending in state legislatures as of April 2024, it is a dangerous time in the US to be gender nonconforming, someone whose gender expression does not align with the traditional male or female binary. And for trans people of color, studies show the risk of discrimination and violence is … Continue reading Prioritizing Trans Privacy

Headshot of Library's Library columnist Reanna Esmail

Instruction Junction

Teaching Machines: The History of Personalized Learning By Audrey Watters Artificial intelligence (AI) will revolutionize education—or so many tech tycoons and venture capitalists commonly claim. As this title demonstrates, these promises are not novel, and their echoes can be heard in histories of educational technologies once known as teaching machines. Putting current AI hype into … Continue reading Instruction Junction

Sister Stella, a resident of Queen of Peace, a retirement community for nuns, plays with Henry. The robotic dog belongs to Ela Area Public Library in Lake Zurich, Illinois.

Librarian’s Pet

Kristan, outreach services coordinator at Ela Area Public Library (EAPL) in Lake Zurich, Illinois, knew that the presence of pets has been associated with health benefits like reductions in stress and blood pressure. In 2022, she introduced robotic pets to the library’s collection, taking them on visits to assisted living and memory care facilities to … Continue reading Librarian’s Pet

A photo of a piece of sheet music from University of Michigan's collection of Thomas Edison's sheet music.

By the Numbers: Inventors

May is National Inventors Month 135,850 Number of items in the Edison Sheet Music Collection, housed at University of Michigan Library in Ann Arbor. Thomas Edison, who invented the phonograph in 1877, spearheaded this collection as a way for his phonograph company to select vocal and instrumental scores to record. 44 Number of agricultural bulletins … Continue reading By the Numbers: Inventors