All posts by Terra Dankowski

Unlocking Possibilities

January 2, 2026 Terra Dankowski

These types of challenges were top of mind at United for Libraries (UFL) Virtual 2025, held in late July. Every year, UFL brings together trustees, foundation and Friends members, and those who work with them for a virtual conference to discuss the library advocacy landscape. It’s also a space to brainstorm practical solutions for rallying … Continue reading Unlocking Possibilities →

Illustration by Antonio Rodriguez of a person reading a book to others in the library

Features

Moving Beyond the Acronym

January 2, 2026 Terra Dankowski

Last April, Choice, the publishing unit of the American Library Association’s Association of College and Research Libraries, convened the virtual panel “Affirmative Action and the Future of DEI.” Moderated by Fatima Mohie-Eldin, social sciences editor for Choice and editor of its Toward Inclusive Excellence blog, the panel explored how these coalescing issues are impacting academic … Continue reading Moving Beyond the Acronym →

Trends

Racing the Clock

January 2, 2026 Terra Dankowski

It was the winning moment of the inaugural speed puzzling tournament at Mid-Columbia Libraries (MCL) in southeastern Washington last January. Piece Out triumphed over 46 other teams—with names like The Misfits, Separation Anxiety, and Planet Fit This—in the competition, which coincided with National Puzzle Day, January 29. “People really liked to take [a victory] away … Continue reading Racing the Clock →

Features, Newsmaker

Newsmaker: Brian Selznick

January 2, 2026 Terra Dankowski

Selznick, known for the children’s books The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Wonderstruck, spoke with the American Library Association’s How I Library podcast about finding revelatory love, building on cultural history, and why books scare those in power. Where did Run Away with Me’s setting and story come from? My husband won a fellowship that … Continue reading Newsmaker: Brian Selznick →

Trends

By the Numbers: Black History

January 2, 2026 Terra Dankowski

10 Number of Zora Neale Hurston plays—most of which were never published—held by the Library of Congress (LC) in Washington, D.C. The prolific 20th-century writer and anthropologist wrote the plays between 1925 and 1944, but they were not widely known until found in an LC collection in 1997. 15 million Number of historical documents in … Continue reading By the Numbers: Black History →

Columns, Librarian's Library

Considering AI

January 2, 2026 Terra Dankowski

New Horizons in Artificial Intelligence in Libraries Edited by Edmund Balnaves, Leda Bultrini, Andrew Cox, and Raymond Uzwyshyn Born out of recent International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions conferences, this volume examines current and potential directions, implications, and projects for AI in library services. For example, uses of natural language processing for topic modeling … Continue reading Considering AI →

Collage of gaming paraphernalia, including video game controllers, a smart phone, and the box and disk from Zork I

Features

State of Play

November 3, 2025 Terra Dankowski

In honor of International Games Month, held every November, these stories center games and gaming as community-building, teaching, and self-improvement tools. Learn how libraries are developing tabletop role-playing games and using new adaptive technologies to make videogames more accessible for all. Check out the 2025 Platinum Play, or “Platy,” Hall of Fame inductees—games honored by … Continue reading State of Play →

Features

2025 Platy Hall of Fame Inductees

November 3, 2025 Terra Dankowski

The 2025 inductees are: Car Wars 2–8 players 30 minutes and up Ages 10+ Now in its sixth edition, the tabletop combat simulation game Car Wars has a simple premise: Each player has a heavily armed and customized vehicle, and the last one standing is the winner. The game has a rich history of add-ons … Continue reading 2025 Platy Hall of Fame Inductees →

Jeopardy! host Ken Jennings (left) with contestant Adriana Harmeyer. Photo by Disney/Christopher Willard.

Features

Q&A with Adriana Harmeyer

November 3, 2025 Terra Dankowski

Harmeyer—who holds the 12th-longest consecutive winning streak of any player on the show—spoke with American Libraries about her longtime love of the game, her least favorite category, and how she blazed her path to the 2025 Jeopardy! Masters tournament. As an adolescent, you auditioned for the Jeopardy! Teen Tournament and weren’t selected. And now you’re … Continue reading Q&A with Adriana Harmeyer →

Sean Sherman with the cover of his book, Turtle Island

Features, Newsmaker

Newsmaker: Sean Sherman

November 3, 2025 Terra Dankowski

His new cookbook, Turtle Island: Foods and Traditions of the Indigenous Peoples of North America (November, Clarkson Potter), written with Kate Nelson and Kristin Donnelly, takes a region-by-region approach to Native ingredients, history, and cooking. Sherman spoke with American Libraries about this extensive collection, his early influences, and his love for libraries. Sample a recipe … Continue reading Newsmaker: Sean Sherman →

Squash and pepita tartlets from Turtle Island

Features

Recipe: Squash and Pepita Tartlets

November 3, 2025 Terra Dankowski

Reprinted with permission from Turtle Island: Foods and Traditions of the Indigenous Peoples of North America (November, Clarkson Potter), by Sean Sherman with Kate Nelson and Kristin Donnelly. Squash and Pepita Tartlets Makes 10 to 12 tartlets Filling 2-pound piece Lakota winter squash, red kuri squash, or kabocha squash, seeded 1 cup boiling water 1 … Continue reading Recipe: Squash and Pepita Tartlets →

Trends

By the Numbers: Sports

November 3, 2025 Terra Dankowski

30,000 Number of objects—in addition to 40 million pages of documents—held at the Pro Football Hall of Fame’s Ralph Wilson Jr. Pro Football Research and Preservation Center in Canton, Ohio. The archive has more than 100 scrapbooks, game programs, and game summaries dating back to the early 20th century, as well as biographical files for … Continue reading By the Numbers: Sports →

Latest Library Links

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Kelly Jensen writes: “On January 12, the first day back on campus for many universities following winter break, at least eight college and university libraries received bomb threats. Campuses received the threats via email. None resulted in the discovery of a physical threat in or near the targeted area.” At least 15 universities faced similar threats in August, believed to be made by the swatting group Purgatory and mostly directed at library buildings. In January, universities in Nebraska, Missouri, Kentucky, and Massachusetts received the threats. The Association of College and Research Libraries and Core offer a LibGuide on safety and security.

Book Riot, Jan. 13; Inside Higher Ed, Aug. 26; Center for Internet Security and Institute for Strategic Dialogue, Aug. 27; ACRL, June 25, 2024
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ALA has officially launched its 150th anniversary year, marking a century and a half of empowering library professionals, advancing access to knowledge and protecting the freedom to read. The association will celebrate year-round in 2026 with key flagship events, kicking off with the 2026 Youth Media Awards, honoring outstanding books, videos and materials for children and teens, on January 26 at the Hilton Chicago. ALA President Sam Helmick marked the anniversary with an essay at ala150.org, and ALA has produced a new anniversary video.

ALA Communications and Media Relations Office, Jan. 8; ALA150.org, Jan. 5; YouTube, Jan. 8
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On October 21, Penguin Random House and United for Libraries announced a 2026 grant program for rural and small libraries across the country. Grants of $500 and $1,000 (totaling $25,000), will be awarded to support libraries in need. Specifically, grant funds will assist Friends of Library groups, or nonprofit groups that support and fundraise for libraries in their communities, with priority projects. Applications for the program are open until January 21; learn more in the FAQ, which includes a link to watch a recording of the grant information session.

United for Libraries, Oct. 21
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Sam Suber writes: “Libraries are swimming in data, but raw numbers rarely lead directly to good decisions. To move from a messy spreadsheet to a defensible strategy, you need a process to refine that raw material. In this post, we will walk through the entire data pipeline, which is the structured process of transforming raw data into decision-ready information. We will be using the example of a new video subscription where the vendor’s reporting server crashed in June, leaving a hole in your data. We are going to take that messy data set and turn it into a solid prediction.”

Choice 360: LibTech Insights, Jan. 7
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The annual Martin Luther King Jr. Holiday Observance and Sunrise Celebration will stream on YouTube at 10 a.m. Central on January 15. The celebration commemorates King’s legacy and the connection between his work and libraries. This year’s theme is “Where Do We Go from Here?” and will feature a joint keynote from Reverend Dr. Liz Theoharis, director of the Kairos Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice at Union Theological Seminary, and organizer and writer Noam Sandweiss-Back. Amanda Jones, author of That Librarian, will deliver the call to action.

ALA Social Responsibilities Round Table, Jan. 13
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Jessica Brownley writes: “January can feel especially long. Short daylight hours, gray skies, and bitter cold make it harder to stay energized, even as our work continues at full speed. After the whirlwind of holiday programs, many librarians face a ‘winter slump,’ when both physical and emotional energy feel in short supply. But self-care doesn’t have to be complicated or time-consuming. Small, intentional strategies can help you stay steady, healthy, and energized—even during the darkest months of the year.”

ALSC Blog, Jan. 7
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Dan Montgomery writes: “By now, you’ve likely heard of ALA Forward, the initiative that has resulted from more than a year’s worth of conversations and focus groups among members, leaders, staff, and affiliated folks, and has set a course for reinvigorating ALA with a clearer strategic vision and a defined process to realize that vision. As I write this, still in my early weeks at the Association, I’ve been asked often about my own priorities for ALA. Well, my primary goal is this: to support us in achieving the vision outlined in the ALA Forward initiative. This includes ensuring ALA’s financial stability, fostering membership trust and growth, and bolstering advocacy.”

American Libraries column, Jan./Feb.

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