Ernest A. DiMattia Award for Innovation and Service to Community and Profession Jennie Pu Pu, director of Hoboken (N.J.) Public Library (HPL), has transformed the library into a community hub with robust programming, pop-up libraries in schools, and partnerships with more than 50 local organizations. As part of a multimillion-dollar historic restoration of the main … Continue reading 2024 ALA Award Winners
“As soon as they get their card, they immediately place a hold on a ghost-hunting kit,” Knisley says. Like many libraries, CCPL has begun loaning out collections of specialized electronic items said to help seekers of the supernatural track down spirits. These kits usually consist of a backpack or carrying case filled with items such … Continue reading Spirit in the Stacks
As US poet laureate, Limón has created You Are Here, an anthology (Milkweed Editions, April) and installation project in partnership with the National Park Service that explores the connection between poetry and nature. Limón, a MacArthur fellow and one of Time magazine’s Women of the Year for 2024, spoke with American Libraries about her signature … Continue reading Newsmaker: Ada Limón
Hewitt C. Wells, the library’s architect, wanted to build it in a park. When that plan fell through, he decided to build “a park in the library,” Ryan says. Completed in 1966, it won the 1968 Industrial Landscape Award (presented by Lady Bird Johnson) and was named to the National Register of Historic Places in … Continue reading Bookend: Lushness in the Library
A mantra I like to keep in mind: “Prep work creates a solid foundation.” Predesign may be the most difficult stage for staff because the project is still abstract, but the project will progress more smoothly if you can articulate your wants and needs. Predesign is split into four areas: needs assessment, program development, budget … Continue reading Gearing Up for a Great Build
Unlike traditional collaborations, codesign involves library staffers, community members, and youth working together as equals to design programs and services that meet the varying needs of young people and their families. It has emerged as a powerful strategy for making public library youth services more equitable. This approach not only fosters innovation but also strengthens … Continue reading Designing for Equity
Vendors displayed a near-comprehensive range of products and services available to libraries, both physical and digital. Representatives were on hand to demonstrate solutions for use in the library, as well as services that can be offered virtually to patrons or deployed beyond building walls. Books and authors Much of the activity in the exhibit hall … Continue reading Solutions in San Diego
Now she reflects on her life with her memoir, Connie (Grand Central Publishing, September), which traces her family’s immigration to the US, the stories she broke, and the legacy she hopes to leave behind. American Libraries talked with Chung after her appearance at the American Library Association’s 2024 Annual Conference and Exhibition in San Diego … Continue reading Newsmaker: Connie Chung
When school lets out, children gravitate to public libraries. Meanwhile, libraries strive to help those children maintain or improve their reading and critical-thinking skills throughout those school-free months, often by way of summer reading programs. At Montgomery County (Md.) Public Libraries (MCPL), we have redesigned our summer reading challenge in hopes of inspiring our young … Continue reading A Greener Way to Read
Informal caregivers may include grandparents, cousins, nannies, shift-swapping parents, and older siblings. They may provide part-time or full-time care. Some are paid; many are not. Ultimately, without FFN care, it would be difficult or impossible for many parents to work. In my home state of Colorado, formal childcare is in short supply. The options aren’t … Continue reading Inclusive Early Literacy
CALA President Vincci Kwong attributes the group’s longevity to the relationships members form with one another. “Sometimes you feel isolated at your library because you don’t have a lot of people who are Asian American,” she says. “[In CALA,] people serve on committees, and we form a bond and stay together and still network after … Continue reading CALA Turns 50
To Free the Captives was written in response to assaults on Black life and the racial reckoning this country was experiencing in 2020, but the book is mostly set in the past. Were there challenges to weaving the historic aspects with more personal narratives? It was hard for me to pull the past away from … Continue reading Newsmaker: Tracy K. Smith
