All posts by Terra Dankowski

Photo of George Saunders by Zach Krahmer
Features, Newsmaker

Newsmaker: George Saunders

In your forthcoming collection Liberation Day, “Love Letter” is about a grandfather who writes to his grandson in an authoritarian near-future, expressing contrition and caution about the political situation and observing that people are unpersuaded by others’ beliefs. Is this a speculative tale or do you think our country is at an impasse? In “Love … Continue reading Newsmaker: George Saunders →

This movie poster is one of 3,000 items in the Witchcraft Collection at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Photo courtesy of Cornell University Library’s Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections.
Trends

By the Numbers: Halloween

19th Century in which Halloween was popularized in the US, thanks in part to the arrival of Irish and Scottish immigrants. Halloween has its roots in the ancient Celtic festival Samhain. 65% Percentage of US consumers who planned to celebrate Halloween in 2021, according to a National Retail Federation survey. 6 Number of live “ghostcams” … Continue reading By the Numbers: Halloween →

Letters of the Law with Tomas A. Lipinski
Columns, Letters of the Law

Materials Challenges in the Library: What Does the Law Say?

Our online column Letters of the Law explores a wide range of legal issues that arise in libraries, with the help of a pair of leading authorities: Mary Minow, a librarian who became a lawyer, and Tomas A. Lipinski, a lawyer who became a librarian. Together they have authored four books on the subject, including … Continue reading Materials Challenges in the Library: What Does the Law Say? →

Daphene Keys, public services librarian at Houston Community College, with the Baker & Taylor mascots
Features

A Marketplace of Ideas

ALA mandated COVID-19 vaccinations and face masks for conference attendees, which lent some confidence for personal interactions on the exhibit floor. While some vendors noted lighter traffic than in past years, there appeared to be a sense of appreciation for the return of a live marketplace—and a consensus that virtual conferences have not been able … Continue reading A Marketplace of Ideas →

Exhibit hall candids from the American Library Association's 2022 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Washington, D.C. Clockwise from top right: Steph McHugh (left) and Mary Hamer (right), media specialists and librarians at Yorkville (Ill.) Community Unit School District 115, pose with author Rosemary Wells during a signing of her book If You Believe in Me. María Daniela “Dani” Thurber, reference librarian in the Hispanic Reading Room of the Library of Congress and immediate past president of the District of Columbia Library Association, makes a conductive bracelet at the Tech Test Pilot Playground. Luke Sutherland, access services specialist at Montgomery College Library in Takoma Park, Maryland, creates a page for the #alaac22 collaborative zine in the Zine Pavilion. Shayna Szabo, youth services librarian at LA County (Calif.) Library, pets Oliver, a rabbit from Peacebunny Island, an island on the Mississippi River where rabbits are trained to become comfort and emotional support animals.
Bookend, Features

Bookend: Reunited, and It Feels So Good

Steph McHugh (left) and Mary Hamer (right), media specialists and librarians at Yorkville (Ill.) Community Unit School District 115, pose with author Rosemary Wells during a signing of her book If You Believe in Me. María Daniela “Dani” Thurber, reference librarian in the Hispanic Reading Room of the Library of Congress and immediate past president … Continue reading Bookend: Reunited, and It Feels So Good →

Image features the many books that have won the Newbery Medal over the last 100 years in a colorful, grid-like pattern.
Features

A Celebration of the Newbery Medal

In “100 Years of the Newbery Medal,” we look at the legacy, challenges, and future of this distinguished award for children’s books. Taylor Hartz talks with former and current Newbery Award Selection Committee members about the honor and responsibility of picking a winner. In “Newbery Firsts,” we explore important milestones—and archival photographs—from the award’s first … Continue reading A Celebration of the Newbery Medal →

Fenton T. Newbery (located at left), a direct descendent of John Newbery, watches author Arthur Bowie Chrisman receive the 1926 Newbery Medal for Shen of the Sea from Nina C. Brotherton, chair of ALA’s Children’s Librarians Section. Frederic G. Melcher (located at right), who instituted the Newbery Medal, looks on. Photo from the ALA Archives.
Features

100 Years of the Newbery Medal

Appropriately, the Newbery Medal, the world’s first children’s book award, is named for the man credited with publishing the first children’s book. In 1744, John Newbery, a British bookseller, published A Little Pretty Pocket-Book, a book of simple rhymes for each letter of the alphabet. The book often came with a gift—a ball or a … Continue reading 100 Years of the Newbery Medal →

Illustrations depict five library jobs that are currently on the rise. From left to right: There is a man holding a magnifying glass, representing user experience librarians. A woman stands next to a lightbulb that is filled with gears and a plant, representing sustainability librarians. Game pieces of different colors represent directors of equity, diversity, and inclusion. A laptop with human arms represents open educational resources librarians. And finally, a person on a ladder lifting a slice from a pie chart represents data visualization librarians. These illustrations were made by Adobe Stock user Nuthawut.
Features

5 Library Jobs on the Rise

Luckily for job seekers, that trend seems to have receded. CNBC reported in late March that there were a record 5 million more job openings than available workers. That tendency bears out across the library industry. “The number of library jobs advertised nationally since late 2021 has hit unprecedented levels,” says David Connolly, recruitment ad … Continue reading 5 Library Jobs on the Rise →

A photo of Jennifer Johnson, the author of June's Youth Matters column
Columns, Youth Matters

In Training

That short exchange planted a seed in my mind: Could public libraries find ways to give kids hands-on library experience in a real-life work environment? If we are to foster learning in innovative ways, shouldn’t we offer opportunities for children who have an interest in libraries? Is this feasible on a library-wide scale? It turned … Continue reading In Training →

Libraries are turning to the Toward Gigabit Libraries Toolkit to improve and advocate for their broadband connections.
Features

The Last Mile

Using a 2015 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), nonprofit consortium Internet2 and its Community Anchor Program (CAP) have worked with technology consultant Carson Block to develop a free, downloadable toolkit to help library staffers understand and improve their broadband services and technical knowledge, says CAP Director Stephanie Stenberg. Called the … Continue reading The Last Mile →

During the pandemic, Long Beach (Calif.) Public Library launched Tech To-Go, a Chromebook and hotspot lending service, while Digital Durham (in North Carolina) created fliers in English and Spanish that explain the Emergency Broadband Benefit program.
Features

Getting There Together

“During the pandemic, the number of place-based digital inclusion coalitions has more than tripled,” says Angela Siefer, director of the nonprofit National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA), a community of digital inclusion practitioners and policymakers. “The sudden awareness of digital inequities and the need for coordinated solutions caused folks to come together, [and] libraries are often … Continue reading Getting There Together →