Author Archive: Carrie Smith

Ann Ford, vice president of sales and customer support for Hoopla

Own the Digital Space

July 1, 2025

At “A Bigger Conversation: How to Sustain a Robust Digital Collection in Today’s Library Environment,” a session held Saturday, June 28, at the Aloft Hotel during the 2025 ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition in Philadelphia, Ann Ford, vice president of sales and customer support for Hoopla, shared insight on the evolving digital landscape and challenges … Continue reading Own the Digital Space


Martin Garnar, director of Amherst College Library, speaks on June 28 at ALA's 2025 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Philadelphia. Photo: Rebecca Lomax/American Libraries

Endangered Expression

June 30, 2025

Martin Garnar, director of Amherst College Library, highlighted the ways that libraries are facing government funding cuts and challenges to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) activities. Of particular note are Title VI challenges against universities. According to Garnar, Title VI—which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or national origin—is being used to challenge … Continue reading Endangered Expression


Amber Reichert, director of content strategy for communications and UX at University of Virginia, and Jarrod Wilson, head of technology services at Kalamzaoo (Mich.) Public Library share insights on technology at the American Library Association's 2025 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Philadelphia.

Generative Generations

June 30, 2025

The June 30 panel at the American Library Association’s 2025 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Philadelphia gathered library technology experts to discuss ways that AI—and other technologies—are impacting libraries this year and how they may evolve in the future. AI technology is developing rapidly. “Usually a cycle of technology is a decade long,” says Marshall … Continue reading Generative Generations


Seated at a table, a man in a patterned shirt and glasses speaks into the microphone he's holding and gestures with the other hand, while a man in a suit next to him watches him intently.

Civic Lessons

June 30, 2025

During “Priority One: Local Government Engagement” at the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2025 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Philadelphia on June 29, Straus led a conversation with two library directors whose systems had won the Jerry Kline Community Impact Prize and their local mayors about how to build a strong and trusting working relationship between … Continue reading Civic Lessons



Becky Potter, Becky Potter, library experience supervisor at Calgary Public Library, shares debriefing tools the library uses to support frontline staff.

A Brief Debrief

June 29, 2025

At “Don’t Just Shake it Off: Using Debriefing Tools to Support Front-line Library Staff,” a standing room-only session on June 28 at the American Library Association’s 2025 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Philadelphia, Graham shared how CPL implemented debriefing tools to help staff cope with stressful situations at all branches. She was joined by Becky … Continue reading A Brief Debrief


Jennifer Beals, assistant dean and director of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives at University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), poses with items from the library's Scopes Trial collection.

Bookend: On the Origin of Scopes

May 1, 2025

“There’s just so much surrounding the whole story,” says Jennifer Beals, assistant dean and director of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives at University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), who curated the library’s exhibit commemorating the trial’s centennial. UTK’s Scopes trial archive includes transcripts, photos, and ephemera from locals and attorneys involved in the … Continue reading Bookend: On the Origin of Scopes



Justine Withers, Kim Hill, and Adam Chandler at ALA Annual 2024

Patron Privacy and Enhanced Research

June 30, 2024

Panelists at “Identity and Authentication: Enhancing the Research Experience with Responsible Use of Patron Data,” moderated by Justine Withers, electronic resources librarian at Western New Mexico University in Silver City, addressed these and other questions around privacy policies in the academic library. The panel took place on Saturday, June 30, at the American Library Association’s … Continue reading Patron Privacy and Enhanced Research


Jennifer Pate at a podium gesturing while speaking

Going Hard on Trivial Pursuits

June 30, 2024

In 2021, Jennifer Pate and Margaret McGuire teamed up to host team trivia nights at University of North Alabama’s Collier Library, where they both worked at the time. While the library “gamified” a number of activities, they wanted a program that wasn’t directly related to academics and would build community. They shared their experience developing … Continue reading Going Hard on Trivial Pursuits