Author Archive: Diana Panuncial

Jesús Trejo

Newsmaker: Jesús Trejo

February 19, 2024

Its companion book, Mamá’s Magnificent Dancing Plantitas (Minerva), will be released this September. American Libraries spoke with Trejo after his appearance at the American Library Association’s 2024 LibLearnX conference in Baltimore about his family, what fans can expect from his future work, and book bans. What role have libraries and librarians played in your life? … Continue reading Newsmaker: Jesús Trejo


Abby Vande Walle, a coordinator in circulation services at University of Notre Dame’s (Ind.) Hesburgh Libraries, speaks at “Ideas for Increasing Library Student Employee Training, Engagement, and Retention,” a January 22 session at the American Library Association’s 2024 LibLearnX conference in Baltimore.

What Is a “Lormal”?

January 22, 2024

A lormal is a library formal event, put on in celebration of student workers at the end of the school year, according to Abby Vande Walle, coordinator of circulation services at University of Notre Dame’s (Ind.) Hesburgh Libraries. Student workers are invited to dress up and walk the red carpet, eat fancy food, and have … Continue reading What Is a “Lormal”?


Playing to the Crowd

January 22, 2024

“[Twitch is] where gamers are,” Brown said. “That’s where we really wanted to do some outreach.”  She discussed the pros and cons of using Twitch, ideas for library programs that can be livestreamed, and how the popular platform enables libraries to reach new audiences at “Low Stress, High Mayhem: Using Twitch for Professional Development and … Continue reading Playing to the Crowd


Panelist Juan Rubio speaks at "AI and Libraries: A Discussion on the Future," a January 21 session at the American Library Association’s 2024 LibLearnX Conference in Baltimore

Using AI Responsibly

January 21, 2024

He had double checked all of its recommendations except for one specific restaurant in Kyoto. “When we arrived, there was a laundromat where the restaurant was,” he said. In fact, after some research he discovered that there never was a restaurant there at all. Navigating misinformation and weighing ethical and privacy issues in artificial intelligence … Continue reading Using AI Responsibly


Preparing for Pushback

January 21, 2024

Goswami presented at “Be Prepared: Program Challenges at Your Public Library,” a January 21 session at the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2024 LibLearnX conference in Baltimore. He was joined by Amanda Sand Vazquez, director of Dubuque County (Iowa) Library District and president of the Intellectual Freedom Round Table (IFRT), and Betsy Gomez, assistant director of … Continue reading Preparing for Pushback


Child actor and author Mia Armstrong at the 2024 LibLearnX conference in Baltimore

‘Do Say Hello’

January 21, 2024

“I wanted to inspire people with or without disabilities,” said Armstrong, who wrote the book about her experience as a person with Down syndrome.  Armstrong, alongside her mother Cara, discussed I Am A Masterpiece! (Random House Books for Young Readers, January) and the importance of belonging during their January 21 featured speaker session at the … Continue reading ‘Do Say Hello’


Jesús Trejo

‘Family Is Everything’

January 20, 2024

“I’m very grateful that I was able to speak and tell the story of our family,” Trejo said. “This book, with every page, with every word, with every picture, just illustrates how family’s everything. If you have that—everything else could not be lined up correctly in life—but if you have that, you’re winning.” Trejo discussed … Continue reading ‘Family Is Everything’


Khris Hutson, library media specialist at Francis C. Hammond Middle School

Pivot! Pivot!

January 20, 2024

The average collection date was 2002 and the average circulation rate was 461 books per month. Since Blaylock and FCHMS’s library media specialist, Khris Hutson, began making improvements last January, they have raised the collection date to 2008—and in fall 2023, they recorded 1,277 books circulated per month. This is one of the ways that … Continue reading Pivot! Pivot!


Lauren Johnson, user experience librarian at Nevada State University in Henderson, speaks at the “Bite-Sized Improvements: How to Make Small, Meaningful Changes to Library Space,” session January 20.

Sizing Up Your Space

January 20, 2024

At “Bite-Sized Improvements: How to Make Small, Meaningful Changes to Library Space,” a January 20 session at the American Library Association’s 2024 LibLearnX conference in Baltimore, library specialist Nanci DeLa Cruz Aguayo and user experience librarian Lauren Johnson shared how they took the process one step at a time.  Aguayo and Johnson, both from Nevada … Continue reading Sizing Up Your Space


2024 LibLearnX Preview

2024 LibLearnX Preview

January 2, 2024

The American Library Association’s (ALA) LibLearnX conference will be held January 19–22, bringing collaborative learning activities, networking opportunities, celebrations, and author talks to the city of Baltimore. Designed for active learning, the conference will offer more than 100 educational programs in returning formats—Accelerators, Ideas Xchanges, Learning Labs, and ShopTalks—created by and for library workers. New this … Continue reading 2024 LibLearnX Preview