Author Archive: Greg Landgraf

The Mobile Law Network RV visits two St. Paul (Minn.) Public Library branches per month. Photo: Mitchell Hamline School of Law

Meeting Legal Needs

May 1, 2020

Aaron Mason, Cleveland Public Library’s (CPL) director of outreach and programming services, says that example from one of CPL’s monthly legal aid clinics shows how a number of libraries are filling a significant need in their communities by connecting patrons to civil legal aid. Civil legal matters encompass noncriminal issues such as health care, housing, … Continue reading Meeting Legal Needs


Photo: A street in Philadelphia, site of ALA's 2020 Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits

2020 Midwinter Preview

January 2, 2020

Featured Speakers Opening Session Friday, January 24, 4–5:15 p.m. Author and social entrepreneur Wes Moore will open ALA’s Midwinter Meeting. Raised by a single mom in Baltimore and the Bronx, Moore overcame childhood challenges to become a Rhodes Scholar, decorated captain and paratrooper with the US Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, and White House Fellow to … Continue reading 2020 Midwinter Preview


Linda Neunzig, Snohomish County (Wash.) agriculture coordinator, takes a question from the audience during a discussion titled “­Disappearing Farmland: Population Growth and Food Supply Sustainability” at Monroe Library. The event was part of the Issues That Matter series hosted by ­Sno-Isle Libraries.

Discourse for Democracy

November 1, 2019

In a city of more than 23,000 residents, just 40 miles south of Cleveland, these forums have attracted dozens of attendees and receive significant local media coverage. They are recorded and later posted to the city’s website. Daniel Slife, the library’s director, moderates the forums, which were initiated by former Director Pamela Hickson-Stevenson. Slife always … Continue reading Discourse for Democracy


Libraries = Strong Communities rally in the exhibit hall. Photo: Cognotes

2019 Annual Wrap-Up

July 17, 2019

One News You Can Use session, “Confronting White Nationalism in Libraries,” was inspired by a toolkit published by the Western States Center, an advocacy organization focused on strengthening inclusive democracy, to help schools address the rise in racist extremism. Panel organizer Jarrett Dapier, young adult librarian at Skokie (Ill.) Public Library, applied its recommendations to … Continue reading 2019 Annual Wrap-Up


The American Library Association's 2019 Annual Conference and Exhibition will be held in Washington, D.C., June 20–25. Photo: ©Tono Balaguer/Adobe Stock

2019 Annual Conference Preview

June 3, 2019

Conference highlights Sonia Sotomayor, associate justice of the US Supreme Court and author of four books, will take the stage 8:30–9:30 a.m. on Saturday, June 22, for a conversation with her editor, Jill Santopolo of Philomel Books. For more on Sotomayor, whose latest book Just Ask! is forthcoming in September, read our interview. The Opening General Session features Jason Reynolds, author … Continue reading 2019 Annual Conference Preview


Illustration of library in field receiving signals from towers (Illustration: © Auguste Lange/Adobe Stock)

Wi-Fi in the “White Space”

May 1, 2019

But the library is reaching them using an Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) grant. The grant provides broadband Wi-Fi service to Huron’s parks through unused parts of the television broadcast spectrum. Often called “white spaces,” these parts of the spectrum were freed up when most broadcasters switched from analog to digital signals in … Continue reading Wi-Fi in the “White Space”


myMcROBOT, a fully-autonomous humanoid robotic assistant available from McCracken County (Ky.) Public Library on April 1, 2019.

April Foolswatch 2019

April 4, 2019

Libraries are fir everyone Nearly half of Oregon is forest, but the state’s trees are a remarkably underserved population. Tigard (Oreg.) Public Library addressed that with a brand-new storytime for plants, guaranteed to help saplings grow healthy and strong. One Seed, One Library, 1 million damaged tires Pima County (Ariz.) Public Library already operates a … Continue reading April Foolswatch 2019



Preview of the American Library Association's 2019 Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits in Seattle.

2019 Midwinter Preview

January 2, 2019

Featured speakers Opening Session Friday, January 25, 4–5:15 p.m. Philanthropist Melinda Gates, cofounder of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has dedicated her life to transforming the health and prosperity of families, communities, and societies. Core to her work is the empowerment of women and girls. Gates is the author of the forthcoming The Moment … Continue reading 2019 Midwinter Preview


net neutrality

The State of Net Neutrality

January 2, 2019

More than 35 states have introduced legislation to protect net neutrality, although only four (California, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington) have passed laws. Several governors have also issued executive orders related to net neutrality. The details of state net neutrality actions vary significantly, but common provisions are: prohibiting all internet service providers (ISPs) in a state … Continue reading The State of Net Neutrality


Advice for Every Phase

November 1, 2018

We talked with Sara Kelly Johns, retired school librarian, online instructor, and school library activist; Kathryn Kjaer, head of library human resources at University of California, Irvine; and Jill Klees, career consultant to students and alumni at San José State University School of Information. Finding a Job Don’t neglect networking. According to a 2016 survey … Continue reading Advice for Every Phase


Pickle reads Jacob’s New Dress at West Hollywood (Calif.) Library at an event by the national organization Drag Queen Story Hour. Photo: Jon Viscott

Fierceness—and Fierce Opposition

November 1, 2018

But while queens have proven their ability to bring the party with fantastic fashions and tales of individuality and acceptance, pockets of resistance remain. Many programs held in libraries still draw protests, as organized opposition groups insist that these storytimes aren’t appropriate for children. Lafayette (La.) Public Library (LPL) faced protests of its planned drag … Continue reading Fierceness—and Fierce Opposition