Author Archive: Julia Smith

Newsmaker: Pam Muñoz Ryan

By Julia Smith | May 1, 2025

At the heart of your new novel is an underwater realm called the Library of Despair and Sorrow. Why do you view sadness and suffering as “more precious than gold,” as you describe in the novel? I think it acknowledges our humanity. It says to the reader, “We all have feelings of sadness, despair, or … Continue reading Newsmaker: Pam Muñoz Ryan →

Latest Library Links

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Veronica Fu writes: “At first glance, libraries might appear to be unaffected by Trump’s tariffs. The official list of exempt items released by the White House includes [printed books]. But the reassurance this offers libraries is limited. For libraries that depend on international vendors to supply books, serials, and media, the ripple effects of Trump’s tariffs could include disrupted shipping routes, rising logistics costs, customs slowdowns, and a growing pile of administrative red tape. Above all, this is a moment in which libraries must lead with intention.”

Katina, Apr. 24
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Jennifer Peterson writes: “In my time as a youth services librarian, I visited with thousands of school children each school year in the fall and spring months to promote books, reading, literacy, the library, and of course, summer reading! Here are my top five tips I can offer as you get ready to promote your summer reading program to students this spring.”

ALSC Blog, Apr. 26
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Hannah Weinberg writes: “This week marks 100 days since President Trump’s January 20 inauguration. It has also been approximately 45 days since Trump signed the March 14 executive order that called for stripping the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) down to its ‘non-statutory and component functions.’ Censorship attempts persist, IMLS staffers have been placed on leave, previously granted IMLS funding has been canceled, and library staffers continue to make difficult decisions about how to best maintain services for their communities. Following is American Libraries’ update on the challenges libraries and librarians continue to fight under the Trump administration.”

American Libraries feature, Apr. 30
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Elissa Malespina writes: “April 23, the White House released an executive order titled Advancing Artificial Intelligence (AI) Education for American Youth. It’s a headline-worthy step toward prioritizing AI literacy in schools. The memo calls for coordinated federal action to provide students with ‘equitable and safe’ access to AI education. As someone deeply invested in teaching AI literacy to students and educators, I wanted to feel excited. But after reading it closely, I’m left with more questions—and concerns—than confidence.

The AI School Librarians Newsletter, Apr. 23
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Deborah Walters writes: “The Freedom to Read Statement was created in a time when questions about censorship, morality, and free expression were at the forefront of people’s minds. Librarians, especially, were embroiled in a battle against would-be censors, who fought against Communists and the corruption of morals. Numerous cases were brought against public librarians in the early 1950s for failing to remove publications from the shelves deemed ‘inappropriate.’ After the Boston Post called for the removal of Communist newspapers and publications from the Boston Public Library, there was a push for a purposeful discussion on the defense of intellectual freedom.”

ALA Archives, Apr. 23
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Maddie Hanna writes: “The Radnor school board voted April 22 to restore three books that were removed in February from Radnor (Pa.) High School’s library, after impassioned pleas from community members to reject censorship and support LGBTQ students. The board voted 6–0, with three members abstaining, to return Gender Queer, Fun Home, and Blankets to the high school library. The vote reversed decisions by an ad hoc committee appointed by the district’s superintendent that determined the books—all graphic novels, with some sexual depictions—were not age appropriate.”

Philadelphia Inquirer, Apr. 23; Patch.com, Mar. 7
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Jack Dura writes: “North Dakota’s Republican governor Kelly Armstrong on April 23 vetoed bills to further restrict sexual content in libraries and to create a private school voucher program, rejecting two measures that have seen widespread support by GOP governors in other states. The library bill would have expanded North Dakota’s 2023 prohibition on ‘explicit sexual material’ in public libraries to school districts, and require those entities to have policies for relocating such material ‘to an area in the library not easily accessible to minors.’” The Senate’s attempt to override the veto failed on April 25.

Associated Press, Apr. 23; KFYR-TV (Bismarck, N.D.), Apr. 26

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