Author Archive: Lisa Varga

How the 2025 Government Shutdown Will Impact Libraries

By Lisa Varga | October 1, 2025

While compromise appears elusive, Capitol Hill insiders of every persuasion expect the Trump administration to take unprecedented actions during the shutdown. These may include mass reductions in force, shuttering federal offices, and ending disfavored programs. Last week, the administration directed agencies to prepare lists of employees to fire. We have already seen repeated efforts by … Continue reading How the 2025 Government Shutdown Will Impact Libraries →

Springing Forward for Library Funding

By Lisa Varga | June 3, 2025

At the American Library Association’s (ALA) Public Policy and Advocacy Office, we have heard one message from library advocates come through loud and clear: Tell us what we can do! This year, ALA’s annual Fund Libraries campaign has drawn thousands of advocates nationwide, signing Dear Appropriator letters that call on their elected officials to provide … Continue reading Springing Forward for Library Funding →

Latest Library Links

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Haley Cole and Tylar Kerstetter write: “Libraries are institutions that excel at both formal and informal learning. Tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPG) lend themselves to supporting learning in a variety of ways. They can help with basic math skills, spatial awareness and tactics, how to properly use an index or appendix to efficiently find information, and even communication or conflict resolution. TTRPG players are often practicing soft skills, self-regulation, empathy, and problem solving while roleplaying. If you’re interested in integrating TTRPGs into your library or classroom, there are a number of resources out there to support you.”

ALA Games and Gaming Round Table, Jan. 19
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The ALA Presidential Candidates Virtual Forum offers an opportunity to learn about ALA presidential candidates Becky Calzada and Tamika Barnes and their visions for ALA. The forum will take place at 2 p.m. Central on February 9. Register to attend the forum. You may also submit a question in advance. Following the forum, ALA members will have the chance to participate in a virtual meet-and-greet with each candidate. The event will also be recorded and shared on ALA’s YouTube channel. Learn more about the candidates.

ALA Governance Office
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Each year ALA’s Youth Media Awards—including the Newbery, Caldecott, Printz, and Coretta Scott King Book Awards—honor outstanding books, videos, and other materials for children and teens. The 2026 Youth Media Awards will be held on Monday, January 26, at 10 a.m. Central at the Hilton Chicago hotel. The event will be free and open to the public, but registration is required by Wednesday, January 21, for in-person attendance. The announcement will also be live streamed at ala.unikron.com and on the ALA Facebook page.

ALA Youth Media Awards
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Larry Neal writes: “When I volunteered to serve as ALA treasurer, I knew it was going to be one of the greatest challenges of my career. Only a few months in, it has already exceeded my expectations. ALA’s financial picture is not a pretty one. And it’s a similar picture currently seen at many other associations and nonprofit organizations. Fiscal year 2025, which ended in August, saw a deficit of $15.4 million. If this sounds like a financial crisis, it is. If it sounds like significant change is needed, it’s long overdue. If it sounds hopeless, it isn’t.”

American Libraries column, Jan./Feb.
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Last April, Choice convened the virtual panel “Affirmative Action and the Future of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI).” Moderated by Fatima Mohie-Eldin, social sciences editor for Choice, the panel explored how these coalescing issues are impacting academic librarians and information scholars. The following are edited excerpts of their discussion, which considered how institutions can pursue and reaffirm their commitments to DEI principles, the murky legal and political territory around education and information, and how collaboration can support access and inclusion.

American Libraries feature, Jan./Feb.
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“For many readers and viewers, HBOMax’s recent adaptation of Rachel Reid’s Heated Rivalry has become an entry-point for casual observers of the game played on ice with a puck—and hockey romances. You may not know what exactly is happening on the rink, or even in the locker room, but you can guess, and that’s half the fun!” See other lists from Johnson County (Kans.) Library, Multnomah County (Oreg.) Library, Mesa County (Colo.) Libraries, or Omaha (Nebr.) Public Library.

St. Louis Public Library, Dec. 27; Johnson County (Kans.) Library, Dec. 13; Multnomah (Oreg.) County Library, Dec. 11; Mesa County (Colo.) Libraries, Dec. 18; Omaha (Nebr.) Public Library, Dec. 4
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Stefan Milne writes: “Seattle Public Library is the only US library system that makes its anonymized, granular checkout data public. The hitch is that the library’s data set contains nearly 50 million rows. To track trends in the catalog over the last 20 years, University of Washington researchers analyzed the checkout data of the 93 authors included in the post-1945 volume of The Norton Anthology of American Literature, which is instrumental in standardizing the books and writers we’ve deemed culturally important.”

University of Washington News, Jan. 8

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