Author Archive: Mark Lawton

A worker installs solar panels on the roof of Ledding Library in Milwaukie, Oregon. Photo: Katie Newell/Ledding Library in Milwaukie, Oregon

Ready for Action

By Mark Lawton | September 1, 2020

In recent years, global warming has also led to worsening wildfires, invasive pests, and the melting of permafrost across the state. “There are some coastal villages that are literally sinking into the sea,” Preskitt says. In response, the city of Anchorage decided to brace for the impact of climate change by creating a formal framework. … Continue reading Ready for Action →

Speaking at Trexler Library, Chrysan Cronin, assistant professor and director of public health at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, discusses the dangers of vaping. Photo: Photo: Paul Pearson/Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania

Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire

By Mark Lawton | March 2, 2020

“A friend of mine is a [high school] teacher,” says NHML Library Technical Assistant Melinda Landino. “One of her students vaped in the bathroom, [then] flatlined in class. They had to bring in EMTs.” NHML is one of many libraries across the US addressing the vaping scare that gained momentum in summer 2019. As of … Continue reading Where There’s Smoke, There’s Fire →

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Tor Haugan writes: “Subject headings usually exist outside of the realm of dinner-table banter, often confined to discussions among library folk. But in recent years, the heading “Illegal aliens” and its ilk shot to national attention. After a hard-fought (and ultimately unsuccessful) war of the words started by students at Dartmouth College, which would have changed subject headings used by libraries across the country, UC Berkeley Library saw an opportunity to act. Along with other institutions nationwide, the library has adopted alternatives to the controversial heading—a step toward greater inclusion.”

Berkeley Library News, Nov. 17
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Troy Belle, JBH Research and Reference Division at New York Public Library’s Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, writes: “Kwanzaa is one of my favorite times of the year and has been a part of my family celebrations for nearly 20 years. Our family has taken part in all types of Kwanzaa celebrations, including intimate ones at our home, private celebrations with other families, and large public community gatherings. Books have always been incorporated into our Kwanzaa celebrations as a way to reintroduce the principles. I hope you enjoy this collection of books about Kwanzaa, which includes a couple of our family favorites and options for all ages.”

NYPL Blogs, Nov. 23
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Paul Collins writes: “On November 22, 1820, the New York Evening Post ran a perfunctory book ad that was none too particular in its typesetting: ‘WILEY & HALSTED, No. 3 Wall Street, have just received SYMZONIA, or a voyage to the internal world, by capt. Adam Seaborn. Price $1.’ As literary landmarks go, it’s not quite Emerson greeting Whitman at the start of a great career. But this humble advert may herald the first American science fiction novel.”

The New Yorker, Nov. 28
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The annual publishing convention and trade show known as BookExpo, a decades-old tradition where guest speakers have ranged from Bill Clinton to Margaret Atwood, may be coming to an end. ReedPop, which has managed BookExpo for a quarter century, announced December 1 that effectively immediately it was “retiring” the event, along with the fan-based BookCon and merchandise-based UnBound.

AP News, Dec. 1
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This year for Giving Tuesday, ALA is shining a light on an issue made more critical by the pandemic: digital equity. ALA is firmly committed to making libraries equal and just spaces for all people. Closing the digital divide is a crucial part of that. Learn more about these efforts and make a gift today at the ALA Annual Fund.

ALA Development Office, Dec. 1
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Megan Specia writes: “Twenty years ago, two historic notebooks belonging to the renowned naturalist Charles Darwin were found to be missing from the archives at Cambridge University Library. The tiny books recorded Darwin’s thoughts after he returned to England from his famed voyage aboard H. M. S. Beagle, as he grasped toward ideas that would form the foundations of modern evolutionary biology. Now, the library has said it believes the notebooks were most likely stolen, and it launched a public appeal for any information about their whereabouts.”

New York Times, Nov. 24
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John Keilman writes: “When Illinois’ latest COVID-19 mitigation rules went into effect recently, public venues from casinos to museums were ordered to shut down as the virus continues its ruthless spread. One notable exception, though, was public libraries. The decision on whether to stay open remained with them, and while many have concluded that the risk is too high, others say they’re going to stick it out, and not just for the book lending.”

Chicago Tribune, Nov. 29

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