Author Archive: Megan Bennett

Aaron LaFromboise, Martha Hickson, Vicki Selander, Chelsea Price, and Marilynn Lance-Robb

One of a Kind

November 1, 2023

At many of the country’s 4,000 rural library systems, staffers are operating by themselves, or nearly so. Solo librarianship can take a variety of forms. It can be a sole employee, a full-time employee managing part-timers or volunteers, or librarians working with small or spread-out teams. As libraries continue to recover from the worst of … Continue reading One of a Kind


A catalog from the Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play

By the Numbers: Toys

November 1, 2023

230,000 Number of volumes available at the Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play, located at Strong National Museum of Play in Rochester, New York. The museum is also home to the National Toy Hall of Fame. The library houses books, catalogs, personal papers, design documents, oral history projects, and other research material relating to … Continue reading By the Numbers: Toys


LeVar Burton headshot with Banned Books Week "Let Freedom Read" graphic below

Newsmaker: LeVar Burton

October 2, 2023

The actor, known for his roles in the iconic series Roots and Star Trek: The Next Generation, has long been recognized for his work as a reading and literacy advocate. From 1983 to 2006, he was host of PBS’s children’s show Reading Rainbow. He founded Skybrary, a digital library app for young readers, and served … Continue reading Newsmaker: LeVar Burton



World War I–era peace pins housed at the Hoover Institution Library and Archives at Stanford (Calif.) University. The pins belonged to pacifist and feminist activist Alice Park.

Keep the Peace

September 1, 2023

Lucy Biddle Lewis, a fellow peace activist, walked in on this happening. Lewis told her contemporaries that she saw Addams and begged her to stop because scholars could learn from her life and work. There’s no record of when this interaction took place, but in 1930, Addams began donating her materials to Swarthmore (Pa.) College, … Continue reading Keep the Peace


Headshot of Rick Riordan

Newsmaker: Rick Riordan

September 1, 2023

Riordan spoke with American Libraries about his newest works and the longevity of Percy Jackson. The Sun and the Star follows Nico, who has faced significant trauma and must learn to find “lightness” in the dark. How can this book help young readers experiencing trauma or grief? It’s often easier to process our own trauma … Continue reading Newsmaker: Rick Riordan


Book cover of Code Talker by Chester Nez and Judith Schiess Avila

By the Numbers: Indigenous History and Culture

September 1, 2023

1979 Year that the American Indian Library Association (AILA) was founded. AILA, an affiliate of ALA, is a membership group that supports individuals and institutions working to improve library services to American Indians and Alaska Natives and disseminate information about Indian cultures, languages, and values. 300 Number of tribes represented in the National Indian Law … Continue reading By the Numbers: Indigenous History and Culture


Photo of Rosie Grant with one of the gravestone recipes she created for her @ghostlyarchive account

Bookend: Recipe in Peace

September 1, 2023

“Food connects us to someone we miss,” says Rosie Grant, digital librarian for American Jewish University in Los Angeles and outreach and communications manager at UCLA. “It connects all of our senses to that person or memory.” Grant, who is known as @ghostlyarchive on TikTok, went viral last year for trying recipes etched on gravestones … Continue reading Bookend: Recipe in Peace


Photos of National Central Library's Open Lab Multimedia Center

2023 International Innovators

July 19, 2023

The citations, chosen by the International Relations Round Table (IRRT), were the creation of 2007–2008 ALA President Loriene Roy. The awards recognize exemplary services and projects that draw attention to libraries that are creating positive change, demonstrating sustainability, and providing a model for others. The winners were honored this year during IRRT’s International Librarians Reception … Continue reading 2023 International Innovators



Snapshots from ALA's 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago.

Bookend: Electric Exhibits

July 19, 2023

Nikole Brown, assistant manager of reference at St. Louis (Mo.) County Library, with Chicago-based drag performer Ginger Forest, who did a “Read the Rainbow” storytime at the Lyrasis booth. Desiree Thomas, collection development librarian at South Carolina State Library in Columbia, with The Pigeon from Mo Willems’s book series, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary. … Continue reading Bookend: Electric Exhibits


American Library Association logo

Council III: Inquiry into Conference Date Changes Approved

June 26, 2023

The meeting began with memorial resolutions honoring Josephine Maria (Riss) Fang (M-#8); David Goodman (M-#9); Chris Cottrill (M-#10); Jen Angel (M-#11); Bill Ott (M-#12); Kristen A. Cooper (M-#13); Esperanza Bravo de Varona (M-#14); Helene Lafrance (M-#15); James Henry Jacobs, Jr. (M-#16); Paul Cappuzzello (M-#17); Patricia A. Wand (M-#18); David S. Baugh (M-#19); Rebecca Taylor Bingham … Continue reading Council III: Inquiry into Conference Date Changes Approved