“I can speak out. I’m not going to lose my job and salary,” said Barbara Stripling, a retired academic librarian and former president of both the American Library Association (ALA) and New York Library Association, who now lives in Philadelphia. “It’s really an ideal role to be a changemaker.” “We have a voice that can’t … Continue reading Avenues to Advocacy
“We can’t imagine a better third space than the library,” Shapiro told attendees of “Infant Programming Reimagined: Connecting Caregivers and Communities through Libraries,” a June 28 session at the American Library Association’s 2025 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Philadelphia. She and copresenters from NYPL discussed ways to make the library more welcoming and inclusive of … Continue reading Craving Connection
“We’re trying to uphold the tenets of intellectual freedom, we’re trying to have diverse collections, we’re trying to make sure people see themselves in the library,” said Kimberly B. Knight, director of Virginia Beach (Va.) Public Library. “[Staffers] want us to fight, they want us to stand up.… But we also want to speak strategically, … Continue reading A Delicate Dance
“Oh, and a plot to kidnap and kill me!” Whitmer said of the domestic terror plot targeting her that was intercepted by the FBI and state police in 2020. Having survived all of that, she decided to write a memoir, True Gretch: What I’ve Learned about Life, Leadership, and Everything In Between (Simon & Schuster, … Continue reading Tools of Empowerment
Welcome to Edible Alphabet, the flagship series of Free Library of Philadelphia’s (FLP) Culinary Literacy Center. Since 2015, the program has convened those learning English as a second language (ESL)—many from the Caribbean, Central America, the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia—to practice conversation and cook a recipe under the direction of an ESL … Continue reading Bookend: Eat and Greet
Now she reflects on her life with her memoir, Connie (Grand Central Publishing, September), which traces her family’s immigration to the US, the stories she broke, and the legacy she hopes to leave behind. American Libraries talked with Chung after her appearance at the American Library Association’s 2024 Annual Conference and Exhibition in San Diego … Continue reading Newsmaker: Connie Chung
The Tony Award–winning actor, singer, and storytime series host—perhaps best known for voicing Princess Tiana in Disney’s The Princess and the Frog—has written Tiana’s Perfect Plan (Disney Hyperion, October), a picture book that teaches kids the importance of self-forgiveness. “Things don’t always go the way you want them to go, and yet they still turn … Continue reading Nobody’s Perfect
“Across the nation, there’s been a significant increase, with New York State and California among the highest,” said Deborah Hempe, coordinator for outreach services at Middle Country Public Library (MCPL) in Centereach, New York. Public libraries can be a place that meets the educational and social needs of this growing demographic, said Hempe and her … Continue reading A Space Away from Home
That was the question Tara Susman-Peña, senior technical expert at IREX, posed to attendees at the outset of “Bridgebuilding: Fostering Community Engagement, Dialogue, and Interactions in Libraries,” a July 1 session at the American Library Association’s 2024 Annual Conference and Exhibition in San Diego. The US is enduring a period marked by division, social isolation, … Continue reading Bringing Civility Back to Civic Life
“They all wore staid suits and wing-tip shoes, they … all had this bravado and ability to walk into a room and command it,” Chung told the crowd at the American Library Association’s 2024 Annual Conference and Exhibition in San Diego on June 29. “And I thought, I’ll be just like them.” “I convinced myself … Continue reading Making Headlines
“When I didn’t make the Olympic team, I kind of thought my dreams were over,” she told attendees at the American Library Association’s 2024 Annual Conference and Exhibition in San Diego on June 30. But, ultimately, “it grew me into who I am today,” said Nichols, who went on to become an eight-time NCAA champion … Continue reading The Unstoppable Maggie Nichols
“I had no experience but a lot of enthusiasm,” she told attendees of “Library for All: Programming Ideas for Adults with Disabilities on a $0 Budget,” a June 29 program at the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2024 Annual Conference and Exhibition in San Diego. Thanks to her efforts, MPL has hosted 150 programs for adults … Continue reading Inclusivity on a Budget
