Blog | American Libraries Magazine

2021 Library Design Showcase

The year's most impressive new and renovated libraries
By Phil Morehart | September 1, 2021
2021 ALA/AIA Library Building Awards
By Phil Morehart | September 1, 2021
Special Report: The Legacy of 9/11

How the attacks affected the library world
September 1, 2021
What Was Lost

The libraries and treasures destroyed on 9/11—and the archival work that came next
By Terra Dankowski | September 1, 2021
Understanding the Other

Librarians who fought ignorance with information
By Sallyann Price | September 1, 2021
A Safe Haven in the Sea

Tiny Canadian library plays unexpected role during chaotic week
By Amy Carlton | September 1, 2021
Archives of an Attack

Librarians and historians work to collect digital ephemera from 9/11
By Phil Morehart | September 1, 2021
Defenders of Patron Privacy

After challenging the Patriot Act, four librarians reflect on privacy in the digital age
By Sanhita SinhaRoy | September 1, 2021
2021 ALA Award Winners

Honoring excellence and leadership in the profession
September 1, 2021
By the Numbers: United Nations Day

Stats celebrating the 76-year-old intergovernmental peace and security agency
By Alison Marcotte | September 1, 2021
Bookend: Over the Moon
By Phil Morehart | September 1, 2021
Confronting History

Tulsa library educates on race massacre
By Jennifer Greb and Kimberly Johnson | September 1, 2021

Latest Library Links

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Eric Franklin writes: “Unfortunately, you can never completely remove yourself from the internet, but there are ways to minimize your digital footprint, which would lower the chances of your personal data getting out there. Here are some ways to do that.”

CNet, Oct. 10
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McKayla Coyle writes: “Remember last year, when everyone suddenly got really into baking sourdough bread and sewing their own clothes and making so much jam that there was a national jar shortage? Those were the days of cottagecore, a romantic aesthetic that valued pastorals and strawberries and wicker picnic basics. Goblincore is like cottagecore’s grimy, grungy little sibling who won’t stop flipping over rocks in the backyard to find cool bugs. As a goblin, you’re sure to love these goblincore books.”

Electric Lit, Oct. 6
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Scott Gilbertson writes: “Whether you are sick of social media, want to get away from endless notifications, or just want to read all your news all in one spot, an RSS reader can help. I’ve been using RSS for over a decade, and recently spent a few months trying out almost a dozen different RSS reader services. These picks are the best RSS readers available right now.”

Wired, Oct. 10
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Communities for Immunity is seeking proposals that address COVID-19 vaccine confidence and uptake, with an aim to reach vaccine-hesitant populations. Funding awards ranging from $1,500–$100,000 will be provided to museums and libraries to leverage their deep relationships with local communities to improve vaccine confidence. The application window is October 12–29, and projects must be completed by March 31, 2022. Read the applicant toolkit or sign up for an October 14 webinar for more information.

Communities for Immunity
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It was mid-day on August 13 when 23-year-old health worker Homeira Nawrozi, who owned a library for women in Lashkar Gah, Afghanistan, heard the news of Taliban entering the city. She quickly closed her library. But when she returned with her brother the next day to take the books home, she found that all the windows had been shattered and some books were damaged. “Right now, the women need us to give them a book to read at a time when the doors of schools are closed for them,” she says.

France 24, Oct. 10
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Linda Kinstler writes: “Recently, the Boston Globe approved a petition from a man who was alleged to have kicked the door of an ATM when he was young, about 10 years ago. The charges against him were dropped, but the Globe had published his name as part of a police brief. The man was now an advocate for the local Latinx community and wanted the article removed from his search results. ‘It’s a perfect example of such a minor incident,’ Jason Tuohey, managing editor for digital, told me. ‘Why would a newspaper even cover it, looking back?’”

Columbia Journalism Review, Oct. 5
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Jessa Crispin writes: “According to recent research by the Center for Democracy and Technology, ‘86% of teachers reported that, during the pandemic, schools provided tablets, laptops, or Chromebooks to students at twice the rate (43%) prior to the pandemic, an illustration of schools’ attempts to close disparities in digital access.’ The problem is, a lot of those electronics were being used to monitor students, even combing through private chats, emails, and documents, all in the name of protecting them.”

The Guardian (UK), Oct. 11