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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On October 22, Craighead County Jonesboro (Ark.) Public Library issued a statement listing 12 books that were being relocated to a new parent/teachers section within the children’s library. Library Director David Eckert said the books, which were about sex education, “are intended for parents to help their children have a well-rounded education.” In recent months, children’s books containing LGBTQIA+ content have been at the heart of several contentious board meetings at CCJPL.

KAIT-TV (Jonesboro, Ark.), Oct. 22
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Arthur der Weduwen and Andrew Pettegree write: “What is the role of a library in today’s digital age? This is a question that communities across the country are asking, and it seems that the very concept of the library—a physical space for the storage and consultation of books—is under threat. But libraries have endured for centuries because each generation has reshaped the library in its own image, with new intellectual agendas and new buildings that reflect the priorities of the community and the day.”

Washington Post, Oct. 19
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Don Tillema, a supervisor in Byron Township, Michigan, threatened to pull taxpayer funding for Kent District Libraries and turn its Caledonia branch into a shoe store at a September 27 board meeting. At issue was the graphic novel Check, Please, which a 10-year-old pulled from a teen shelf over the summer; the child’s mother complained about the book, which concerns a young gay hockey player. KDL Executive Director Lance Werner said the book is protected by the US Constitution and would not be removed. Byron Township Clerk Peggy Sattler later clarified that Tillema’s remark about funding was “off the cuff” and that the library is safe.

WOOD-TV (Grand Rapids, Mich.), Oct. 22
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On October 21, the 2021 American Association of School Librarians National Conference opened in Salt Lake City. For many, the conference has been an opportunity to see colleagues in-person for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic started. Author, motivational speaker, and American University lecturer Omékongo Dibinga served as the opening session’s keynote speaker. He emphasized self-care and positive mental health in the school library profession: “To do the work today, it’s going to take no less than your best self.”

AL: The Scoop, Oct. 22
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Renowned children’s book illustrator Jerry Pinkney died October 20 at the age of 81. The recipient of a Caldecott Medal (for 2010’s The Lion and The Mouse), five Coretta Scott King Book Awards, and a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Society of Illustrators, Pinkney was considered “a legend in the world of children’s publishing,” NPR reports.

NPR, Oct. 20
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For its Halloween-themed episode, Call Number with American Libraries looks at the enduring appeal of zombies and the role libraries have had in continuing their mythos. Episode guests include Ben Rubin, horror studies collection coordinator at University of Pittsburgh Library System, who speaks about the George A. Romero Archival Collection; Amy Dennis, programming and public relations librarian at Tom Green County (Tex.) Library System, who describes her library’s zombie doll program for youth; and Seanan McGuire (aka Mira Grant), author of the Newsflesh trilogy of zombie novels.

AL: The Scoop, Oct. 19
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Hannah Arata writes: “It’s that time again! We rounded up some great library craft videos from across the internet that are perfect for Halloween. Whether they are doing in-person events or take-and-make kits, these libraries share their creative crafts for the spooky season.”

Programming Librarian, Oct. 15