Blog | American Libraries Magazine

Separate—and Unequal

Carrie C. Robinson’s story of challenging racism still resonates
By Wayne A. Wiegand | October 6, 2020
2020 Library Design Showcase

The year's most impressive new and renovated libraries
By Phil Morehart | September 1, 2020
Virus-Responsive Design

In the age of COVID-19, architects merge future-facing innovations with present-day needs
By Lara Ewen | September 1, 2020
Ready for Action

As cities undertake climate action plans, libraries emerge as partners
By Mark Lawton | September 1, 2020
2020 ALA Award Winners

Honoring excellence and leadership in the profession
September 1, 2020
Encoding Space

Shaping learning environments that unlock human potential
By Brian Mathews and Leigh Ann Soistmann | September 1, 2020
By the Numbers: Rural and Small Libraries

Stats on the buildings, staff, bookmobiles, and users of small and rural libraries
By Alison Marcotte | September 1, 2020
Bookend: The World on a String
By Sallyann Price | September 1, 2020
Dragging AI

Teaching teens to resist facial recognition software
By Maty Cropley | September 1, 2020
Conscientious Cataloging

Librarians work to advance equity in subject headings
By Anne Ford | September 1, 2020
Can You Hear Me Now?

Library managers on the challenges of leading from a distance
By Carli Spina | September 1, 2020
Newsmaker: Laurie Halse Anderson

YA author and intellectual freedom champion releases new graphic novel about Wonder Woman
By Alison Marcotte | September 1, 2020

Latest Library Links

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During the pandemic, libraries have gotten creative to continue serving their communities while maintaining social distancing. Middletown, Connecticut’s Russell Library has been bringing literary discussions into the great outdoors with its Book Yak on a Kayak events. The library started hosting outdoor book discussions two summers ago with its wildly popular Book Talk on a Walk program. It worked so well on land that the library decided to try it out on the water: In 2019, the library partnered with the Middletown Recreation Department to lend kayaks and host discussions on a local lake. Book Yak on a Kayak returned in summer 2020. While COVID-19 prevented the library and the recreation department from loaning kayaks, many community members attended on their own boats.

I Love Libraries, Oct. 16
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Heads of library services in the UK fear the success of digital and remote lending during lockdown could threaten their physical facilities, with the potential for “brutal” cuts on the way, according to a new report. The Libraries in Lockdown report, published October 13 by Libraries Connected, showed ebook use increased by 146% during the period, and the increase has largely been sustained, with increases in individual services ranging between 38% and 714%. Library membership remained stable, with some services seeing spikes of up to 32% despite the facilities’ closure. However, some respondents said the lockdown success “could be viewed, erroneously, as a substitute for a physical offer, or adequate as a definition of a ‘comprehensive and efficient’ library service under the Libraries Act.”

The Bookseller (UK), Oct. 13
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Lindsey Simon writes: “Librarians work all over the world, from big cities and suburbs to the furthest reaches of the planet. Case in point: Edgardo Civallero is a librarian stationed in the Galápagos, an archipelago off the coast of Ecuador known for influencing Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. Civallero is part of the the Charles Darwin Foundation, a scientific organization dedicated to preserving the islands’ biodiversity. The foundation’s research station features a library and archive that Civallero is tasked with coordinating.”

I Love Libraries, Oct. 19
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Iowa City Public Library is working toward committing 30% of library resources to BIPOC communities by FY 2022 and looking for alternatives to police intervention for library policy violations. ICPL released its strategic plan for 2021–2023 on September 23, which outlined these objectives. Director Elsworth Carman said the objective to commit a certain percentage of resources for and with BIPOC populations was a response to the Black Lives Matter movement and an acknowledgement that public libraries can do more to represent their communities.

Daily Iowan, Oct. 4
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As curator of the archives of the Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks, Ward Eldredge deliberated what would need to be done if the nearby Castle Fire continued its approach toward the parks’ headquarters. The archives contain the 130-year history of Sequoia, the country’s second-oldest national park. All of it was at risk. As park rangers and other local residents evacuated their homes the afternoon of September 14, Eldredge called Emily Lin, the University of California Merced librarian whom he knew from work digitizing collections from the parks’ archives, and UC Merced staff soon set out on the 150-mile drive to the parks’ headquarters.

University of California Merced, Oct. 15
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In 1990, R.E.M. posed for ALA’s READ campaign to promote the pleasure and importance of reading. This iconic image, taken more than 30 years ago, will now be available in puzzle form to R.E.M. fans and a new generation of readers. All R.E.M. proceeds from the sale of the puzzle will benefit the ALA and Books for Keeps, an Athens, Georgia-based grassroots effort to get books into the hands of children who might not otherwise have books at home. The puzzle retails for $30 and will be available exclusively in the band’s online store at REMHQ.com.

ALA Communications and Marketing Office, Oct. 9
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As these continue to be challenging and uncertain times, the Friends of ALSC will be funding the renewal of 50 ALSC and ALA memberships to members who have recently been furloughed, laid off, or otherwise unemployed. COVID-19 disproportionately and negatively impacts communities of color, therefore, these memberships will prioritize individuals who identify as Black, Indigenous, People of Color. Prioritizing ALSC’s BIPOC members will further support ALSC’s strategic objective of increasing the intentional retention of a diverse membership, while reducing barriers to participation. Submit your application by November 13.

ALSC