Blog | American Libraries Magazine

A New Threat to E-Rate

FCC has inquired if the program should be limited or sunset
June 16, 2026
2026 Annual Conference Preview

Chicago | June 25–29
By Sallyann Price | June 1, 2026
City of Big Appetites

Celebrate ALA’s big year with this robust list of Chicago eateries
By Jennifer Billock | June 1, 2026
Encountering ICE

Public library directors share tips for dealing with federal immigration activity
June 1, 2026
5 Questions to Ask Your Vendors about AI

Cut through the hype and get real answers about artificial intelligence products
By Elizabeth Szkirpan | June 1, 2026
2026 Library Systems Briefing

Tech companies stay competitive with emerging platforms
By Marshall Breeding | June 1, 2026
The Gnome Depot

Fairy house workshops combine nature, enchantment … and a bit of moss
By Karen Lindell | June 1, 2026
Newsmaker: Megha Majumdar

Award-winning author on how libraries and reading affirm humanity
By Donna Seaman | June 1, 2026
By the Numbers: Pride

Stats that celebrate LGBTQ+ history, culture, and community
By Megan Bennett | June 1, 2026
Fighting Words

Coping with the abusive language of library critics
By Darcy Lipp-Acord | June 1, 2026
Confident Readers’ Advisory

Reach for the right recommendations with these resources
By Rachel Rosenberg | June 1, 2026
Sparking a New Era

ALA’s Annual Conference promises to be electric
By Sam Helmick | June 1, 2026

Latest Library Links

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Kendra Winchester writes: “Disability Pride Month is all about taking strength in who we are as disabled people, celebrating our lives, and coming together as a community. That includes the kiddos in our lives. That’s where picture books come into play. These stories aren’t just sweet stories; they are reflections of the many different kinds of disabled lives lived around the world. They illustrate the incredible diversity in disabled communities. Here are a few to help get you started.”

Book Riot, July 2
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Paul Goble writes: “The Lenin State Library in Moscow is setting up a special restricted access collection to hold what officials call ‘destructive literature’ that scholars and officials may need to see to do their work but that ordinary Russians will not be able to access, according to Zhanna Alekseyeva. The Russian deputy culture minister says other libraries will follow suit and will place books not on the approved list in such restricted collections.”

Eurasia Review, June 26
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Vincent Safuto writes: “Paper copies of BookPage magazine are gone from Hernando County’s (Fla.) public libraries, though the free book-review publication remains available online. The move follows months of complaints from some residents who argued the magazine pushed a political agenda and that the subscription wasted county money. County Commissioner Steve Champion questioned whether libraries are an essential service. He said the county may have to cut nonessential services if Gov. Ron DeSantis’s proposed property tax reduction wins approval from 60% of Florida voters.”

Tampa Bay (Fla.) Beacons, July 6
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Carolyn Jones writes: “California librarians were stunned when a last-minute budget change stripped K–12 schools of a trove of research materials. Without notice to schools or librarians, the legislature canceled $5.5 million that pays online fees for Compass, an online database of research and curriculum materials that have been vetted by teachers and librarians. Since the program launched in 2018, it’s received nearly 1 billion hits. The cut goes into effect on July 1, 2027. Meanwhile, librarians are launching an aggressive campaign to save the program.”

Cal Matters, June 30; California School Library Association, July 1
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Jaime Eastman writes: “Let’s talk about ways that intentional, scaffolded program structures create organization and clear direction for patrons and staff alike. While each library’s program structure is different, my goal today is to share replicable models that work for all types of libraries and programs. I’ll explore how scaffolded programs help you reach specific audiences and customize patron experiences. At its core, scaffolded programming is about purposeful program design over time.”

ALSC Blog, July 1
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Audrey Richardson writes: “Imagine you’re in a new job with a newish liaison responsibility. Things you know and knew going into this position: There is a three week stretch where you’re supporting 2 specific assignments, and you know that’s your whole life. Now imagine you’re gearing up for that stretch, and you’ve suddenly lost your voice. What do you do? Having this experience made me really think about how we plan for success with faculty partners while also taking care of ourselves.”

Info Literal, July 1
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Mollee Holloman and Heather Pennica write: “When we wrote about advocacy amplification in our recent Knowledge Quest article, we described a school librarian who designed a social media campaign for School Library Month, shared it with a statewide cohort, and watched it travel further than she ever expected. That librarian is Jennifer Long, a school library media coordinator in Rockingham County, North Carolina, and her story deserves more than a paragraph. Jennifer to give school librarians something they could actually use during School Library Month: Not just inspiration, but a ready-made framework.”

Knowledge Quest, July 7,