Blog | American Libraries Magazine

Introducing LibLearnX

Preview the newest learning experience for librarians
By Greg Landgraf | January 3, 2022
2021 Year in Review

Looking back at the news that affected libraries
January 3, 2022
Uptick in First Amendment Audits

Public libraries report recent rise of encounters
By Cass Balzer | January 3, 2022
A Dream Team

Public libraries partner with pro sports teams and local athletes to promote youth wellness
By Taylor Hartz | January 3, 2022
Newsmaker: Harvey Fierstein

Broadway legend on new memoir and the value of library space
By Sallyann Price | January 3, 2022
By the Numbers: Love and Libraries

Stats celebrating the platonic, romantic, and civic love found in books and libraries
By Terra Dankowski | January 3, 2022
Saving Afghanistan’s At-Risk Websites

A race to archive digital and cultural content under threat of erasure by the Taliban
By Liladhar R. Pendse | January 3, 2022
Bookend: Back in the Saddle
By Terra Dankowski | January 3, 2022
Two Decades of ALA-APA

ALA’s companion organization celebrates 20 years of supporting workers
By Patricia "Patty" M. Wong | January 3, 2022
Belonging as Technology

Growing ALA’s impact through connectedness and teamwork
By Tracie D. Hall | January 3, 2022
Building ALA’s Future

Financial measures and strategies are paving the way for a stronger Association
By Maggie Farrell | January 3, 2022
Crisis Averted

Shifting to proactive support of teen mental health
By Linda W. Braun | January 3, 2022

Latest Library Links

15h

Sallyann Price writes: “As both academic and municipal libraries work to make their buildings, programming, and collections accessible to all patrons, they’re considering exactly what it means to be a public-serving institution. What are the obligations of a public or private university to its local and global community? How have public libraries extended a sense of welcome to their patrons while safeguarding their rarest and most special collections? A panel discussed these questions January 23 at ALA’s LibLearnX virtual conference. ‘In the realm of public libraries, I absolutely think that our mission is to serve everyone in the public, everyone who walks through the door,’ said Maria McCauley, director of Cambridge (Mass.) Public Library and president-elect of the Public Library Association. ‘It’s also our responsibility to make an extra effort to provide equitable service to those who don’t walk through the door for one reason or another.'”

AL: The Scoop, Jan. 23
16h

Carrie Smith writes: “When the COVID-19 pandemic led to school closings and a shift to remote learning, Sarah Evans, assistant professor at University of North Texas (UNT) in Denton, and Lance Simpson, research and instructional services librarian at University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, knew that more needed to be done to reach rural residents. ‘A lot of folks in rural areas were being cut off or cut out of this setup,’ Simpson notes. So they turned to a medium they knew was effective for connecting with these communities: radio.”
17h

Sanhita SinhaRoy writes: “What is it like living inside a moment? That’s what bestselling author Jacqueline Woodson asked herself during the pandemic—and, in turn, asked attendees of ALA’s LibLearnX virtual conference on January 23 from her home in Brooklyn. ‘None of us saw this coming,’ said Woodson. ‘One day we walked into our classrooms, we walked into our libraries, we walked into our jobs, and the next day we didn’t.’ Woodson read from her 2018 middle-grade title Harbor Me, which tells the story of six students who, every week, were allowed to talk among themselves about the pains and struggles they had to hide from the rest of the world. She chose that book, she said, because the young characters also get a sudden change that awakens them, and it ‘is a moment where they are asked to reimagine a world where their voices are heard, where their stories matter.’ “

AL: The Scoop, Jan. 23
18h

On January 24, the American Library Association division Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures announced its 2022 Excellence in Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction Notable Lists. The lists are composed of notable children’s and young adult science fiction published between November 2020 and October 2021 and organized into three age-appropriate categories. Annotated lists are available at sfnotables.org.

Core, Jan. 24
18h

On January 24, the American Library Association (ALA) announced the top books, digital media, video, and audiobooks for children and young adults—including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery, and Printz awards—at the Youth Media Awards, held at the inaugural LibLearnX virtual conference. The Last Cuentista, written by Donna Barba Higuera, is the 2022 Newbery Medal winner. Watercress, illustrated by Jason Chin, is the 2022 Caldecott Medal winner. Read on for more winners and honorees.

AL: The Scoop, Jan. 24
1d

Sallyann Price writes: “Actor and comedian Molly Shannon is perhaps best known for the larger-than-life characters she created over six seasons as a Saturday Night Live cast member. She talked about the vulnerability that forged those characters—and the real-life personalities that populate her forthcoming memoir Hello, Molly! (Ecco, April)—at the American Library Association’s LibLearnX conference on January 23 in conversation with author Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney. ‘I have so much respect for what you do and for writers in general,’ Shannon told Sweeney. ‘I think it’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, ever. Way harder than performing.’ “

AL: The Scoop, Jan. 23
1d

Sanhita SinhaRoy writes: “How do you address low morale at your organization? What can you do to foster more diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in recruitment and retention? In her 15-minute ShopTalk session, “3 Reasons Your DEI Programs Are Not Working,” Elaina Norlin presented research and anecdotes from consulting on DEI issues to attendees of ALA’s LibLearnX virtual conference on January 23. Norlin, author of The Six-Step Guide to Library Worker Engagement (ALA Editions, 2021) and professional development and DEI program coordinator for the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries, said that recent studies show 92% of DEI trainings fail on multiple levels and can create more harm than good.”

AL: The Scoop, Jan. 23