American Libraries Changes Podcast Name

October 26, 2020

American Libraries has changed the name of its monthly podcast from Dewey Decibel to Call Number with American Libraries.

After consulting with the American Libraries Advisory Committee, staff decided to change the podcast name to distance the magazine from the legacy of Melvil Dewey (1851–1931), a founder of the American Library Association (ALA) and inventor of the Dewey Decimal Classification system, who was eventually ostracized by ALA as a result of what one librarian of the period called his “outrages against decency.”

“The new name will better reflect the breadth and diversity of ideas that our podcast strives to achieve,” says American Libraries Editor and Publisher Sanhita SinhaRoy. “The goal remains to bring thought-provoking interviews to the library community.”

Founded in 2016, the podcast will launch its new name and logo with the release of its annual Halloween episode on October 26.

American Libraries is the flagship magazine of the American Library Association and its more than 57,000 members. It is the largest-circulation magazine geared toward library professionals and the only one to cover all types of libraries and service areas in a single publication.

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