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February 20, 2020 970 × 647 Hanging Up Her Hat

Mary Ghikas

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ALA announced on November 18 the six books shortlisted for the 2026 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction. Established in 2012, the awards honor the best fiction and nonfiction books written for adult readers and published in the US during the previous year. The two medal winners will be announced January 27, 2026. Carnegie Medal winners will each receive $5,000. A celebration honoring all six finalists will take place at ALA’s 2026 Annual Conference and Exhibition in June in Chicago.

AL: The Scoop, Nov. 18
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ALA’s Intellectual Freedom Round Table is seeking nominations for the 2024 Eli M. Oboler Award. The award honors an article or series of articles in the area of intellectual freedom, including matters of ethical, political, or social concerns. The article must have been published on the local, state, or national level in English or English translation in the 2024 or 2025 calendar years. The submission deadline is January 30, 2026.

Intellectual Freedom Round Table
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Terra Dankowski writes: “Sean Sherman, founder of the restaurant Owamni in Minneapolis, was not widely known in 2017, when he released his first cookbook. Since then, he has become perhaps the most recognizable Indigenous chef in the country, racking up James Beard Foundation and Julia Child awards for his food and advocacy. Sherman spoke with American Libraries about this extensive collection, his early influences, and his love for libraries. Sample a recipe from Sherman’s new cookbook, Turtle Island: Foods and Traditions of the Indigenous Peoples of North America (November, Clarkson Potter), written with Kate Nelson and Kristin Donnelly.”

American Libraries Trend, Nov./Dec.
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Anne Ford writes: “For David Sleasman, librarian at the Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play in Rochester, New York, receiving 27 storage tubs full of literature about checkers, is all in a day’s work. Sleasman, along with two catalogers and two archivists, wrangles 260,000 library holdings, 3,000 linear feet of physical archives, and nine terabytes of digital archives, all pertaining to the history of play. The library and archives are housed at the Strong National Museum of Play, where visitors romp through exhibits of toys through the ages, play pinball on vintage machines, and navigate a ropes course.”

American Libraries feature, Nov./Dec.
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Donald W. Crankshaw writes: “Traditional professional development plans in libraries may satisfy organizational or certification needs but do not necessarily satisfy employees’ needs, wants, and interests. What if we put employees’ needs and wants center stage by looking at professional development through the lens of an employee well-being program? A well-being program is an investment in the whole person, not just the part that is an employee, and therefore the concept of professional development can easily be built into a well-being program.”

American Libraries feature, Nov./Dec.
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Bobbi L. Newman writes: “I know many of us are struggling right now. When we think about self-care or rest, most of us default to the physical, things like getting enough sleep, maybe squeezing in a workout, or taking a vacation day. And those things matter. But if you’re someone who sleeps eight hours a night, takes your lunch away from your desk, and still feels depleted? You’re not doing self-care wrong. You might be missing the other six types of rest your body and mind need.”

Librarian By Day, Nov. 6
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Kristen Griffith writes: “Maryland’s school board is reversing Harford County’s removal of a book from public school libraries. The November 4 decision comes after the Harford County school board banned the young adult graphic novel Flamer by Mike Curato last summer. The local board had overruled the superintendent and a review committee who had decided to keep Flamer in middle and high school libraries. This is the first time the state board has ruled on a local book ban since the 2024 passage of Maryland’s Freedom to Read Act.”

Baltimore Banner, Nov. 5; Sept. 10; American Libraries feature, June

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