The Scoop

The Other America

Virtual Sunrise Celebration advocates for equity, access, activism
By Sanhita SinhaRoy | January 25, 2021
2021 Youth Media Award Winners

Top books, video, and audiobooks for children and young adults revealed at ALA Midwinter Virtual
January 25, 2021
Pandemic Programming

School librarians discuss how COVID-19 has changed their work
By Phil Morehart | January 24, 2021
Uncomfortable Conversations

Emmanuel Acho tackles the questions about race that white people are afraid to ask
By Terra Dankowski | January 24, 2021
The Future of Fundraising

Foundations and Friends groups find ways to reach donors at a distance
By Terra Dankowski | January 24, 2021

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Libraries and Invasive Technology

Top Tech Trends panelists on deepfakes, surveillance, biometrics
By Amy Carlton | January 24, 2021
Little Libraries, Big Problems

Small and rural libraries discuss concerns, solutions
By Phil Morehart | January 24, 2021
Caring for the Caretakers

Strategies for coping with distress
By Carrie Smith | January 24, 2021
Midwinter 2021 Top Tweets—Day 3
By Heather Cho | January 24, 2021
“Our Songs Came Through”

US Poet Laureate Joy Harjo on Indigenous poetry
By Sallyann Price | January 24, 2021
The Autobiography of Ms. Cicely Tyson

Legendary actor speaks about race, advocacy, and living history over her 60-year career
By Sanhita SinhaRoy | January 24, 2021
Council I: Forward Together Reports Presented
By Amy Carlton | January 24, 2021

Latest Library Links

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The Asian Pacific American Librarians Association (APALA) issued a statement March 3 recognizing and strongly condemning the rise in anti-Asian hate crimes that have permeated our country over the past year. The statement reads in part, “Our Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander communities have been deeply impacted by attacks that have caused physical and psychological harm.” Read the full statement with links to resources.

APALA, March 3
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In the fall and winter of 2020, New America embarked on a snapshot study to gather data on how—or if—people were discovering, accessing, and using their public libraries during the COVID-19 pandemic, with a focus on materials that libraries made available online. Their findings, which include data from a national survey of 2,620 people, highlight the need for more inclusivity, more focus on providing internet access, and more awareness-raising initiatives with local organizations and schools. Read the full report.

New America, March 1
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Dr. Seuss Enterprises announced March 2 that it would no longer publish six of the author and illustrator’s early works that “portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong.” While some pundits and politicians claimed the move was akin to book burning, OIF Director Deborah Caldwell-Stone said that Dr. Seuss Enterprises’ move is “well within their rights” and doesn’t mean that the six titles will necessarily be banned. “They haven’t asked for anyone else to remove the books from their collections, whether it’s libraries, schools, or personal collections,” she says. She confirms that, as the ALA’s lists of banned and challenged books attest, “diverse topics like LGBTQ themes and characters or books that deal with racial justice” have been more frequent targets of complaints.

Yahoo News, March 2
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As of March 1, Twitter has started applying labels to tweets that may contain misleading information about COVID-19 vaccines, in addition to its continued efforts to remove the most harmful COVID-19 misleading information from its service. The company is also introducing a strike system that determines when further enforcement action is necessary.

Twitter blog, March 1
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Brendan Dowling writes: “For over a year, Heights Libraries (Cleveland Heights, Ohio) has held monthly programs surrounding The 1619 Project, The New York Times’s long-form journalism project that investigates how slavery molded the United States’s economy, politics, and social structure. Outreach Librarian John Piché spoke with us about best practices for holding your own program, community engagement, and partnering with local organizations.

Public Libraries Online, Feb. 24
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Registration for the ALA Annual Conference and Exhibition, June 23–29, is now open. The event will include educational programming, the News You Can Use series, memorable featured speakers, special author events, The Library Marketplace, Presidents’ Programs, Discussion Groups, leading authors, live-chat presentations, and networking opportunities. The list of Featured Speakers will be announced soon.

ALA Conference Services, March 2
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Diane Bacha writes: “Cultural workshops. Community gardens. Bilingual storytimes. Coding camps. Movie clubs. These are just some of the services that 30 million Americans seek at rural libraries. In communities that often have limited access to resources, librarians in thousands of small towns are finding ways to fulfill needs and often doing so with scant resources and limited staffing.”

iPondr, March 1