The Scoop

Lightening the Librarian’s Load

Connect patrons to high-quality digital content
July 9, 2024
Five Things Public Libraries Should Know about Open Access

It’s not just for academia
By Anne Ford and Briana Shemroske and Maryska Connolly | July 3, 2024
Conversations with Holocaust Survivors

How a visual history archive taps into the past
By Sally Stieglitz | July 2, 2024
Nobody’s Perfect

Actor Anika Noni Rose's first book focuses on grace and self-forgiveness
By Terra Dankowski | July 2, 2024
Leading the Change

Teen activists share how they fight book bans
By Diana Panuncial | July 2, 2024
A Space Away from Home

Creating a homeschooling resource center at your public library
By Terra Dankowski | July 2, 2024
Council III: Update on Filling President-Elect Vacancy

Resolution to create Societal Statement Guidelines also approved
By Megan Bennett | July 2, 2024
It’s Not Okay

Research shows that sexual harassment in librarianship is prevalent
By Sanhita SinhaRoy | July 2, 2024
Bringing Civility Back to Civic Life

Public libraries can strengthen community and democracy through the practice of bridgebuilding
By Terra Dankowski | July 1, 2024
‘In this Work Together’

Librarians share what keeps them motivated
By Megan Bennett | July 1, 2024
Making Headlines

Connie Chung reflects on her barrier-breaking broadcast career
By Terra Dankowski | July 1, 2024
Muslim Voices in Children’s Literature

Authors on why they write and facing the current moment
By Carrie Smith | July 1, 2024

Latest Library Links

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Jason Parham writes: “Earlier this week, at the Auburn Avenue Research Library in Atlanta, a couple dozen fellows commenced a year-long project designed to put the mission of preserving Black history back in the hands of community members. The Web Archiving School (WARC) is a new training program that teaches practitioners methods of digital preservation built around an ‘ethic of care.’ As many agencies, public and private, have quickly fallen in line with Trump’s orders, WARC cofounder Makiba Foster says she’s not going to rely on legacy institutions to do that important preservation work.”

Wired, May 2
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Frank Strong writes: “I’ve been covering Texas school board elections for seven cycles, and as I have documented over and over again, book bans, attacks on educators and public schools, and attempts to target LGBTQ students do not fare well at the polls. But Saturday night’s election results were next level. Voters across Texas clearly and consistently punished the people who have been restricting students’ reading and learning.” School board candidates who advocated for restrictive school library book policies lost in Fort Bend, Keller, Mansfield, and several other communities.

Anger & Clarity, May 5; May 7, 2023; May 5, 2024; Nov. 9, 2024; Community Impact, May 3; Newsweek, May 4
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Andrew Limbong writes: “A federal judge has halted President Trump’s attempt to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS)—the agency which provides federal funding to libraries and museums across the country. Attorneys general from 21 states sued the president to stop him from dismantling IMLS, the Minority Business Development Agency, and the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service [in his March 14 executive order]. District court Judge John J. McConnell Jr. issued an injunction on the order May 6, stating that it violated the Administrative Procedure Act.” This lawsuit is separate from one filed by ALA and the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, which resulted in a restraining order temporarily blocking the dismantling of IMLS on May 1.

WRKF-FM (Baton Rouge, La.), May 6
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Daniel Kool writes: “The Maine State Library has rescinded three layoff notices it issued last month after it regained access to half its federal funding. The library avoided two other layoffs by shifting employees from their federally funded positions to positions unrelated to that funding, State Librarian Lori Fisher wrote in an email May 5. That leaves eight layoffs still in effect, though Fisher said those have been delayed until May 8. ‘The remaining layoffs could be rescinded if federal funding is restored in full,’ Fisher said.”

Portland (Maine) Press Herald, May 5
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Brian Dobreski and Christopher Hastings write: “Libraries show an increasing interest in incorporating artificial intelligence (AI) tools into their workflows, particularly easily accessible and free-to-use chatbots. In this study, researchers sought to assess the performance of AI tools in performing basic subject heading and classification number assignment. Overall performance of these tools was poor, particularly for assigning classification numbers. Frequent sources of error included assigning overly broad numbers or numbers for incorrect topics. Although subject heading assignment was also poor, ChatGPT showed more promise here, backing up previous observations that chatbots may hold more immediate potential for this task.”

Library Resources & Technical Services, Apr.
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International Workers’ Day is May 1. American Libraries collects data about labor and libraries, including the number of library workers represented by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees; the size of the 2024 Mellon Foundation grant received by the University of California, Santa Cruz, library to establish an archive chronicling the life and work of labor activist Dolores Huerta, the number of oral histories from survivors of the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory Fire housed at the Kheel Center for Labor-Management Documentation and Archives at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, and more.

American Libraries Trend, May
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Cindy Hohl writes: “Our profession, and our humanity, are in jeopardy. As we saw with the White House’s executive order calling for the Institute of Museum and Library Services to be eliminated, libraries—and everything we value as information professionals—are under attack. Make no mistake: The American people need to brace for more waves of uncertainty and oppression. And in our role as stalwart information warriors, we shall hold the front lines of democracy to ensure that intellectual freedom and the First Amendment are held in the highest regard.”

American Libraries column, May; AL: The Scoop, Mar. 16