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January 31, 2023 970 × 647 Same Fight, New Tactics

Amanda Vazquez (left), director at Dubuque County (Iowa) District Library, and Sukrit Goswami (right), director at Haverford Township (Pa.) Free Library, discuss how libraries can protect themselves from challenges at the American Library Association’s 2023 LibLearnX conference in New Orleans on January 29. Photo: Rebecca Lomax/American Libraries

Latest Library Links

10h

Amanda Rogers and Dianndra Roberts write: “Neurodiversity is the natural variation in human neurological functioning. Approximately 15%–20% of the global population is neurodivergent. Organizations that do not actively include and support neurodivergent individuals risk missing out on exceptional talents and undermining employees’ ability to work to their full potential. Workplace practices that support diverse working styles can build a positive and supportive environment without enforcing neuronormativity. By fostering an inclusive environment that values different ways of thinking, organizations can drive innovation, enhance problem-solving, and improve overall team performance.”

The Scholarly Kitchen, Mar. 17
15h

Dawson Damico writes: “For nearly 80 years, Iberia Parish (La.) Library has offered services to the public. It is now on the verge of closing down if a reduced millage renewal is not passed in the March 29 election. Last year, the renewal failed to pass, making this year’s election vital for the future of the system. It will be at a reduced rate from six mills to 4.5 mills. All libraries in the system are [currently] operating off a reduced balance of $3.3 million. If [the millage is] not passed, Hills said the funds will be depleted by March 2026.”

KLFY-TV (Lafayette, La.), Mar. 12
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Ian Trawinski, Lisa Picker, and Andrea Berstler write: “Makerspaces are commonly expected to host a younger demographic, while libraries are thought of as a space mostly visited by older generations. [But at] Carroll County (Md.) Public Library’s Exploration Commons, we have found that our makerspace is enjoyed across all generations. In fact, we have found that the customers who most take advantage of the tools and programs supplied by Exploration Commons, in ways we had not anticipated, are seniors. Exploration Commons regularly hosts programs designed to help ease seniors into learning how to operate the equipment available in this makerspace.”

Information Technology and Libraries, Mar. 17
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Alan S. Inouye writes: “On the evening of March 14, President Trump launched an assault on libraries by signing an executive order titled Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy. The president cannot fully eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services without congressional approval, but his order takes every possible step in that direction. The good news is that there is a groundswell of opposition to Trump’s order. Since ALA’s March 15 statement, more than 55,000 messages have been recorded and sent to Congress members through ALA’s action center. In addition to grassroots advocacy, ALA is opposing the executive order in a number of ways.” ALA has published an FAQ to help library workers, advocates, and users understand the order.

AL: The Scoop, Mar. 19; ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, Mar. 18
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Hannah Weinberg writes: “Since President Trump retook office on January 20, libraries and librarianship have been assaulted via executive orders and other actions. While the legality of many of these actions is still being decided by the courts, librarians, archivists, and other information professionals have been working through the confusion to preserve access to information. Below are several examples of the challenges libraries have faced over the past two months and the ways in which librarians and advocates have responded—and continue to respond.”

American Libraries Trend, Mar. 19
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ALA’s Public Policy and Advocacy Office has created a list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) to help library workers, advocates, and users understand President Trump’s executive order intended to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services and six other agencies. The FAQ addresses exactly what the order does, how it may impact IMLS staff and grants, the impact on libraries, and what ALA and library supporters can do to stop it.

ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, Mar. 18
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Daniel Pfeiffer writes: “I admit I’m usually skeptical that generational analysis is anything more than the narcissism of small differences. The skinny jeans–baggy jeans divide between millennials and zoomers is real, sure, but significant? Maybe not. But I’m willing to grant that generational differences do, at times, capture specific patterns of technological use and engagement—or at least serve as a convenient shorthand for describing changing behaviors. Below, I have highlighted a few recent studies that shed light on the technology practices and attitudes of Generation Z students, angled toward how they might be applied in a library context.”

Choice 360 LibTech Insights, Mar. 12

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