Columns Archives | American Libraries Magazine

Principled Investments

ESG investing refers to the practice of incorporating environmental impact, social issues, and corporate governance into investing decisions. A series of United Nations–sponsored reports popularized the term in 2004, although some earlier investment funds practiced socially responsible investing. Some that remain popular and influential include: Calvert’s social investment fund, launched in 1982; TIAA’s CREF Social … Continue reading Principled Investments →

ALA at 150

Columns
President's Message
By Sam Helmick | May 1, 2026

Today, we stand at 150 years, a century and a half of voices lifted, stories shared, and doors opened. We celebrate not just survival but triumph. For libraries are not just buildings; they are the pulse of democracy, the heart of community, and the echo of our collective soul. Through wars and unrest, through the … Continue reading ALA at 150 →

Rebirth and Reaffirmation

Columns
Executive Director's Message
By Dan Montgomery | May 1, 2026

I invite you to join your colleagues at Annual to observe our past, reflect on our present, and envision our future. Attendees will have the opportunity to gather for the “ALA150: A Celebration for Our Libraries” reception on Saturday evening and immerse themselves in a variety of sessions highlighting key library moments under the ALA150 … Continue reading Rebirth and Reaffirmation →

The Rules of Law

Columns
Perspectives
By Elyse H. Fox | March 2, 2026

Within these limitations, though, library workers can develop their legal reference skills and provide appropriate referrals. The American Association of Law Libraries’ (AALL) 2014 report Law Libraries and Access to Justice offers tips for how to do this. In the decade since this report was released, demand for services has remained high, with many low-income … Continue reading The Rules of Law →

Finding Funds

Columns
Librarian's Library
By Allison Escoto | March 2, 2026

Winning Grants, 3rd edition By Stephanie K. Gerding This comprehensive, accessible guide offers practical advice focused exclusively on library fundraising, with information about grants of all types. The book distills information in an easy-to-understand format and covers such topics as the grant cycle process, planning a project for funding, and researching the most appropriate funding … Continue reading Finding Funds →

Good for Business

Columns
President's Message
By Sam Helmick | March 2, 2026

According to the American Library Association’s Libraries Build Business 2022 report, libraries offer three advantages for budding businesses: reach, resources, and collaboration. They are embedded in every community, open to all, and equipped with infrastructure such as computers, meeting rooms, high-quality databases, and access to skilled staff—resources that many small businesses and entrepreneurs could not … Continue reading Good for Business →

Advocacy Unites Us

Columns
Executive Director's Message
By Dan Montgomery | March 2, 2026

Indeed, the American Library Association (ALA) exists because of a shared desire for a professional community and coordinated advocacy. In my early interactions across the many facets of the Association, I have seen firsthand the deep drive and commitment our members bring to this work. At events like the American Association of School Librarians National … Continue reading Advocacy Unites Us →

Making Sense of Endowment Distributions

Columns
From the Trustees
By Brett Bonfield | February 9, 2026

What investments should I choose (e.g., stocks, bonds, exchange-traded funds, mutual funds)? Which financial services company fits my needs (e.g., Charles Schwab, Fidelity, TIAA, Vanguard)? How much will I take out of my account each year as a distribution? That last decision is significant, because it affects how long the money will last and continue … Continue reading Making Sense of Endowment Distributions →

Walk with a Purpose

Columns
Perspectives
By Lucy Podmore | January 2, 2026

I am a school librarian. My community supports the school library, and students are active library users. At the same time, rhetoric from that legislative session and in the years since have shown me that the public has limited knowledge about how we choose books and select programming to make the library a place students … Continue reading Walk with a Purpose →

Considering AI

Columns
Librarian's Library
By Reanna Esmail | January 2, 2026

New Horizons in Artificial Intelligence in Libraries Edited by Edmund Balnaves, Leda Bultrini, Andrew Cox, and Raymond Uzwyshyn Born out of recent International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions conferences, this volume examines current and potential directions, implications, and projects for AI in library services. For example, uses of natural language processing for topic modeling … Continue reading Considering AI →

Your Library Story

Columns
President's Message
By Sam Helmick | January 2, 2026

Stories have extraordinary power to connect people across cultures, ages, and experiences. By curating diverse narratives, libraries promote inclusion and understanding. Librarians are natural storytellers, yet many of us stay behind the scenes. Perhaps it’s humility. Perhaps it’s the belief that the work speaks for itself. But in a world filled with noise, your steady, … Continue reading Your Library Story →

Bold Changes

Columns
Treasurer's Report
By Larry Neal | January 2, 2026

I am thankful for the work of my predecessors Peter Hepburn and Maggie Farrell, and of Dina Tsourdinis, ALA’s chief financial officer, and her team to get our financial house in order. That means everything from timely reporting to clean audits to properly recording grants to an updated operating agreement. Unfortunately, ALA’s financial picture, while … Continue reading Bold Changes →

Latest Library Links

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Stony Evans writes: “My first year back in a school library was a challenge. After five years balancing roles as an Army National Guard company commander and a public library administrator, I had forgotten the sheer pace of the K–12 world. As the final weeks of the year arrived and the shelves began to fill back up for summer, I decided to try something new. I wanted to see the year through the lens of a student. How did the library impact them? What would they remember? The feedback didn’t just surprise me; it recharged me.”

Library Media Tech Talk, May 13
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Robin Camille Davis writes: “If there’s one piece of advice I have for updating lots of web pages or documents, it’s this: Turn it into a party. If your library’s staff is facing a huge amount of drudge work, like updating a hundred documents manually, you can make the task approachable by coordinating an edit-a-thon, an event in which staff members gather in a room for a couple of hours to tackle editing together. The edit-a-thon could take the form of a LibGuides shindig, a website cleanup, or an accessibility event.”

Choice 360 LibTech Insights, May 18
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Karin Greenberg writes: “For centuries, poets have attempted to put words to profound experiences. Using the monumental event of the Artemis II mission, I decided to challenge my high school students to give it a try. For this year’s April poetry competition, I asked them to write a poem focusing on the theme of time and space. A familiar refrain that high school educators hear from students is ‘How will this have anything to do with life?’ When we pair real events, especially intriguing ones, with literature and writing skills, we’re more likely to engage learners.

Knowledge Quest, May 19
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Matt Hollingsworth writes: “Alex Haley’s book Roots is included in an updated list of book titles to be removed from Knox County (Tenn.) Schools libraries. The schools previously removed other books from shelves due to the Age-Appropriate Materials Act including Water for Elephants, A Court of Thorns and Roses, and A Clockwork Orange. The state passed the Age Appropriate Materials Act in 2022, requiring schools to have a list of materials in their libraries and to have a policy for reviewing them for age appropriateness.” Roots is one of Tennessee’s state books, and members of the county Board of Education have pushed back against the removal.

WATE-TV (Knoxville), May 14; May 22, 2025; Aug. 30, 2022; WKRN-TV (Nashville), Mar. 29, 2024; WBIR-TV (Knoxville), May 18
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Eleanor Ball writes: “With summer break around the corner, I’m eagerly beginning to plan what books I might read this summer. I’m also reflecting on the books I read this year as I prepared to teach my own course, an artificial intelligence (AI) literacy elective, for the first time. Today, as we ease ourselves into summer break, I want to share four quickfire reviews of books I’ve recently read about pedagogy and AI. If you’re looking for something to read this summer, I hope you find something intriguing in this list!”

ACRLog, May 14
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Marydee Ojala writes: “Contingency plans should start with the premise that no library is completely immune from attack. In the case of the Canvas attack, the library can take on the role of help desk, as students may not know where else to turn for accurate information and will need advice, explanations, and a personalized roadmap of what to do next. This was not simply downtime; this was a major security breach. Warn students about the possibility of phishing emails. Look at existing collections that can provide alternatives to data provided on the Canvas platform.”

Information Today Europe, May 12
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Phil Morehart writes: “Taylor Swift, Beyoncé, The Go-Go’s, Vince Gill, Chaka Khan, and Weezer are some of the most successful musical artists in the world, and they’ve now been enshrined in the Library of Congress. On May 14, Acting Librarian of Congress Robert R. Newlen announced the latest round of recordings that will join the National Recording Registry. The 25 selections were chosen as audio treasures worthy of preservation for all time based on their cultural, historical, or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage.”

I Love Libraries, May 15

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