Perspectives Archives | American Libraries Magazine

The Rules of Law

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 →

Walk with a Purpose

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 →

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Thomas W. Ganzevoort writes: “Columbus (Ga.) State University’s Simon Schwob Memorial Library is home to one obsolete feature: the library’s loading dock, an original part of the 1975 structure. Rarely used after the library basement was renovated in 2012, the loading dock was repurposed as a patio deck. A 2019 renovation added safety gate and railing, a fresh coat of paint and some picnic tables. However, something was still missing. During Spring Break 2026, what has become known as the Library Mural Project reached its fruition, when an army of volunteers descended on the loading dock to make the mural a reality.”

Georgia Library Quarterly, vol. 63, no. 2, May 1
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Adrienne De Luna writes: “Passive programming gets a bad reputation. But in the right environment—especially in youth services—passive programming isn’t just helpful. It’s essential. Not all passive programming works. And when it doesn’t, it’s usually not because of the idea—it’s because of the execution. Most passive programs fall flat when they are too complicated, not immediately visible, overexplained, not relevant to the age group, or left out too long.”

Youth Services Playbook, May 1
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Mars Brint writes: “In honor of Preservation Week, I’d like to discuss the importance and enjoyment of digging through old records. People want to know their history, understand their roots, and create a connection with the past, and it is such a pleasure to be able to help bridge that information and share resources. So I’ve decided to include some of my own basic tips, tricks, and resources that can help others find genealogical information in a pinch.”

NMRT Notes, May 1
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Aaron Tay writes: “Evaluation frameworks are a serious thread in information literacy, collection assessment, and procurement. The demand for them is real. My worry is that many evaluation matrices try to do too much at once. They aim to be universal. They give every criterion a score. They weight too many things equally. They also rely heavily on qualitative impressions, including for the thing that matters most when evaluating search tools: Whether the tool can retrieve and rank useful material.”

Aaron Tay’s Musings about Librarianship, Apr. 29
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Claire Wang writes: “Huntington Beach, California, must foot roughly $1 million in legal bills for restricting minors’ access to certain books at the city’s library, an Orange County judge ordered. In a tentative ruling April 27, Orange County Judge Lindsey Martinez said the city needs to pay $960,000 to attorneys from four legal organizations, who billed more than 1,300 hours of work on the high-profile lawsuit against the city’s book restriction policy. Martinez had ruled in September that the city’s book restriction policy violated the state’s Freedom to Read Act and cannot be enforced,” although an appeal is pending.

Orange County (Calif.) Register, Apr. 30; Sept. 5, 2025
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Grammy-winning composer, singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Laufey has been named honorary chair of Library Card Sign-up Month. An enthusiastic reader, she founded the Laufey Book Club in 2022 helping to foster a global community of readers. Last year, Laufey partnered with four US public library systems and one in her native Iceland to launch limited edition Laufey Book Club collaborative library cards and encourage library card sign-ups. Libraries interested in launching a collaborative card this year should complete the enrollment form by July 10.

ALA Communications and Media Relations Office, May 5
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On April 30, ALA and the Banned Books Week Coalition unveiled the artwork for Banned Books Week 2026, October 4–10. The 2026 theme is “Let Books Be. Protect the Freedom to Read.” This year’s Banned Books Week campaign features three illustrations showing how libraries and access to information enrich our lives. The artwork from award-winning illustrators Hyesu Lee, Loveis Wise, and Mikey Burton embraces joy and creativity as acts of resilience, reminding our communities that a handful of people running organized censorship campaigns should not be allowed to dictate what the rest of us can read.

ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom, Apr. 30

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