After the threats to federal library funding in the past year, the fiscal year (FY) 2026 appropriations bills signed by President Trump on February 3 included an increase in federal funding for libraries. Less than a year ago, an executive order threatened to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the only source … Continue reading Federal Funding for Libraries Prevails
The Telecommunications Act of 1996, signed into law on February 8, expanded the definition of essential communications services to include telecommunications and high-speed internet. It established the E-Rate program, which provides schools and libraries with discounts on internet and other telecommunications services and the equipment they need to use them. Today, virtually all public libraries … Continue reading 30 Years of E-Rate
Uncertainty may be the most notable overarching theme of federal policy in the past year. Legal challenges and other acts of resistance by librarians have prevented, overturned, or at least delayed some of the administration’s most notable attacks on libraries from taking effect. In other cases, policy changes have been announced that may affect libraries … Continue reading One Year of the Trump Administration
Freedom to read faces federal scrutiny Following the Trump administration’s executive orders targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), the US Naval Academy removed nearly 400 books deemed DEI-related from its Nimitz Library (later returning most of them to circulation). Meanwhile, in April, the Supreme Court heard arguments in Mahmoud v. Taylor, a case brought by … Continue reading 2025 Year in Review
These types of challenges were top of mind at United for Libraries (UFL) Virtual 2025, held in late July. Every year, UFL brings together trustees, foundation and Friends members, and those who work with them for a virtual conference to discuss the library advocacy landscape. It’s also a space to brainstorm practical solutions for rallying … Continue reading Unlocking Possibilities
Last April, Choice, the publishing unit of the American Library Association’s Association of College and Research Libraries, convened the virtual panel “Affirmative Action and the Future of DEI.” Moderated by Fatima Mohie-Eldin, social sciences editor for Choice and editor of its Toward Inclusive Excellence blog, the panel explored how these coalescing issues are impacting academic … Continue reading Moving Beyond the Acronym
Selznick, known for the children’s books The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Wonderstruck, spoke with the American Library Association’s How I Library podcast about finding revelatory love, building on cultural history, and why books scare those in power. Where did Run Away with Me’s setting and story come from? My husband won a fellowship that … Continue reading Newsmaker: Brian Selznick
A good approach is to look at the most high-impact changes you can make early in the process to improve accessibility for users, even if the entire site is not fully accessible. The following sections outline several changes that can have a significant impact without requiring the wholesale redesign of a website. Structural elements Structuring … Continue reading Preparing for New Web Accessibility Requirements
These are just a couple of the 600-plus global variations of the Cinderella fable. You’ll find many of them at Jonesborough, Tennessee’s Storytelling Resource Place (SRP), a repository of books, recordings, costumes, instruments, and other items related to the storytelling performance tradition. “Much like libraries safeguard written knowledge, we safeguard the living traditions of oral … Continue reading Bookend: Once Upon a Time
A couple of years and many, many emailed requests later, Heaviside has collected hundreds of public library cards from every US state and several foreign locales, including the Czech Republic, Hong Kong, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, Poland, Russia, Scotland, and South Africa. “It was like I couldn’t stop,” she says. Her persistence paid off: During … Continue reading Bookend: Up Her Sleeve
$10 or less Book Club Cocktail Napkins ($9) Make your book club laugh with these “Welcome to ‘Book Club’” foil-stamped cocktail napkins from Pretty Alright Goods. These three-ply napkins will be a fun conversation starter at your next literary meetup, whether you’re reading or just “reading” (aka eating snacks and catching up on each … Continue reading 2025 Holiday Gift Guide for Librarians and Book Lovers
In honor of International Games Month, held every November, these stories center games and gaming as community-building, teaching, and self-improvement tools. Learn how libraries are developing tabletop role-playing games and using new adaptive technologies to make videogames more accessible for all. Check out the 2025 Platinum Play, or “Platy,” Hall of Fame inductees—games honored by … Continue reading State of Play
