“We’ve always had a hardcore group of local writers,” says AADL Librarian Erin Helmrich. The library first launched a program to provide support, learning, and advice for local emerging writers. That program, she says, “started the idea percolating of how else we could support the local writing community.” And so emerged Fifth Avenue Press, AADL’s … Continue reading Going to Press
PowerPoint is finding new life among young people as a tool to share humorous, creative, and niche slideshows with friends on TikTok and other social media platforms. Now libraries across the country are hosting their own PowerPoint Parties, using the events to engage a younger crowd. Eighth graders at Vestavia Hills (Ala.) Library’s (VHL) summer … Continue reading Slide into the Library
Misinformation: It seems to be everywhere, is getting increasingly sophisticated, and can have dangerous consequences. So how do librarians adapt their instruction to keep patrons from falling for false claims? In 2022, researchers at University of Washington’s (UW) Information School and Center for an Informed Public in Seattle released the first in a set of … Continue reading Stopping the Spread
99% Percentage of public libraries that offer a summer reading program for kids, teens, or adults, according to the Public Library Association’s 2022 Public Library Services for Strong Communities Report. 61% Percentage of school-age kids who enjoy summer reading, according to the 2024 Scholastic Kids and Family Reading Report. 20% Percentage of school-year gains in … Continue reading By the Numbers: Summer Reading
The pre-Prohibition-style lager they crafted together was called 1895, a nod to the founding year of Johnson City Public Library (JCPL), located just a few blocks from the brewery’s downtown taproom. Inspired by beers of the late 19th century, it features three flavors: coffee (for its connection to books), black currant (for a vintage flare), … Continue reading Brewing Connections
At George A. Jackson Elementary School in Jericho, New York, educators wanted to help students discover the power of their voices. During the 2023–2024 school year, as part of a unit about natural hazards and disasters, 4th-graders used library and classroom time to create podcasts about their research. After National Public Radio (NPR) recognized one … Continue reading Amplifying Voices
International Workers’ Day is May 1. 8 Date in April that National Library Workers Day was celebrated this year. Since 2004, it has been commemorated on the Tuesday of National Library Week. 25,000 Number of library workers represented by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). AFSCME represents more library workers than … Continue reading By the Numbers: Workers’ Rights
Thanks to a municipal bond and strong local support, however, in 2017 the library had the opportunity to construct a new building that was not only modern but also environmentally friendly. At the heart of the design is a rooftop with 700 solar panels, which elevated the project to net-zero energy status. That means the … Continue reading The Net-Zero Revolution
That’s when Garmon, then a civic engagement specialist at Kansas City (Mo.) Public Library, first thought, “We need a space to talk about the feelings related to climate change.” Garmon researched ways patrons in her own community could share their emotions about the environment and discovered the work being done by Sami Aaron, founder of … Continue reading Climate Connection
Most people would be fired for bringing a box of bees to work. But not coauthor Taren Urquhart, West Vancouver (B.C.) Memorial Library’s (WVML) arts and special events programmer and resident insect enthusiast. Urquhart has been caring for bees in her backyard for more than 25 years and maintains a colony of Blue Orchard mason … Continue reading Generating Buzz
2013 Year that Clemson (S.C.) University’s Cooper Library introduced FitDesks to one of its study rooms. The desks are attached to stationary bikes, helping students to release endorphins and reduce stress while doing their schoolwork. Several other academic libraries across the US have since added FitDesks. 3 Number of months patrons at St. Louis County … Continue reading By the Numbers: Health and Wellness
Then, without checking out these titles, these patrons leave. They may mark up the books they take. They won’t return the materials. And, according to Doreen Horstin, manager of San Francisco Public Library’s (SFPL) Park branch, this is just fine. These patrons are participants in Read to Recovery, an SFPL program that has been providing … Continue reading No Questions Asked
