Spirit in the Stacks 

September 3, 2024

“As soon as they get their card, they immediately place a hold on a ghost-hunting kit,” Knisley says. Like many libraries, CCPL has begun loaning out collections of specialized electronic items said to help seekers of the supernatural track down spirits. These kits usually consist of a backpack or carrying case filled with items such … Continue reading Spirit in the Stacks 


Optimizing Reality

September 3, 2024

“College students, being digital natives, are more inclined to engage with technology-driven learning tools,” says Yingqi Tang, distance education and electronic resources manager at Jacksonville (Ala.) State University’s (JSU) Houston Cole Library. That’s a major reason many institutions are using augmented reality (AR) to connect with students. Unlike virtual reality, which immerses the user in … Continue reading Optimizing Reality




Grade school students stand around a table with a science project on it as a grad student talks about it.

Shaking Up Science

June 3, 2024

The event was RPL’s second Flip the Fair, introduced in 2022 to help graduate students develop skills to effectively communicate their research while engaging local elementary students with STEM topics and the library. It’s an example of how libraries are seeking innovative ways to share science and research with new audiences. “We wanted to give … Continue reading Shaking Up Science


Library staff posed in Bridgerton period garb

Sip, Sip, Hooray

June 3, 2024

In the corner broods a striking, enigmatic figure—tall, fastidiously groomed, and drawing the attention of everyone nearby. But that’s not the Duke of Hastings from Bridgerton, and this isn’t 19th-century London. It’s the 21st century, these guests are gathered at Collier County (Fla.) Public Library (CCPL), and the figure in the corner is a life-sized … Continue reading Sip, Sip, Hooray


Summer reading program participants at Montgomery County (Md.) Public Libraries choose brand-new books to take home, courtesy of Friends of the Library, Montgomery County.

A Greener Way to Read

June 3, 2024

When school lets out, children gravitate to public libraries. Meanwhile, libraries strive to help those children maintain or improve their reading and critical-thinking skills throughout those school-free months, often by way of summer reading programs. At Montgomery County (Md.) Public Libraries (MCPL), we have redesigned our summer reading challenge in hopes of inspiring our young … Continue reading A Greener Way to Read



Image shows a row of paper bags filled with Maynard (Mass.) Public Library's February spice of the month, fenugreek.

The Spice of Life

May 1, 2024

“Staff will come down and say, ‘What’s going on? Everything smells so good,’” says Sally Thurston, MPL’s adult programming coordinator and circulation assistant. Since January 2022, Thurston has run the library’s spice club, which offers patrons kits filled with a featured spice, recipes, and other information based on the selection. Patrons then prepare a dish … Continue reading The Spice of Life


Sister Stella, a resident of Queen of Peace, a retirement community for nuns, plays with Henry. The robotic dog belongs to Ela Area Public Library in Lake Zurich, Illinois.

Librarian’s Pet

May 1, 2024

Kristan, outreach services coordinator at Ela Area Public Library (EAPL) in Lake Zurich, Illinois, knew that the presence of pets has been associated with health benefits like reductions in stress and blood pressure. In 2022, she introduced robotic pets to the library’s collection, taking them on visits to assisted living and memory care facilities to … Continue reading Librarian’s Pet


A nearly 100-year-old headstone that was revived as part of Christian County (Mo.) Library’s Uncovering History: Gravestone Cleaning program.

A Monumental Task

May 1, 2024

During the pandemic, Christian County (Mo.) Library was looking to launch an ongoing service series that would bring staffers and patrons together outdoors. So it turned to some of the rural area’s oldest and most scenic spaces: cemeteries. In 2021, the library started its Uncovering History: Gravestone Cleaning program series. Participants meet monthly from May … Continue reading A Monumental Task


A photo of a piece of sheet music from University of Michigan's collection of Thomas Edison's sheet music.

By the Numbers: Inventors

May 1, 2024

May is National Inventors Month 135,850 Number of items in the Edison Sheet Music Collection, housed at University of Michigan Library in Ann Arbor. Thomas Edison, who invented the phonograph in 1877, spearheaded this collection as a way for his phonograph company to select vocal and instrumental scores to record. 44 Number of agricultural bulletins … Continue reading By the Numbers: Inventors