Trends Archives | Page 11 of 25 | American Libraries Magazine

A drawing of Iroquois games and dances by Jesse Cornplanter resides in Amherst (Mass.) College’s collection of Indigenous materials.

Responsive and Responsible

By Ulia Gosart | January 4, 2021

Various efforts—including Northern Arizona University’s 2007 “Protocols for Native American Archival Materials,” which was endorsed by the Society of American Archivists in 2018—have sought to remedy this. Still, appropriate handling of Indigenous collections remains sporadic. As a result, institutional claims of ownership and principles of access are sometimes jeopardized. In response, a burgeoning number of … Continue reading Responsive and Responsible →

The Library Learning Center at Texas Southern University in Houston

Show Us Your Beautiful New Library

January 4, 2021

We are looking for examples of innovative library architecture that address patrons’ needs in unique, interesting, and effective ways. In this unprecedented year, we are also interested in submissions from libraries that are responding to the pandemic through building design and renovation. If your library is on the cutting edge, we want our readers to … Continue reading Show Us Your Beautiful New Library →

Images from Morgantown (W.Va.) Public Library System’s 2021 Wild and Weird fundraiser calendar, featuring library workers and adoptable cats

Raising Money for a Good Claws

By Corina Chang | December 30, 2020

Created as a fundraiser with the help of local animal adoption agencies, Morgantown (W.Va.) Public Library System’s (MPLS) limited-edition 2021 calendar features librarians posing with adoptable cats. Thus was born our 2021 Wild and Weird calendar. Each month features library workers from MPLS—all fully clothed, of course!—alongside an adoptable cat, including Cadillac Frank (a gray … Continue reading Raising Money for a Good Claws →

#MurderTrending, a dystopic novel by Gretchen McNeil, ranked first on the 2019 Teens' Top Ten list. Photo illustration: © Wayhome Studio/Adobe Stock

By the Numbers: Teens and Libraries

By Alison Marcotte | November 2, 2020

1957 Year the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA) was founded. 6–8 Dates in November that YALSA will host its 10th symposium, “Biggest Little Spaces: How Libraries Serve the Expanding Worlds of Teens.” Originally scheduled for Reno, Nevada, the symposium will be held virtually. 15 Number of groups that helped create this year’s Teens’ Top … Continue reading By the Numbers: Teens and Libraries →

Mayra Castrejón-Hernandez performs at Milwaukee Public Library’s first Deaf StorySlam event in September 2019. Photo: Pat A. Robinson Photos/Milwaukee Public Library

Signing Stories

By Kristina Gomez | November 2, 2020

In September 2019, Milwaukee Public Library (MPL) hosted its first Deaf StorySlam, a storytelling event intended to highlight Deaf voices of color and their lived experiences and bring together the city’s Deaf and hearing communities. Out of 112 applications, the project was selected to receive the inaugural Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grant, a $2,000 prize … Continue reading Signing Stories →

University of Kentucky in Lexington is attempting to remove a 1934 mural by artist Ann Rice O’Hanlon (detail shown here). Photo: Mark Cornelison

Drawing the Line

By Cass Balzer | November 2, 2020

Roughly eight decades later, some of the images depicted in those murals are now recognized as racist. Deciding whether to remove, alter, or retain these murals can be challenging; not all stakeholders agree on a course of action. At University of Oregon’s (UO) Knight Library in Eugene, four stairwell murals commissioned under the WPA have … Continue reading Drawing the Line →

Montgomery County Public Schools in Christiansburg, Virginia, uses drone delivery service Wing to transport library books to the town’s students. Photo: Courtesy of Wing.

The Great Outdoors

By Anne Ford | November 2, 2020

Thanks to an idea from MCPS middle school librarian Kelly Passek and a partnership with Wing, the first commercial drone delivery service in the US, any of the 600 or so households that have a student in the district and that fall within Wing’s delivery zone can request a book through the school system’s library … Continue reading The Great Outdoors →

Teens at San Francisco Public Library created Life in SF: Luck, Loss, Gain, a board game that explores inequity in their city. Photo: Dorcas Wong/San Francisco Public Library

The Missing Piece

By Diana Panuncial | November 2, 2020

In turn, each player’s social class determined their stakes in Life in SF: Luck, Loss, Gain, a Monopoly-esque game that simulates poverty and inequity in San Francisco, complete with properties and transit lines familiar to the group. Around the time the teens were developing the board game last year, San Francisco reported a nearly 7% … Continue reading The Missing Piece →

Graves County (Ky.) Public Library's bookmobile. Photo: Graves County (Ky.) Public Library

By the Numbers: Rural and Small Libraries

By Alison Marcotte | September 1, 2020

1982 Year the Association for Rural and Small Libraries (ARSL) was founded by Bernard Vavrek, director of the Center for the Study of Rural Librarianship at Clarion (Pa.) University. 5 Number of days the ARSL Conference will take place, September 28–October 2. Previously scheduled for Wichita, Kansas, the conference has switched to a virtual format. … Continue reading By the Numbers: Rural and Small Libraries →

Teen participants in Boston Public Library’s “Drag vs. AI” program test their makeup and props against facial recognition software. (Photo: Kathy Pham/American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts)

Dragging AI

By Maty Cropley | September 1, 2020

In November 2019, Boston Public Library’s (BPL) Teen Central hosted a digital privacy instruction workshop for teens that centered on facial recognition technology. Titled “Drag vs. AI,” the workshop partnered BPL with the American Civil Liberties Union of Massachusetts (ACLU-MA) and Joy “Poet of Code” Buolamwini, artificial intelligence (AI) scholar at Massachusetts Institute of Technology … Continue reading Dragging AI →

Conscientious Cataloging

By Anne Ford | September 1, 2020

Tired of the delays, some librarians have taken matters into their own hands by making the change in their own catalogs, without waiting for LC to take the lead. Communicating inclusion Two early adopters of the change: Sol López, technical services manager at the Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center (HSLIC) at University of New … Continue reading Conscientious Cataloging →

Can You Hear Me Now?

By Carli Spina | September 1, 2020

Castro is one of many library leaders who found themselves managing their teams remotely because of the pandemic, developing new approaches to meet unprecedented challenges and continue providing vital services to the community. The insights these managers developed are valuable for those still perfecting their remote management style—or planning for a work-from-home future. Supportive management … Continue reading Can You Hear Me Now? →

Latest Library Links

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“Disability Pride Month is a time to honor the history, achievements, and diverse experiences of people with disabilities. This curated collection features fiction and nonfiction titles for all ages that explore disability through the lens of pride, empowerment, and identity. Highlighting both visible and invisible disabilities, these stories reflect the richness and resilience of the disability community and the ongoing movement for inclusion and equal rights. Explore the display and celebrate the voices that challenge stigma, expand understanding, and inspire change.”

Baltimore County Public Library, July 1
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Heidi Blackburn, Chris Magee, and Trevor Watkins write: “George Mason University Libraries launched a yearlong Artificial Intelligence (AI) Community of Practice for library employees in fall 2024, focused on the use of specific AI tools for work and research best practices. We didn’t just explore what AI could do—we also asked what it should do, and how to use it responsibly in service to our patrons and profession. After participant feedback, the community was modified to focus on task-based themes. Prior experience with communities of practice made the creation of yet another community easier, but not without challenges.”

Choice 360: LibTech Insights, July 7
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Kelly Jensen writes: “After the Supreme Court ruled on Mahmoud v. Taylor on June 27, there were so many bad and misinformed takes. Is this a case that is going to be used to justify a lot more censorship, quiet and loud, and create a chilling effect in public schools? Absolutely. But we don’t need to bow to this case. ‘I’m scared’ and ‘What does this mean?’ Those responses are ones that are far more productive in the fight. There’s room to have legitimate feelings and room to talk about the next steps.”

Well Sourced, July 5
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Katie Burkholder writes: “After 15 years of working at the Pierce County Public Library in Blackshear, Georgia, where she advanced from part-time clerk to branch manager, Lavonnia Moore was unexpectedly and abruptly fired due to a display featuring a trans-inclusive children’s book. The patron-led display aligned with Georgia’s summer reading theme, ‘Color Our World.’ When a child at the library asked her to include the book When Aidan Became a Brother, she didn’t hesitate. Unbeknownst to Moore until her termination, this decision inspired an online hate campaign from the Alliance for Faith and Family.”

Rough Draft Atlanta, July 5
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Jennie Langberg writes: “When I started as a school librarian, I inherited a wonderful group of student volunteers: the Library Squad. The previous librarian sent me the names of her seven most trusted volunteers to help with shelving, bulletin boards, and a variety of library projects. Eager to offer volunteer opportunities to more students, I promoted Library Squad during English class orientations and was met with overwhelming interest. I learned a great deal about running a volunteer program from this experience and want to share the highs and lows with you.”

The Library Lab, June 29
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Katherine Gregory writes: “Mississippi State University, where I work as an assistant professor and director of the Mississippi Political Collections, is part of a national network of universities that hold and steward congressional papers. But support for this stewardship is in jeopardy. With the White House’s proposed elimination of independent granting agencies such as the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Institute of Museum and Library Services, it is unclear what money will be available for this work in the future.”

The Conversation, June 30
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Steve Tetrault writes: “In February 2024, I shared about the reintroduction of a physical library space into my middle school after five years without one. This past school year was the first September since 2018 that my middle school had a physical library space. That space came a longway in a year! In our first year of operation, our new library space increased circulation by more than 50%. It is incredible what a difference having physical access to books makes.”

Knowledge Quest, July 8; Feb. 8, 2024

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