Caswell, Thomas | American Libraries Magazine

University of North Florida’s Thomas G. Carpenter Library in Jacksonville promoted Thomas R. Caswell to associate dean effective January 11.

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Megan Bennett writes: “ALA recently received the largest gift in its 150-year history: a $25 million bequest from Washington, D.C.–based financial advisor James W. Lewis. The bequest from Lewis, whose love for libraries dates back to his childhood in North Carolina, will provide needs-based scholarships for those training to be librarians. The gift will help fund ALA’s Spectrum Scholarship Program, which provides money for students of color pursuing their master’s degrees in library and information science. American Libraries spoke with Lewis about his memories of libraries and how he hopes future scholarships will address the profession’s current sociopolitical challenges.”

American Libraries Trend, Feb. 11
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Tiara Allen writes: “As February arrives, so does Black History Month, a time to honor the rich history and contributions of Black and African Americans. How a library celebrates Black History Month will vary widely on the community it serves, what resources are at its disposal, and what bandwidth its staff members have available to plan events. However, no matter how many or few resources libraries have available, there is a wide variety of activities a library can do to celebrate, ranging from in-person programs to virtual programming. This article offers ideas to incorporate into your programming repertoire.”

Public Libraries Online, Feb. 6
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ALA launched For Our Libraries, a new supporter program that invites the public to join the fight to protect libraries and library professionals at a pivotal moment in our country’s history, on February 10. The “Become a Supporter” link on Ilovelibraries.org allows supporters to make one-time or recurring donations to help advance key ALA initiatives, including advocating for library funding, providing grants to small and rural libraries, fighting censorship, and advocating for broadband funding. Recurring donors can receive perks including a tote bag, virtual author talks, and an online subscription to Booklist Reader.

ALA Communications, Marketing, and Media Relations Office, Feb. 10
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ALA Council has elected K.C. Boyd, Tatanisha Love, Janice Moore Newsum and Ziba Pérez to serve on the ALA Executive Board. Elected board members will begin a three-year term in July 2025 and conclude in June 2028. Boyd is a school librarian at Jefferson Middle School Academy in Washington, DC; Love is a school library media specialist at Southwest Academy in Baltimore; Newsum is retired associate professor at University of Houston; and Pérez is a young adult librarian at Los Angeles Public Library. The ALA Executive Board manages the affairs of the association.

ALA Governance Office, Feb. 10
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Reanna Esmail writes: “Countless histories can be found on library shelves, including histories of libraries themselves. Reading library history can help us not only avoid repeating history but also better understand how libraries are shaped and how our profession has changed over time, helping us to create better stories for the future.”

American Libraries column, Jan./Feb.
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Aviva Bechky writes: “Every day in public libraries across San Francisco, patrons find their way to a discreet shelf and pick up titles including Alcoholics Anonymous’ Big Book, Narcotics Anonymous, and The Zen of Recovery by Mel Ash. 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 Park branch, this is just fine.”

American Libraries Trend, Jan./Feb.
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Debbie Gluzband writes: “Video editing can mean different things to different people. Are you just trying to put some clips together for a social media post? Maybe you want to add some background music, or some text on the screen too? The more video effects you want to add, the more complicated your edit will become. Video editing software doesn’t need to be super complex, or expensive. If you’re looking for something that will get the job done without all the confusing bells and whistles, there are some great free software options to help you get started.”

How-To Geek, Jan. 30

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