McCollough, Aaron | American Libraries Magazine

December 10 Aaron McCollough became director of the Mason Publishing Group at George Mason University Libraries in Fairfax, Virginia

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Hannah Weinberg writes: “Since President Trump retook office on January 20, libraries and librarianship have been assaulted via executive orders and other actions. While the legality of many of these actions is still being decided by the courts, librarians, archivists, and other information professionals have been working through the confusion to preserve access to information. Below are several examples of the challenges libraries have faced over the past two months and the ways in which librarians and advocates have responded—and continue to respond.”

American Libraries Trend, Mar. 19
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ALA’s Public Policy and Advocacy Office has created a list of frequently asked questions (FAQ) to help library workers, advocates, and users understand President Trump’s executive order intended to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services and six other agencies. The FAQ addresses exactly what the order does, how it may impact IMLS staff and grants, the impact on libraries, and what ALA and library supporters can do to stop it.

ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, Mar. 18
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Daniel Pfeiffer writes: “I admit I’m usually skeptical that generational analysis is anything more than the narcissism of small differences. The skinny jeans–baggy jeans divide between millennials and zoomers is real, sure, but significant? Maybe not. But I’m willing to grant that generational differences do, at times, capture specific patterns of technological use and engagement—or at least serve as a convenient shorthand for describing changing behaviors. Below, I have highlighted a few recent studies that shed light on the technology practices and attitudes of Generation Z students, angled toward how they might be applied in a library context.”

Choice 360 LibTech Insights, Mar. 12
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Steve Tetreault writes: “Leaders do not have special skills or insights. Leaders are just ordinary people. They do not possess mystical abilities. There is not an age requirement. People who lead simply make the choice to acknowledge they have the ability to affect the reality around them. And that’s a power we all have. In other words: We become leaders as soon as we choose to be. And we need to choose to be. If you don’t like how things are, get involved to help change them. If you do like how things are, get involved to help keep them that way.”

Knowledge Quest, Mar. 13
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Jon Webb writes: “Staff members with US Rep. Mark Messmer’s (R-Ind.) office asked employees at Boonville (Ind.)-Warrick Public Library to call the police on constituents during a mobile office hours event March 11—even though the mostly older attendees weren’t breaking any rules, the library’s director confirmed. Director Brooke Bolton told the Courier & Press she refused the request. Bolton said the request to contact authorities came not from the staffers on hand, but via a phone call to the library from [Messmer’s chief of staff in] Washington, DC.”

Evansville (Ind.) Courier & Press, Mar. 14
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Megan Bennett writs: “Nearly 1.3 million people died from tuberculosis (TB) in 2023, according to the World Health Organization—despite a cure being developed decades ago. These deaths occur disproportionately in the world’s most poverty-stricken countries. John Green, the celebrated young adult author and vlogger, has been an advocate for TB treatment access since 2019, when he met Henry, a teenager with TB, during a trip to Sierra Leone. Green spoke with American Libraries about health equity and his connections to ALA.”

American Libraries Trend, Mar./Apr.
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Sarah Tribelhorn writes: “Although artificial intelligence (AI) offers immense potential to enhance services, library workers and others must consider its environmental impact. Training and operating AI tools like large language models, for instance, require substantial computational power. Data centers worldwide also use massive amounts of water to cool AI servers. A 2023 study from Cornell University estimates that by 2027, the water needed for AI could reach 1.7 trillion gallons—more than half of the water the UK uses in a year. Libraries and their decision makers should consider the following strategies when possible.”

American Libraries column, Mar./Apr.

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