Archives

Gwyn, Pat

June 1, 2021

Pat Gwyn retired as branch librarian at Mount Airy (N.C.) Public Library January 31.

Hohensee, Joann

June 1, 2021

Joann Hohensee retired as librarian at Harwinton (Conn.) Public Library in February.

Klipsch, Pam

June 1, 2021

Pam Klipsch retired as director of Jefferson County (Mo.) Library March 31.

Nyman, Mary

June 1, 2021

Westbrook (Conn.) Public Library Children’s Librarian Mary Nyman retired April 30.

Lee, Faith

June 1, 2021

Faith R. Lee, reference librarian at Falmouth (Mass.) Public Library, retired in February.

Loveless, Janet

June 1, 2021

Janet W. Loveless, assistant director of Nassau County (Fla.) Public Library, retired March 10.

Mackereth, Anne

June 1, 2021

March 12 Anne Mackereth retired as director of library services and assistant professor at Northwestern Health Sciences University in Bloomington, Minnesota.

Moak, Tom

June 1, 2021

March 4 Tom Moak retired as manager of Mid-Columbia Libraries’ West Richland (Wash.) branch, after 41 years with the system.

Jackson, Ni’Shele

June 1, 2021

Ni’Shele Jackson, program assistant for the Young Adult Library Services Association (YALSA), left April 8.

Lam, Anna

June 1, 2021

YALSA Communications Specialist Anna Lam left March 12.

Castle, Lainie

June 1, 2021

Lainie Castle, deputy director of the Public Programs Office, left March 8.

Hedin, Mena

June 1, 2021

Mena Hedin, 83, librarian at Marlborough (Mass.) Public Library until retiring in 2012, died January 14. She started as a page and worked for the library for 58 years.

Latest Library Links

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Jodi Fortino writes: “Some Lee’s Summit (Mo.) School District Board of Education members said they’ve heard from parents concerned about what content their children can access in school libraries. Starting this month, parents can place their student on a restricted checkout status. Parents can call their school’s librarian and list up to 20 titles that their student won’t be able to check out. School librarians said they received 89 formal reconsideration requests in the 2022–2023 school year, but none of them came from parents whose children had checked out a book.” No requests were received in the 2023–2024 school year.

KCUR-FM (Kansas City, Mo.), Mar. 10
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Jeffrey Brainard writes: “The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) on Friday told staff members it has canceled subscriptions carried by its National Agricultural Library as part of a drive by President Donald Trump’s administration (and its Department of Government Efficiency) to cut federal spending. The move appears to drop nearly 400 of the library’s roughly 2,000 journals, including many prominent in various agricultural subfields—but curiously none from the world’s three largest scientific publishers, all of which are for-profit. Most of the affected publishers are university or nonprofit scientific society presses. USDA staff members depicted the move as hasty, indiscriminate slashing.”

Science, Mar. 17
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Amanda Rogers and Dianndra Roberts write: “Neurodiversity is the natural variation in human neurological functioning. Approximately 15%–20% of the global population is neurodivergent. Organizations that do not actively include and support neurodivergent individuals risk missing out on exceptional talents and undermining employees’ ability to work to their full potential. Workplace practices that support diverse working styles can build a positive and supportive environment without enforcing neuronormativity. By fostering an inclusive environment that values different ways of thinking, organizations can drive innovation, enhance problem-solving, and improve overall team performance.”

The Scholarly Kitchen, Mar. 17
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Dawson Damico writes: “For nearly 80 years, Iberia Parish (La.) Library has offered services to the public. It is now on the verge of closing down if a reduced millage renewal is not passed in the March 29 election. Last year, the renewal failed to pass, making this year’s election vital for the future of the system. It will be at a reduced rate from six mills to 4.5 mills. All libraries in the system are [currently] operating off a reduced balance of $3.3 million. If [the millage is] not passed, Hills said the funds will be depleted by March 2026.”

KLFY-TV (Lafayette, La.), Mar. 12
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Ian Trawinski, Lisa Picker, and Andrea Berstler write: “Makerspaces are commonly expected to host a younger demographic, while libraries are thought of as a space mostly visited by older generations. [But at] Carroll County (Md.) Public Library’s Exploration Commons, we have found that our makerspace is enjoyed across all generations. In fact, we have found that the customers who most take advantage of the tools and programs supplied by Exploration Commons, in ways we had not anticipated, are seniors. Exploration Commons regularly hosts programs designed to help ease seniors into learning how to operate the equipment available in this makerspace.”

Information Technology and Libraries, Mar. 17
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Alan S. Inouye writes: “On the evening of March 14, President Trump launched an assault on libraries by signing an executive order titled Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy. The president cannot fully eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services without congressional approval, but his order takes every possible step in that direction. The good news is that there is a groundswell of opposition to Trump’s order. Since ALA’s March 15 statement, more than 55,000 messages have been recorded and sent to Congress members through ALA’s action center. In addition to grassroots advocacy, ALA is opposing the executive order in a number of ways.” ALA has published an FAQ to help library workers, advocates, and users understand the order.

AL: The Scoop, Mar. 19; ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, Mar. 18
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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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