Archives

Deane, Roxanna

March 1, 2021

Roxanna Deane retired October 28 as director of Tye Preston Memorial Library in Canyon Lake, Texas.

Kambitsch, Tim

March 1, 2021

Tim Kambitsch, director of Dayton (Ohio) Metro Library, retired in February.

Hussey, Sandra

March 1, 2021

Sandra Hussey retired in December as coordinator of library instruction at Georgetown University Libraries in Washington, D.C.

Kopecky, Melissa

March 1, 2021

In November Melissa Kopecky retired as director of South Orange (N.J.) Public Library.

LaRue, Daniel

March 1, 2021

Daniel LaRue retired October 31 after 31 years as a librarian at Hamburg (Pa.) Public Library.

Miller, Ann

March 1, 2021

Ann Miller, interim associate dean of libraries for collection services at University of Oregon Libraries in Eugene, retired November 30.

Millsap, Gina

March 1, 2021

Gina Millsap retired as chief executive officer of Topeka and Shawnee County (Kans.) Public Library December 1.

Olsen, Bill

March 1, 2021

Bill Olsen, School of Foreign Service and government liaison at Georgetown University Libraries in Washington, D.C., retired in December.

Richland, Lisa

March 1, 2021

November 13 Lisa Richland retired as director of Floyd Memorial Library in Greenport, New York.

Smith, Lorena

March 1, 2021

Ardmore (Okla.) Public Library Public Services Librarian Lorena Smith retired October 23.

Yellin, Michele

March 1, 2021

Michele Yellin, collection development librarian at Memphis (Tenn.) Public Library, retired October 2.

Cepeda, Luisa

March 1, 2021

Luisa del Carmen Carolina Vigo Cepeda, past director and professor at Escuela Graduada de Ciencias y Tecnologias de la Información, the University of Puerto Rico’s library school, died November 26. She cofounded the Association of University, Research, and Institutional Libraries of the Caribbean and served at various points as its president and its executive secretary. … Continue reading Cepeda, Luisa →

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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