Archives

Arbogast, Gia

May 16, 2017

Gia Arbogast retired as director of Miami-Dade (Fla.) Public Library System February 17.

Price, Kerri

May 16, 2017

In February Kerri Price left ALA’s Governance Office to become associate director in the Office for Accreditation.

Prager, Howard

May 16, 2017

The Association of College and Research Libraries appointed Howard Prager as senior leadership and change strategist February 13.

McGilvray, Jessica

May 16, 2017

February 17 Office of Government Relations Deputy Director Jessica McGilvray left ALA.

Hunter, Donna

May 16, 2017

February 6 Donna Hunter joined Conference Services as marketing coordinator.

Deutsch, Larry

May 16, 2017

Larry Deutsch became manager of communications for the Public Library Association February 13.

Bostrom, Dan

May 16, 2017

Dan Bostrom, manager of marketing and membership at the Association for Library Service to Children, left ALA February 24.

Willard, Brian

May 16, 2017

Brian Willard joined ALA as senior business intelligence analyst/project manager for Information Technology and Telecommunication Services and ALA Marketing February 13.

Bever, Diane

May 16, 2017

In February Diane Bever retired as librarian for reference and information services at the Indiana University Kokomo campus.

Wells, Lisa

May 16, 2017

Pioneer Library System in Norman, Oklahoma, promoted Lisa Wells to executive director January 16.

Williams, Judith

May 16, 2017

Judith Leah Williams, 68, director of Jacksonville (Fla.) Public Library (JPL) from 1985 to 1996, died September 21. Williams began her career at JPL in 1971 as a reference librarian and held several positions with the system, ultimately becoming its first woman director. As director, she oversaw a significant expansion of the system and a … Continue reading Williams, Judith →

Starr, Kevin

May 16, 2017

Kevin Starr, 76, a professor at the University of Southern California and California state librarian 1994–2004, died January 14. He had also served as San Francisco’s city librarian. Starr was a renowned historian of California, writing the five-volume Americans and the California Dream series, which told the story of the state from the Gold Rush … Continue reading Starr, Kevin →

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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