Archives

James, Paula

May 10, 2021

December 31 Paula James retired as director of Adel (Iowa) Public Library.

Henson, Bruce

May 10, 2021

In January Bruce Henson retired as associate dean for research and out-reach at Georgia Tech Library in Atlanta.

Funderberg, Valerie

May 10, 2021

Valerie Funderberg, reference librarian at Russell Library in Middletown, Connecticut, retired in December.

Frank, Karen

May 10, 2021

Greenwood (Nebr.) Public Library Director Karen Frank retired in October.

Dermody, Diane

May 10, 2021

Diane Dermody retired as manager of the Highland branch of Medina County (Ohio) District Library in December.

Carpenter, Cathy

May 10, 2021

Cathy Carpenter, head of campus engagement at Georgia Tech Library in Atlanta, retired in January.

Klingensmith, Marilyn

May 10, 2021

Marilyn Klingensmith retired as director of Plum (Pa.) Borough Community Library in December.

Koschik, Doug

May 10, 2021

Doug Koschik, library director at Baldwin Public Library in Birmingham, Michigan, retired January 15.

Larsen, Laura

May 10, 2021

Children’s Librarian Laura Larsen retired from Russell Library in Middletown, Connecticut, in December.

Livingston, Jennifer

May 10, 2021

In December Jennifer Livingston retired as director of Marin County (Calif.) Free Library’s Point Reyes branch.

Ni, Autumn

May 10, 2021

Autumn Ni, coordinator in the Develop-ment Office, left ALA January 8.

Ewbank, Ann

May 10, 2021

Ann Ewbank, associate professor and head of the Department of Education at Montana State University in Bozeman, received the university’s Anna K. Fridley Phi Kappa Phi Distinguished Teaching Award January 19.

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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