Archives

Choate, Celeste

May 9, 2014

April 1 Celeste Choate will become director of Urbana (Ill.) Free Library.

Huff, Elizabeth

May 9, 2014

February 13 Elizabeth Huff was promoted to director of Storm Lake (Iowa) Library.

Gray, Carol

May 9, 2014

In April Carol Gray, director of Sawyer Free Library in Gloucester, Massachusetts, retired after 16 years of service.

Ostman, Sarah

May 9, 2014

February 18 Sarah Ostman joined the Public Programs Office as communications manager.

Charbonneau, Deborah

May 9, 2014

Deborah Charbonneau, assistant professor at the Wayne State University School of Library and Information Science in Detroit, received the Medical Library Association’s $10,000 Donald A. B. Lindberg Research Fellowship, which funds research aimed at expanding the research knowledge base by linking information services provided by librarians to improved health care and advances in biomedical research.

Piepenburg, Scott

May 9, 2014

February 1 Scott Piepenburg joined Odum Library at Valdosta (Ga.) State University as associate professor of library science and head of cataloging and metadata services.

Atack, Elizabeth

May 9, 2014

February 18 Elizabeth Atack, leader of the Bringing Books to Life program at Nashville (Tenn.) Public Library, was named Toyota Family Teacher of the Year by Toyota and the National Center for Families Learning.

Garcia-Febo, Loida

May 9, 2014

Loida Garcia-Febo, president of Information New Wave in Brooklyn, New York, represented the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions as a speaker at the United Nations Development Programme Meeting on Data Accountability for the Post-2015 Development Agenda in New York January 29–31.

Greenwalt, Toby

May 3, 2014

In January Toby Greenwalt joined Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh as director of digital strategy and technology integration.

Little Leapers 3.5 Launches in Maryland

May 1, 2014

Kelechi Nwafor (above) and his mother Chioma Nwafor and Chloe Warwick (right, with her father Mark Warwick) get absorbed in two of Harford County (Md.) Public Library’s (HCPL) iPad minis at the recent launch of the library system’s Little Leapers 3.5 program. The $24,000 initiative—funded by the Morris A. Mechanic Foundation, the library foundation, and … Continue reading Little Leapers 3.5 Launches in Maryland →

Keeping Kids in Stitches

By Beverly Goldberg | April 22, 2014

Youngsters learn how to navigate a sewing machine courtesy of the Cleveland Public Library’s Lorain branch “Sew Lorain Kids” program. Debuting this past fall, the low-tech drop-in maker class has students producing finger puppets, lunch napkins, and hand warmers. At the suggestion of one boy in the program, kids are also experimenting with upcycling older … Continue reading Keeping Kids in Stitches →

Ramirez, Cristina

April 14, 2014

Cristina D. Ramirez, library/community services manager at the Broad Rock branch of the Richmond (Va.) Public Library, was named one of 2013 Richmond’s Top 40 Under 40 by Style Weekly.

Latest Library Links

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Rosie Newmark writes: “While creating one of their in-house brews, employees at Johnson City (Tenn.) Brewing Company brought in some unexpected assistants to pour barley into the batch: library staffers. The pre-Prohibition-style lager they crafted together was called 1895, a nod to the founding year of Johnson City Public Library, located just a few blocks from the brewery’s downtown taproom. The partnership marks a growing trend of libraries working with local brewers to create signature drinks for fundraising and awareness campaigns that expand the library’s visibility to younger adult crowds.

American Libraries Trend, May
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On May 20, the Administration filed a status report describing its compliance with a federal judge’s preliminary injunction in Rhode Island v. Trump, which ordered the Administration to restore terminated Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) staff and grants to recipients in 21 plaintiff states. However, the Administration has filed an appeal and requested a stay of the order. ALA has filed its own, nationwide challenge to the elimination of IMLS, ALA v. Sonderling. A temporary restraining order on May 1 halted further actions to dismantle the agency, and a ruling on ALA’s request for a preliminary injunction is expected by May 29.

ALA Public Policy & Advocacy Office, May 21; AL: The Scoop, May 2
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Melanie Robinson writes: “As cities work to build stronger connections between children and nature, one powerful and often underutilized ally stands ready: your local library. Most residents live within a two-mile radius of a library. These institutions have deep roots in their communities and are committed to values aligning with city leaders: lifelong learning, health, equity, and engagement. They are ideal partners in helping cities achieve bold goals, especially when giving children more access to nature. To support cities in this effort, see the new Nature-Smart Libraries Toolkit published by Nature Everywhere Communities.”

National League of Cities, May 16
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Mackenzie Aucker writes: “Shikellamy (Pa.) Area High School students in the construction trades program are giving a tour of the school’s library they’re renovating. The Shikellamy School Board supported and decided to have the construction trades students do the project—costing around $350,000 to renovate. The high school’s old library was outdated, and so was the technology. Once the library renovation project is complete, it’ll come with many rooms and different amenities. Students hope to have the renovation project completed by the end of September.”

WNEP-TV (Scranton, Pa.), May 16
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Michelle Gagnon writes: “Let’s face it—sometimes you want your crime fiction shaken, not stirred, with a twist of absurdity and a garnish of gallows humor. If you prefer your murder mysteries served with sass, sarcasm, and a healthy dose of chaos, the campy and comedic thriller is where it’s at. And personally, when I fall in love with characters, I want them to stick around for many, many books. These are stories where the danger is real—but so are the laughs.”

Crime Reads, May 15
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Kyle McClenagan writes: “Following the May 3 election results, Katy (Tex.) Independent School District (ISD) students and community members are asking school board members to repeal the Houston-area district’s controversial book and gender policies. The board appointed trustee Lance Redmon as its new president Monday after Katy ISD voters ousted former president Victor Perez, who had championed the policies and campaigned on conservative principles. In August 2024, the board approved a library policy that bans books ‘adopting, supporting, or promoting gender fluidity’ from elementary and junior high libraries in Katy ISD.”

Houston Public Media, May 14
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Seung Min Kim writes: “President Donald Trump’s abrupt firing of top officials at the Library of Congress has morphed into an enormous fight over the separation of powers. Republican leaders have delivered rare pushback against the president, and Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and other Republicans have been talking with the White House about a potential path to détente.” The Associated Press reported that it is unclear whether Trump’s nominee for acting librarian of Congress, Todd Blanche, is currently in that role or if Principal Deputy Librarian Robert Newlen is in charge. The Authors Guild has created a petition demanding the reinstatement of fired Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter, and library colleagues from around the world have expressed their support for American librarians in facing federal and other challenges.

Associated Press, May 16, May 15; Authors Guild, May 13; ALA International Relations Office, May 20

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