The Alexandria Library sit-in was the first in the US

11m

One of America’s first sit-ins took place at Alexandria (Va.) Library on August 21, 1939. African American attorney Samuel Wilbert Tucker (1913–1990) preparing a select group of young men for a deliberate act of civil disobedience at the then whites-only library. On that day, library staff and patrons watched as a young African American entered and asked to register for a library card. When he was refused, he picked up a book, silently took a seat, and began to read. Soon four others entered, occupying five tables.

Alexandria (Va.) Library

Latest Library Links

14h

The ALA Intellectual Freedom Round Table has published four videos to engage nonlibrarians in the fight to protect intellectual freedom. These brief explainer videos cover the basics of intellectual freedom, censorship, and privacy for a nonlibrary audience with key definitions and everyday language. The videos were created as part of the 2019 Emerging Leaders project sponsored by IFRT and showcased at the ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. These resources are for community members to share on social media and use as general advocacy tools to make sure that library ideals are upheld. The videos can also be found on YouTube.

Intellectual Freedom Round Table, July 15
18h

Chantry Westwell writes: “Everyone loves a picture of a medieval lion. The Twitter hashtag #notalion celebrates how amusingly unrealistic they often look, frequently resembling cuddly housecats more than the king of beasts. In medieval manuscripts, lions are found not only in bestiaries but also in illuminated bibles and other religious works, and sometimes in images of St. Jerome who, believe it or not, once befriended a lion.”

British Library: Medieval Manuscripts Blog, July 10
18h

Rose Eveleth writes: “What will 2050 be like? As our existential anxiety is fueled by a burning planet, eroding privacy, and geopolitical instability, it’s a question that big companies have to take seriously. So earlier this year, the international engineering firm Arup attempted to envision what climate change might mean for their business in 30 years. To do so, they turned to Tim Maughan, who was tasked with crafting four different ‘user journeys,’ written accounts that imagined potential futures. But Maughan isn’t a scientist or an engineer. He’s the author of Infinite Detail, a dystopian novel, and his vignettes are based in fiction, not fact.”

Wired, July 12
19h

Shannon Connellan writes: “You’re going to be hearing a lot about the moon in the coming week, so why not crank a playlist to match? The 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing is on July 20, and to capitalize on the buzz (sorry), Spotify crunched through its catalog and found that there are more than 185,000 tracks on the music streaming platform with the word ‘moon’ in the title. To whittle it down, Spotify listed 50 of the most streamed of these tunes. NASA’s own Third Rock Radio put together a playlist of moon-inspired tunes as well, which is a little more abstract and thematic.”

Mashable, July 15
20h

As regional planning officials work to attract the kinds of bike share companies that have thrived in larger cities such as Boston and Providence in recent years, Fall River (Mass.) Public Library has set a plan of its own in motion. Two bikes and a bike rack have been parked in the building’s lobby for the last month, waiting for anyone with a library card and a place to go. City residents can check out each bike for a week at a time and, unlike most bike-shares, it’s free of charge. Originally donated to Government Center as part of the state’s Mass in Motion initiative, the bikes were transferred to the library this spring.

Fall River (Mass.) Herald News, July 12
20h

ABC-CLIO’s School Library Connection and American Reference Books Annual have announced the winners of the 2019 SLC/ARBA Best of Reference Award, which recognizes the best reference resources of the previous year, including books, databases, and ebooks that encourage K–12 student research and learning. The winner of the Best Professional Resource for School or Youth Librarians was The Stories We Share: A Guide to PreK-12 Books on the Experience of Immigrant Children and Teens in the United States, by Ladislava N. Khailova and published by ALA Editions.

School Library Connection, July 12
20h

Jaime Eastman writes: “Access to technology is crucial to a child’s success in today’s digital world. But what about families who do not have access or families who cannot afford to purchase the latest smartphone, tablet, or tech toy? Libraries connect families of all ages, incomes, and abilities with a variety of tech experiences. We know both children and adults benefit from shared learning, so how can libraries support families in developing tech skills? One option is providing circulating tech, which gives families freedom to explore in a comfortable, nonjudgmental environment—their own homes.”

ALSC Blog, July 13

View more Latest Library Links