COSWL celebrates National Women's History Month

Signs from Women's March on Washington, D.C.

During the entire month of March, the ALA Committee on the Status of Women in Librarianship will recognize and celebrate women’s achievements with National Women’s History Month. This year the committee is putting the spotlight on librarians who participated in the Women’s March—a grassroots effort to send the message that women’s rights are human rights. It was a worldwide protest held on January 21–22. Visit the highlights page to look photos and stories.

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After an LGBTQ support group started meeting at Fulton County (Pa.) Public Library, county commissioners refused to approve the library’s request for an additional $3,000 in annual funding, up from its usual $12,000. Two commissioners on the three-person board said in a November 2 meeting that they considered the LGBTQ community a “hate group.” Two local residents started separate online fundraisers to help the library. The joint efforts have so far raised approximately $40,000. Library Director Jamie Brambley said, “I think in the end, it’s brought the community together behind tolerance and kindness.”

Washington Post, Nov. 29
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Rachel Kramer Bussel writes: “Taylor Swift’s newly released album Red: Taylor’s Version is making waves with librarians as well as listeners. Wilmington (Mass.) Memorial Library shared a recent display on TikTok featuring 11 books with red covers with the caption ‘We’re burning Red at the Wilmington Memorial Library’ along with a cheeky sign promoting the album set to the song ‘All Too Well.’ The sign accompanying the display says ‘Return the scarf, Jake,’ and includes a photo of Swift’s ex-boyfriend, actor Jake Gyllenhaal, along with details about the album being available on on streaming service Hoopla.”

Forbes, Nov. 30
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Dan Freeman has been at ALA for more than 13 years, serving for the past seven as director of ALA Publishing eLearning Solutions. In September, he and his team transitioned from the ALA Publishing and Media department to ALA Continuing Education. As director of this newly created department, Freeman will oversee CE at the Association-wide level, working across offices and divisions to ensure ALA’s CE offerings continue to expand and meet the needs of the LIS community. Freeman answered our 11 Questions to reintroduce himself to ALA members.

AL: The Scoop, Nov. 30
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Library tech consultant Carson Block writes: “How can library workers in small, rural, and tribal libraries understand their technology well enough to troubleshoot common problems, make decisions about future technology needs, and advocate for improvements to their broadband connectivity? The Toward Gigabit Libraries Toolkit is a free, open source learning, diagnostic, and advocacy resource funded by the Institute of Museum and Library Services.”

American Libraries column, Nov./Dec.
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Emma Ockerman writes: “In recent weeks, parents have complained to school boards in Missouri, Virginia, Texas, Florida, and other states about novels they consider to be obscene or inappropriate—most often, books that illuminate stories of marginalized identities. As a result, some districts have pulled books for review, while a handful of conservative politicians have seized upon the movement as a rallying cry to their side. In a few instances, parents or school board members have also tried to elevate their concerns to law enforcement.”

Vice, Nov. 22
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Donald Cohen and Allen Mikaelian write: “Libraries resist privatization because they are not just about the books. We could easily replace the transactional part of libraries with corporations, but we’d be left with a place where you come in, get your books, pay, and leave. You’d lose the opportunity to get help with homework or trade quilt patterns or meet people who are eager to recommend their favorite reads. And that’s just the surface of what libraries do, especially in a time when most other social services have been slashed. Author Deborah Fallows, after crisscrossing the nation, decided that libraries have become ‘second responders.’”

Lit Hub, Nov. 22
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In our November/December issue, we’ve got stats celebrating the culinary cornucopia found in books, libraries, and collections, including the number of classes offered annually through Free Library of Philadelphia’s Culinary Literacy Center (350), the number of copies that the novel Like Water for Chocolate has sold (4.5 million), and the number of individually wrapped Kraft Singles bound together in the book 20 Slices of American Cheese at University of Michigan’s Art, Architecture, and Engineering Library in Ann Arbor (20).

American Libraries Trend, Nov./Dec.

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