Hateful conduct in libraries: A new ALA resource

During the 2019 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle, the ALA Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services and the Office for Intellectual Freedom launched a new resource, “Hateful Conduct in Libraries: Supporting Library Workers and Patrons,” in response to a spike in reported hate crimes in libraries across the US, which the two offices began tracking in 2016. The resource outlines best practices on how to create environments that discourage hate speech and hateful conduct in the library, what steps library workers should take after an incident, and how libraries can better meet community needs.

Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services, Feb. 14

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On September 18, American Library Association (ALA) President Julius C. Jefferson Jr. called to order a special meeting of ALA Council, held outside of its regular meetings during ALA conferences. Jefferson acknowledged the unprecedented times for libraries and their effects on the Association’s finances and services. But he added that the conversations around ALA’s framework have been ongoing for several years to make the Association more modern.

AL: The Scoop, Sept. 18
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A three-year, $574,910 grant from the Institute of Museum and Library Services’ Laura Bush 21st Century Librarian Program will fund a Montana State University program known as Indigenous Perspectives in School Librarianship. As part of the grant, MSU’s library media certificate program curriculum will be redesigned to be culturally relevant and prioritize Indigenous perspectives in alignment with Montana’s Indian Education for All initiative as well as Alaska Standards for Culturally Responsive Schools.

Montana State University, Sept. 17
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Jennifer Pearson, director of Marshall County Memorial Library in Lewisburg, Tennessee, and president of the Association for Rural and Small Libraries, spoke to Marketplace host Kai Ryssdal about the how her library has adapted its services to the pandemic-related needs of the community and how she is thinking about the library’s future.

Marketplace, Sept. 16
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On September 1 Dictionary.com announced major updates to more than 15,000 of its definitions, from capitalizing Black to updating entries about sexual orientation to revising language around suicide and addiction, saying its aim was to foreground people over “clinical language.” The website has more than 70 million monthly users and describes itself as the world’s leading digital dictionary.

The Guardian (UK), Sept. 1
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John Sargent, CEO of Macmillan, will leave the publishing company and its parent, Holtzbrinck Publishing Group, on January 1. Don Weisberg, president of Macmillan US Trade, will succeed Sargent as CEO of Macmillan Publishers, and Susan Winslow, general manager of Macmillan Learning, will head that division as president. In making the announcement on September 17, Holtzbrinck said Sargent’s departure is due to “disagreements regarding the direction of Macmillan.”

Publishers Weekly, Sept. 17
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Sarah Mangiola writes: “Each year, we celebrate Latinx Heritage Month—also referred to as Hispanic Heritage Month—between September 15 and October 15. These children’s and YA books written by Latinx authors provide the perfect way to mark the month. Featuring a wide variety of titles for kids of all ages, including picture books, middle grade & chapter books, and young adult reads, these stories recognize Latinx contributions to the world of children’s literature and are great for reading at any time of year. Share these books with little and big kids alike.”

Brightly, Sept. 15
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Before the COVID-19 pandemic, students at Montgomery County Public Schools in Christiansburg, Virginia, got books from their school library shelves. Now they’re getting them from the sky. Thanks to an idea from MCPS middle school librarian Kelly Passek and a partnership with Wing, the first commercial drone delivery service in the US, any student in the district who lives within Wing’s delivery zone can request a book through the school system’s library catalog. As the pandemic continues to make indoor library visits difficult for many (and impossible for some), Passek is just one of many librarians across the country who have turned to the outdoors as a means of putting books in the hands of readers.

AL: The Scoop, Sept. 14

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