Librarian’s Library: Community archives, collective power

Librarian's Library by Reanna Esmail Reanna Esmail writes: “Though commonly imagined to be dusty spaces containing rare objects from the distant past, archives are deeply tied to the present and to questions of knowledge, power, and authority. They preserve some cultural histories, practices, and artifacts while excluding others. Archivists decide which histories are told and which are not, as well as who has access to these resources. The books on this list address problematic archival histories, practices, and structures, while also reimagining the archive as a potential site for community-building.”

American Libraries column, June

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Caelin Ross writes: “Librarians are trained to believe that if information exists, is published, and we can access it, then it’s ours to use. The idea that Indigenous communities might have sovereignty over how their knowledge is shared, taught, or represented often comes as a genuine surprise. And how uncomfortable it is for white folks who are allies to analyze their relationship to information critically. We cannot assume that there is always a ‘better’ way to be more inclusive; sometimes, it’s better to stay in our lane.”

ACRLog, July 9
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Susan Maguire writes: “At this year’s ALA Annual Conference, Booklist and LibraryReads teamed up for the popular Read ’n’ Rave, where superstar librarians scour the exhibit hall floor to find the books you’ll want to know about for late summer and fall. If you missed the event, or if you had trouble keeping up with the rapid-fire raving (can’t blame you!), here’s a list of the books everyone talked about.”

Booklist Online, June 30
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Kevin Maher writes: “With so much going on in government, now is the time to take stock of progress on library priorities, particularly when it comes to federal funding and the upcoming budget showdown. Here’s where things stand with federal budgeting for FY2026.” Maher explains the status and importance of appropriations bills, recissions, the recent reconciliation bill, reauthorization of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, and recent court cases for federal library funding.

AL: The Scoop, July 15
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David Lemmons writes: “The gray area of whether a source is useful or whether you can trust it has become grayer and grayer over time, with the advent of accessing most of our information online. Checklists, like CRAAP, RADAR, and SIFT, are designed to help students navigate this gray area and are very commonly used across library instruction sessions. For me, though, the simplification afforded by this checklist approach misses a lot of the nuance. So, instead of relying on a specific checklist, I follow an approach I call asking crucial questions.”

Info Literal, July 9
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Geraldine Castro writes: “Sonia Beatriz Hernández never imagined she would one day be using a computer to digitize memories that included her. A transgender woman and a senior citizen, she learned everything she knows about being an archivist at her current job. Hernández is part of the Trans Memory Archive of Argentina (Archivo de la Memoria Trans Argentina), an initiative that not only preserves the history of gender and sexual dissidence, but has also inspired others throughout Latin America and the Caribbean to create their own collections.”

Wired, July 13
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Len Bryan writes: “People generally fall into one of two camps when it comes to weeding library collections. They may approach weeding with great enthusiasm and a desire to clean up the collection and make it more accessible for students, make the space more inviting, create places for displays, and secure additional library funding. Or they might have dread and trepidation, afraid they are going to throw away something that someone might need someday, that they may never get the funding needed to replace weeded books, and of possible pushback from teachers or parents about the process.”

Knowledge Quest, July 14
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Chelsea Heinbach writes: “The Librarian Parlor team knows how important it is to foster connection and community with fellow researchers, so we developed Research Community Bingo as an open resource that can be adapted for various contexts. I tested Research Community Bingo at my institution, the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. After a brief introduction explaining the rules, participants received their bingo cards and began mingling. The energy in the room quickly shifted from initial hesitation to enthusiastic conversations.”

The Librarian Parlor, July 11

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