Latest Library Links
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Alexia MacClain writes: “Do you remember the excitement of filling out your first library borrower’s card? Or the ‘ca-chunk’ of the date stamp when you checked out a book? What products come to mind when you think of your early library experiences? Obvious materials might be books and shelving but to keep a library functioning other items are needed as well. Supplies for circulating, tracking, and identifying books are often behind the scenes but are just as important. Classified Illustrated Catalog of the Library Department of Library Bureau by Library Bureau, a trade catalog in the Smithsonian Libraries and Archives collections, provides a glimpse of the supplies and equipment that library staff might have used to complete their everyday tasks in 1899.”
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In 2016, StoryCorps shared the story of Rich Jean, his daughter Abigail, and Hasina Islam, children’s librarian at Brooklyn (N.Y.) Public Library. Jean credits Islam for sparking a love of reading in Abigail. Five years later, the trio recorded another StoryCorps installment to catch up with each other during the pandemic, when most BPL branches are closed.
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Zeahaa Rehman writes: “Like every other romance subgenre, historical romance has traditionally consisted of a white man and a white woman falling in love and overcoming obstacles to form a relationship and live happily ever after (or, in the case of most contemporary novels, happy for now). Though a historical romance can be set in any period prior to 1950, the most popular time by far is Regency England: the era covering 1811 to 1820 and immortalized by Jane Austen. The version of Regency England that viewers are accustomed to, both onscreen and in books, is one that excludes BIPOC and queer characters.”
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The two ambassador opossums at the Alexandria (La.) Zoo, Champ and Ivy, received their honorary library cards and helped pre-record stories for the Rapides Parish Library’s Summer Reading Program focused around animals. Champ and Ivy became the first marsupials in the state to receive a library card, even getting approval from the Louisiana State Librarian Rebecca Hamilton. The cards do work, and although the opossums won’t make an appearance in the library, they can check out digital books.
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In this special bonus episode, Call Number with American Libraries celebrates Preservation Week (April 25–May 1) by looking at the 1619 Project, a collection of historical records, essays, photos, and audio that aims to reframe the consequences of slavery in the US and highlight the contributions of Black people to the American experience. American Libraries Senior Editor and Call Number host Phil Morehart speaks with New York Times journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of the 1619 Project and honorary chair of Preservation Week, about the project’s origins, her team’s research, and why community archives are vital to preserving history
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Alexandra Alter and Jennifer Schuessler write: “W. W. Norton said in a memo to its staff on April 27 that it will permanently take Blake Bailey’s biography of Philip Roth out of print, following allegations that Bailey sexually assaulted multiple women and behaved inappropriately toward his students when he was an 8th-grade English teacher. The publisher also said it would make a donation to sexual abuse organizations equal to the advance it paid him.”
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Library of Congress Director for Preservation Jacob Nadal writes: “We are launching a new blog covering preservation at the Library of Congress: Guardians of Memory: Preserving the National Collection, ISSN 2767-7524. You will hear from preservation staff on the things we do to make sure the library’s collections endure and we will explore the ways people have recorded their knowledge and creativity across the centuries.”
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More than 200 staffers at Simon & Schuster have signed a petition calling for the publishing house to cancel its seven-figure book deal with former Vice President Mike Pence and commit to not signing any more book deals with members of Donald Trump’s administration. The petition was delivered to the publisher on April 26, signed by 216 employees—about 14% of the publisher’s staff—and backed by more than 3,500 supporters outside the company, including authors such as the National Book Award–winning writer Jesmyn Ward.
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Sadie Gennis writes: “If you’re anything like us, you couldn’t wait to watch Netflix’s latest fantasy series, Shadow and Bone. An adaptation of Leigh Bardugo’s original Grisha trilogy and the Six of Crows duology, the magical drama is filled with incredible world-building, complex heroes, rakish heists, and enticing villains. But if bingeing the eight-episode first season only left you wanting more, we have you covered.”
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In partnership with the Highlights Foundation, the Brown Bookshelf announced on April 26 the cohort of storytellers selected for Amplify Black Stories, a six-month program focused on supporting Black storytellers, confronting industry challenges, and fostering change. The cohort comprises 24 debut, midlist, and vanguard Black authors and illustrators across all children’s literature genres and formats who live and work in the United States, Canada, and Europe.
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Romy Natalia Goldberg writes: “The Pura Belpré Award, established in 1996, is presented annually to a Latinx writer and illustrator whose work best portrays, affirms, and celebrates the Latino cultural experience in an outstanding work of literature for children and youth. Here’s a starter for those who want to learn more about the life and legacy of this Puerto Rican icon.”
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Richard Byrne writes: “Google Workspaces (formerly known as G Suite, Google Apps, and just plain Google Drive) has a lot of great features for teachers and students. Some of them are obvious while others might be considered ‘hidden’ features. Those hidden features are often little things that make using Google Workspaces a little easier than faster. In this video I highlight 10 of my favorite Google Workspaces features that are often overlooked.”
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