Latest Library Links
-
Peyton Gast writes: “A new 4,000-square-foot pollinator garden opened Thursday at the Phoenix (Ore.) branch of Jackson County Library District, giving the community a green space inspired by residents’ hopes for recovery after the 2020 Almeda Fire. The garden wraps around the library, with greenery near the entrance, colorful flowers in the back and tall trees shading pathways through the space. Library leaders say the project grew out of community listening sessions held after the fire, which destroyed much of Phoenix. Residents expressed a desire to restore some of the plants, wildlife and natural spaces lost in the disaster.” -
The PBS documentary series Roadtrip Nation will present a two-episode series, “Beyond Books,” that celebrates the surprising, essential, and evolving role of public libraries. In the series, three young adults travel across the country in a green RV visiting libraries in California, New Mexico, Missouri, and Illinois, and meet with library professionals leading innovative rural libraries, specialized archives, and large urban systems. Roadtrip Nation: “Beyond Books” will air on PBS starting September 1, and stream on the PBS app and PBS.org. -
Anne James writes: “Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said Wednesday he will push state lawmakers to strip a full letter grade from any school district’s state accountability rating if it keeps library books he considers inappropriate, an escalation that comes about a year after a separate state law already gave Texas parents new power over what their children can check out. Patrick said nearly 2,200 titles are on what he calls a ‘dirty book list,’ [compiled by Christian advocacy group Recover America] and he claimed many of them are still sitting on public school library shelves across Texas.” -
Jessi Gold writes: “Before you turn August into a personal performance-improvement plan, here are a few ways to approach the year with less pressure and a better chance of making changes that actually fit your life. Of course, these ideas will not fix the system or the structural pressures that make your work exhausting. But they may keep you from adding a personal overhaul to an already overwhelming list of additional duties as assigned.” -
The Pulitzer Prizes and ALA announced August 19 the national tour of Pulitzer on the Road: Prize-Winning Works That Inform, Empower, and Inspire, a new traveling exhibition that will visit 20 public libraries nationwide. The exhibit will debut in mid-October in Chicago and Dallas. Through vividly designed panels, immersive interactive stations, and compelling storytelling, Pulitzer on the Road highlights the history and significance of the Pulitzer Prizes; connects new audiences with prize winners and their work; and promotes the role of journalism, books, drama, and music in a democratic society. -
ALA invites education programs and posters for the 2027 Annual Conference & Exhibition, to be held June 24–28, 2027, in New Orleans. The Annual Conference explores key challenges and opportunities facing libraries, with professional development rooted in timely research, innovation, and best practices. The submission sites are open now through September 21, and include both proposal submission guides and evaluation rubrics for 60-minute education sessions and poster sessions. -
Senka Stankovic writes: “I’ve noticed that digital tools are fundamental to how we ideate and deliver educational workshops. Born-digital, recently a student, and new to the workforce, I’ve come to believe that many digital tools that are meant to improve learning instead strip away the friction that the acquisition of knowledge requires. In this post, I explore three common classroom technologies: the slide deck, the laptop, and the gadgets. I offer opportunities for reintroducing friction to the classroom that can lead to higher engagement from, and connection with, our learners.” -
Kerry Sheridan writes: “Two former teachers defeated conservatives in the Sarasota (Fla.) School Board race, flipping the board where a conservative majority held sway since 2022. They join two moderates on the five-member board.” The fifth seat, currently held by Moms for Liberty co-founder Bridget Ziegler (who did not run for re-election), will have a runoff, but Moms for Liberty activist Teresa DeWitt finished third and was eliminated. The board is officially nonpartisan, but a conservative bloc has held a majority since 2022. Equality Florida claimed the Sarasota results were part of a statewide trend.WUSF-FM (Tampa, Fla.), Aug. 18; Florida Politics, Aug. 19; Equality Florida, Aug. 19
-
Diana Panuncial writes: “September marks Library Card Sign-Up Month, and this year’s festivities are set to a whole new beat with Laufey, a two-time Grammy winner, serving as honorary chair. In 2025, the musician collaborated with four major US public library systems and Reykjavík (Iceland) City Library to release Laufey Book Club library cards. Today, special-edition library cards are more than just credentials. Whether they are featuring famous figures or commemorating culture and history, they’re something to flaunt. Here’s a look at other cards that are striking a major chord. -
David Gewirtz writes: “I have long accepted one fundamental truth: Google knows everything that I do. But not everyone wants Google to access everything in Gmail, Docs, Calendar, and Chat, particularly professionals who use the commercial Google Workspace service. And yet, did you know Google defaults to allowing Gemini access to all Workspace services? In this article, I’ll show you how that process works. Then, I’ll show you how to turn it off for your company.” -
Erica Ezeifedi writes: “Since we are in the midst of back-to-school season and fall is right around the corner, I thought it was the perfect time to plan to read some of the most recent dark academia. Just last month, I mentioned the queer, 1920s mystery Spoiled Milk by Avery Curran in a list of great lit fic to read with your club, and this week, I’ve got 1950s witches (courtesy of Alice Hoffman), deadly tarot, and more. There’s lots of romantasy, a little drug dealing, and the final book in a bestselling trilogy as a bonus.”
-
Anjuli Patil writes: “Nova Scotia author Rachel Reid has donated $300,000 to the Annapolis Valley Regional Library after hearing five branches were set to permanently shutter. ‘I had to do it because I don’t know what the point is of being a successful author in Nova Scotia if you’re not going to use it for good,’ Reid told CBC News. The library board had asked municipalities for $351,000 in funding earlier this year to keep five libraries open until the end of the 2026–2027 fiscal year, [but only] about a third of that money was committed.”
All links outside americanlibrariesmagazine.org are provided for informational purposes only. Questions about the content of any external site should be addressed to the administrator of that site.