Latest Library Links
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On Monday, July 27, ALA President Julius C. Jefferson Jr. will kick off a 12-stop virtual tour to spotlight how libraries of all kinds across the country are addressing the needs of their diverse communities and engaging stakeholders to advocate for libraries. The 10-day Holding Space tour will begin at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., and end at the Hawaii State Library on Friday, August 7.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the digital divide now that learning, work, and much of our daily life has moved online. As a result, the imperative to pass broadband legislation in Congress is greater than ever. In recent months, the House and Senate have introduced several bills that include provisions to ensure libraries are equipped to address the digital needs of their communities, and the American Library Association (ALA) has supported many of them. Marijke Visser and Kevin Maher of ALA’s Public Policy and Advocacy Office detail the bills that library advocates should watch.
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Cast members from the new Netflix series The Baby-Sitters Club, based on the best-selling book series by Ann M. Martin, recorded a video PSA in support of libraries. The PSA highlights how libraries offer great entertainment the whole family can enjoy together, including books, movies, music, video games, and online programs. A resource page lets libraries spread the word by sharing the video on websites and social media.
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Strong libraries are essential to the recovery of communities devastated by the COVID-19 pandemic. To help guide communities, library workers, and library supporters along the path to recovery, on July 15 ALA launched a curated, online repository of tools, guides, and resources. The ALA COVID-19 Recovery website includes everything from the latest information on safely reopening libraries to funding opportunities available on the local, state, and federal level. It will be updated often and replace the existing COVID-19 Response page that has served the community through the pandemic thus far. The online resource center is arranged into four sections: Advocacy and Policy; Education; Data and Research; and Guidance Content and Protocol.
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Laura Sackton writes: “If you’re an audiobook fan, full-cast audiobooks are like treating yourself to a Broadway show: When they’re done well, they are absolutely unforgettable. A cast of talented voice actors can bring books to life in truly remarkable ways. These are some of the best new full-cast audiobooks that have come out in the past few years.”
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The Summersville (W.Va.) Public Library is returning to curbside-only service after an incident involving a patron refusing to wear a mask. Staff members said a patron who was asked to wear a mask in the library allegedly became agitated and took it off before walking down the aisles coughing on books and computers, according to a Facebook post by the library. The library said the person then became aggressive and began verbally abusing staff.
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In a June 22 statement, University of Oregon Libraries promised to review its special collections, amplify marginalized voices, change its recruitment and hiring practices, and cover three New Deal-era murals in the Knight Library that contain racist content before students resume classes in the fall. Interim Dean of Libraries Mark Watson said UO Libraries has hired a professional conservator to evaluate the works and advise on how to best cover them.
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The Booke of Sir Thomas More, a late 16th or early 17th-century play by William Shakespeare, is almost never read or performed. But it is the only surviving example of his handwriting aside from his will. Now, the British Library has uploaded the full, scanned manuscript to its Digitized Manuscripts page.
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The US Department of Homeland Security has rescinded its July 6 policy directive that would have required international students to take at least some in-person college coursework in order to remain in the US. The government agreed to rescind the policy to resolve a lawsuit filed by Harvard University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
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The Library of Congress has awarded Colson Whitehead its Prize for American Fiction. Whitehead, 50, is the youngest winner of the lifetime achievement prize, which the library has previously given to Toni Morrison, Philip Roth, and Denis Johnson, among others. On July 16, Whitehead and Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden will discuss race in America as part the video series “Hear You, Hear Me,” which airs at 7 p.m. Eastern on LC’s website.
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Georgia Tech Library in Atlanta has created an online resource with access to academic and popular materials on social justice, racial and ethnic histories in the United States, LGBTQ+ stories, and other interconnected issues. The Black Lives Matter Reading Room includes links to research, videos, free resources, books and lectures by Georgia Tech faculty, and on-campus resources for students.
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On July 6, Mozilla announced that it would not seek US Supreme Court review of the D.C. Circuit decision in Mozilla et al. v. FCC, which challenged the FCC’s 2017 Restoring Internet Freedom order. Mozilla and its partners in the litigation say they are hoping for net neutrality to move forward at the state level as well as through Congress or a future FCC.
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