Latest Library Links
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Julia Carpenter writes: “In 2022, the number of people living in prison increased for the first time in nearly 10 years, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. The overwhelming majority of the more than 1.23 million incarcerated people in America are serving sentences of one year or more. And many of them say that access to libraries, books, magazines, and other reading material is both sanity-saving and life-preserving. But navigating the prison library system and obtaining books from the outside can be fraught.”
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ALA invites library users nationwide to nominate their favorite librarians for the prestigious I Love My Librarian Award. The national award recognizes the outstanding public service contributions of librarians working in public, school, college, community college, or university libraries. Nominations are accepted through September 30. Ten librarians will each receive $5,000 in recognition of their outstanding achievements. Awardees will be honored at the I Love My Librarian Award ceremony at ALA’s 2025 LibLearnX Conference in Phoenix; honorees will also receive free full conference registration as part of their award packages.
ALA Communications, Marketing, and Media Relations Office, June 17
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Jessica Jones Capparell writes: “Our democracy is at a turning point. In mere months, we’ll head to the ballot for a critical presidential election. The past few years have seen a slew of antivoter laws that make it harder for people to cast ballots and for voting rights organizations to assist people at the polls. At the same time, forms of mis- and disinformation such as artificial intelligence–generated deepfakes—which spread false information through digitally manipulated images, videos, or audio recordings—pose a major threat. In the face of these antivoter attacks, civic organizations must take a stand.”
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Diana Panuncial writes: “Next week, we’re on route to San Diego for the ALA’s 2024 Annual Conference and Exhibition. In Episode 96, Call Number explores ‘America’s Finest City’ through the lens of local librarians. We speak with Tim Tully, instruction and outreach librarian for San Diego State University’s Surf and Skate Studies Collaborative, and Kelley Woolley, who oversees the library for San Diego Zoo and Safari Park. Plus, local librarians recommend their favorite San Diego taco joints.”
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Ken Irwin and Mike Bomholt write: “Miami University Libraries in Oxford, Ohio, developed an open-source software checkout system to allow patrons to make use of software licenses owned by the library. The service currently supports Adobe Creative Cloud, Final Cut Pro, and Logic Pro software. Built on a model developed by Pixar for managing employee software licenses, the Software Checkout system is believed to be the first of its kind for circulating licenses to library patrons.”
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Christina Sikorski writes: “The community of English as a Second Language (ESL) learners is important and growing as the number of global immigrants increases. These English language learners form a community around their need to increase access and ultimately increase knowledge, not only of the English language, but of other services that support their community. This research paper seeks to understand the information needs of the ESL community and how libraries and information centers can best serve those needs.”
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Darek Makowski writes: “Since the COVID-19 pandemic, manga has surged in popularity in the US. Barnes and Noble, the largest brick-and-mortar bookseller in the US, has prioritized expanding its manga section in redesigned stores. In 2022, manga sales nearly reached $250 million here, making up more than half of all graphic novel sales. How can librarians cater to the growing number of manga enthusiasts in their communities? Here are some ideas.”
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Maranda Schoppert, Sean Riley, and Amy K. Alapati write: “When school lets out, children gravitate to public libraries. Meanwhile, libraries strive to help those children maintain or improve their reading and critical-thinking skills throughout those school-free months, often by way of summer reading programs. At Montgomery County (Md.) Public Libraries, we have redesigned our summer reading challenge in hopes of inspiring our young patrons to give back to the community while they socialize, play, and learn. The summer reading model aligns with the county’s climate action plan, and the local government’s vision of a greener county.”
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For attendees of ALA’s Annual Conference and Exhibition in San Diego, Maribeth Mellin writes: “Restaurants both fancy and casual tout prime water views around the Convention Center’s downtown neighborhood. You needn’t stick to the shore, however. There are plenty of stellar neighborhood spots that don’t need beach views to shine. Seafood takes top billing at many spots, along with the region’s exceptional produce. Chefs put a SoCal twist on everything from sushi to Wagyu steaks, with inspired global flourishes everywhere. Mexican dishes and influences also pop up in all sorts of menus.”
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ALA announced June 14 that Raymond Pun will not assume the role of ALA president in 2025–2026 because of health reasons. Pun was elected in early April with 67% of the vote. The 2024–2025 Executive Board will fill the vacancy within 30 days of taking office, subject to a confirmation vote by ALA Council, in accordance with ALA bylaws. ALA President Emily Drabinski has convened a working group, which includes incoming and outgoing board members, to select and vet candidates for recommendation to the 2024–2025 ALA Executive Board.
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The Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of African American History & Culture in Washington, DC, has curated a Juneteenth reading list. The list includes fiction and nonfiction for adults, children, and teens. Among the titles are books about Black history, such as A Black Women’s History of the United States by Daina Ramey Berry and Kali Nicole Gross or On Juneteenth by Annette Gordon-Reed; books about African American cuisine such as The Jemima Code: Two Centuries of African American Cookbooks by Toni Tipton-Martin; and youth titles such as Jacqueline Woodson’s Brown Girl Dreaming.
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Alaina Yee writes: “Online security used to be simple. All you needed was a good password, and in the early days, you didn’t need a ton of numbers, letters, and special characters to achieve that goal. But as hackers and criminals get more sophisticated, so have recommendations for best security practices. One such step is called masked email. It formalizes a long-available feature known as email aliases as a privacy and security measure. A randomized email address is created to hide (aka mask) your true email address for an online account.”
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