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After significant flooding in western Maryland on May 13, Allegany County (Md.) Library (ACL) had to close two locations. George’s Creek Library reopened May 19 after minor damage to the building and no damage to collections or historical items. However, the Westernport Library remains closed after severe damage, with an early estimate of damage to the building’s collections at more than $270,000. ACL is accepting cash donations to its recovery project fund to replace furniture and damaged collections and restore computer access.

Allegany County (Md.) Library, May 19, May 29; WBAL-TV (Baltimore), May 14
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Cindy Hohl writes: “Wopida Tanka! (Many thanks!) As I reflect on my story wheel coming full circle, I am blessed to be surrounded by humble leaders who are the true helpers of society. In my final column as ALA president, I am taking this opportunity to recognize them, as it is always right to celebrate the human spirit by honoring good people. Over the past year, I hope that I have brought encouragement to colleagues across this field as we work together for a bright future. I am not sure what’s next, but I am grateful for this experience.”

American Libraries column, June/July
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Alison Marcotte writes: “The City of Brotherly Love is also a city of firsts: The Library Company of Philadelphia, founded by Benjamin Franklin in 1731, is considered the country’s first public library. Philadelphia was the original capital of the United States. And ALA held its inaugural Convention of Librarians there during the Centennial Exposition in 1876. ALA returns to this historic and vibrant city for its 2025 Annual Conference and Exhibition, to be held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center June 26–30. This preview offers a small sample of what to expect. For registration information and a complete list of events, visit alaannual.org.”

American Libraries feature, June/July
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Emma Roth writes: “If you’ve ever wondered how the Internet Archive uploads all the physical documents on its site, now you can get a behind-the-scenes look at the process. The Internet Archive launched a new YouTube livestream that shows the digitization of microfiche in real time—complete with some relaxing, lo-fi beats. The livestream shows a close-up look at one of the five microfiche digitization stations at the organization’s Richmond, California, location, along with a look at the document that it’s working on. It runs from Monday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Eastern.”

The Verge, May 22
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Saikat Basu writes: “Listening to audiobooks is great for multitasking. It helps me take ten-kilometer walks without boredom or wash that foamy pile of dishes. But, unlike a physical book, I struggled to remember most of what I heard. After trying different methods, I found simple ways to make audiobooks stick. It is a matter of being intentional and active while listening. It starts with choosing the right titles and then taking notes to set the stage for better memory. In between, adding visual summaries and creating action plans helps make audiobooks stick to your memory.”

MakeUseOf, May 27
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Mark Dahlquist writes: “A two-year pilot program at Miami University Libraries in Oxford, Ohio, tested a system developed in-library for digitally providing library users with semester-long licenses to access a student-oriented commercial cloud-based collaborative video editing tool (WeVideo) and explored the development of related learning resources and instructional sessions. Collected usage and survey data reveal a strongly positive user response to this tool and library service. Significant obstacles, including accessibility problems, were encountered during the pilot study. However, subsequent platform improvements may have mitigated or resolved many of these challenges.”

The Journal of Creative Library Practice, May 20
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Blake Brittain writes: “Shira Perlmutter, the US Copyright Office director fired by the Trump administration sued President Donald Trump and other government officials on May 22, arguing her firing was unconstitutional and should not be allowed to take effect.” According to Copyright Lately, Perlmutter’s motion for a temporary restraining order “lays out a broader purpose: to block what she portrays as an Executive Branch power grab—one that’s already disrupting operations, stalling critical policy work, and threatening the independence of the agency tasked with administering the nation’s copyright laws.”

Reuters, May 23; Copyright Lately, May 26