The pre-Prohibition-style lager they crafted together was called 1895, a nod to the founding year of Johnson City Public Library (JCPL), located just a few blocks from the brewery’s downtown taproom. Inspired by beers of the late 19th century, it features three flavors: coffee (for its connection to books), black currant (for a vintage flare), … Continue reading Brewing Connections
At George A. Jackson Elementary School in Jericho, New York, educators wanted to help students discover the power of their voices. During the 2023–2024 school year, as part of a unit about natural hazards and disasters, 4th-graders used library and classroom time to create podcasts about their research. After National Public Radio (NPR) recognized one … Continue reading Amplifying Voices
At the heart of your new novel is an underwater realm called the Library of Despair and Sorrow. Why do you view sadness and suffering as “more precious than gold,” as you describe in the novel? I think it acknowledges our humanity. It says to the reader, “We all have feelings of sadness, despair, or … Continue reading Newsmaker: Pam Muñoz Ryan
International Workers’ Day is May 1. 8 Date in April that National Library Workers Day was celebrated this year. Since 2004, it has been commemorated on the Tuesday of National Library Week. 25,000 Number of library workers represented by the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME). AFSCME represents more library workers than … Continue reading By the Numbers: Workers’ Rights
“There’s just so much surrounding the whole story,” says Jennifer Beals, assistant dean and director of the Betsey B. Creekmore Special Collections and University Archives at University of Tennessee, Knoxville (UTK), who curated the library’s exhibit commemorating the trial’s centennial. UTK’s Scopes trial archive includes transcripts, photos, and ephemera from locals and attorneys involved in the … Continue reading Bookend: On the Origin of Scopes
As we saw with the White House’s executive order calling for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) to be eliminated, libraries—and everything we value as information professionals—are under attack. Make no mistake: The American people need to brace for more waves of uncertainty and oppression. And in our role as stalwart information warriors, … Continue reading Information Warriors, Unite
Across the board, the work of federal agencies, many of which directly or indirectly support libraries, has either been discontinued or altered. Although it is too soon to determine the overall impact of proposed changes to library funding—including IMLS grants and E-Rate discounts—we anticipate there will be more proposals to significantly reduce or outright eliminate … Continue reading Upholding Our Values
At this point in the year, almost everyone on campus seems to be thinking about the end of the term. But this span of time doesn’t necessarily look or feel the same to everyone. Some of us who have disabilities move through time a little differently, experiencing it as particularly nebulous and abstract. I am … Continue reading Crip Time in the Library
The removal was done in transgression of the library board’s book reconsideration policy. The book’s catalog record also vanished. Local media outlets reported that the book was removed by our then-director who, a few weeks into the role, was called into our town first selectman’s office along with the head of the library board and … Continue reading Into the Fray
Using Literature to Support Children’s Mental Health Edited by Kim Becnel and Robin A. Moeller There has been a huge increase in young people reporting symptoms of depression and anxiety in the past two decades, and this collection of essays supports librarians who want to do something to help. It prescribes selection criteria, book recommendations, and … Continue reading Championing Children and Teens
In February, Kluwe was arrested at a city council meeting in Huntington Beach, California, after speaking out against the installation of a plaque to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the town’s central library. The plaque, as unanimously approved by the city council, features the stacked words “Magical, Alluring, Galvanizing, Adventurous” as well as the sentence … Continue reading Newsmaker: Chris Kluwe
That’s what science librarian René Tanner—one of the dozens of librarians and experts whose actions American Libraries highlights in our Sustainability Issue—tells us. At a time when climate change seems impervious to the realities of workplace budgets and staff bandwidth, Tanner’s words ring as a salve and an appeal. When our team began planning this … Continue reading The Sustainability Issue
