The current backlash against DEI is playing out in libraries and legislative buildings, on campuses, and at the ballot box, with many efforts targeting the works of authors of color and members of the LGBTQ community. Efforts to dismantle DEI initiatives on college campuses create a chilling effect that silences and erases the perspectives, experiences, … Continue reading Scholarly Publishing for All
“I’m always looking to do programs that are a little bit off the beaten path,” says Waters, youth services manager at Missouri River Regional Library (MRRL) in Jefferson City, Missouri. Enter centuries-old combat and training techniques, which have seen a boom in recent years, thanks in part to the emergence of historical European martial arts … Continue reading Talking Points
How do you archive a robot? This is the question that Kathleen Donahoe, robot archive processing archivist at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) Libraries in Pittsburgh, and a team of archivists, roboticists, and preservation experts seek to answer through the Robotics Project, which launched in 2019. “There are just so many layers to how a robotics … Continue reading Bookend: Completing the Circuit
At an academic library conference in Edison, New Jersey, I discovered that a Taylor ham and a pork roll are somehow both the same and different. In Morgantown, West Virginia, I learned that a pepperoni roll is indeed a delicacy, and I was grateful to be stuffed full of them at an event. And at … Continue reading Food for Thought
Together we will write the next chapter of ALA’s legacy. With tremendous passion for the work and impact of libraries, I stand for election as ALA president and seek to leverage this great opportunity to promote, uplift, encourage, and endorse you, your steady efforts, and the values we represent as a profession. As an ALA … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Sam Helmick
Today, libraries and library workers are enduring simultaneous challenges of book bans, artificial intelligence, climate crises, surveillance, digital content price gouging, job burnout, and workplace safety. ALA must realign itself and its core values to empower our work and better support our communities during these turbulent times. As a first-generation college graduate and an emergent … Continue reading Meet the Candidates for ALA President: Raymond Pun
Don’t know where to start? Check out this list of favorite spots a walk, rideshare, cab, or water taxi ride away from the Baltimore Convention Center and downtown hotels. Many were also featured in Frommer’s most recent list of Best Restaurants in Baltimore. Dig in! Near the Convention Center (Downtown) B&O American Brasserie 2 N. … Continue reading Bite into Baltimore
The economic impact of the past few years has disproportionately affected renters across the country. In the second half of 2021—when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lifted its pandemic-era eviction moratorium—rents rose at an unprecedented pace, with typical asking rents rising 11% year over year nationwide that September, according to the Joint Center … Continue reading A Winning Case
I’ve shifted from lightweight outfits to the heavier sweaters of the season. Autumn is, after all, a time of transition—which is something our Association is currently experiencing. Transition can be unsettling, yes, but it is also an opportunity to step back, take stock, and lay the foundation for what will follow. As we work with … Continue reading A Time of Transition
Silver made us each a cup of tea as we talked through the challenges and joys of her job. She had taught a class that morning using the book Drum Dream Girl—for which illustrator Rafael López won a Pura Belpré Award—that sparked the imaginations of her 3rd graders. When she asked what the main character … Continue reading Stories That Resonate
To achieve equity in youth services, we must build an authentic foundation that centers historically marginalized youth and families. This process is worth a closer look so that we can think more critically about the programs and services we offer. Let’s consider an example: A library in a community with a large Vietnamese population distributes … Continue reading Committing to Equity
CALA President Vincci Kwong attributes the group’s longevity to the relationships members form with one another. “Sometimes you feel isolated at your library because you don’t have a lot of people who are Asian American,” she says. “[In CALA,] people serve on committees, and we form a bond and stay together and still network after … Continue reading CALA Turns 50
