Screenshot of "Building Bridges into Library Leadership" presentation

What Leadership Looks Like

March 28, 2023

During the panel discussion “Building Bridges into Library Leadership,” five women who were recently appointed to top positions within their institutions shared experiences, challenges, and advice, highlighting the importance of expanding opportunities for women. Rachel Rubin, dean of libraries and archives at Mount Allison University in Sackville, New Brunswick, in Canada, encouraged those in hiring … Continue reading What Leadership Looks Like


Man wearing a VR headset

On the Cutting Edge

March 1, 2023

American Libraries spoke with the creators of two initiatives—virtual reality programs for medical students at Greenblatt Library at Augusta (Ga.) University (AU) and a specialized book club for pediatric staff at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA). Both innovations were presented at the 2022 Medical Library Association’s Annual Conference and demonstrate the impact of medical librarianship. … Continue reading On the Cutting Edge


Autherine Lucy Foster

Another Hidden Figure in Library History

January 20, 2023

Here’s what I found in my research—which involved 1,200 newspaper and periodical articles—when I looked into her story. After graduating in 1952 from the historically Black college and university of Miles College in Fairfield, Alabama, Lucy and her friend Pollie Myers decided to apply to the all-white University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa. Because neither identified … Continue reading Another Hidden Figure in Library History



Kimberley Bugg

Leveraging Talent

January 3, 2023

In sharing my frustration with others, I learned there was nothing novel about this scenario. Other librarians had experienced this phenomenon, which I refer to as a pipeline issue. The experience led me to write a paper, “Best Practices for Talent Acquisition in 21st-Century Academic Libraries,” rethinking traditional approaches to recruitment and retention. I went … Continue reading Leveraging Talent


The Value of a DEI Audit

November 1, 2022

Assessment work is multifaceted and needs both leadership and expertise to be successful. When assessments include matters of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), you have an even more complex situation. Traditional library assessment practices often exclude DEI elements, or many academic libraries may be unsure about DEI assessments. Yet it’s crucial to consider: If institutions … Continue reading The Value of a DEI Audit


Derek Meader, reference librarian at Southern Maine Community College in South Portland, stands in front of Spring Point Ledge Lighthouse, a 54-foot sparkplug-like structure adjacent to campus. Meader is the owner and operator of The Real Portland Tour, a sightseeing experience that stops at three Maine lighthouses. Photo taken by Michael D. Wilson.

Bookend: The Man with a Van

June 1, 2022

“You’re gonna get on a tour with a real local, born and raised,” says Meader, who is also reference librarian at Southern Maine Community College (SMCC) in South Portland. “The route literally goes by where I work [and] my high school.” During the two-hour excursion, the tour van stops at three lighthouses, including Spring Point … Continue reading Bookend: The Man with a Van


Photo of Latia Ward, Academic Insights column. Text says "Academic Insights by Latia Ward"

Accessing Justice

June 1, 2022

This scenario is an example of both a reference transaction and an access-to-justice issue. Many people do not have easy access to an attorney and will come to the library seeking legal information. Librarians are not authorized to give legal advice, but they can direct patrons to useful organizations and resources. According to Jessica Steinberg, … Continue reading Accessing Justice


Setting Up for Self-Care

Call Number Podcast: Setting Up for Self-Care

May 16, 2022

First, American Libraries Associate Editor and podcast Diana Panuncial speaks with Randa Lopez Morgan, programming and events librarian for Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge, about LSU’s Relaxation Room and how it has helped students decompress during finals week. Next, American Libraries Managing Editor Terra Dankowski interviews Rebecca Tolley, author of A Trauma-Informed Approach to … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Setting Up for Self-Care


Taylor Healey-Brooks and Michelle Lee

Pairing Up

May 2, 2022

Research demonstrates that people of color in libraries benefit from having a mentor with a similar background, but it can be difficult for new librarians to find such a person with years of training. Because of the lack of diversity in librarianship (in 2020, approximately 83% of credentialed librarians were white) and problems retaining librarians … Continue reading Pairing Up


Academic Insights, by Raymond Pun, Melissa Cardenas-Dow, and Kenya S. Flash

Prioritizing Ethnic Studies

March 1, 2022

In August 2020, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed California Assembly Bill 1460, requiring all students in the 23-campus California State University system to take a three-unit ethnic studies class—in Native American studies, African American and Black studies, Asian Pacific American studies, or Chicanx and Latinx studies. During the 2021–2022 academic year, thousands of students enrolled in … Continue reading Prioritizing Ethnic Studies


How to Be Queer in Texas

January 24, 2022

The state climate can be openly hostile to queer people: The nonprofit Movement Advancement Project has ranked Texas “low” when it comes to policies relating to sexual orientation and “negative” on policies related to gender identity. How, then, has the lived experience of queer librarians and library workers compared with expectations? Arro Smith, technical services … Continue reading How to Be Queer in Texas