Bringing Civility Back to Civic Life

July 1, 2024

That was the question Tara Susman-Peña, senior technical expert at IREX, posed to attendees at the outset of “Bridgebuilding: Fostering Community Engagement, Dialogue, and Interactions in Libraries,” a July 1 session at the American Library Association’s 2024 Annual Conference and Exhibition in San Diego. The US is enduring a period marked by division, social isolation, … Continue reading Bringing Civility Back to Civic Life


(From left) Angela Watkins, Kathleen Nubel, and Christina Gavin participate in the American Library Association's President's Program during June 30 during its Annual Conference and Exhibition in San Diego.

‘In this Work Together’

July 1, 2024

“That [memory] still moves me to want to help others, especially children in our community,” said Watkins, director of Aztec (N.Mex) Public Library. “There’s nothing like watching the joy on the face of a person when they learn to read.” At the American Library Association’s (ALA) President’s Program, held during ALA’s 2024 Annual Conference and … Continue reading ‘In this Work Together’


Making Headlines

July 1, 2024

“They all wore staid suits and wing-tip shoes, they … all had this bravado and ability to walk into a room and command it,” Chung told the crowd at the American Library Association’s 2024 Annual Conference and Exhibition in San Diego on June 29. “And I thought, I’ll be just like them.” “I convinced myself … Continue reading Making Headlines



Justine Withers, Kim Hill, and Adam Chandler at ALA Annual 2024

Patron Privacy and Enhanced Research

June 30, 2024

Panelists at “Identity and Authentication: Enhancing the Research Experience with Responsible Use of Patron Data,” moderated by Justine Withers, electronic resources librarian at Western New Mexico University in Silver City, addressed these and other questions around privacy policies in the academic library. The panel took place on Saturday, June 30, at the American Library Association’s … Continue reading Patron Privacy and Enhanced Research


Jennifer Pate at a podium gesturing while speaking

Going Hard on Trivial Pursuits

June 30, 2024

In 2021, Jennifer Pate and Margaret McGuire teamed up to host team trivia nights at University of North Alabama’s Collier Library, where they both worked at the time. While the library “gamified” a number of activities, they wanted a program that wasn’t directly related to academics and would build community. They shared their experience developing … Continue reading Going Hard on Trivial Pursuits



ALA logo

Council I: Elevating Intellectual Freedom

June 29, 2024

The Council rules (CD#5.1) and agenda (CD#8.4) were adopted. The minutes from ALA’s 2024 LibLearnX Conference in Baltimore (CD#2.2) meetings were approved. Interim ALA Executive Director Leslie Burger shared the Executive Board’s actions since LibLearnX (CD#15.1) and the implementation of Council Actions from the January conference (#9.1). Cindy Hohl, ALA president-elect and Committee on Committees … Continue reading Council I: Elevating Intellectual Freedom



2024 Annual Conference Preview

2024 Annual Conference Preview

June 3, 2024

Annual promises an array of educational programs, speakers and authors, unique exhibitors, awards and celebrations, and networking opportunities. Making a return appearance from LibLearnX in January, a selection of Timely Topics—categories of sessions pertaining to current, critical issues in the profession—will be featured: artificial intelligence (AI), health and wellness, intellectual freedom, justice-involved services, and strategic … Continue reading 2024 Annual Conference Preview


Portrait of author Dave Eggers

Newsmaker: Dave Eggers

June 3, 2024

Eggers has received many prestigious awards, among them the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Education, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and, most recently, the Newbery Medal for The Eyes and the Impossible (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2023), an honor Eggers will celebrate at ALA’s 2024 Annual Conference in San Diego. American Libraries caught up … Continue reading Newsmaker: Dave Eggers