Sterling Cunio holds up his cellphone as incarcerated individual David Fleenor shares the impact of a writers' workshop at his correctional facility on June 25. Photo: Rebecca Lomax/American Libraries

Fostering Self-Determination

June 25, 2023

At “Nurturing Writers Workshops in Prison,” a June 25 session at the American Library Association’s 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago, Fleenor shared the impact his writers’ workshop has had on his life as well as what his facility has gained from it: “An enduring writing community.” He was joined by moderator Moira Marquis, … Continue reading Fostering Self-Determination


Attorney and social media influencer Emily Amick at “Fight Book Bans: Frame the Debate, Fill the Seats, and Create Connections,” a June 25 session at the American Library Association’s 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago.

Methods for Mobilizing

June 25, 2023

“What Moms for Liberty isn’t doing is advocacy—it’s a takeover,” said Emily Amick, an attorney, social media influencer, and founder of political change nonprofit For Facts Sake. “I want to push you to think bigger about what we’re up against and how to fight it.” Amick was the featured speaker at “Fight Book Bans: Frame … Continue reading Methods for Mobilizing


Danielle Costello, librarian at Louisiana State University, explains game jams for creating tabletop roleplaying games at the American Library Association’s 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago.

Jam Forever

June 25, 2023

While game jams—or accelerated game creation events—started as a way to develop video games, they’re also useful for creating tabletop roleplaying games (TTRPGs). The best-known TTRPG systems, like Dungeons & Dragons, Pathfinder, and Call of Cthulhu, include rulebooks that can run to hundreds of pages and have steep price tags, but there are a host … Continue reading Jam Forever


Authors Rajani LaRocca (left) and Minh Lê speak at the session “Share our Stories: Asian and Pacific Islander Literature for Children and Young Adults” during the American Library Association’s 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago on June 25.

Reflecting the World

June 25, 2023

“I have never been in a library that did not have enough white books,” said Park, a Korean American author whose novel A Single Shard (Clarion Books, 2001) won the 2002 Newbery Medal. She suggested that, to increase representation of other cultures and perspectives, librarians should consider buying more books from marginalized authors. “That’s one … Continue reading Reflecting the World


Author Rick Riordan (right) and Mark Oshiro discuss their co-written book, The Sun and the Star, a Nico di Angelo Adventure at a June 25 talk at ALA's 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago.

Partnering Perspectives

June 25, 2023

So Oshiro picked up the first book in Rick Riordan’s Greek mythology-inspired series for middle-grade readers. The books follow a modern-day demigod and his friends as they fight fantastical forces, and Riordan later built a franchise from that world with two more series and standalone books. Instead of reading it over the weeks-long tour as … Continue reading Partnering Perspectives


ALA logo

Council II: Condemning Discrimination against the LGBTQIA+ Community

June 25, 2023

Andrew Pace, chair of the Committee on Organization (COO), provided an update on the committee (CD#27.1) and introduced the following action items: Modify the charge of the ALA Conference Committee Modify the name, charge, and composition of the ALA Council Orientation Committee Both motions carried. Toni Negro, chair of the Policy Monitoring Committee (PMC), proposed … Continue reading Council II: Condemning Discrimination against the LGBTQIA+ Community



Anne Holland demonstrates an eclipse-related activity by using a flashlight and a toy tree to cast a shadow.

Preparing for the Next Great American Eclipse

June 25, 2023

Librarians hoping to avoid last-minute scrambling to prepare for the upcoming annular (on October 14, 2023) and total solar (on April 8, 2024) eclipses visible in the continental United States attended the session “A Procrastinator’s Guide to the 2023/2024 Solar Eclipses” at the American Library Association’s 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago on June … Continue reading Preparing for the Next Great American Eclipse


Tatanisha "Tiki" Love

The Misrepresentation of Women in Hip-Hop

June 25, 2023

“Uncovering Unsung Sheroes: A Discussion of Women in Hip-Hop,” a June 24 session of the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago, shone a light on these artists and the challenges they faced while building their careers. The panel included Tamela Chambers, manager of the Chicago Public Library’s Beverly branch; S. … Continue reading The Misrepresentation of Women in Hip-Hop


Katie Strand, first year experience librarian at Utah State University, speaking at the “Connecting Library Experiences: Collaboration Across Library Types to Better Support our Patrons” session at the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago on June 24

Library Collaboration to Improve Information Literacy

June 25, 2023

USU’s efforts are one example of the benefits that can be gained when different types of libraries collaborate. Librarians from USU and the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, shared success stories in the session “Connecting Library Experiences: Collaboration Across Library Types to Better Support our Patrons” at the American Library Association’s 2023 Annual Conference and … Continue reading Library Collaboration to Improve Information Literacy


Aaron LaFromboise speaking at the “Food is Medicine in Medicine Spring Library: Food Sovereignty Needs in a Tribal Library" session

Food as Medicine

June 25, 2023

LaFromboise, American Indian Library Association (AILA) past president and director of library services at Medicine Spring Library at Blackfeet Community College in Browning, Montana, shared her story at the AILA President’s Program, “Food is Medicine in Medicine Spring Library: Food Sovereignty Needs in a Tribal Library,” at the American Library Association’s 2023 Annual Conference and … Continue reading Food as Medicine


Rachael Bild (left), teen services librarian at Skokie (Ill.) Public Library, and Analú María López, Indigenous studies librarian and assistant curator at the Newberry Library in Chicago, at “An Introduction to Organizing and Collective Bargaining in Libraries,” a session at the American Library Association’s 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago on June 24.

The Reasons for Unions

June 25, 2023

At “An Introduction to Organizing and Collective Bargaining in Libraries,” a session at the American Library Association’s 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago on June 24, a panel of five Chicago-area library workers addressed these questions by sharing their experiences with organizing, winning recognition for their unions, and negotiating contracts at their respective libraries. … Continue reading The Reasons for Unions