arts and music Archives | American Libraries Magazine

Call Number Podcast: For the Love of Music

July 15, 2024

Some libraries offered programs, hosted listening parties, and transformed into mini concert venues to celebrate their favorite musician’s latest release. American Libraries Associate Editor and Call Number host Diana Panuncial speaks with Kafi-Ayanna Allah, adult services program coordinator at Orange County (N.C.) Public Library; Yesenia Baltierra, assistant library director at Placentia (Calif.) Library District; and … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: For the Love of Music →

Newsmaker: Kathleen Hanna

By Megan Bennett | May 10, 2024

Hanna’s new memoir Rebel Girl: My Life as a Feminist Punk (Ecco, May) chronicles the challenges and triumphs of her life before, during, and after navigating the male-dominated genre during the 1990s, spurring the Riot Grrrl movement and paving the way for other women artists. American Libraries caught up with Hanna ahead of the … Continue reading Newsmaker: Kathleen Hanna →

Palm Harbor (Fla.) Library’s new music garden in action.

Libraries: The New Champions of Music-Making

By Jody Ashfield | March 13, 2024

Let’s firstly talk about fun! Libraries that feature outdoor musical instruments add an element of fun and are a significant asset to the community, fueling inspiration, generating energy, and engaging people in a new and exciting way. Libraries and music are both magnets for social connections, and many libraries have outdoor spaces that aren’t used … Continue reading Libraries: The New Champions of Music-Making →

Music and Mocktails at Grand Forks (N.Dak.) Public Library

Spirit-Free Spaces

By Cass Balzer | January 2, 2024

In response, several public libraries around the country are now providing adults-only, sober-curious programming to educate attendees on making alcohol-free mixed drinks, often called mocktails or sober cocktails. “Coming out of COVID, there were a lot of people [who said], ‘I want to get healthier, I want to feel better,’ and they tried a sober … Continue reading Spirit-Free Spaces →

Teen artist-in-residence Celia Hamilton uses the studio at Carmel Clay (Ind.) Public Library (top left) to plan and execute a photoshoot of herself wearing her fashion designs (right).

True Colors

By Stephi Smith | November 1, 2023

To connect with that part of her identity, Hamilton crafted a traditional garment—inspired by the Chinese moon goddess Chang’e—as one of three teens selected for Carmel Clay (Ind.) Public Library (CCPL)’s teen artists-in-residence program. She used a silk-screen process to print emerald-colored clouds on the garment and accented the white outfit with sheer green sleeves … Continue reading True Colors →

Philip Espe stands in a room with filing cabinets in the background. He is in a red US Marine Band uniform holding a stack of sheet music. Various pieces of music, memorability, and children's books are arranged on the table in front of him.

Bookend: Marching Full Circle

By Carrie Smith | November 1, 2023

All signs pointed to Philip Espe joining the Marines. The 34-year-old comes from a long line of military family members. But he also had a calling in music. Espe studied clarinet performance, earned a master’s of music in orchestral conducting, and directed community and youth orchestras. He used those skills when serving as a youth … Continue reading Bookend: Marching Full Circle →

Call Number Podcast: Every Witch Way

October 16, 2023

First, American Libraries Associate Editor Megan Bennett speaks with Dan Lipcan, of Phillips Library at Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. The two discuss the library’s vast collection of materials related to the 1692 Salem Witch Trials and debunk common myths and misconceptions. Then, three staffers from Troy (Mich.) Public Library—director Emily Dumas; Olivia Olson, … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Every Witch Way →

The Misrepresentation of Women in Hip-Hop

By Diana Panuncial | 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 →

Head curator Jenny Robb poses with collection items from the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum

Bookend: A Library of Laughs

By Megan Bennett | May 1, 2023

“When I was growing up, we didn’t have graphic novels for a children’s audience,” says Robb, head curator of the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum (BICLM) at Ohio State University in Columbus. “But now we have all kinds of stories,” she says. “Autobiographical, fantasy, adventure, you name it. It’s incredible to see this explosion … Continue reading Bookend: A Library of Laughs →

Call Number Podcast: Back in the Big Easy

January 17, 2023

In Episode 79, Call Number highlights two beloved aspects of New Orleans: its music and its food. First, American Libraries associate editor Megan Bennett speaks with library associate Joshua Smith about New Orleans Public Library’s new, free music streaming service, Crescent City Sounds. Then, members of the Call Number team and interviewees from this episode … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Back in the Big Easy →

Bookend: Beats from the Bayou

By Diana Panuncial | January 3, 2023

Swamp pop was a favorite among teens in the region, according to Sandy Himel, associate professor and head of government information and the Cajun and Creole Music Collection at University of Louisiana at Lafayette (UL Lafayette). She grew up with it, and it holds a special place in her heart. “I’m a native of Ville … Continue reading Bookend: Beats from the Bayou →

Jillian Rudes, school librarian at Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School in New York, talks at "The Value of Manga in School Libraries" session on June 26.

The Magic of Manga

By Diana Panuncial | June 26, 2022

Ratica was joined by Ashley Hawkins, librarian at the Samuel J. Tilden Educational Campus in Brooklyn; Sara Smith, teacher librarian at Sanger Unified (Calif.) School District; Jillian Rudes, school librarian at Metropolitan Expeditionary Learning School in New York; and Julie Stivers, school librarian at Mount Vernon (N.C.) Middle School. The panel, held June 26 at … Continue reading The Magic of Manga →

Latest Library Links

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Sarah Wild writes: “The Library of Congress (LC) is home to more than 175 million works humans have produced, from ebooks to ancient scrolls, which it aims to preserve for future generations. But even a library this extensive can only preserve a fraction of the books published annually around the world, let alone other formats. To learn more about how LC makes its weighty decisions about shaping our society’s collective memory, Scientific American spoke with the library’s collection development officer Joseph Puccio, who retired last month, and director for preservation Jacob Nadal.”

Scientific American, July 16
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Nick Tanzi writes: “For many library workers (and the public at large), artificial intelligence (AI) is an unfamiliar, poorly-understood technology. This is unsurprising when we look at the speed at which AI has been moving; we are in an environment of constant change, rapid innovation, and little regulation. There are enough problematic aspects of AI (algorithmic bias, hallucination, privacy concerns, etc.) where it would seem prudent to simply avoid the technology, at least until things settle further. This would be a mistake! Early engagement is critical to understanding artificial intelligence, and a working knowledge of AI within the library is necessary.”

The Digital Librarian, July 17
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Shannon McClintock Miller writes: “Genrefication is the process of organizing, classifying, and categorizing items into genres, making it easier for our readers to browse and find books they want to read. It also helps our teachers find books they want to tie to the curriculum and use with their students in the classroom. I would love to share 10 tips for genrefication that I have used within our library at Van Meter (Iowa) School.”

The Library Voice, July 21
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Michael Kimmelman writes: “The other day, I wrote about two new branch libraries in New York City, which share an unusual feature: They’re both paired with 100 percent affordable housing developments. The economics of building subsidized housing in America depends on land that costs little or nothing, which almost inevitably means building on public land. But having sold off much of what it owned, New York no longer has a large inventory of big, usable lots for deeply affordable projects. The city does own library branches, however. And they occupy public land in the heart of many neighborhoods.”

New York Times Headway, July 17
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Cindy Hohl writes: “As we look ahead to meet the information needs of our membership, it is important that we stand united to remember why we work in this trusted profession. ALA has some big goals ahead with the hiring of the next ALA executive director, celebrating the Association’s 150th anniversary, creating a strategic plan to elevate the role of ALA throughout the field, and ensuring that we have strong member leadership to offer guidance and support. Our core values help us see that what one holds sacred is a touchstone in advancing this work as we strive to serve everyone in #AGoodWay together.”

American Libraries column, July/Aug.
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Trey Walk writes: “Over the past few years, new policies and laws in Florida have stopped teachers from discussing sexual orientation and gender identity, while also repressing any honest efforts to grapple with systemic racism and slavery. [But] many people have taken a stand against these prejudiced policies, including in Florida. Their goal: to build a brighter future for the state. We hope today’s leaders fighting censorship in Florida can offer a blueprint to people across the US to further truly free and just education.”

Human Rights Watch, July 18
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Angela Dennis writes: “Young scholars, parents, and staff from the East Tennessee Freedom Schools program, a local summer enrichment program, marched in downtown Knoxville July 17 to protest literary censorship in public schools and libraries across the country. Recent legislation in Tennessee has fueled concerns about literary censorship. In May, Gov. Bill Lee signed into law an expansion of the Age-Appropriate Materials Act. Opponents fear the new law might exclude the perspectives of marginalized groups in educational materials. The Knox County Schools Board recently revised its library policy to align with the new state law, further fueling debate.”

Knoxville News Sentinel, July 18

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