Wishing Chair Productions draws on the legacy of the prolific puppeteer Tom Tichenor, who worked in the library in the 1930s. After his death in 1992, NPL established a program in his honor that grew from small, single-performer storytimes to full-blown productions staffed by a team of 10 professional puppeteers. With marionettes, juggling, magic tricks, … Continue reading Bookend: The World on a String
Infobase Infobase is one of the largest providers of streaming services to libraries. Its Films on Demand service provides more than 42,000 streaming videos to academic libraries on a variety of subjects. Each video is divided into searchable segments, and users can create and bookmark their own segments. Downloadable and searchable transcripts accompany each video, … Continue reading Arts Online
ALA Executive Director Tracie D. Hall reflected on her first four months as head of the Association, a period marked by the simultaneous struggles of the COVID-19 pandemic and the global uprising against police brutality and racism. “Our resistance in these struggles requires our resilience,” Hall said. In 2026, ALA will turn 150, and Hall … Continue reading Misty Copeland Gets to the “Pointe” of Representation
Lost in the Stacks: The Research Library Rock ’n Roll Radio Show, broadcast every Friday from Georgia Tech’s (GT) campus station, blends music with discussions of library topics. The brainchild of Charlie Bennett, public engagement librarian and subject librarian for GT’s School of Economics, and Ameet Doshi, director of innovation and program design and subject … Continue reading Bookend: Libraries over the Airwaves
NBC’s Today cohost Hoda Kotb, journalist Mariana Atencio, actor and activist George Takei, CEO of Girl Scouts of the USA Sylvia Acevedo, journalist and activist Isha Sesay, writer and CBS Sunday Morning contributor Mo Rocca, and philanthropist Melinda Gates reveal the important role that libraries and books have played in their lives. If you have … Continue reading Dewey Decibel Podcast: Year-End Conversations
American Libraries spoke with her about music, art, libraries, and how climate activism is the new punk. Your life and image have been heavily documented already. Was it difficult to separate your memory of things from the photograph or the edited version of events? Oh, yes. Especially between me and Chris [Stein, Blondie cofounder and … Continue reading Newsmaker: Debbie Harry
Inspired by the 2015 protests following the death of Freddie Gray, a black man who fell into a coma in Baltimore Police Department custody, I developed Lyrics as Literature. The program is a series of four lessons designed to support the district curriculum, amplify student voices, and bring awareness to social justice issues. Each lesson is … Continue reading Empower Student Voices
The selections stumped most of the crowd and presented Johnson’s thesis: Music lyrics—especially in hip hop—should be viewed and taught as literature. Doing so, Johnson said, can allow students to find deeper meaning in their favorite songs and open new worlds of personal expression, especially in regard to social justice issues. Johnson’s project “Lyrics as … Continue reading Lyrics as Literature
In Episode 39, Dewey Decibel explores where to eat and see live music during Annual. First, American Libraries Managing Editor Terra Dankowski speaks with Meredith Pratt, author of Frommer’s EasyGuide to Washington, D.C. 2020 and the Annual Conference dining guide featured in American Libraries’ June issue, about the best places to dine in the district. Next, American … Continue reading Dewey Decibel Podcast: Insider’s Guide to Washington, D.C.
You spent much of your childhood in the Humboldt Park neighborhood of Chicago. Did you visit the library there? Yes, it had the advantage of being across from a park, in a neighborhood that had shops and candy stores. So there was a ritual: You’d go to the library, and then on the way back, … Continue reading Newsmaker: Sandra Cisneros
“I hadn’t realized this kind of work was possible,” she says. “Every opera company has a person called a librarian, but they’re usually an orchestra librarian”—typically a music preparation specialist with ensemble experience who doesn’t, like Cabaniss, hold an MLIS. Hired in 2014 as the company’s first information professional, Cabaniss makes sure the artistic, music, … Continue reading Bookend: The Show Must Go On
Patron paint-alongs During the events, patrons watch an episode of The Joy of Painting and paint along, while library staffers facilitate and provide canvases, paints, and other supplies. Some libraries hire Certified Ross Instructors, trained by Bob Ross Inc., to lead the workshops; others obtain video permissions from the official Bob Ross YouTube channel or … Continue reading Painting with Purpose
