authors Archives | American Libraries Magazine

Let Books Be header with headshots of Jennifer L. Armentrout, Stephen Chbosky, Malinda Lo, Ellen Hopkins, and Patricia McCormick

Authors Discuss Being Banned, Part 1: Patricia McCormick and Stephen Chbosky

By Megan Bennett | October 5, 2026

Behind each title is an author being professionally—and sometimes personally—targeted for the stories they have chosen to share. These works usually amplify marginalized voices such as abuse victims or those within the LGBTQ+ community. American Libraries spoke with five authors on the Top 11 Most Challenged Books of 2025 list included in the report to … Continue reading Authors Discuss Being Banned, Part 1: Patricia McCormick and Stephen Chbosky →

Newsmaker: Min Jin Lee

By Terra Dankowski | September 1, 2026

Her latest title, American Hagwon (Cardinal, September), examines the influence of Korean “cram schools” among families in the Korean diaspora. American Libraries spoke with Lee ahead of her appearance at the American Library Association’s 2026 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago. She discussed her new book, the library that shaped her, and her antidote to … Continue reading Newsmaker: Min Jin Lee →

2026 Annual Conference Wrap-Up

By Sallyann Price | July 14, 2026

At the Opening General Session, journalist, author, and podcaster Rachel Maddow set the tone for a convening that was both celebratory and deeply reflective on what’s happening in the world. Shifting demographics, rapid advances in technology, and the rise of authoritarianism are all affecting how libraries serve their communities. But libraries give Maddow cause for … Continue reading 2026 Annual Conference Wrap-Up →

Talking Back to Injustice

By Terra Dankowski | June 29, 2026

“[I felt] kind of irresponsible,” said Crenshaw, who is perhaps best known for her work in the critical race theory movement and coining the term intersectionality. “Shouldn’t we all be out there in the streets doing this work?” But Backtalker (Simon & Schuster), a book that represents “the sum total of what it means to … Continue reading Talking Back to Injustice →

Balancing It All

By Greg Landgraf | June 28, 2026

In conversation with American Library Association (ALA) President Sam Helmick during the ALA President’s Program at ALA’s 2026 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago on June 28, Biden spoke about her time in the White House and her new book, View from the East Wing (Gallery Books). “I know there was a lot of press … Continue reading Balancing It All →

Creativity That Lights the Soul

By Greg Landgraf | June 28, 2026

Embracing your individual creativity is central theme in her forthcoming children’s book, Cat and Lola: School Picture Day (Gloo Books, September), which she introduced as a featured speaker June 28 at the American Library Association’s 2026 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago. “This is the first day I’m seeing this, touching it, and smelling it, … Continue reading Creativity That Lights the Soul →

Prices Paid for Lessons Learned

By Terra Dankowski | June 28, 2026

“As a person who was an outsider, in order for me to learn how to behave in certain spaces, I read these old novels,” Lee told attendees at the American Library Association’s 2026 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago on June 27. “I think it’s the most romantic thing I could say, but my life … Continue reading Prices Paid for Lessons Learned →

A Storied Career

By Terra Dankowski | June 27, 2026

“Tell me the truth, though—how many people saw my name in the program and thought, ‘I had no idea she was still alive’?” The 89-year-old author—twice a winner of the Newbery Medal, for The Giver and Number the Stars—took the stage to a standing ovation at the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2026 Annual Conference and … Continue reading A Storied Career →

Inheritance as Nourishment

By Terra Dankowski | June 26, 2026

“I’ve only seen this many librarians in my dreams!” she exclaimed. “The fact that there are 3,000 of you in the room really does feel like I’m dead!” The award-winning host of The Rachel Maddow Show on MSNOW and creator of the narrative podcast series Burn Order took the stage as Opening General Session speaker … Continue reading Inheritance as Nourishment →

2026 Annual Conference Preview

By Sallyann Price | June 1, 2026

The tone and content of this year’s slate of speakers, programs, and gatherings strike a balance between the retrospective and the speculative, as library workers and advocates stake out a brighter, stronger, and more inclusive and accessible future for libraries of all types. Other sessions will study the present moment, as technological advancements and cultural … Continue reading 2026 Annual Conference Preview →

Author Megha Majumdar standing by pillars of a building

Newsmaker: Megha Majumdar

By Donna Seaman | June 1, 2026

Born and raised in Kolkata, India, Majumdar studied social anthropology at Harvard, then earned a master’s in anthropology at Johns Hopkins. Her gripping second novel, A Guardian and a Thief, is set in a near-future Kolkata besieged by the ever-worsening climate crisis. It received this year’s Carnegie Medal, which will be presented to Majumdar on … Continue reading Newsmaker: Megha Majumdar →

Mychal Threets showing "Library Joy" T-shirt with rainbow in the background and the cover of his new kids' book

Newsmaker: Mychal Threets

By Sallyann Price | March 2, 2026

You’ve talked about being a library kid long before you ever worked at the library. How did you start to see it as a career path? It took a lot of failure. It took a lot of mistakes, a lot of careers not panning out. My dream job was to be in the military. Even … Continue reading Newsmaker: Mychal Threets →

Latest Library Links

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ALA and the American Association of School Librarians endorsed the bicameral Quality Educator Partnership Act (QEPA). QEPA would address nationwide educator shortages by building federal infrastructure, removing barriers to the profession, expanding preparation pathways, and strengthening data and accountability. Notably, the bill also promotes efforts to make working in education a more attractive, affordable, and sustainable career options for today’s workforce. The bill’s provisions either directly specify the inclusion of school library media specialists or use the term “educator,” which, as defined, includes school library media specialists.

ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, Sept. 30
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Emily Long writes: “Canva is one of the most popular design tools for creating everything from fliers and business cards to interactive presentations. It’s pretty user-friendly even for those who don’t have any design experience, but if you want to level up your Canva experience, consider these tips and tricks.”

Lifehacker, Sept. 29
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Roger C. Schonfeld writes: “We are moving away from a model that is primarily organized around digital asset management. Instead, we may wish to think in terms of the activation infrastructure for distinctive collections. Rather than comparatively passive institutional digital custody, an activation infrastructure has as its purpose to maximize the impact of distinctive collections. This activation infrastructure incorporates library and archival professionals, technicians and student workers, distinctive collections, processing workflows, digital systems, and consortial and other cross-institutional tooling, among other elements. Foundationally, it is a kind of fly-wheel, benefiting from, and in turn generating, cross-institutional scale.”

The Scholarly Kitchen, Sept. 29
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Olina Banerji writes: “School boards have been mired in fractious political debates in recent years. Fights with parents and community members have branched out to topics like transgender students’ rights and whether to remove certain books from school libraries. But beyond school board meetings, communities don’t have easy access to information on how their school board members vote on these topics. A new national dashboard will present data on how school boards in 161 districts vote on book bans, LGBTQ-student policies, limits on what teachers can teach, private school choice, and the presence of immigration enforcement agents in schools.”

Education Week, Sept. 25
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Abigail Goben writes: “About a year ago I was invited to give a lecture designed to spark critical thinking in graduate students when considering using generative artificial intelligence and other tools. I wanted something to hang the presentation on, and an acronym emerged. The ACToRS framework is a lens in which to consider the products and vaporware that is being marketed to us, to consider what problem we are trying to solve, and to take a step back from the exclamation points and assertions of Faster! Better! Now! It stands for: accountability, credit, trust, risk, and surveillance.”

Hedgehog Librarian, Sept. 22
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“Library censorship surged in 2025. Small and rural libraries face these challenges with a fraction of the staff and budget of their urban counterparts, which is exactly why the Association for Rural and Small Libraries wanted to ask our members what building a diverse collection actually looks like in their communities. The strategies librarians described were practical, not theoretical. Most rely on patron requests, review journals, and vendor lists to guide their purchasing, and interlibrary loan programs to fill gaps they can’t afford to buy outright.”

Book Riot/Association for Rural and Small Libraries, Sept. 25
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Camellia Burris writes: “Former library director Luanne James is suing Rutherford County (Tenn.) Library System six months after she was fired for refusing to relocate LGBTQ-related books. Luanne James filed a federal civil rights lawsuit September 23 in the US District Court in Nashville. She’s claiming that Rutherford County’s library board wrongfully terminated her in March, violating discrimination laws and her First Amendment right to freedom of speech. The board voted 8–3 to oust James after she refused an order to relocate more than 100 books from the children’s section to the adult’s section.”

WPLN-FM (Nashville), Sept. 25, Mar. 31

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