authors Archives | American Libraries Magazine

ALA Unveils 2023 Carnegie Medals Shortlist

November 15, 2022

The 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction shortlist titles include: Fiction Greenland, by David Santos Donaldson (Amistad). While working on a historical novel about British author E. M. Forster’s Egyptian lover, Mohammed el Adl, writer Kip confronts his own trauma and alienation. Donaldson delivers a psychologically acute portrayal of a queer Black … Continue reading ALA Unveils 2023 Carnegie Medals Shortlist →

Newsmaker: Nina Totenberg

By Lara Ewen | November 1, 2022

Totenberg has written a memoir, Dinners with Ruth (Simon & Schuster, September), covering her own career and the relationships that helped shape it. She spoke with American Libraries about friendship, journalism, and covering SCOTUS in unprecedented times. What made your friendship with Ruth Bader Ginsburg special? It was special because she was special. All my friends … Continue reading Newsmaker: Nina Totenberg →

Call Number Podcast: Oh, the Horror!

October 17, 2022

In Episode 76 of Call Number with American Libraries, we examine what it is about the horror genre that fascinates us, sometimes repulses us, and yet keeps us coming back for more. First, American Libraries Associate Editor and Call Number host Diana Panuncial talks with Goosebumps and Fear Street author R. L. Stine. In this … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Oh, the Horror! →

Newsmaker: George M. Johnson

By Phil Morehart | September 21, 2022

Johnson, who is serving as honorary chair of Banned Books Week this year, spoke with American Libraries about their book, why it’s being challenged, and how it can serve as a call to action. All Boys Aren’t Blue has been challenged and banned in many schools across the US and has appeared on ALA’s Top … Continue reading Newsmaker: George M. Johnson →

Photo of George Saunders by Zach Krahmer

Newsmaker: George Saunders

By Terra Dankowski | September 1, 2022

In your forthcoming collection Liberation Day, “Love Letter” is about a grandfather who writes to his grandson in an authoritarian near-future, expressing contrition and caution about the political situation and observing that people are unpersuaded by others’ beliefs. Is this a speculative tale or do you think our country is at an impasse? In “Love … Continue reading Newsmaker: George Saunders →

This movie poster is one of 3,000 items in the Witchcraft Collection at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Photo courtesy of Cornell University Library’s Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections.

By the Numbers: Halloween

By Terra Dankowski | September 1, 2022

19th Century in which Halloween was popularized in the US, thanks in part to the arrival of Irish and Scottish immigrants. Halloween has its roots in the ancient Celtic festival Samhain. 65% Percentage of US consumers who planned to celebrate Halloween in 2021, according to a National Retail Federation survey. 6 Number of live “ghostcams” … Continue reading By the Numbers: Halloween →

Newsmaker: Celeste Ng

By Alison Marcotte | July 20, 2022

Ng, who spoke at the American Library Association’s 2022 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Washington, D.C., talked with American Libraries about the novel, which calls to mind the not-so-distant past—and the anti–Asian American hate we are seeing today. In Our Missing Hearts, libraries are one of the last remaining sources of truth, as an underground … Continue reading Newsmaker: Celeste Ng →

Call Number Podcast: Newbery Medal Winners

July 18, 2022

Call Number with American Libraries Podcast · Episode 73: Newbery Medal Winners If you have feedback for the podcast team, email us or call us at 312-280-4216. Tell us what you liked, what you didn’t like, and what you’d like to see us cover; we may feature your comment on a future episode. You can also follow … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Newbery Medal Winners →

Newsmaker: John Cho

By Diana Panuncial | July 14, 2022

Your book Troublemaker draws from your own experience. What inspired you to put those memories into a novel—especially one for young readers? I started reflecting on the ’92 riots-slash-uprisings because of the events of 2020 and the murder of George Floyd. We were stuck at home watching the news coverage of the Black Lives Matter … Continue reading Newsmaker: John Cho →

Luvvie Ajayi Jones appears as Closing Speaker at the American Library Association's 2022 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Washington, D.C., on June 28.

Making Trouble

By Terra Dankowski | June 28, 2022

“Disruption of this world is how we’re going to get to the place we actually want to get to,” Jones told attendees at the June 28 Closing Session of the American Library Association’s 2022 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Washington, D.C. “Maybe it wouldn’t be a dumpster fire if Batman wasn’t the one you had … Continue reading Making Trouble →

Jane Park (left) and Christina Soontornvat appear as part of the American Library Association (ALA) President's Program at ALA's Annual Conference and Exhibition in Washington, D.C., on June 26. Photo: EPNAC

‘This Is a Movement’

By Terra Dankowski | June 27, 2022

American Library Association (ALA) President Patricia “Patty” M. Wong convened a panel of authors, publishers, and literacy advocates to discuss these questions at “Advancing the Asian American Story,” a June 26 program at ALA’s 2022 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Washington, D.C. To better understand the strides the publishing industry is making with representation and … Continue reading ‘This Is a Movement’ →

Authors Maya Prasad (left) and Susan Azim Boyer speak at “Engaging Historically Underrepresented Young Adult Readers,” a June 27 session at the American Library Association's 2022 Annual Exhibition and Conference in Washington, D.C. Photo: Rebecca Lomax/American Libraries

Uplifting Underrepresented Readers

By Diana Panuncial | June 27, 2022

Torres and authors Susan Azim Boyer, Katryn Bury, and Maya Prasad shared their experiences growing up with a lack of positive depictions of themselves in books at “Engaging Historically Underrepresented Young Adult Readers,” a June 27 session at the American Library Association’s 2022 Annual Exhibition and Conference in Washington, D.C. The panel offered strategies for … Continue reading Uplifting Underrepresented Readers →

Latest Library Links

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Ewa Wojciechowska writes: “For those looking to program with purpose, the entire process begins and ends with your community. Similarly to how we perform diversity audits on our collections, it’s important to also take a critical eye to the programs and services we offer. As professionals we understand that every community is different and has different needs, and that our offerings ought to be tailored to those needs. It can be easy to go on “auto-pilot” when it comes to programming, but we should remember to look at all programs from time to time to evaluate their effectiveness.”

ALSC Blog, December 3
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The American Library Association invites library workers to apply for the Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grant, an annual award supporting innovative and meaningful community engagement efforts in libraries. Applications will be accepted between December 1, 2022, and February 1, 2023. View the full award guidelines and apply online at www.ala.org/LTCEG. The Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grant recognizes, promotes and supports innovative and meaningful community engagement efforts in libraries. It will provide two grants of $2,000 for a school, public, academic, tribal or special library to expand its community engagement efforts.

ALA, December 1
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The work of medical librarians is essential and varied. They provide information and resources that can improve patient care, promote public health, and support medical education and research. And their responsibilities are constantly evolving with technology and the implementation of new programming. In Episode 77 of Call Number, we highlight two initiatives presented at the 2022 Medical Library Association Annual Conference: Virtual reality programs that teach health science concepts in a new and engaging way at Augusta University in Georgia, and a specialized book club for pediatric hospital staff at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles.

AL: The Scoop, November 30
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Khamosh Pathak writes: “Canva started out as a humble, online-accessible graphics tool. But slowly, it has morphed into so much more. It’s closer now to a digital publishing suite, constantly evolving based on the needs of its users. Every couple of weeks, there are both new features and new use cases added. You can even use Canva to create websites for free. Canva is filled with many small, interesting features that all have a huge impact on usability, but aren’t found in the most obvious of places. Here are eight such hidden features you need to know about.”

Lifehacker, November 15
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Chris Stokel-Walker writes: “Almost from the time the first tweet was posted in 2006, Twitter has played an important role in world events. The platform has been used to record everything from the Arab Spring to the ongoing war in Ukraine. It’s also captured our public conversations for years. But experts are worried that if Elon Musk tanks the company, these rich seams of media and conversation could be lost forever. Given his admission to employees in a November 10 call that Twitter could face bankruptcy, it’s a real and present risk.”

MIT Technology Review, November 11
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Bill Furbee writes: “Every year, voters from small towns and big cities alike decide on ballot measures that affect libraries. This year was no different—and as in past years, American Libraries and the Public Library Association have partnered to look at some of the wins and losses across the country. One alarming trend: Organized groups of politically driven voters who oppose libraries carrying materials written by, about, and for LBGTQ people are banding together to reject levies that fund libraries—and fighting to get referenda on the ballot that defunds libraries altogether.”

American Libraries feature, January/February 2023
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Tracy Shapley Towley writes: “I spent the first 40 years of my life as a wannabe crafter. Crafting looked cool, craft books looked cool, but for some reason I did not think it was for me. Then I turned 40 and this switch magically flipped in my brain. It started with lots of in-person classes. And then the pandemic hit. In-person classes were canceled right when I had an enormity of time on my hands. And that’s when I discovered the joy of craft books.”

Book Riot, November 25

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