The two medal winners will be announced at 9:45 a.m. Eastern on January 20, 2024, during the Reference and User Services Association’s (RUSA) Book and Media Awards virtual event, held during ALA’s LibLearnX conference in Baltimore. The 2024 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction shortlist titles include: Fiction The Berry Pickers, by … Continue reading ALA Unveils 2024 Carnegie Medals Shortlist
To Free the Captives was written in response to assaults on Black life and the racial reckoning this country was experiencing in 2020, but the book is mostly set in the past. Were there challenges to weaving the historic aspects with more personal narratives? It was hard for me to pull the past away from … Continue reading Newsmaker: Tracy K. Smith
The actor, known for his roles in the iconic series Roots and Star Trek: The Next Generation, has long been recognized for his work as a reading and literacy advocate. From 1983 to 2006, he was host of PBS’s children’s show Reading Rainbow. He founded Skybrary, a digital library app for young readers, and served … Continue reading Newsmaker: LeVar Burton
Riordan spoke with American Libraries about his newest works and the longevity of Percy Jackson. The Sun and the Star follows Nico, who has faced significant trauma and must learn to find “lightness” in the dark. How can this book help young readers experiencing trauma or grief? It’s often easier to process our own trauma … Continue reading Newsmaker: Rick Riordan
Library Collaborations and Community Partnerships: Enhancing Health and Quality of Life This title showcases libraries as vital collaborators in communities through their efforts to foster engagement, build connections, and serve as partners in leadership. Firsthand accounts of projects and programs help illustrate the ways these institutions are uniquely positioned to recognize local needs and facilitate … Continue reading Knowledge Creates Power
The unprecedented rise in book ban attempts at schools and libraries across the country in recent years—particularly challenges against titles by and about the LGBTQIA+ community and people of color—was top of mind throughout the conference, imbuing a familiar topic with fresh urgency. Participants continued to explore crucial questions for libraries: What do inclusive, accessible … Continue reading 2023 Annual Wrap-Up
“I wouldn’t have done it any other way,” Menzel—a world-renowned singer and performer best known for her stage and screen roles in Frozen, Rent, and Wicked—said about working with her sister Cara Mentzel, an author and former elementary school teacher. “I knew that she would bring it to life and guide me in my storytelling.” … Continue reading Newsmakers: Idina Menzel and Cara Mentzel
First, American Libraries Associate Editor Megan Bennett speaks with Jenny Robb, head curator of the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum at Ohio State University in Columbus, which houses the world’s largest collection of print cartoon art. Then, American Libraries Associate Editor and Call Number host Diana Panuncial hits the halls of ALA’s 2023 Annual … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: The Colorful World of Comics
Together, working together, beginning, over and over, over and over, Until you’re no longer beginning, you’re winning. Gorman began the Closing Session of the American Library Association’s 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago on June 27 by reading this passage to the audience. “I’m sure I’m not the only adult feeling a little weepy,” … Continue reading Beauty from the Refuse
These were the questions that guided the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC) President’s Program at the American Library Association’s 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago on June 26. ASLC President Amy Koester, learning experiences manager at Skokie (Ill.) Public Library, moderated “Leading with Your Hands and Your Heart: A Conversation about Leading … Continue reading Leading the Way
At “A Novel Idea: Jewish Identity in Genre Fiction,” a June 25 session at the American Library Association’s 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago, authors from the fiction subgenres of romance, mystery, science fiction, and fantasy shared how Jewish identity was embedded into their books. Panelists included authors Ronald H. Balson (The Girl from … Continue reading Providing Access Points
Wong-Kalu was a featured speaker at the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago on June 25. In conversation with ALA President Lessa Kanani’opua Pelayo-Lozada, Wong-Kalu discussed what it means to be māhū, her recently released picture book Kapaemahu, and what advice she would give to young people in these contentious … Continue reading Role and Responsibility
