Booklist 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 →

Reading Ukraine

By Donna Seaman | March 15, 2022

Nonfiction All the Kremlin’s Men: Inside the Court of Vladimir Putin, by Mikhail Zygar (PublicAffairs, 2016) Russian journalist Zygar portrays four Putins—“Putin I the Lionheart,” “Putin II the Magnificent,” “Prince Dmitry,” and “Putin the Terrible”—while presenting a thorough accounting of his many crimes against humanity. What Zygar discovered is that Putin’s inner circle has been … Continue reading Reading Ukraine →

ALA Unveils 2022 Carnegie Medals Shortlist

November 8, 2021

The 2022 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction shortlist titles include the following: Fiction The Five Wounds by Kirstin Valdez Quade (W. W. Norton & Company). Amadeo Padilla filled the role of Jesus during the re-creation of the Crucifixion as part of Holy Week. He also has heavy burdens to bear in his real … Continue reading ALA Unveils 2022 Carnegie Medals Shortlist →

Call Number Podcast episode 63: Getting Outdoors

Call Number Podcast: Getting Outdoors

June 22, 2021

First, ALA Editions Senior Acquisitions Editor Rachel Chance speaks with Web Administrator and Local History Specialist Erin Rothenbuehler and Programming Director and Local History Specialist Sean Duffy from Ohio County (W.Va.) Public Library about a series of programs they offer on bugs, most notably the Brood X cicadas. Next American Libraries Associate Editor Sallyann Price … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Getting Outdoors →

2021 Andrew Carnegie Medal Winners Announced

February 4, 2021

The selections were announced February 4 at the Reference and User Services Association’s (RUSA) Book and Media Awards virtual event, sponsored by NoveList. McBride’s novel takes place in a vibrant, multicultural 1969 Brooklyn neighborhood, and introduces readers to Cuffy “Sportcoat” Lambkin, the titular deacon and least likely of heroes. When Sportcoat shoots Deems Clemens, the … Continue reading 2021 Andrew Carnegie Medal Winners Announced →

2020 National Book Award Winners

November 19, 2020

Listed below are the winners and finalists in each category, with excerpts from the winners’ Booklist reviews (where available). Fiction Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu (winner) “Although the cover claims that Yu’s (Sorry Please Thank You, 2012) latest is a novel, his fiction, as always, defies easy labels. This hybrid conflates history, sociology, and ethnography … Continue reading 2020 National Book Award Winners →

Longlist for 2021 Carnegie Medals Announced

October 26, 2020

“This was unquestionably a challenging year for all the obvious reasons,” said 2021 Selection Committee Chair Bill Kelly in an October 26 statement. “And yet, in the end, reading proved to be just the balm one needs to sustain us, to give hope and strength and resilience in the face of an oppressively uncertain future. … Continue reading Longlist for 2021 Carnegie Medals Announced →

Lauren Francis-Sharma, author of Book of the Little Axe (Photo: Anna Carson DeWitt)

Libraries Transform Book Pick: Lauren Francis-Sharma

By Vanessa Bush | August 10, 2020

This interview was first published in Booklist’s August 2020 issue. A historical novel set in Trinidad in 1796 and the Crow Nation of the Great Plains in 1830, Francis-Sharma’s second novel (after ‘Til the Well Runs Dry) follows the struggles and adventures of Rosa Rendón, who pushes back against the restraints associated with her sex and … Continue reading Libraries Transform Book Pick: Lauren Francis-Sharma →

Reading for Change

By the Booklist staff | June 5, 2020

Booklist recently compiled a list of antiracist books and other resources for librarians and readers. The full list is reprinted below. It can, of course, also mean reading. We’ve seen the antiracist reading lists; there’s New York magazine’s roundup, Betsy Bird’s comprehensive piece for Fuse8, the Stacks’ collection of nonfiction, the list goes on. There’s … Continue reading Reading for Change →

Judged by the Cover

By S. A. Cosby | May 15, 2020

The following guest column is a reprint from the rereleased May 1 issue of Booklist. This is an opportunity to have substantive conversations about our perceptions, as well as the changing face of the publishing world and the paucity of diverse crime writers. In their desire to be socially conscious, many may have missed that … Continue reading Judged by the Cover →

Setting the Record Straight: Panic and Pandemics

By Briana Shemroske | February 14, 2020

On February 13, Booklist compiled a list of resources for librarians looking for information on the coronavirus and other epidemics and pandemics. The full list is reprinted below. Adult Books ★ Crisis in the Red Zone: The Story of the Deadliest Ebola Outbreak in History, and of the Outbreaks to Come by Richard Preston Preston, who first … Continue reading Setting the Record Straight: Panic and Pandemics →

Latest Library Links

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All ALA members are invited to volunteer for ALA standing committees for the 2024–26 term. Committee service provides members with opportunities to gain valuable professional development and leadership experience, make an impact on key issues and policies within ALA and librarianship, engage with colleagues from various types of libraries across the nation, and build their resumes. Volunteer via the online ALA volunteer form by September 30. (Be sure to select “ALA” in the drop-down menu on the main form). ALA President-Elect Cindy Hohl will make committee appointments, with notifications sent to appointed individuals throughout Spring 2024.

ALA Governance Office, July 18
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The ALA Publishing Committee Carnegie-Whitney grant provides up to $5,000 for the preparation of print or electronic reading lists, indexes, or other guides to library resources that promote reading or the use of library resources at any type of library. Projects funded last year include “Creating Accessible and User-friendly Black Genealogical Tools,” “Unlocking Our History Video Interview Collection,” and “Cultivating a Culture of Care: Trauma-Informed Librarianship,” among others. Applications must be received by November 3, 2023.

ALA Publishing, Sept. 14
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Megan Bennett writes: “Rick Riordan is best known for his Greek mythology–inspired Percy Jackson and the Olympians series, which has since inspired a larger franchise. In May he released The Sun and the Star: A Nico di Angelo Adventure (Hachette) with coauthor Mark Oshiro, about the son of Hades and his boyfriend on a journey to the Underworld. And September 26 Riordan returns to his original protagonists with The Chalice of the Gods (Disney Hyperion), chronicling Percy’s efforts to get into college. Riordan spoke with American Libraries about his newest works and the longevity of Percy Jackson.”

American Libraries Trend, Sept./Oct.
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ALA has released a new LibGuide designed to help library workers use Library of Congress (LC) digital collections in programming and educational opportunities. “Programming with Library of Congress Digital Collections,” is designed to help all types of libraries explore primary sources available from LC’s online collection and connect with their communities through programming and educational opportunities. The guide focuses on eight LC collections (Arts, Civics, Folklife, History, Literature, Maps, Military Experience and STEM) with collection highlights and suggested program ideas that are accessible and adaptable for various library types and audiences.

ALA Public Programs Office, Sept. 18
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Anne MaiYee Jansen writes: “It’s hard to find fault with librarians, those lovably nerdy folk who make a career of recommending books to readers in the community, even when they’re fictional. After all, what’s not to love about someone who passes their days in some of the only remaining quiet spaces in big cities and small towns alike? Since I am talking about fictional librarians in literature, there are some less-than-amazing ones out there. Despite the presence of one or two duds in the pages of all manner of novels, they’re worth taking a look at.

Book Riot, Sept. 18
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Leo S. Lo writes: “As libraries navigate the complex landscape of artificial intelligence (AI), it is crucial that they not only adapt to the existing policies, but also actively engage with them and develop best practices for AI use. Here are some practical recommendations for libraries: Establish an AI ethics committee, advocate for inclusive policies, develop best practices for AI use, and provide AI literacy education and training. The proposed AI policies from the US, UK, European Union, Canada, and China serve as a pivotal road map for libraries navigating the intricate terrain of AI.”

IFLA Journal, Aug. 27
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Neely Tucker writes: “Some of the most important works by Thomas Jefferson, Alexander Hamilton, Frederick Douglass, Willa Cather, Zora Neale Hurston and Cesar Chavez will be the focus of a new television series being produced by C-SPAN and the Library of Congress. The 10-part series—Books That Shaped America—starts on Sept. 18 and will examine 10 books by American authors published over a span of nearly 250 years and that are still influential today. It will be hosted by Peter Slen, the longtime executive producer of C-SPAN’s BookTV.”

Library of Congress: Timeless, Sept. 18

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