Call Number Archives | American Libraries Magazine

Call Number with American Libraries, Episode 66 - Library Architecture and Design: The Past Meets the Future

Call Number Podcast: Library Architecture and Design

September 21, 2021

First, American Libraries Senior Editor and Call Number host Phil Morehart speaks with Heather Hart, manager of Salt Lake City Public Library’s Sprague branch, about renovations that were made to the 93-year-old, English Tudor–style library after a flood destroyed much of the building in 2017. Next, Morehart talks with Sean Ngo from architecture firm DLR … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Library Architecture and Design →

Call Number Podcast: Libraries and Hip-Hop

July 19, 2021

In Episode 64, Call Number with American Libraries looks at libraries and hip-hop. First, American Libraries senior editor and Call Number host Phil Morehart speaks with Ralph McDaniels, the hip-hop luminary who created the influential Video Music Box TV show in the early 1980s and who now serves as hip-hop coordinator at Queens (N.Y.) Public … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Libraries and Hip-Hop →

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 →

Call Number Podcast: A Conversation with Nikole Hannah-Jones

April 28, 2021

American Libraries senior editor and Call Number host Phil Morehart speaks with New York Times journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, creator of the 1619 Project and honorary chair of Preservation Week, about the project’s origins, her team’s research, and why community archives are vital to preserving history. If you have feedback for the podcast team, email us or … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: A Conversation with Nikole Hannah-Jones →

Call Number Podcast: School Librarians Adapt to the Pandemic

April 20, 2021

First, American Libraries Managing Editor Terra Dankowski speaks with three school library media specialists for Goochland County (Va.) Public Schools—Sarah Smith from Goochland Elementary School, Sue Vaughan from Randolph Elementary School, and Zoe Parrish from Byrd Elementary School—about how they bootstrapped a bookmobile to provide free titles to kids learning remotely. Next, American Libraries Senior … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: School Librarians Adapt to the Pandemic →

Call Number Episode 60: Supporting Seniors during the Pandemic

Call Number Podcast: Supporting Seniors during the Pandemic

March 23, 2021

On Episode 60, Call Number with American Libraries looks at library outreach to seniors during the COVID-19 pandemic. First American Libraries Associate Editor Sallyann Price speaks with David Kelsey, outreach coordinator at St. Charles (Ill.) Public Library in St. Charles, Illinois, and president of the Association of Bookmobile and Outreach Services, about the importance of … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Supporting Seniors during the Pandemic →

Call Number Podcast: Washington Talk

March 12, 2021

Shawnda Hines, assistant director of communications at the American Library Association’s Public Policy and Advocacy Office, speaks with US Rep. Andy Levin (D-Mich.) about his support for libraries and work on library legislation, including the Build America’s Libraries Act that was introduced in the House on March 3. They also discuss how best to advocate … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Washington Talk →

Call Number Episode 59: Talking about Race

Call Number Podcast: Talking About Race

February 16, 2021

First, American Libraries Managing Editor Terra Dankowski speaks with Emmanuel Acho, sports analyst for Fox Sports and former NFL linebacker (and recent Midwinter Virtual featured speaker), about his YouTube series and subsequent book Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man. Next, American Libraries Senior Editor and Call Number host Phil Morehart speaks with Jessica Bratt, youth … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Talking About Race →

Call Number Podcast: COVID-19 Mitigation Measures

January 19, 2021

First, American Libraries Editorial and Advertising Associate Carrie Smith speaks with Sharon Streams, OCLC’s director of the REopening Archives, Libraries, and Museums (REALM) project. A collaboration between OCLC, IMLS, and science and technology development nonprofit Battelle Memorial Institute, REALM is studying how long the virus that causes COVID-19 survives on materials common to libraries, archives, … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: COVID-19 Mitigation Measures →

Call Number episode 57: Year-End Author Talk, with photos of authors Julia Alvarez, Yaa Gyasi, and Chanel Miller

Call Number Podcast: Year-End Author Talk

December 18, 2020

Author, poet, and essayist Julia Alvarez, writer and artist Chanel Miller, chef Jeff Henderson, ice dancers Maia and Alex Shibutani, and writers Echo Brown and Yaa Gyasi discuss their work and reveal the important role that libraries and books have played in their lives. If you have feedback for the podcast team, call 312-857-6761 and leave … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Year-End Author Talk →

Call Number Podcast: Let Them Lead

November 13, 2020

In Episode 56, Call Number looks at library efforts to support and engage teen activism. First, American Libraries Associate Editor Sallyann Price speaks with Donnell Washington, senior library assistant at Charlotte Mecklenburg (N.C.) Library, about the Better Hope for Tomorrow virtual summit for teens that he helped organize. Next, American Libraries Managing Editor Terra Dankowski … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Let Them Lead →

Call Number Podcast: Monster Mash

October 26, 2020

On Episode 55 of the newly named Call Number with American Libraries, American Libraries Senior Editor and Call Number host Phil Morehart speaks with Matt Ruff, author of Lovecraft Country, the bestselling horror/fantasy novel that’s been adapted into a hit HBO series of the same name. Next, American Libraries staffers reveal what frightens them the … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Monster Mash →

Latest Library Links

12h

The American Library Association (ALA) announced the return of the Spectrum Doctoral Fellowship Program, which seeks to recruit diverse LIS faculty members. The program, to be run in partnership with University of South Carolina’s School of Information Science, will recruit a cohort of 8-10 racially and ethnically diverse doctoral students focused on advancing racial equity and social justice in library and information science curricula. “There have been many discussions about the lack of diversity in the profession, and that includes the classrooms as well,” said Kevin Strowder, director of ALA’s Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services, in an October 14 statement. An information session for the fellowship will take place November 3; applications for the program open November 4.

ALA's Office for Diversity, Literacy, and Outreach Services, Oct. 14
12h

After 10 years of renovations, construction has been completed on the Richelieu site of the National Library of France (formerly known as Bibliotheque du Roi) in Paris. Improvements to the 300-year-old campus, known for its arts and heritage collections, include façade restoration, an interior garden installation, and facilities maintenance. Though the library has maintained hours during construction, the site is expected to fully reopen to the public in summer 2022.

ArchDaily, Oct. 13
13h

Kristen A. Graham writes: “The Philadelphia School District, with 200-plus schools, employed 176 certified school librarians in 1991. Today, that number is fewer than 10. Philadelphia has the worst ratio of school librarians in the country. Building 21’s new homespun library has no budget, no librarian, and was built entirely with used and new books donated or purchased cheaply at yard sales or through online marketplace sites. Though it lacks computers, a digital circulation system, or any of the sophisticated bells and whistles that are the hallmarks of better-resourced schools, the Building 21 library feels like a gift, says Simone Burrell, a recent graduate.”

Philadelphia Inquirer, Oct. 16; Jan. 24, 2020
13h

Melissa Stewart and Marlene Correia write: “So often educators favor fiction for read-alouds, book talks, book clubs, classroom instruction, and special assignments. They seem to believe that young readers prefer fiction, and yet wide-ranging research clearly shows that many students enjoy nonfiction as much as or more than fiction. To help students make sense of the wide world of nonfiction, we advocate the Five Kinds of Nonfiction classification system.”

MiddleWeb, Oct. 13
16h

Suzie Glassman writes: “My daughter is part of the 15–20% of students and adults living with a language-based learning disability. Once we diagnosed her dyslexia, I understood she needed the help of assistive technology to learn at a rate on par with her classmates, but I wasn’t sure where to start. In honor of Dyslexia Awareness Month this October, I reached out to several assistive technology experts to find out what technology they recommend for facilitating and improving reading, writing, spelling, and math.”

Wired, Oct. 16; International Dyslexia Association
16h

The Association of Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums (ATALM) has received $3.6 million from the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) under the American Rescue Plan to help Native cultural organizations recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. On October 18, ATALM and NEH announced in a press release that this money has been earmarked for subgrants for up to 175 Native cultural institutions and their partners. Awards will range from $5,000 to $50,000 and may be used to rehire furloughed employees, prepare facilities for reopening, document cultural practices, and create new exhibits and programs. Applications open October 20.

Association for Tribal Archives, Libraries, and Museums, Oct. 18
17h

K. W. Colyard writes: “The most influential sci-fi books of all time have shaped not just science fiction and its myriad subgenres, but horror, fantasy, and manga, as well. Filmmakers have drawn inspiration for the stories between their covers, and real-world STEM developments have been made in their names. Without these books, for better or worse, our world would not be what it is today.”

Book Riot, Oct. 12

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