Photo of ALA Executive Director Tracie D. Hall. Text says "From the Executive Director by Tracie D. Hall"

The Good Fight

September 1, 2023

By February 2020, a month before the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic, more than 5,500 criminal investigations had been opened in China against health care professionals and journalists accused of “fabricating and deliberately disseminating false and harmful information” about the novel coronavirus. Many were detained and charged with causing fear and hysteria, … Continue reading The Good Fight


Andiswa Mfengu, lecturer in the Department of Knowledge and Information Stewardship at the University of Cape Town talks about how the OCLC New Model Library Framework applies to libraries in Africa at the American Library Association's 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago.

A Global New Normal

June 26, 2023

The session “From Pandemic to Endemic: Global Experiences and Perspectives on an OCLC New Model Library Framework” brought together library workers from three continents alongside members of the research team who created the model to explore commonalities and key differences in how international libraries experienced the pandemic. Clara M. Chu, director of the Mortenson Center … Continue reading A Global New Normal


Alejandro Marquez

Don’t Ignore Quiet Quitting

June 1, 2023

For some people experiencing burnout, the solution has been quiet quitting, the phenomenon of employees doing the absolute bare minimum. The quitting part is a misnomer. Individuals aren’t quitting their jobs; they are setting clear boundaries. Quiet quitting is about self-preservation. A January survey found that more than one-third of US workers have disengaged (up … Continue reading Don’t Ignore Quiet Quitting


Ikebana

Flower Power

May 1, 2023

“People who come are fully engaged in the process,” says Matt Beatty, branch manager at San Diego Public Library’s Scripps Miramar Ranch Library (SMRL). More than simply decorative, ikebana is about noticing and appreciating the beauty of nature and bringing the indoors and outdoors together. Using principles of minimalism, silence, shape, and line, practitioners select … Continue reading Flower Power


A photo of one of the Wi-Fi-enabled benches installed by the Pioneer Library System in Oklahoma

Sit and Surf

May 1, 2023

The twist? Those patrons are doing this all outside while sitting at benches placed throughout the community—sometimes mere steps away from their own homes. PLS is one of a growing number of libraries nationwide to install high-tech, solar-powered benches that offer more than just a place to rest; they also provide free Wi-Fi and charging … Continue reading Sit and Surf


Opioid Outreach

May 1, 2023

Opioid overdoses remain a significant health crisis not just in the US but also Canada. An estimated 32,630 Canadians died from an apparent opioid-related overdose between 2016 and 2022, with the number of deaths accelerating during the COVID-19 pandemic. Most of those fatalities occurred in the provinces of Alberta, British Columbia, and Ontario. In western … Continue reading Opioid Outreach


Episode 81: Pandemic Pivots

Call Number Podcast: Pandemic Pivots

March 13, 2023

In Episode 81, Call Number hears from three libraries that have expanded, altered, and reimagined their offerings to reach community members who needed their services most. First, American Libraries Editor and Publisher Sanhita SinhaRoy talks with John Schaffer, the voice behind Curbside Larry, the character who went viral in 2020 for his infomercial-style videos advertising … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Pandemic Pivots


Illustration by Gaby FeBland

Three Years Later

March 1, 2023

In those early days, libraries grappled with the same issues as everyone else: closed buildings, plans put on hold, and diminished access. With this special report, we take a look at some libraries’ behind-the-scenes decisions to keep their communities connected and missions fulfilled. On the following pages, you’ll find stories about: early-pandemic adaptations and innovations … Continue reading Three Years Later


An illustration depicting COVID-era service adaptations by Gaby FeBland

From Makeshift to Mainstay

March 1, 2023

Three years on, which early-pandemic adaptations have stuck around? Which trends went by the wayside? American Libraries asked public, academic, school, and special librarians to reflect on how COVID-19 changed their work in the short and long term, and what these innovations taught them about their workplaces and users. Curbside service is here to stay … Continue reading From Makeshift to Mainstay


Three illustrated figures are seen reaching out to touch an illustration of a smartphone.

Getting Back to Giving Back

March 1, 2023

In a milieu of uncertainty caused by worldwide shutdowns, Brooks, executive director of Friends of the Library, Montgomery County (FOLMC) in Maryland and a United for Libraries board member, didn’t know if it was insensitive to ask the community to support the library with donations. She attended a workshop in 2020 on fundraising during a … Continue reading Getting Back to Giving Back


An illustration representing libraries who utilized relief funding to support recovery from the pandemic as well as natural disasters.

A Perfect Storm

March 1, 2023

The library served as a hub for the school’s approximately 400 students and faculty. It had separate spaces for elementary and high school students to study, check out books, and use computers. Maria and its aftermath claimed most of the library’s collections. Of an estimated 4,000–5,000 books, 90% were no longer usable. “Everything was full … Continue reading A Perfect Storm


A close-up of the cell phones provided through the Las Vegas-Clark County Library District's Cellphone Lending Program

Libraries on Call

March 1, 2023

When Las Vegas–Clark County (Nev.) Library District (LVCCLD) closed its doors at the start of the pandemic, the technological barriers that existed within the community were laid bare, particularly those affecting people facing homelessness. Last April, LVCCLD launched its Cellphone Lending Program, an innovative approach to providing hundreds of unhoused individuals with access to needed … Continue reading Libraries on Call