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ALA Vows to Defend Core Values

November 6, 2024

In response to the results of the 2024 US election, ALA vowed to continue its defense of the core values of librarianship in the face of political threats. “We know that many of our members are concerned that the election results portend attacks on libraries, library workers, and readers,” said ALA President Cindy Hohl. “Whatever … Continue reading ALA Vows to Defend Core Values


A series of posters with text, set up on easels. The first poster is titled "Know Your Local Government."

The Political Scientist Is In

November 1, 2024

Noting the public’s eroding faith in the election process and its growing mistrust of many information sources, staffers at Vernon Area Public Library District (VAPLD) in Lincolnshire, Illinois, realized the library could help. The Pew Research Center has found that eight in 10 Americans trust libraries to help them find reliable facts, and that a … Continue reading The Political Scientist Is In


Librarian Corinne Wolfson wearing several buttons from Harvard University's political button collection, surrounded by a collage of buttons reading, "Wearing buttons is not enough," "Teddy is good enough for me (alongside a photo of Teddy Roosevelt), McKinley and protection, Draft beer not people, It's a man's world unless women vote, Boycott non-union lettuce, Proudly for Brooke - a creative Republican, Viva LBJ, Rocky has never lost an election, and an illustration of black and white hands cradling a dove of peace.

Bookend: Put a Pin in It

November 1, 2024

From the iconic to the incendiary, political messages like these have emblazoned buttons and pins since the start of US elections. Since 2012, Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government (HKS) in Cambridge, Massachusetts, has been archiving political buttons. The collection now includes thousands of items spanning a century’s worth of campaigns and causes. “Pre-internet, this … Continue reading Bookend: Put a Pin in It


Collage of listed book covers

Recommended Reading: Books for Election Season

October 16, 2024

True understanding takes breadth and depth. Often, it takes a book. For this election season, Booklist editors have compiled two fiction and nonfiction reading lists, for both adult and young adult readers. Among the nonfiction reads are titles offering historical context, a portrait of exemplary leadership, and inquiries into the workings of American democracy and … Continue reading Recommended Reading: Books for Election Season