Freedom to read faces federal scrutiny Following the Trump administration’s executive orders targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), the US Naval Academy removed nearly 400 books deemed DEI-related from its Nimitz Library (later returning most of them to circulation). Meanwhile, in April, the Supreme Court heard arguments in Mahmoud v. Taylor, a case brought by … Continue reading 2025 Year in Review
Last April, Choice, the publishing unit of the American Library Association’s Association of College and Research Libraries, convened the virtual panel “Affirmative Action and the Future of DEI.” Moderated by Fatima Mohie-Eldin, social sciences editor for Choice and editor of its Toward Inclusive Excellence blog, the panel explored how these coalescing issues are impacting academic … Continue reading Moving Beyond the Acronym
A good approach is to look at the most high-impact changes you can make early in the process to improve accessibility for users, even if the entire site is not fully accessible. The following sections outline several changes that can have a significant impact without requiring the wholesale redesign of a website. Structural elements Structuring … Continue reading Preparing for New Web Accessibility Requirements
“There’s a reason [for the lyrics of] ‘Bulls on Parade’ by Rage Against the Machine: ‘They don’t gotta burn the books / They just remove ’em.’ That’s what authoritarian regimes always do. Libraries and books are always the first step, along with picking out marginalized and oppressed communities. We have to point it out … Continue reading Noted and Quoted: Intellectual Freedom
The Librarians (2025) Director: Kim A. Snyder thelibrariansfilm.com Running time: 92 minutes About: The Librarians follows librarians in Florida and Texas as they work to protect children’s rights to access books from challenges like Texas’s Krause List, which targets 850 books focused on race and LGBTQ+ stories and has triggered book bans across the … Continue reading The Stacks on Screen
As library professionals, we often traffic in the timeless—in books, archives, and community memory. But this year’s ALA Annual Conference reminded us that timing matters, too. At a moment when the core tenets of librarianship—intellectual freedom, the right to read, equitable access to information—are under direct attack across the country, gathering in Philadelphia felt as … Continue reading Why We Show Up
Takei discussed his life as a closeted actor and how he came out at age 68, with Meg Lemke, graphic novels editor at Publishers Weekly, at the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2025 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Philadelphia on June 28. His coming out is also the subject of his new memoir, It Rhymes with … Continue reading A Rhyme of Himself
“We’re trying to uphold the tenets of intellectual freedom, we’re trying to have diverse collections, we’re trying to make sure people see themselves in the library,” said Kimberly B. Knight, director of Virginia Beach (Va.) Public Library. “[Staffers] want us to fight, they want us to stand up.… But we also want to speak strategically, … Continue reading A Delicate Dance
Here are several updates on the attacks against libraries across the US and the ways in which library supporters are pushing back. Hayden fired On May 8, Hayden learned in a two-sentence email from the Trump administration that she had been fired from her position as Librarian of Congress. On June 8, in Hayden’s first interview … Continue reading Five Months into the Trump Presidency
Welcome to Edible Alphabet, the flagship series of Free Library of Philadelphia’s (FLP) Culinary Literacy Center. Since 2015, the program has convened those learning English as a second language (ESL)—many from the Caribbean, Central America, the Middle East, North Africa, and Southeast Asia—to practice conversation and cook a recipe under the direction of an ESL … Continue reading Bookend: Eat and Greet
These intellectual freedom warriors have been instrumental in helping me serve in this capacity. First, my heart goes out to my husband, Nathan, who gives his all to our family—and as a manager at Johnson County (Kans.) Library (JCL). I am grateful to Team JCL for all their support during this interesting and important time. … Continue reading Honoring Spirits
That’s why, as a school librarian and a teacher, we felt strongly about helping our school, Friends Select School in Philadelphia, create a Lower School Gender and Sexuality Education committee in 2017. Prior to this, our school didn’t have standardized lessons for gender and sexuality; teachers addressed these topics according to knowledge and comfort, and … Continue reading Inclusive and Affirming
