equity diversity and inclusion Archives | Page 48 of 50

Kim Wayans/Kevin Knotts Writing Team Brings Laughter to Authors Luncheon

August 7, 2010

Kim Wayans, joined by her husband Kevin Knotts, shared a bit of her life growing up in a family of comedians at the August 6 author luncheon during the Black Caucus of the American Library Association's seventh National Conference of African American Librarians in Birmingham, Alabama, "Culture Keepers VII: Bridging the Divide with Information, Access, … Continue reading Kim Wayans/Kevin Knotts Writing Team Brings Laughter to Authors Luncheon →

Libraries and Information Key for Little Rock Nine Member

August 7, 2010

"It was the Little Rock Public Library's [then] small Ivory branch for colored people that helped me to begin to process information," Terrence Roberts said during the opening session John Tyson Lecture, August 5 during the Black Caucus of the American Library Association's (BCALA) seventh National Conference of African American Librarians in Birmingham, Alabama. Roberts, an … Continue reading Libraries and Information Key for Little Rock Nine Member →

Librarians Head for the Hill to Rally for Reading

July 27, 2010

Librarians and their supporters spoke loudly and clearly about the value of libraries during the American Library Association’s 2010 Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., June 24–29. On Library Advocacy Day, June 29, some 2,000 librarians and library supporters registered for a rally at Upper Senate Park, according to Emily Sheketoff, executive director of ALA’s Washington … Continue reading Librarians Head for the Hill to Rally for Reading →

Support for Virginia Construction Projects Unwavering

By Leonard Kniffel | July 17, 2010

Despite the continued economic downturn, at least three significant construction projects in Virginia are continuing as originially proposed. Plans for a new main library in are “on schedule,” Norfolk (Va.) Public Library Director Norman Maas told American Libraries July 13. “We hope to have the new building open in the next 36 months, and another … Continue reading Support for Virginia Construction Projects Unwavering →

Librarian-Turned-AIDS-Activist to Bicycle 2,028-Mile Underground Railroad

April 27, 2010

Satia Orange, former director of the ALA Office for Literacy and Outreach Services, wrote this morning to say that former librarian Khafre K. Abif is planning to "Cycle for Freedom" by taking a 2,028-mile bike trip from the Gulf of Mexico to Canada, embarking June 27. Abif says his goal is "to raise awareness about … Continue reading Librarian-Turned-AIDS-Activist to Bicycle 2,028-Mile Underground Railroad →

2010 HAPLR Index Released

By Thomas J. Hennen Jr. | April 20, 2010

The 2010 version of Hennen’s American Public Library Ratings, using the latest federal data reported by 7,930 public libraries in the United States, was released April 15. Published since 1999, the HAPLR Index identifies the public libraries in America with the highest input and output measures. As index author, I add the scores for each … Continue reading 2010 HAPLR Index Released →

Librarians, Self-Preservation, and Construction Budgets

By Jeannette Woodward | April 2, 2010

Money, money, money! Of course, money is a subject that occupies many of a librarian’s waking thoughts and occasional nightmares. However, money issues on a construction project can become so numerous and so stress-producing that you may feel tempted to sign up for the Foreign Legion or flee to Timbuktu. If you’re embarking on your … Continue reading Librarians, Self-Preservation, and Construction Budgets →

Invest in Yourself

By Catherine Hakala-Ausperk | March 22, 2010

Crazy times, right? Whether you are new to libraries or you’ve been around for a while, you would probably agree that our world has been spinning in a lot of different directions lately. With budget cuts, layoffs, reductions in hours, and new technology around every corner, no one has the time or money to devote … Continue reading Invest in Yourself →

A Library Grows in Newburg

By Susan McNeese Lynch | March 22, 2010

In August 2009, a decades-old dream came true for the people of Louisville, Kentucky’s Newburg neighborhood. It came in the form of a new library, a branch of the Louisville Free Public Library (LFPL) system. Not surprising to many of the more than 20,000 residents in this traditionally underserved area, the Newburg branch has become … Continue reading A Library Grows in Newburg →

Designing Space for Children and Teens

By Sandra Feinberg and James R. Keller | March 14, 2010

Envisioning a new youth services space is a joint effort on the part of the architects, design professionals, staff, board, and community. It requires an examination of the mission and roles of the library and how the library utilizes space to satisfy the needs of the community and, in particular, the needs of families and … Continue reading Designing Space for Children and Teens →

(At Least) 21 Programming Ideas for Women’s History Month

By Kay Ann Cassell and Kathleen Weibel | February 10, 2010

Promote healthy conversation. In every community there is someone (a physician, nurse, pharmacist, physical therapist, etc) who can address women’s health issues. Plymouth (Mich.) District Library worked with the speaker’s bureau of the local hospital to present an exercise and nutrition program. Ask a local physician. That’s what the Bartholomew County (Ind.) Public Library did … Continue reading (At Least) 21 Programming Ideas for Women’s History Month →

Your Virtual Brand

By Meredith Farkas | February 4, 2010

I recently started teaching another great group of future librarians at San José State University about Web 2.0 technologies. I’m always in awe of their enthusiasm for the subject matter and for their chosen field. This year, I also feel a little sad, knowing that some of them will likely struggle to find work after … Continue reading Your Virtual Brand →

Latest Library Links

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Thomas W. Ganzevoort writes: “Columbus (Ga.) State University’s Simon Schwob Memorial Library is home to one obsolete feature: the library’s loading dock, an original part of the 1975 structure. Rarely used after the library basement was renovated in 2012, the loading dock was repurposed as a patio deck. A 2019 renovation added safety gate and railing, a fresh coat of paint and some picnic tables. However, something was still missing. During Spring Break 2026, what has become known as the Library Mural Project reached its fruition, when an army of volunteers descended on the loading dock to make the mural a reality.”

Georgia Library Quarterly, vol. 63, no. 2, May 1
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Adrienne De Luna writes: “Passive programming gets a bad reputation. But in the right environment—especially in youth services—passive programming isn’t just helpful. It’s essential. Not all passive programming works. And when it doesn’t, it’s usually not because of the idea—it’s because of the execution. Most passive programs fall flat when they are too complicated, not immediately visible, overexplained, not relevant to the age group, or left out too long.”

Youth Services Playbook, May 1
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Mars Brint writes: “In honor of Preservation Week, I’d like to discuss the importance and enjoyment of digging through old records. People want to know their history, understand their roots, and create a connection with the past, and it is such a pleasure to be able to help bridge that information and share resources. So I’ve decided to include some of my own basic tips, tricks, and resources that can help others find genealogical information in a pinch.”

NMRT Notes, May 1
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Aaron Tay writes: “Evaluation frameworks are a serious thread in information literacy, collection assessment, and procurement. The demand for them is real. My worry is that many evaluation matrices try to do too much at once. They aim to be universal. They give every criterion a score. They weight too many things equally. They also rely heavily on qualitative impressions, including for the thing that matters most when evaluating search tools: Whether the tool can retrieve and rank useful material.”

Aaron Tay’s Musings about Librarianship, Apr. 29
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Claire Wang writes: “Huntington Beach, California, must foot roughly $1 million in legal bills for restricting minors’ access to certain books at the city’s library, an Orange County judge ordered. In a tentative ruling April 27, Orange County Judge Lindsey Martinez said the city needs to pay $960,000 to attorneys from four legal organizations, who billed more than 1,300 hours of work on the high-profile lawsuit against the city’s book restriction policy. Martinez had ruled in September that the city’s book restriction policy violated the state’s Freedom to Read Act and cannot be enforced,” although an appeal is pending.

Orange County (Calif.) Register, Apr. 30; Sept. 5, 2025
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Grammy-winning composer, singer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Laufey has been named honorary chair of Library Card Sign-up Month. An enthusiastic reader, she founded the Laufey Book Club in 2022 helping to foster a global community of readers. Last year, Laufey partnered with four US public library systems and one in her native Iceland to launch limited edition Laufey Book Club collaborative library cards and encourage library card sign-ups. Libraries interested in launching a collaborative card this year should complete the enrollment form by July 10.

ALA Communications and Media Relations Office, May 5
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On April 30, ALA and the Banned Books Week Coalition unveiled the artwork for Banned Books Week 2026, October 4–10. The 2026 theme is “Let Books Be. Protect the Freedom to Read.” This year’s Banned Books Week campaign features three illustrations showing how libraries and access to information enrich our lives. The artwork from award-winning illustrators Hyesu Lee, Loveis Wise, and Mikey Burton embraces joy and creativity as acts of resilience, reminding our communities that a handful of people running organized censorship campaigns should not be allowed to dictate what the rest of us can read.

ALA Office for Intellectual Freedom, Apr. 30

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