Ferguson Archives | American Libraries Magazine

Shingi Muzondo explains the Africa Portal.

A Portal to African Policy Issues

By George M. Eberhart | August 18, 2015

The Africa Portal is a good example of a poster project that was both relevant and well described. Started in 2011 by the Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI) in Canada and the South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA), the portal provides free, open access policy information on Africa by reputable research organizations that … Continue reading A Portal to African Policy Issues →

Ferguson, One Year Later

By Sarah Ostman | August 7, 2015

ALA: How are you feeling about the anniversary? Scott Bonner: Worried. Not knowing is the worst part. There’s a possibility that we’ll see a big crowd of protesters, and if the police react strongly, things could get rough. We just don’t know. I tend to be optimistic, but I was also optimistic about the grand … Continue reading Ferguson, One Year Later →

From left: Tasha Burton and Charles Wade, founders of Operation Help or Hush; Scott Bonner, director of the Ferguson Public Library; and moderator Leah Gunning Francis at the Ferguson One Year Later panel during the National Conference of African American Librarians. (Photo credit: Gerald Brooks)

Connecting Libraries and Social Justice

By Willie M. Miller | August 6, 2015

Reflecting on the tragic shooting death of Michael Brown and the resulting unrest, the Black Caucus of the American Library Association (BCALA) and NCAAL illuminate the role of libraries in meeting the needs of communities working towards social justice. In a short film screened during the 90-minute panel session, Ferguson One Year Later: Community Perspectives—Lessons … Continue reading Connecting Libraries and Social Justice →

A memorial to Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

NCAAL Unofficially Begins with a Pilgrimage to Ferguson

By Willie M. Miller | August 5, 2015

The tour, which was offered before the opening session of the 9th Annual National Conference of African American Librarians (NCAAL), gave librarians insight into the city’s history and culture. The tour started at the “Black Diamonds Walk of Fame,” an alternative to the more widely known St. Louis Walk of Fame on Delmar Boulevard. This … Continue reading NCAAL Unofficially Begins with a Pilgrimage to Ferguson →

Baltimore resident Kevin Eaton walks past the Enoch Pratt Free Library at Pennsylvania Avenue on April 29 as police were stationed against many city buildings and on the streets.

Libraries Respond to Community Needs in Times of Crisis

By Megan Cottrell | May 15, 2015

A pretty typical moment for most librarians, Diggs says, except that Tuesday morning, April 28, was no typical day. Just 12 hours before, rioting had erupted across the street from the Pennsylvania Avenue branch of the Enoch Pratt Free Library, when protests against the high-profile death of Baltimore resident Freddie Gray turned violent. As a … Continue reading Libraries Respond to Community Needs in Times of Crisis →

Ferguson’s Safe Haven

By Timothy Inklebarger | November 10, 2014

After being informed that classes would be canceled, Carrie Pace, an art teacher at Ferguson’s Walnut Grove Elementary, wanted to do something, anything, to help with the recovery. While driving through town she passed the Ferguson Public Library. That’s where she got the idea to use the facility as a place for kids to go … Continue reading Ferguson’s Safe Haven →

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Elisa Shoenberger writes: “The comics I grew up reading were those in the newspapers, and they were called the funny pages for a reason. In time, I began exploring the wider world of comic books, covering a wide variety of genres from superhero comics to horror. But I do have a fondness for the seeming simplicity of one to four-panel comics in the newspapers and webcomics for humor. For this list, I’ve put together my tribute to the funny pages. Most of the comics are short form comics, but a few are longer narratives.”

Book Riot, Nov. 11
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Jay Peters writes: “Bluesky gained more than 700,000 new users in the last week and now has more than 14.5 million users total, Bluesky COO Rose Wang confirmed to The Verge. The ‘majority’ of the new users on the decentralized social network are from the US, Wang says. The app is currently the number two free social networking app in the US App Store, only trailing Meta’s Threads. Instagram-bootstrapped Threads, which recently crossed 275 million monthly users, is still significantly larger than Bluesky. But the independent platform has seen a lot of growth in recent weeks.”

The Verge, Nov. 11
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André Salkin writes: “A militant but peaceful protest movement is underway at Carlos Gilbert Elementary School in Santa Fe, New Mexico. It started with a student petition and escalated to administration hearings, picket lines, and sit-in demonstrations. The movement’s aim? More library time. At the head of the protests is sixth grader Rainier Long, 12, an avid reader who was outraged to learn Carlos Gilbert Elementary would be cutting library time in half—to 30 minutes a week—this year to make more time for technology education.”

Santa Fe New Mexican, Nov. 9
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Timothy Peters writes: “Today’s organizations are making a concerted effort to demonstrate greater inclusivity in their workplace practices, processes, and larger cultures. Research has shown diverse organizations are more innovative, adaptable, and regarded as better places to work by current and potential employees. Systems thinking frames the organization as a single, interconnected and interdependent system, and abandons many of the traditional organizational concepts which stand in the way of inclusion. Through its emphasis on holism, fostering productive relationships, multidirectional communication, and transparency, systems thinking creates an organizational culture that actively includes and empowers.”

Library Leadership and Management, Oct. 2
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Small and rural libraries don’t always have the same resources and opportunities that urban libraries do. But they still have big ideas about how to serve their communities, and as we hear in Episode 98, they find ways to realize them. At Burlingame (Kans.) Community Library, sensory spaces and a new loanable resource collection are improving the lives of patrons with disabilities and their families. Meanwhile, at North Liberty (Iowa) Library, staffers are moderating discussions on hot-button topics that are getting community members to open up, listen to one another, and connect.

AL: The Scoop, Nov. 11
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ALA announced on November 12 the six books shortlisted for the 2025 Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction. Established in 2012, the awards honor the previous year’s best fiction and nonfiction books written for adult readers and published in the US. The two Medal winners will be announced at 10:30 a.m. Mountain on January 26, 2025, at the livestreamed Reference and User Services Association Book and Media Awards during ALA’s LibLearnX conference in Phoenix.

AL: The Scoop, Nov. 13
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Amy Katzenberger became director of ALA’s Development Office in early September. Among other fundraising activities, Katzenberger and her team have been shepherding the campaign for the Association’s 150th anniversary, which will culminate in 2026. Prior to joining ALA, Katzenberger worked at Riley Children’s Foundation in Indianapolis as director of foundation relations, where she secured millions of dollars in grants. Before Riley, she served as chief program officer for the American Camp Association. Early in her career, Katzenberger worked in ALA’s Conference Services department as a meetings and scheduling manager. She answered our 11 Questions to introduce herself to ALA members.

AL: The Scoop, Nov. 12

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