“I was very shy and self-conscious as a kid, and I never wanted to try anything,” Davis told the crowd at the Closing Session of the American Library Association’s (ALA) 2025 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Philadelphia on June 30. “My fondest wish was to take up less space.” Her debut picture book (released by … Continue reading Taking Up Space
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
DuVernay’s credits in film and television include Selma, 13th, Queen Sugar, and When They See Us. Two of her films have been inspired by frequently challenged books: 2018’s A Wrinkle in Time, based on the Newbery Medal–winning title by Madeleine L’Engle, and 2023’s Origin, centering on the life of Isabel Wilkerson, author of Caste: The … Continue reading ‘We Have to Work Together’: Action Beyond Banned Books Week
For its part, San Diego Public Library (SDPL), in partnership with the City of San Diego and the nonprofit Media Arts Center San Diego (MACSD), launched a paid internship program comprising a six-week video production training course taught by visual artists and film producers. The classes offered hands-on opportunities to pitch a documentary idea, shoot … Continue reading Lights, Camera, Internship
This trend of libraries offering streaming video is not new: In the 2022 Library Journal Materials Survey, responses showed that while 97% of libraries still buy DVDs, the proportion of libraries’ materials budgets spent on them has fallen three percentage points since 2019. At the same time, the proportion spent on streaming electronic resources has … Continue reading Kanopy Meets Budget and Connectivity Needs for Rural Libraries
“I’m always looking to do programs that are a little bit off the beaten path,” says Waters, youth services manager at Missouri River Regional Library (MRRL) in Jefferson City, Missouri. Enter centuries-old combat and training techniques, which have seen a boom in recent years, thanks in part to the emergence of historical European martial arts … Continue reading Talking Points
Adlesic is codirector and producer of The ABCs of Book Banning, a 2023 film that has been nominated for an Academy Award in the Best Documentary Short category. Sheila Nevins, famed documentarian and current head of MTV Documentary Films, led the project, and journalist-turned-filmmaker Nazenet Habtezghi also codirected. American Libraries spoke with Adlesic and Habtezghi … Continue reading Newsmakers: Trish Adlesic and Nazenet Habtezghi
Its companion book, Mamá’s Magnificent Dancing Plantitas (Minerva), will be released this September. American Libraries spoke with Trejo after his appearance at the American Library Association’s 2024 LibLearnX conference in Baltimore about his family, what fans can expect from his future work, and book bans. What role have libraries and librarians played in your life? … Continue reading Newsmaker: Jesús Trejo
American Libraries associate editor and Call Number host Diana Panuncial speaks with Hope Harms, eResources librarian at Johnson County (Kans.) Library to learn more about her library’s journey navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, Kanopy, and supporting today’s job seekers and learners. Call Number with American Libraries Podcast · Bonus Episode: Bringing Films and Series to the … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Bringing Films and Series to the Library
The library’s ephemera provides an illuminating look at Tinseltown and a record of the guild and its members: a Cold War–era FBI file on blacklisted screenwriting couple Hugo Butler and Jean Rouverol, two lifetime achievement awards given to seven-time Oscar recipient Billy Wilder, and screenwriter Linda Woolverton’s correspondence related to the development of Disney’s animated … Continue reading Bookend: Flipping the Script
Windsor did so by developing a game that invited players to visit Stratford’s local businesses to complete challenges and ultimately win prizes. Harry Potter and the Stratford Adventure was a hit that more than 70 patrons participated in during its three-week run. Windsor detailed the framework of her game and how librarians could implement similar … Continue reading Embarking on a Quest
On January 26, Talsma earned a spot in Jeopardy! history when he unseated fellow contestant Amy Schneider, who had racked up a 40-game winning streak, the second highest on the iconic game show. Talsma, multimedia librarian at Chicago Ridge (Ill.) Public Library, was the most recent in an impressive line of successful library contestants that … Continue reading Newsmaker: Rhone Talsma
