food and drink Archives | American Libraries Magazine

Dewey Decibel Podcast: Insider’s Guide to Washington, D.C.

June 14, 2019

In Episode 39, Dewey Decibel explores where to eat and see live music during Annual. First, American Libraries Managing Editor Terra Dankowski speaks with Meredith Pratt, author of Frommer’s EasyGuide to Washington, D.C. 2020 and the Annual Conference dining guide featured in American Libraries’ June issue, about the best places to dine in the district. Next, American … Continue reading Dewey Decibel Podcast: Insider’s Guide to Washington, D.C. →

Dewey Decibel Podcast: The Buzz on Library Gardens

May 31, 2019

In Episode 38, Dewey Decibel examines how libraries are using outdoor spaces for gardening and food production. First, ALA Editions Acquisitions Editor Rachel Chance speaks with Kathy Lane, programming, events, and outreach coordinator at Boulder (Colo.) Public Library (BPL), and the BeeChicas of Boulder, beekeepers who advocate for sustainable pollination and beekeeping, about BPL’s rooftop … Continue reading Dewey Decibel Podcast: The Buzz on Library Gardens →

Food for Thought

By Emily Udell | May 1, 2019

A US Government Accountability Office (GAO) report released in December 2018 reviewed 22 studies estimating that more than 30% of college students face food insecurity amid the rising costs of higher education. The report estimates that there are nearly 2 million at-risk students—most often they are first-generation college students, low income, or single parents. A … Continue reading Food for Thought →

An attendee samples craft beer at a 2018 “Stouts and Stories, Ales and Tales” event hosted by Jefferson County (Colo.) Library Foundation.Photo: Steve Hostetler

Libations in the Library

By Anne Ford | March 1, 2019

The idea of alcohol at a library-sponsored event may strike some as unusual. But supporters say that serving alcohol increases event attendance, particularly among younger adults, and cultivates a public image of the library as a hip, up-to-date social setting. “People are used to relaxing with a beer or a glass of wine,” says Marcy … Continue reading Libations in the Library →

Judith A. Downie poses with growlers from CSUSM Library’s Brewchive. Photo: Brandon Van Zanten (Brewchive)

Tapping into Beer History

By Judith A. Downie | November 1, 2018

“Who’s collecting San Diego’s beer history?” This question—asked by Char Booth, California State University San Marcos (CSUSM) Library associate dean, during a brewing science certificate proposal review in 2016—launched what would become the Brewchive at CSUSM Library. In 2018, the archive received the American Library Association’s John Cotton Dana Library Public Relations Award. With the … Continue reading Tapping into Beer History →

Mobile food programs, like this one at Camden County (N.J.) Library System, are teaching food literacy and delivering nutritious meals in food deserts. Photo: Camden County (N.J.) Library System

A Movable Feast

By Lara Ewen | September 4, 2018

“The city of Camden has only one grocery store, and most city residents rely on small stores and bodegas for food,” says Devlin. “These stores have a more limited supply of healthy food, which limits meal planning.” Inspired by a visit to the nearby Culinary Literacy Center at the Free Library of Philadelphia, Devlin decided … Continue reading A Movable Feast →

"The Cooking Gene" author Michael W. Twitty presented at Association for Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS) President's Program "Dining from a Haunted Plate" on June 25 at the 2018 ALA Conference in New Orleans.

Michael W. Twitty: Author, Culinary Historian, and an “Agent of Change”

By Sally Stieglitz | June 26, 2018

Although sharing that his favorite Southern foods include barbecue, buttermilk pie, gumbo, and jambalaya, The Cooking Gene author Michael W. Twitty said he never intended to write a cookbook; instead, he wanted to research and document the journeys of his ancestors in the American South through the evidence of their foods and cooking methods. “I think we’re … Continue reading Michael W. Twitty: Author, Culinary Historian, and an “Agent of Change” →

Newsmaker: Michael W. Twitty

By Phil Morehart | April 27, 2018

Twitty serves as honorary chair of Preservation Week, held April 22–28, which focuses this year on cooking and community archiving. American Libraries spoke with him about what can be learned about the past through food and about his work with Preservation Week. What drew you to food and its history? Going to living-history sites like Colonial … Continue reading Newsmaker: Michael W. Twitty →

Congregating in the Kitchen

By Miranda Doran-Myers | February 10, 2018

As the session’s attendees engaged in conversation and shared what they learned about their table-mates, the point of the exercise emerged: Talking about food and cooking food together allows people to learn about each other. Liz Fitzgerald, the administrator of the Free Library of Philadelphia Culinary Literacy Center, expanded on the idea that culinary literacy … Continue reading Congregating in the Kitchen →

These wine labels are part of the Shields Library's special collection at University of California, Davis. Some labels list the names of people who shared bottles with viticulture and enology professor Maynard Amerine. Photos: © UC Davis Library/Special Collections

Preserving the Vintage

By Marcus Banks | March 1, 2017

One could expect that wine libraries are concentrated in California, the top-producing state, but wine collections and digital archives are also popping up in places like Indiana, New York, and Oregon. Institutions are providing for the information needs of wine enthusiasts of all stripes, and in doing so are reinventing and reinvigorating the meaning of … Continue reading Preserving the Vintage →

Claudia Alstrom, president of the Adult Library Garden Club at Sacramento (Calif.) Public Library's Rancho Cordova branch, teaches children about vegetables in the Read and Feed garden. Photo: Sacramento (Calif.) Public Library

Library to Farm to Table

By Timothy Inklebarger | November 1, 2016

For some libraries serving vulnerable populations, food-producing gardens and nutrition initiatives are born out of necessity. Others have launched programs to advance the causes of sustainability and education. When David Mixdorf was named director of the South Sioux City (Neb.) Public Library in 2009, he was well positioned to establish the library’s first community garden. … Continue reading Library to Farm to Table →

Latest Library Links

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George Takei is best known for his role as Sulu in the 1960s cult-classic TV show Star Trek, but the actor has found even more fame later in life thanks to his prolific social media presence and activist work. In his new graphic novel, They Called Us Enemy (Top Shelf Productions), Takei details his childhood years spent in internment camps for Japanese Americans during World War II. Takei spoke with American Libraries at the 2019 ALA Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., about his book and the profound and lasting danger of not learning from history.

American Libraries: Newsmaker, July/Aug.
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July 20 marks the 50th anniversary of the first crewed moon landing, when Apollo 11’s lunar module deposited astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on the surface of the moon. On July 21, 1969, Armstrong became the first person to set foot on the moon. To celebrate, the Academy of American Poets has curated this special collection of classic and contemporary poems inspired by the moon and space travel.

Academy of American Poets
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Anna Gooding-Call writes: “As a librarian, I think I could be forgiven for thinking that not enough people use the library. In fact, I feel this way most of the time. However, I have my days. These are the days when I encounter that 2% of the public that does not know how to be a good library patron. This isn’t just about not damaging the books. It’s about being a good citizen in a unique public space where personal boundaries can feel a bit fuzzy. I’m convinced that this is a lapse in education, so I’m gonna edumacate you right here and right now. If you think you’re a stellar patron, read this anyway.”

Book Riot, July 19
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Elisabeth Cook writes: “Ah, coffee and books: Two of humanity’s great loves. We loved coffee so much we named a table after it. We loved books so much we created a category of books just for that table. But today, we’re going to be mashing these two wonders of the world together and checking out nine of the best coffee books. In other words, books about coffee. Whether you’re looking for the best coffee books for baristas, the best books about espresso, or the best books on coffee in general, read on.”

Book Riot, July 19
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On July 19, 1848, the Seneca Falls Convention convened. Heralded as the first American women’s rights convention, the two-day event was held in the Wesleyan Chapel in Seneca Falls, New York. Despite a minimal amount of publicity, there were an estimated 300 attendees at the inaugural meeting. Many of the convention attendees lived locally, as there were a number of abolitionists living nearby. Convention organizer Elizabeth Cady Stanton and her husband Henry B. Stanton were both well-known abolitionists. Many working in the antislavery movement eventually became a part of the struggle to obtain equal rights for women.

Library of Congress: Today in History, July 19
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Jill Duffy writes: “Email can make us feel like we’re struggling to keep our heads above water. Is your inbox pages long? Do you begin every day reading email, thinking you’ll reply to the most important messages, only to look up and realize an hour has slipped by and you’ve done nothing so far? Are you running out of space for your email every few days? Does email feel like a productivity multiplier, or a productivity killer? Here are 11 tips for making email less of a burden. Let me warn you that these tips are rooted in common sense and don’t provide a magic bullet, which means they won’t blow your mind or become an overnight sensation. But neither will flossing.”

PC Magazine, July 15
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The exclusive screening of the newly released GKIDS animated film Okko’s Inn will highlight the Library of Congress’ “Anime for All” series, which is being presented in conjunction with Otakon, Washington, D.C.’s annual convention celebrating East Asian pop culture (anime, manga, music, movies, video games) and its fandom. “Anime for All” will be held July 25–26, in the Thomas Jefferson Building. The film screening—along with a collection display of rare Japanese graphic art, a panel discussion on the emergence of Japanese hip-hop, and a live Studio Ghibli performance—will showcase the evolution of Japanese storytelling traditions.

Library of Congress, July 17

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