Halloween Archives | American Libraries Magazine

Call Number Podcast: The Haunting of Peoria Public Library

October 25, 2024

Is the building possessed by spirits hovering above cursed ground? Or, are these apparitions just a sign that the librarians have been spending too much time in the stacks? In this Halloween season rebroadcast of Episode 31, “The Haunting of Peoria Public Library,” originally aired in 2018, past-host Phil Morehart road-trips to Peoria in Central … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: The Haunting of Peoria Public Library →

Spirit in the Stacks

By Anne Ford | September 3, 2024

“As soon as they get their card, they immediately place a hold on a ghost-hunting kit,” Knisley says. Like many libraries, CCPL has begun loaning out collections of specialized electronic items said to help seekers of the supernatural track down spirits. These kits usually consist of a backpack or carrying case filled with items such … Continue reading Spirit in the Stacks →

Call Number Podcast: Every Witch Way

October 16, 2023

First, American Libraries Associate Editor Megan Bennett speaks with Dan Lipcan, of Phillips Library at Peabody Essex Museum in Salem, Massachusetts. The two discuss the library’s vast collection of materials related to the 1692 Salem Witch Trials and debunk common myths and misconceptions. Then, three staffers from Troy (Mich.) Public Library—director Emily Dumas; Olivia Olson, … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Every Witch Way →

Call Number Podcast: Oh, the Horror!

October 17, 2022

In Episode 76 of Call Number with American Libraries, we examine what it is about the horror genre that fascinates us, sometimes repulses us, and yet keeps us coming back for more. First, American Libraries Associate Editor and Call Number host Diana Panuncial talks with Goosebumps and Fear Street author R. L. Stine. In this … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Oh, the Horror! →

This movie poster is one of 3,000 items in the Witchcraft Collection at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Photo courtesy of Cornell University Library’s Division of Rare and Manuscript Collections.

By the Numbers: Halloween

By Terra Dankowski | September 1, 2022

19th Century in which Halloween was popularized in the US, thanks in part to the arrival of Irish and Scottish immigrants. Halloween has its roots in the ancient Celtic festival Samhain. 65% Percentage of US consumers who planned to celebrate Halloween in 2021, according to a National Retail Federation survey. 6 Number of live “ghostcams” … Continue reading By the Numbers: Halloween →

Call Number Podcast: Zombies!

October 19, 2021

In Episode 67, Call Number with American Libraries celebrates Halloween with a look at libraries and the living dead. First, American Libraries Senior Editor and Call Number host Phil Morehart speaks with Ben Rubin, horror studies collection coordinator at University of Pittsburgh Library System, about the George A. Romero Archival Collection, which was gifted to … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Zombies! →

Call Number Podcast: Monster Mash

October 26, 2020

On Episode 55 of the newly named Call Number with American Libraries, American Libraries Senior Editor and Call Number host Phil Morehart speaks with Matt Ruff, author of Lovecraft Country, the bestselling horror/fantasy novel that’s been adapted into a hit HBO series of the same name. Next, American Libraries staffers reveal what frightens them the … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Monster Mash →

The North Miami (Fla.) Public Library steeple with pumpkin placed by Coxie's Army. Photo: North Miami Public Library

Library Pumpkin Prank Steeped in Mystery

By Bill Furbee | October 29, 2019

“What started as an adventurous prank when the members of the group were in their teens has become a true feat now that the [original] members must be well into their 60s,” says NMPL director Lucia M. Gonzalez. Poems, notes, and sometimes photos with identities obscured accompany the pumpkins. NMPL staffers display this ephemera inside … Continue reading Library Pumpkin Prank Steeped in Mystery →

Dewey Decibel Podcast: It’s a Mystery

October 25, 2019

First, American Libraries Senior Editor and Dewey Decibel host Phil Morehart speaks with Rebekah Heath, a research librarian and amateur sleuth who helped uncover the identities of the victims of the Bear Brook Murders in Allenstown, New Hampshire. Next, American Libraries Managing Editor Terra Dankowski and Sarah Ostman, communications manager in the American Library Association’s … Continue reading Dewey Decibel Podcast: It’s a Mystery →

Newsmaker: Megan Rosenbloom

By Sallyann Price | October 22, 2019

Rosenbloom, a medical librarian at University of Southern California (USC) and obituary editor for the Journal of the Medical Library Association, is a leader in the “death positive” movement and the Order of the Good Death, a group of “funeral industry professionals, academics, and artists exploring ways to prepare a death phobic culture for their … Continue reading Newsmaker: Megan Rosenbloom →

Dewey Decibel podcast presents its Halloween episode, “The Haunting of Peoria (Ill.) Public Library.”

The Haunting of Peoria Public Library

October 26, 2018

What’s going on at Peoria (Ill.) Public Library? Is the building possessed by spirits hovering above cursed ground? Or are these apparitions just a sign that librarians have been spending too much time in the stacks? Do not attempt to adjust your audio. In Episode 31, “The Haunting of Peoria Public Library”—our special Halloween episode … Continue reading The Haunting of Peoria Public Library →

The A1 Mystery of Avon Lake

October 25, 2017

In Episode 19—our special Halloween episode—Dewey goes on the road to bring you a story from Avon Lake, a town nestled along Lake Erie with a population of about 23,000. Lurking below the idyllic setting is a condiment caper that’s been baffling the community for months. Dewey Decibel correspondent Terra Dankowski—inspired by a photograph that … Continue reading The A1 Mystery of Avon Lake →

Latest Library Links

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Anne Ford writes: “Adele Puccio, director of Maurice M. Pine Free Public Library in Fair Lawn, New Jersey, comes by her wedding dress obsession honestly. ‘When I was a kid, my great-aunt was the buyer at [famous New York bridal boutique] Kleinfeld’s, so I used to go over and look at all the dresses,” she says. “Other people were buying Seventeen; I was buying Brides.’ Decades later, Puccio’s passion now manifests itself in a rotating collection of vintage and modern bridal gowns, which she stores in her library office and loans to any bride who asks.”

American Libraries column, Mar./Apr.
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Martha Meyer writes: “About three in five young adults worldwide report they are “worried” about climate change, but 55% of teachers don’t address the topic because they feel unprepared to do so. And when it comes to books that present climate information to preschool- and elementary-age kids, many titles end up exacerbating readers’ fears or engaging in greenwashing. Our mid-size Midwestern public library thought: Why not develop an award to honor excellent titles that buck this trend?”

American Libraries column, Mar./Apr.
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“Greening your library with limited resources and lukewarm buy-in might seem overwhelming. But sustainability is also about committing to small changes. Here’s a list of low-lift ideas that libraries of any type or size can start incorporating.” Libraries can develop zero-waste programming, start seed libraries, forge partnerships to reuse waste, host repair cafes, and much more.

American Libraries feature, Mar./Apr.
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Minyoung Kim writes: “In the summer of 2024, I spent eight weeks at the American Antiquarian Society (AAS) for my first paper conservation internship. Under the guidance of Chief Conservator Babette Gehnrich—who has dedicated over 35 years to stewarding this remarkable collection—I had the privilege of engaging in various conservation projects. Through this internship, I came to appreciate how AAS’s vast collection, comprising over four million items, embodies American history not only through its texts and imagery but also through traces of use, repair, and past conservation efforts.”

Past is Present, Apr. 22
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ALA and the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) organized the inaugural ALA School Librarians Conference in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates, April 15–16. The event brought together a lineup of school librarians and education experts from around the world, with the goal of fostering a reading culture and enhancing school library systems across the region. It was planned in conjunction with the Sharjah Book Authority, the Emirates Library and Information Association, and the Combined Book Exhibit. AASL President Becky Calzada delivered the keynote address.

Sharjah 24 (United Arab Emirates), Apr. 15
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Alison Marcotte writes: “About a decade ago, filmmaker Dawn Logsdon started documenting life in libraries throughout the country. Since she began filming, public libraries have been on the front lines of a battlefield over intellectual freedom, facing threats of closures and an unprecedented surge of book challenges and bans. In the upcoming documentary Free for All: The Public Library, which premieres April 29 on PBS’s Independent Lens, Logsdon and codirector Lucie Faulknor trace the public library’s history since the late 19^th century. American Libraries spoke with the duo about libraries in today’s sociopolitical climate and the unsung heroes in library history.”

American Libraries Trend, Apr. 23
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After President Trump’s executive order to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), states are grappling with how the cuts will affect their services. While South Dakota has not received formal notification of the elimination of IMLS funding, it has suspended its interlibrary loan courier program funded by IMLS grants. The Philadelphia School District has seen the cancellation of a $150,000 IMLS grant that would help it develop a model to reopen school libraries with certified school librarians. The Alabama Senate, meanwhile, has implemented a plan to use state money to replace up to $3 million in lost federal funds. See additional updates from Kentucky, Wisconsin, Arizona, Missouri, Idaho, and Washington.

South Dakota Searchlight, Apr. 15; AL: The Scoop, Mar. 16; Philadelphia Inquirer, Apr. 22; Alabama Political Reporter, Apr. 22; Louisville (Ky.) Courier-Journal, Apr. 22; Wisconsin Examiner, Apr. 21; Queen Creek Tribune (Tempe, Ariz.), Apr. 22; KCUR-FM (Kansas City, Mo.), Apr. 21; Idaho Capital Sun, Apr. 16; KUOW-FM (Seattle), Apr. 11

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