Innovative Approaches to Literacy Archives | American Libraries Magazine

Funding Closes Below Expectations for Libraries

By Kathi Kromer | March 24, 2022

Why was this disappointing for libraries? The final budget agreement between the administration and US House and Senate leadership unfortunately resulted in funding significantly below levels originally proposed by Congress. (See ALA’s FY2022 federal funding for libraries chart.) This was the case not only for many library programs but for most other domestic programs as … Continue reading Funding Closes Below Expectations for Libraries →

Fund Libraries: Tell Congress to Invest in Libraries graphic

IMLS Receives $10 Million Increase in FY2020

By Kathi Kromer | December 20, 2019

For the third year in a row, American Library Association (ALA) advocates called, emailed, tweeted, and met with their members of Congress in Washington, D.C., and at home. ALA President Wanda Kay Brown said in a December 19 statement, “This is your win!” Congress appropriated $252 million for IMLS, including a $6.2 million increase dedicated … Continue reading IMLS Receives $10 Million Increase in FY2020 →

From left: Moderator Liana Heitin Loewus; Elizabeth Rush, library specialist at Northside Independent School District in Leon Valley, Texas; Nawaid Ladak, legislative assistant to Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-Tex.); and Dallas Director of Libraries Jo Giudice.

Texas Librarians Help Capitol Hill Slide into Learning

By Megan Ortegon | June 7, 2019

PPA organized the discussion to educate congressional staff about libraries’ role in developing literacy, especially during the summer months, and to encourage members of Congress to look to libraries as leading partners in education. PPA staff worked with the American Association of School Librarians and the Texas Library Association (TLA) to identify librarians in the … Continue reading Texas Librarians Help Capitol Hill Slide into Learning →

ALA #FundLibraries Campaign Kicks Off for FY2020

By Kathi Kromer | March 11, 2019

In a statement issued shortly after the budget was released, American Library Association (ALA) President Loida Garcia-Febo said, “As discouraging as it is that the administration has again proposed eliminating IMLS, the bipartisan support in Congress over the past two years gives us reason to hope.” The president’s proposal slashes IMLS yet again despite his … Continue reading ALA #FundLibraries Campaign Kicks Off for FY2020 →

ALA President Issues Statement on White House Budget

February 13, 2018

In response, American Library Association (ALA) President Jim Neal issued the following statement: “The administration’s FY2019 budget is out of touch with the real needs of Americans and the priorities of leaders in Congress who represent them. The president miscalculates the value of more than 120,000 libraries across America, just as he did in his … Continue reading ALA President Issues Statement on White House Budget →

Your Efforts Are Helping to #saveIMLS

By Jim Neal | September 20, 2017

I am pleased to report that on September 14, the full House of Representatives voted as part of a large spending package (H.R. 3354) not to make any cuts in federal funding for IMLS. This includes all funding for IMLS programs under the Library Services and Technology Act, and for the Department of Education’s Innovative Approaches to … Continue reading Your Efforts Are Helping to #saveIMLS →

Businesses Unite to Fight for Library Funding

May 17, 2017

In a May 17 statement, ALA President Julie B. Todaro praised CCLI, saying, “It’s thrilling to see such significant companies and associations across so many industries come together to fight alongside ALA and librarians for federal library funding.” She added that “libraries mean business,” and that working with CCLI can help ensure “that law- and policymakers fully … Continue reading Businesses Unite to Fight for Library Funding →

Fight for Libraries

By Julie B. Todaro | May 1, 2017

Right now, here are some possible scenarios with regard to the federal budget: We win most: The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA), and Innovative Approaches to Literacy (IAL) are funded but partially cut. We win a few: IMLS and LSTA are funded but seriously cut, and IAL … Continue reading Fight for Libraries →

Latest Library Links

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On September 21, during Banned Books Week, Chicago Public Library (CPL) announced itself a sanctuary for endangered stories, establishing Book Sanctuaries across 77 neighborhoods and 81 library branches. Book Sanctuaries are designed to expand local access to banned and challenged books, and CPL has a free downloadable toolkit for individuals and groups looking to establish their own sanctuaries, whether in physical or digital spaces. By creating a Book Sanctuary, people “are providing unwavering support and protection for the freedom to read,” according to a statement from CPL, and are committing to collecting and protecting endangered books; making endangered books broadly accessible; hosting book talks and events to generate conversation, including storytimes focused on diverse characters and stories; or educating others on the history of book banning and burning.

Chicago Public Library, September 21
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Phil Morehart writes: “In their bestselling young adult memoir, All Boys Aren’t Blue (Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2020), author and activist George M. Johnson tells the story of their life growing up Black and queer in the United States, while also addressing topics like racism, gender identity, toxic masculinity, brotherhood, family, and sexual abuse. Johnson is serving as honorary chair of this year’s Banned Books Week, and they spoke with American Libraries about their book, why it’s being challenged, and how it can serve as a call to action.”

AL Online, Sept. 21
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Joanna Margaret writes: “ Over the past few years, the aesthetic known as Dark Academia, often associated with The Secret History, has become one of the hottest and most pervasive trends on social media, a veritable subculture featuring storied institutions of higher learning, autumn leaves, Gothic architecture, dark décor, and tweed jackets. If you, too, are interested in learning more about this fascinating trend, here are 6 novels that capture the essence of the genre.

CrimeReads, September 15
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Ruth Wong writes: “Last October, I attended a Wikipedia editing party themed around homelessness. At this event, I realized that by contributing to Wikipedia, I could contribute to how history is written. One month in, someone noticed my edits. The other editor said that my sources were too biased. That’s fair: I dove into this topic and found that my original edit was incorrect. But the other editor also tried to delete my user page, claiming that I was using it for self-promotion, which was totally uncalled for.”

Diff, September 17
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Chronicling America, the searchable online database of historic American newspapers, will soon include digitized newspapers from all 50 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The National Endowment for the Humanities, which funds Chronicling America, recently awarded its first grant award to a National Digital Newspaper Program partner for the state of New Hampshire, its final state, ensuring access to significant newspapers from the entire United States. Established in 2005 and maintained online at the Library of Congress, Chronicling America offers free online access to 19.9 million pages of newspapers.

Library of Congress, September 13
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Nitish Pahwa and Emma Wallenbrock write: “In March 2020, as bookstores and libraries joined other businesses in closing their doors, the Internet Archive tried a virtual solution. It had long offered an Open Library, which contains scanned books that can be checked out online by users one at a time. In response to the pandemic, it temporarily lifted limits on the number of scanned copies available for checkout.” The National Emergency Library ended in under three months, but a lawsuit alleging “willful mass copyright infringement” is ongoing and recently escalated.

Slate, September 12
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Kathy Johnson Bowles writes: “So many times, I’ve heard the lament from colleagues “I don’t know how you do it. I could never ask anyone for money.” After every similar expression of exasperated longing (with a thinly veiled piteous sniff for the Oliver-esque position of a development executive), I return with, “I don’t ask for money; I ask people to share our vision and make an investment.” Through the guidance of mentors, working with successful fundraisers and securing numerous gifts, I’ve developed a philosophy that anchors the process of asking for money. Here are a few concepts I’ve found helpful.

Inside Higher Ed, September 13

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