Hayden spoke in a conversation with Newbery Medal-winning author Kwame Alexander on the main stage at the American Library Association’s (ALA) Annual Conference and Exhibition in Philadelphia on June 28. She recounted the story of how she was in her mother’s home when she received a short email, addressed simply to “Carla.” “So this person … Continue reading What Gives Carla Hayden Hope
A tweeted invitation from then-Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden, teasing the world’s largest collection of a single instrument, did the trick. Lizzo’s scheduled tour turned into a three-hour visit as she sampled centuries-old flutes; the viral moment involved an impromptu performance with a crystal model made for James Madison in 1813. Then there was the … Continue reading Influencer Marketing Can Be Good as Hell
Here are several updates on the attacks against libraries across the US and the ways in which library supporters are pushing back. Hayden fired On May 8, Hayden learned in a two-sentence email from the Trump administration that she had been fired from her position as Librarian of Congress. On June 8, in Hayden’s first interview … Continue reading Five Months into the Trump Presidency
ALA is dismayed at the unlawful dismissal of Register of Copyrights Shira Perlmutter, who has led the US Copyright Office since October 2020 with integrity, intelligence, and an understanding of intellectual property issues. Before her appointment as registrar, Perlmutter’s work with the library community on the US implementation of the Marrakesh Treaty demonstrated a commitment … Continue reading ALA Criticizes Firing of Register of Copyrights
As the president of ALA, I am deeply disappointed in last night’s decision by President Trump to fire Carla Hayden from her position as Librarian of Congress. I salute Hayden, a wise and faithful steward of the Library of Congress—the library she has called our national treasure. Her abrupt and unjust dismissal is an insult … Continue reading ALA Decries Dismissal of Librarian of Congress
The guide—“Programming with Library of Congress Digital Collections”—focuses on eight LC collections (arts, civics, folklife, history, literature, maps, military experience, and STEM) with collection highlights and suggested program ideas that are accessible and adaptable for various library types and audiences. The full guide is available now. Program ideas featured in the guide include: Write the … Continue reading Programming with Digital Collections
1976 Year that author Larry Wilde founded National Humor Month, held annually in April. 70 Number of oral history interviews available online through the American Comedy Archives, housed at Iwasaki Library at Emerson College in Boston. Interview participants include Margaret Cho, Dick Van Dyke, Betty White, and “Weird Al” Yankovic. 628,300 Number of print materials … Continue reading By the Numbers: Humor
The American Library Association (ALA) praised the Library of Congress’s decision to update the cataloging subject headings aliens and illegal aliens. The Policy and Standards Division of the Library of Congress, which maintains Library of Congress Subject Headings, announced the decision to replace the terms with new subject headings noncitizens and illegal immigration at its … Continue reading Library of Congress Changes Illegal Aliens Subject Heading
Memorials were read for John T. Ma (M#9), Vartan Gregorian (M#10), Kathie Coblentz (M#11), Henrietta M. Smith (M#12), Cheryl McCarthy (M#13), Eleanor “Penny” Brome (M#14), Latanya N. Jenkins (M#15), Anita Schiller (M#16), Xiaoqiu Li (M#17), Bernadette Storck (M#18), William C. Robinson (M#19), Margaret R. Myers (M#20), Michele Leber (M#21), Leonard Kniffel (M#22), William G. Asp … Continue reading Council III: Resolutions and Updates
“I think of those old traditions of poetry, like African and Indigenous traditions all over the world. The poets are the truthtellers,” Harjo said. “They tell the truth that has roots in the spiritual realms and has roots in the very earth itself, in the original teachings. I always like thinking of a poem like … Continue reading “Our Songs Came Through”
Incited by a nearby rally in which President Trump told them, “We will stop the steal,” the rioters marched to the Capitol and surged through police barricades. As congressional leaders were evacuated, the mob smashed windows, broke into offices, looted items from US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office and elsewhere, and raised Trump … Continue reading Library of Congress Evacuated Amid D.C. Violence
Tired of the delays, some librarians have taken matters into their own hands by making the change in their own catalogs, without waiting for LC to take the lead. Communicating inclusion Two early adopters of the change: Sol López, technical services manager at the Health Sciences Library and Informatics Center (HSLIC) at University of New … Continue reading Conscientious Cataloging
