Episode 89: Services for the Incarcerated

Call Number Podcast: Services for the Incarcerated

November 13, 2023

First, poets and prison reform activists Reginald Dwayne Betts and Randall Horton talked with former ALA Executive Director Tracie D. Hall back in an interview conducted last July. Betts and Horton, who were formerly incarcerated, now spearhead respective literary program: Betts founded Freedom Reads, which installs 500-book Freedom Libraries in prisons and juvenile detention centers, … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Services for the Incarcerated


Aaron LaFromboise, Martha Hickson, Vicki Selander, Chelsea Price, and Marilynn Lance-Robb

One of a Kind

November 1, 2023

At many of the country’s 4,000 rural library systems, staffers are operating by themselves, or nearly so. Solo librarianship can take a variety of forms. It can be a sole employee, a full-time employee managing part-timers or volunteers, or librarians working with small or spread-out teams. As libraries continue to recover from the worst of … Continue reading One of a Kind


Teen artist-in-residence Celia Hamilton uses the studio at Carmel Clay (Ind.) Public Library (top left) to plan and execute a photoshoot of herself wearing her fashion designs (right).

True Colors

November 1, 2023

To connect with that part of her identity, Hamilton crafted a traditional garment—inspired by the Chinese moon goddess Chang’e—as one of three teens selected for Carmel Clay (Ind.) Public Library (CCPL)’s teen artists-in-residence program. She used a silk-screen process to print emerald-colored clouds on the garment and accented the white outfit with sheer green sleeves … Continue reading True Colors


Patrons at Mt. Lebanon Public Library (MLPL) in Pittsburgh play with a tongue drum, rain stick, and singing bowls—instruments used during MLPL’s sound bath sessions.

Tranquil Tones

November 1, 2023

Donahoe, teen librarian at Mt. Lebanon Public Library (MLPL) in Pittsburgh, says that many elementary, middle, and high school students who visited the library would express that they were dealing with stress and anxiety issues. She wanted a different way of introducing “mindfulness or stress relief for this age group that’s not something you can … Continue reading Tranquil Tones


Librarian's Library by Allison Escoto

Supporting Marginalized Patrons

November 1, 2023

  Libraries and Homelessness: An Action Guide By Julie Ann Winkelstein As many communities face increasing houseless populations, public library workers are often on the front lines, offering services that may not exist elsewhere. From strategies to implementation, the chapters in this enlightening guide offer hands-on tools and real-world examples of successful programming, as well … Continue reading Supporting Marginalized Patrons


A sepiatone photo of suffragettes with text overlaid: "Teaching with Primary Sources, programming with Library of Congress digital collections. A new LibGuide designed to help libraries explore the thousands of primary sources available from the Library of Congress online collection."

Programming with Digital Collections

October 26, 2023

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


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


Illustration of a variety of antiques with an appraisal tag

Another’s Treasure

September 1, 2023

These were just some of the items brought in by library patrons during antiques appraisals held at Wilkes County (N.C.) Public Library (WCPL). “You wonder how some of these things end up in this small town in North Carolina,” says Nicole de Bruijn, WCPL’s technical services manager. At antiques appraisals, appraisers examine rare and collectible … Continue reading Another’s Treasure


Call Number Episode 85: The Colorful World of Comics

Call Number Podcast: The Colorful World of Comics

July 17, 2023

First, American Libraries Associate Editor Megan Bennett speaks with Jenny Robb, head curator of the Billy Ireland Cartoon Library and Museum at Ohio State University in Columbus, which houses the world’s largest collection of print cartoon art. Then, American Libraries Associate Editor and Call Number host Diana Panuncial hits the halls of ALA’s 2023 Annual … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: The Colorful World of Comics


Vivienne Byrd, librarian and lead of the Full STEAM Ahead & Citizen Science Initiative at Los Angeles Public Library, speaks during the "Cloud Watching for NASA" session at the 2023 American Library Association Annual Conference June 26.

Watching Clouds for NASA

June 27, 2023

At the “Cloud Watching for NASA” session at the American Library Association’s 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago, Jessica Taylor, atmospheric scientist at the NASA Langley Research Center demonstrated GLOBE Observer, a citizen science mobile app created by NASA’s Global Learning and Observations to Benefit the Environment (GLOBE) Program. She was one of three … Continue reading Watching Clouds for NASA


Stacey Goddard, public services manager at Spokane County (Wash.) Library District, and Lori Hench, adult and community engagement specialist at Baltimore County (Md.) Public Library, present at “Creating Opportunities to Shop Small: Two Approaches for Public Libraries,” a June 25 session at the American Library Association’s 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago.

A Boost for Business

June 27, 2023

Since 2019, the library’s Pop-Up Shops program has provided a marketplace where local entrepreneurs can connect with customers on Small Business Saturday, routinely held the Saturday after Thanksgiving. “The Pop-Up Shops is essentially a vendor event,” said Karly Feinberg, small business consultant for BCPL. “Since [vendors are] not paying to participate, this can be seen … Continue reading A Boost for Business


Anne Holland demonstrates an eclipse-related activity by using a flashlight and a toy tree to cast a shadow.

Preparing for the Next Great American Eclipse

June 25, 2023

Librarians hoping to avoid last-minute scrambling to prepare for the upcoming annular (on October 14, 2023) and total solar (on April 8, 2024) eclipses visible in the continental United States attended the session “A Procrastinator’s Guide to the 2023/2024 Solar Eclipses” at the American Library Association’s 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago on June … Continue reading Preparing for the Next Great American Eclipse