Money Smart Week Archives | American Libraries Magazine

Lyn Haralson, a financial education program analyst at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, presents at the American Library Association's 2023 LibLearnX conference in New Orleans on January 28. Photo by Rebecca Lomax of American Libraries.

Money Talks

By Terra Dankowski | January 28, 2023

“It’s an ever-evolving process,” Lyn Haralson told attendees at “Building Youth Financial Capability through Storytime,” a January 28 program at the American Library Association’s 2023 LibLearnX conference in New Orleans. Haralson, a financial education program analyst at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB), discussed the Money as You Grow resources and book list that her … Continue reading Money Talks →

Call Number Podcast: Making Financial Sense

April 18, 2022

Episode 70, “Making Financial Sense,” marks the podcast’s six-year anniversary and the first installment helmed by American Libraries Associate Editor Diana Panuncial. In this episode, we celebrate Financial Literacy Month and wrap up Money Smart Week (April 9–16). The podcast team talks with library workers about some big questions around money: How do we raise … Continue reading Call Number Podcast: Making Financial Sense →

By the Numbers: Money Smart Week

By Alison Marcotte | March 1, 2019

1,000 Approximate number of libraries that participated in Money Smart Week activities in 2018. This year it will be observed March 30–April 6 and will include thousands of free programs and events across the country to help educate consumers on how to better manage their personal finances. 141,740 Number of people who attended Money Smart … Continue reading By the Numbers: Money Smart Week →

Dewey Decibel Podcast: Money Talk

April 9, 2018

First, American Libraries Associate Editor and Dewey Decibel host Phil Morehart talks with Lori Burgess, director of operations at Fond du Lac (Wis.) Public Library and the recipient of a 2012 Wisconsin Financial Literacy Award, about her library’s programs and why financial literacy education is important. Next, Morehart speaks with Heather McCue, a children’s librarian … Continue reading Dewey Decibel Podcast: Money Talk →

Naomi Lederer, professor and college liaison librarian at Colorado State University (CSU) Libraries, shares CSU's Money Smart Week activities with Michael Dowling, director of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Chapter Relations Office.

Teaching Patrons Dollars and Sense

By Terra Dankowski | February 12, 2018

“Why libraries? This is what we do,” said Michael Dowling, director of the American Library Association’s (ALA) Chapter Relations Office. “We’re an objective space,” he said, noting that libraries offer the accessibility, confidentiality, safety, and educational resources conducive to promoting financial literacy. Dowling was joined by Naomi Lederer, professor and college liaison librarian at Colorado … Continue reading Teaching Patrons Dollars and Sense →

Between 1993–2012, average student debt rose from $9,450 to $29,400. Additionally, the number of seniors graduating with loans has increased from 47% to 71%.

In College, Time Is Money

By David L. Eisler and Scott Garrison | April 2, 2015

According to the Institute for College Access and Success, from 1993 to 2012, average student debt rose from $9,450 to $29,400. Additionally, the number of seniors graduating with loans has increased from 47% to 71%. Data for heads of households under 40 years of age shows that student debt results in higher levels of credit … Continue reading In College, Time Is Money →

Latest Library Links

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Joe Árvai writes: “As artificial intelligence (AI) creeps further into people’s daily lives, so do worries about it. At the most alarmist are concerns about AI going rogue and terminating its human masters. But my own research as a psychologist who studies how people make decisions leads me to believe that all these risks are overshadowed by an even more corrupting, though largely invisible, threat. That is, AI is mere keystrokes away from making people even less disciplined and skilled when it comes to thoughtful decisions.”

The Conversation, Apr. 12
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Tess Prendergast writes: “As someone who teaches contemporary children’s literature, I have been following the surge of picture books about climate and environment topics for several years. While there has been some great scholarly research about such books, I have devised a simple framework for grouping these kinds of books. This four-tiered categorization may help you decided what to read, suggest, or display in various scenarios and for different audiences.”

ALSC Blog, Apr. 11
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Max Eddy writes: “It’s a nightmare scenario: You’ve protected all of your online accounts with two-factor authentication (2FA), but then your phone is broken, lost, or stolen, and you’re locked out of everything. Past You’s effort to protect Future You has made Present You’s life a living hell. 2FA is supposed to keep attackers and scammers out of your online accounts, but what if something happens to your second factor? With a little planning, you can reduce that risk and still keep your accounts safe.”

New York Times Wirecutter, Apr. 12
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Nik Altenberg writes: “About 100 librarians and their supporters rallied outside San Francisco Public Library’s Main Library on April 9 to demand the city hire security guards for every branch. Workers decried a lack of security at most of the city’s branches and said they are often forced to de-escalate volatile situations and step into the role of providing security themselves. The rally is the latest in a series of union actions [from 10 unions representing more than 25,000 city workers across city departments] seeking to draw attention to what they say is a pervasive understaffing crisis.”

KQED-TV (San Francisco), Apr. 9
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“Two years after Brooklyn Public Libraries’ (BPL) launch of Books Unbanned, an initiative to protect the freedom to read for young people, In Their Own Words: Youth Voices on Books Unbanned gives new insight into the impact of censorship on teen and young adults across the US and how restrictions and other barriers to access build upon and reinforce each other. The new report, published April 11 by BPL and Seattle Public Library, analyzes 855 stories shared by young people who signed up for a free Books Unbanned ecard from April 2022 through December 2023.”

Seattle Public Library, Apr. 11
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Samantha Guss, Sojourna Cunningham, and Jennifer Stout write: “Recruitment and retention are both critical to diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts in academic libraries, and failing to improve retention has and will continue to derail these initiatives. Research that addresses retention tends to focus on proposed strategies, such as stay interviews (structured interviews aimed at strengthening employee and employer relationships) and mentorship programs. But there is no agreed-upon definition of retention that would allow us to assess these strategies. We should recognize that involuntary staying can be just as negative an outcome for the individual and the organization as leaving, setting the stage for legacy toxicity.”

In The Library With The Lead Pipe, Apr. 10
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Jackie Edwards writes: “As spring rolls around, seasonal allergies can flare up among library workers, resulting in symptoms like sneezing; runny or stuffy nose; itchy eyes, ears, and nose; coughing; and asthma. Not only are these symptoms detrimental to well-being and productivity, but they can also mean you’re less able to provide excellent customer service to library users. Fortunately, by purifying the air, preventing mold, and keeping your work area clean, you can improve indoor air quality and combat allergies in your library.”

Library Worklife, Apr.

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