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

1h

Chris Coward and Jin Ha Lee write: “The government wants to introduce Euphorigen—a dietary supplement that the wealthiest echelon of society takes to boost brain activity and productivity—into the public water supply. But is the drug safe? And can the claims of Euphorigen’s manufacturer be trusted? That’s the mystery at the center of The Euphorigen Investigation, the first of several escape rooms and play-based activities our research team at University of Washington (UW)’s Information School and Center for an Informed Public in Seattle has developed to address the growing threat of misinformation.”

American Libraries Trend, June
19h

Web Behrens writes: “Libraries typically provide books—not publish them. But eight years ago, Ann Arbor (Mich.) District Library (AADL) had some voices it wanted the world to hear. And so emerged Fifth Avenue Press, AADL’s publishing imprint, in 2017. Focused on the authors, history, and culture of Michigan’s Washtenaw County, the imprint includes 60 titles spanning literary genres. They range from Light in a Cage (2017), a chronicle of local educator Judy Patterson Wenzel’s experiences teaching in a prison classroom, to Peri Peri Paprika (2024), a sci-fi novel written by Leanne Su, a University of Michigan doctoral student.”

American Libraries Trend, June
23h

Allison Frick and Sara DeSabato write: “It’s vital for young people to see themselves in books and collections. Some books give children language to express what is in their hearts. For those who may not have strong family support, a library can offer a safe, private place to access thoughtfully curated, age-congruent information. That’s why, as a school librarian and a teacher, we felt strongly about helping our school, Friends Select School in Philadelphia, create a Lower School Gender and Sexuality Education committee in 2017.”

American Libraries column, June
1d

Julia Smith writes: “In early May, bestselling author-illustrator Grace Lin published her first novel in nearly nine years. Throughout her more than 25-year career, Lin has garnered many accolades, including a 2010 Newbery Honor, a 2019 Caldecott Honor, and a 2022 Children’s Literature Legacy Award. In advance of her appearance at the upcoming American Library Association 2025 Annual Conference in Philadelphia, she talked with American Libraries about being inspired by myths, the insidiousness of book bans, and finding comfort in the library as a child.”

American Libraries Trend, June
4d

Serra Sowers writes: “Jen Miller, librarian at Northern Guilford Middle School in Greensboro, North Carolina, is turning the page on lost book fees thanks to donations from a community of book lovers. With the end of the school year just days away, it’s a race against time to get books back on the shelves and clear student debt. When her social media account went viral, she started the Book Return Game—using her platform to keep tally of overdue copies and mobilize followers to help her replace books that never came back. Since then, she’s surprised schools locally and across the country with books.”

WXII-TV (Winston-Salem, N.C.), May 31
4d

Felicity Dachel writes: “A Minnesota school district is doing away with a book ban, settling a lawsuit that argued the ban was unlawful. The suit was brought against St. Francis Area Schools by Education Minnesota on behalf of eight students, all of whom have parents working as teachers across St. Francis schools.” The settlement requires the district to replace a policy that required selections align with the now-defunct Moms For Library–affiliated website booklooks.org with one that guarantees the input of qualified media specialists and follows a 2024 Minnesota state law that prohibits libraries and schools from banning books.

KARE-TV (Minneapolis), June 10; Words and Money, June 11; The Minnesota Daily, June 23, 2024
4d

Elissa Malespina writes: “In our seven-part series, we’ve explored AI’s role in personalized learning, assessments, research, libraries, and ethical considerations. Now, we focus on how educators and librarians can navigate the evolving AI landscape and ensure responsible integration. Librarians are essential in the AI-driven knowledge ecosystem, ensuring that students and patrons navigate AI-generated information critically and ethically.”

The AI School Librarian, June 9

View more Latest Library Links