national library week Archives | American Libraries Magazine

National Library Workers Day 2018

By Alison Marcotte | April 10, 2018

And every year since 2004, the American Library Association (ALA) has celebrated librarians, support staff, and others for their valuable contributions on National Library Workers Day (NLWD), which this year falls on Tuesday, April 10. The American Library Association–Allied Professional Association (ALA–APA) asked patrons throughout the US to nominate stellar library workers for their hard … Continue reading National Library Workers Day 2018 →

State of America’s Libraries 2018

April 9, 2018

During this time of rapid social change, libraries of all types are providing welcoming spaces to an increasingly diverse population; working with the community to offer social service support and health resources, career, and small business development assistance; and combating fake news by providing tools to assess and evaluate news sources. The function of libraries … Continue reading State of America’s Libraries 2018 →

Esti Brennan (left) teaches a class in the DCPL’s central branch lab space. Photo: DCPL

Making Space for Libraries on Capitol Hill during National Library Week

By Emily Wagner | April 6, 2018

To invite members of Congress and their staffers into the world of library makerspaces, the Washington Office is working with DC Public Library (DCPL) to bring its Fab Lab to Capitol Hill in an event hosted by Rep. Ben Ray Luján (D-N.Mex.) on Wednesday, April 11. Luján is a participant of the Congressional Maker Caucus, … Continue reading Making Space for Libraries on Capitol Hill during National Library Week →

National Library Week promotional materials through the ages. Photos: ALA Archives

“Wake Up and Read” to “Libraries Lead”

By Greg Landgraf | March 1, 2018

The American Library Association (ALA) and the American Book Publishers Council formed the National Book Committee (NBC) in 1954 to fight these trends. One of their ideas: a National Library Week (NLW). The concept wasn’t new. As Larry T. Nix’s Library History Buff blog notes, at the 1922 ALA Annual Conference ALA’s Publicity Committee had … Continue reading “Wake Up and Read” to “Libraries Lead” →

Newsmaker: Misty Copeland

By Amy Carlton | February 1, 2018

Copeland is author of Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina (Simon and Schuster, 2014); Firebird (Putnam, 2014), with illustrator Christopher Myers, which won the 2015 Coretta Scott King Book Illustrator Award; and Ballerina Body: Dancing and Eating Your Way to a Leaner, Stronger, and More Grateful You (Grand Central Life and Style, 2017). She spoke with … Continue reading Newsmaker: Misty Copeland →

Julie Foudy during the United States Women's National Soccer Team/South Korea Women's National Football Team international friendly match. (Photo by Joe Faraoni / ESPN Images)

Newsmaker: Julie Foudy

By Phil Morehart | April 11, 2017

Where did the title Choose to Matter come from? It comes from a summer leadership academy we’ve been doing for 10-plus years, which is a combination of sports and leadership woven together for a weeklong residential camp. Our tagline is “Choose to Matter” with the kids, because our message is that leadership is personal, not … Continue reading Newsmaker: Julie Foudy →

Dewey Decibel Podcast: Celebrating Women’s History

March 31, 2017

Host Phil Morehart talks to Julie Foudy, former professional soccer player for the US women’s national team, ESPN analyst and reporter, and 2017 National Library Week Honorary Chair, about her book, Choose to Matter: Being Courageously and Fabulously You (Disney Publishing Worldwide, 2017). American Libraries associate editor Terra Dankowski sits down with Donna Seaman, editor of adult books at Booklist, to discuss … Continue reading Dewey Decibel Podcast: Celebrating Women’s History →

National Library Week

By Wayne A. Wiegand | April 13, 2016

By any measure, the event was a huge success: Some 68 million subscribers to 22 national magazines could read well-placed articles about libraries. A total of 170 million homes served by radio and TV could hear or view 14 network programs on libraries. Readers could glean 11,607 stories celebrating libraries running in newspapers at the … Continue reading National Library Week →

National Library Workers Day

By Laurie D. Borman | April 14, 2015

To honor them, the American Library Association–Allied Professional Association (ALA-APA) gathered testimonials about library workers from all 50 US states, the District of Columbia, and some international libraries, and posted them as a “Galaxy of Stars” on the National Library Workers Day page. Here are just a few of the people mentioned there: “Lori Dekydtspotter, from … Continue reading National Library Workers Day →

Creating Curious Minds

By Alan S. Inouye | April 8, 2015

Publisher Simon & Schuster announced it would donate a free ebook copy of Academy Award–winning producer Brian Grazer’s new book, A Curious Mind: The Secret to a Bigger Life (coauthored by journalist Charles Fishman), to school and public libraries for every ebook or hardcover book sold at retail, up to 5,000 copies. The book and … Continue reading Creating Curious Minds →

Latest Library Links

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A swastika and the word “heil” were scrawled on a bulletin board at the Glencoe (Ill.) Public Library. The vandalism was found April 10 in a second-floor room in the library and reported to police the next day, library executive director Andrew Kim said in a statement. Kim said he did not believe the graffiti indicates a larger bias problem in the village. After the discovery, library staff turned the “heil” into the word “hello” and made the swastika into another design.

Chicago Tribune, Apr. 20
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The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library in Springfield, Illinois, announced April 19 that it is publishing “the most complete documentary collection ever produced” of the sixteenth president’s first 33 years. The digital collection covers much of Lincoln’s early years in Springfield, including the establishment of his law office and his four terms in the Illinois General Assembly. The oldest item archived is a “ciphering book” Lincoln used as a student that shows him learning how to do math.

Springfield (Ill.) State Journal-Register, Apr. 19
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Earth Day is April 22. It began in 1970 and is now celebrated in more than 150 countries. The day is intended to raise awareness about the environmental issues facing the world. Writing on the environment has a long legacy. The genre took a dramatic turn in the 20th century with the publication of a series that highlighted the dangers faced by various environments and species. The 19th-century themes of appreciation and understanding were joined by concern for the environment’s future and demands for conservation.

AbeBooks' Reading Copy, Apr. 16
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Jacob Nadal writes: “Every spring, libraries all across the US celebrate Preservation Week. The Library of Congress has a special role in this. Our vast scope of collecting requires us to support an extensive program of preservation services and research. From time to time, though, Congress gives the library special direction to attend to preservation issues of concern for the American people. It is a particular honor to share an example of this in the form of the Veteran’s History Project.”

Library of Congress Blog, Apr. 20
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Sarah Laskow writes: “Used from the 14th to 17th centuries, girdle books were texts that their owners needed to keep close at hand: prayer books used by monks or law books used by traveling judges. Though they were valuable objects, these books were meant to be consulted and read. Girdle books had to be small and light. From the bottom edges of their bindings extended a length of leather, usually gathered into a knot at the end. This extension could be used to carry the book like a purse or tucked into a girdle or belt.”

Atlas Obscura, Apr. 19
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The US Department of Education has announced the beginning of the application period for Innovative Approaches to Literacy grants. This program, which is open to school libraries, provides $27 million to support the improvement of literacy skills for youth in high-need schools and communities. Applicants have until May 18 to submit a grant proposal to the department. Of note this year, the department has placed a priority on funding proposals that meet specific priorities.

District Dispatch, Apr. 19
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Keturah Cappadonia writes: “Food insecurity is a growing problem across the US. Food security is a federal measure of a household’s ability to provide enough food for every person in the household to have an active, healthy life. Food insecurity is one way to measure the risk of hunger. Public libraries are increasingly stepping up to assist in combating food insecurity in their communities by collaborating with national and regional organizations that fight hunger.”

ALSC Blog, Apr. 20

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