Now the Archive is under attack again, as a music industry copyright infringement lawsuit against it seeks nearly $700 million in damages related to the Archive’s Great 78 preservation initiative. American Libraries caught up with Kahle to discuss the lawsuit, the Archive’s future, and the developments making him feel “very encouraged.” What’s the latest with … Continue reading Newsmaker: Brewster Kahle
Throughout her more than 25-year career, Lin has garnered many accolades, including a 2010 Newbery Honor, 2019 Caldecott Honor, and 2022 Children’s Literature Legacy Award. In advance of her appearance at the American Library Association’s upcoming 2025 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Philadelphia, she talked with American Libraries about being inspired by myths, the insidiousness … Continue reading Newsmaker: Grace Lin
Harmeyer—who holds the 11th longest consecutive winning streak of any player on the show—spoke with American Libraries about her longtime love of the game, her least favorite category, and how she blazed her path to the Masters. As an adolescent, you auditioned for the Jeopardy! Teen Tournament and weren’t selected. And now you’re one of … Continue reading Newsmaker: Adriana Harmeyer
At the heart of your new novel is an underwater realm called the Library of Despair and Sorrow. Why do you view sadness and suffering as “more precious than gold,” as you describe in the novel? I think it acknowledges our humanity. It says to the reader, “We all have feelings of sadness, despair, or … Continue reading Newsmaker: Pam Muñoz Ryan
About a decade ago, Logsdon started documenting life in libraries throughout the country. Since she began filming, public libraries have been on the front lines of a battlefield over intellectual freedom as they face threats of closures and an unprecedented surge of book challenges and bans. In the upcoming PBS documentary Free for All: The … Continue reading Newsmakers: Dawn Logsdon and Lucie Faulknor
In February, Kluwe was arrested at a city council meeting in Huntington Beach, California, after speaking out against the installation of a plaque to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the town’s central library. The plaque, as unanimously approved by the city council, features the stacked words “Magical, Alluring, Galvanizing, Adventurous” as well as the sentence … Continue reading Newsmaker: Chris Kluwe
American Libraries spoke with Bob about his longtime fascination with Tubman, as well as his inspiration for the novel and accompanying songs. What role have libraries played in your life? When I was younger, I used to go to the library in Clayton County [Georgia] near me all the time, and I would pick up … Continue reading Newsmaker: Bob the Drag Queen
The bequest from Lewis, whose love for libraries dates back to his childhood in North Carolina, will provide needs-based scholarships for those training to be librarians. The gift will help fund ALA’s Spectrum Scholarship Program, which provides money for students of color pursuing their master’s degrees in library and information science. “Libraries are the most … Continue reading Newsmaker: James W. Lewis
Growing up in remote, rural areas, singer-songwriter Neko Case found that her love of reading provided an escape. In her forthcoming memoir, The Harder I Fight the More I Love You (Hachette, January), she recalls repeatedly flipping through the same October 1972 issue of Mad magazine, poring over her stepdad’s collection of archaeology books, and … Continue reading Newsmaker: Neko Case
American Libraries spoke with Harrison about the response from readers nationwide, life after winning the Caldecott, and how the publishing world can continue to elevate untold stories. What stories have you been hearing from readers about Big? Kids ask me questions about the narrative because there’s a lot of visual metaphor. For example, “Does the … Continue reading Newsmaker: Vashti Harrison
As US poet laureate, Limón has created You Are Here, an anthology (Milkweed Editions, April) and installation project in partnership with the National Park Service that explores the connection between poetry and nature. Limón, a MacArthur fellow and one of Time magazine’s Women of the Year for 2024, spoke with American Libraries about her signature … Continue reading Newsmaker: Ada Limón
Eggers has received many prestigious awards, among them the Muhammad Ali Humanitarian Award for Education, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize, and, most recently, the Newbery Medal for The Eyes and the Impossible (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2023), an honor Eggers will celebrate at ALA’s 2024 Annual Conference in San Diego. American Libraries caught up … Continue reading Newsmaker: Dave Eggers
