sponsored post Archives | American Libraries Magazine

Call Number podcast: The Buzz on Scripps National Spelling Bee

December 16, 2021

On this bonus episode of Call Number with American Libraries, sponsored by the Scripps National Spelling Bee, Phil Morehart, communications manager for the American Library Association, talks with J. Michael Durnil, executive director of the Bee. They discuss how the Scripps National Spelling Bee has changed over time, the benefits of participating, how libraries can … Continue reading Call Number podcast: The Buzz on Scripps National Spelling Bee →

Free Resources for Job Seekers

December 8, 2021

Resources for people who’ve lost their job The Employment Recovery website is a one-stop shop for job seekers who’ve been laid off. Sudden job loss, especially during the current pandemic and changing job market, can easily overwhelm anyone. Offering specific resources to meet immediate needs can help job seekers regain a sense of control. Employment … Continue reading Free Resources for Job Seekers →

Same Mission, New Opportunities

By Anthony S. Chow | November 18, 2021

One of my areas of expertise is user-centered design. A main tenet of this systematic way of thinking is accepting that every user has different preferences, information needs, and ways of doing things. Although this can present challenges, the great news is that the digital and information age has created new opportunities to respond to … Continue reading Same Mission, New Opportunities →

Deciphering Colonial History

By Sallyann Price | June 26, 2021

“Settlement, Slavery, and Empire, 1624–1832” is the first of three modules and will be published this year. “Colonial Government and Abolition, 1833–1849” and “Economic Change and Indentured Labor, 1850–1870” are forthcoming over the next two years. “This digital initiative will allow users to explore and research the economic and social conditions across the islands and … Continue reading Deciphering Colonial History →

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Why Content Matters

By Amy Carlton | June 24, 2021

Reading Plus is a comprehensive online program that provides students in grades 3–12 with tools to enhance their reading skills. The program includes online adaptive assessments that offer a full diagnostic profile of each student’s ability. Kerry Mescallado, managing editor at Reading Plus, said the program increases vocabulary as well as interest in and motivation … Continue reading Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion: Why Content Matters →

Students build inventions around a shared table

Partnering for Success in the School Library

By Greg Landgraf | February 3, 2021

“We’re surrounded by so many wonderful people who care about our kids and our community,” says Jennifer Sutton, teacher librarian at Lake Park High School in Roselle, Illinois. Sutton organized LPC-2 with Mariela Siegert, former librarian at Westfield Middle in Bloomingdale and Sia Paganis, former librarian at Spring Woods Middle in Hanover Park. (Siegert is … Continue reading Partnering for Success in the School Library →

Julia Gelfand, Shannon Lichty, Sarah Sansbury, and Amber Seely

Meeting Digital Challenges

By Carrie Smith | January 23, 2021

Last year saw unprecedented increases in digital lending. Digital collections aren’t new to libraries, but coronavirus precautions have led many library users to try out ebooks, digital audiobooks, and other online offerings for the first time. Shannon Lichty, vice president of partner services for OverDrive, moderated a panel of academic, public, and school librarians in … Continue reading Meeting Digital Challenges →

Defining and Defying the “New Normal”

By Scott Livingston | December 4, 2020

Given concerns about entering library buildings, interacting face to face, and handling physical materials, libraries have found ways to meet changing community needs. With varying levels of success, many have tried some form of curbside pickup, in which physical materials are reserved and retrieved from the library parking lot or drive-through, or a table outside … Continue reading Defining and Defying the “New Normal” →

Promoting LGBTQ Resources

By Timothy Inklebarger | October 28, 2020

Her longstanding commitment to equal rights and making LGBTQ material more available to educators, students, and researchers led to Johnston herself becoming part of an archive a few years ago. She shared experiences about her involvement with the Rainbow Round Table with members of the ALA Emerging Leaders Program for their oral history of the … Continue reading Promoting LGBTQ Resources →

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Health Tools for Library Workers, Patrons Facing Job Loss

By Leighann Wood | May 29, 2020

Library workers and patrons who have experienced job loss can lean on special enrollment coverage options as part of the ACA, check their eligibility for Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and familiarize themselves with reliable health resources. Libraries can support their communities with promotional efforts to increase awareness of health insurance coverage … Continue reading Health Tools for Library Workers, Patrons Facing Job Loss →

Blue heart on purple background with heartbeat graph.

Libraries’ Next “Act” in Health During COVID-19

By Leighann Wood | March 27, 2020

Through the Public Library Association’s (PLA) second annual Libraries Connecting You to Coverage initiative, libraries can access a suite of turnkey resources to start or increase efforts to educate and build awareness of health insurance coverage options, especially with the evolving workforce landscape. With the outbreak of COVID-19, many patrons may experience job cuts and … Continue reading Libraries’ Next “Act” in Health During COVID-19 →

Dewey Decibel Podcast: Exploring Gale’s Women’s Studies Archive

March 23, 2020

In this special bonus episode of the Dewey Decibel podcast, sponsored by Gale, a Cengage Company, American Libraries Associate Editor Sallyann Price speaks with a librarian doing just that. Kimberly M. Gay, head of reference and information services and academic reference and instruction librarian at Prairie View (Tex.) A&M University, shares how she uses the Women’s … Continue reading Dewey Decibel Podcast: Exploring Gale’s Women’s Studies Archive →

Latest Library Links

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Sallyann Price writes: “As both academic and municipal libraries work to make their buildings, programming, and collections accessible to all patrons, they’re considering exactly what it means to be a public-serving institution. What are the obligations of a public or private university to its local and global community? How have public libraries extended a sense of welcome to their patrons while safeguarding their rarest and most special collections? A panel discussed these questions January 23 at ALA’s LibLearnX virtual conference. ‘In the realm of public libraries, I absolutely think that our mission is to serve everyone in the public, everyone who walks through the door,’ said Maria McCauley, director of Cambridge (Mass.) Public Library and president-elect of the Public Library Association. ‘It’s also our responsibility to make an extra effort to provide equitable service to those who don’t walk through the door for one reason or another.'”

AL: The Scoop, Jan. 23
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Carrie Smith writes: “When the COVID-19 pandemic led to school closings and a shift to remote learning, Sarah Evans, assistant professor at University of North Texas (UNT) in Denton, and Lance Simpson, research and instructional services librarian at University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa, knew that more needed to be done to reach rural residents. ‘A lot of folks in rural areas were being cut off or cut out of this setup,’ Simpson notes. So they turned to a medium they knew was effective for connecting with these communities: radio.”
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Sanhita SinhaRoy writes: “What is it like living inside a moment? That’s what bestselling author Jacqueline Woodson asked herself during the pandemic—and, in turn, asked attendees of ALA’s LibLearnX virtual conference on January 23 from her home in Brooklyn. ‘None of us saw this coming,’ said Woodson. ‘One day we walked into our classrooms, we walked into our libraries, we walked into our jobs, and the next day we didn’t.’ Woodson read from her 2018 middle-grade title Harbor Me, which tells the story of six students who, every week, were allowed to talk among themselves about the pains and struggles they had to hide from the rest of the world. She chose that book, she said, because the young characters also get a sudden change that awakens them, and it ‘is a moment where they are asked to reimagine a world where their voices are heard, where their stories matter.’ “

AL: The Scoop, Jan. 23
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On January 24, the American Library Association division Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures announced its 2022 Excellence in Children’s and Young Adult Science Fiction Notable Lists. The lists are composed of notable children’s and young adult science fiction published between November 2020 and October 2021 and organized into three age-appropriate categories. Annotated lists are available at sfnotables.org.

Core, Jan. 24
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On January 24, the American Library Association (ALA) announced the top books, digital media, video, and audiobooks for children and young adults—including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery, and Printz awards—at the Youth Media Awards, held at the inaugural LibLearnX virtual conference. The Last Cuentista, written by Donna Barba Higuera, is the 2022 Newbery Medal winner. Watercress, illustrated by Jason Chin, is the 2022 Caldecott Medal winner. Read on for more winners and honorees.

AL: The Scoop, Jan. 24
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Sallyann Price writes: “Actor and comedian Molly Shannon is perhaps best known for the larger-than-life characters she created over six seasons as a Saturday Night Live cast member. She talked about the vulnerability that forged those characters—and the real-life personalities that populate her forthcoming memoir Hello, Molly! (Ecco, April)—at the American Library Association’s LibLearnX conference on January 23 in conversation with author Cynthia D’Aprix Sweeney. ‘I have so much respect for what you do and for writers in general,’ Shannon told Sweeney. ‘I think it’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever done, ever. Way harder than performing.’ “

AL: The Scoop, Jan. 23
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Sanhita SinhaRoy writes: “How do you address low morale at your organization? What can you do to foster more diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in recruitment and retention? In her 15-minute ShopTalk session, “3 Reasons Your DEI Programs Are Not Working,” Elaina Norlin presented research and anecdotes from consulting on DEI issues to attendees of ALA’s LibLearnX virtual conference on January 23. Norlin, author of The Six-Step Guide to Library Worker Engagement (ALA Editions, 2021) and professional development and DEI program coordinator for the Association of Southeastern Research Libraries, said that recent studies show 92% of DEI trainings fail on multiple levels and can create more harm than good.”

AL: The Scoop, Jan. 23

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