Sports Archives | American Libraries Magazine

Jessica Fitzpatrick (third from left) with Coach J. Jensen (third from right) and members of the Mayde Creek High School football team

Bookend: Friday Night Librarian

By Diana Panuncial | November 1, 2022

Fitzpatrick had noticed that one student group seldom visited the library: athletes. She reached out to football coach J. Jensen and collaborated with him to create a book study program for his players, designed to help boost literacy, ignite a love of reading, and provide a space to decompress. For two months in fall 2021, … Continue reading Bookend: Friday Night Librarian →

Prince George’s County (Md.) Memorial Library System partnered with pro soccer team D.C. United in 2020 to create Talon’s Workout Tapes. Here, midfielder Russell Canouse and his dog Lola demonstrate an exercise.

A Dream Team

By Taylor Hartz | January 3, 2022

What resulted was Talon’s Workout Tapes, a series of free exercise videos in English and Spanish that debuted in April 2020 on the library’s website. The videos, created by D.C. United’s communications department, featured the fan-favorite bird and team players demonstrating physical activities that kids and their families could do at home without any expensive … Continue reading A Dream Team →

Billie Jean King Gets in the Zone

By Sanhita SinhaRoy | June 25, 2021

“Show up, speak up, stand up,” the 39-time Grand Slam winner told attendees during her nearly hourlong talk. “Everyone is an influencer.” Best known for her 1973 “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match—and victory—against Bobby Riggs, King said the event “was about tennis, but not really. It was about social change.” More than 90 million … Continue reading Billie Jean King Gets in the Zone →

Uncomfortable Conversations

By Terra Dankowski | January 24, 2021

“In the wake of the murder of George Floyd, as a Black man, I realized I had to do something,” the Fox Sports analyst and former National Football League (NFL) linebacker told attendees at a Featured Speaker session of the American Library Association’s 2021 Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits Virtual on January 24. “It’s my job … Continue reading Uncomfortable Conversations →

Newsmaker: Emmanuel Acho

By Terra Dankowski | January 20, 2021

American Libraries caught up with Acho ahead of his January 24 appearance at the American Library Association’s 2021 Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits Virtual to discuss his series and book, as well as equity in professional sports and the power of libraries. Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man—the name of your YouTube series and book—is such … Continue reading Newsmaker: Emmanuel Acho →

Author Linda Holmes, photo by Tim Coburn

Newsmaker: Linda Holmes

By Sallyann Price | August 1, 2019

Holmes recently spoke with American Libraries about her fiction favorites, the breadth of the romance genre, and why librarians are the original influencers. Tell me about your relationship with books and reading. Where does fiction fit in your personal pop-culture landscape? When I was a teenager I read a ton of big, heavy commercial fiction, … Continue reading Newsmaker: Linda Holmes →

Newsmaker: Andrew Luck

By Terra Dankowski | November 1, 2018

Have you always been an avid reader? Do you have any fond book or library memories from childhood? I always have been an avid reader. It was encouraged in our household. I remember an 18-hour car ride to Colorado from Houston, and reading Lonesome Dove [by Larry McMurtry] for like 17-and-a-half of those 18 hours. … Continue reading Newsmaker: Andrew Luck →

Students play videogames during the grand opening of the Nest, the e-sports facility at University of North Texas in Denton. Photo: Photo: University of North Texas

Wide World of E-Sports

By Timothy Inklebarger | May 1, 2018

The biggest competitions in the world of e-sports—of which the most popular include League of Legends, Super Smash Bros., and Overwatch—fetch top players millions of dollars in prizes, and in 2017 the industry is estimated to have earned $696 million in revenue. Universities across the country have established e-sports teams, and some of the top … Continue reading Wide World of E-Sports →

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 →

New York Public Library posted this image on Twitter on October 29 to signal comeback hopes for the New York Mets in the World Series. The friendly social media exchange among several New York and Kansas City libraries has caught the attention of several mainstream media outlets.

Libraries Take Part in World Series–Themed Twitter “Battle”

By Alison Marcotte | October 30, 2015

Some #bookspinepoetry for our friends @BlueJays & @torontolibrary #TaketheCrown #GoRoyals #ALCS pic.twitter.com/Zj5ZvhFljv — KCMO Public Library (@KCLibrary) October 20, 2015 Toronto Public Library responded, saying, “Warning.” “Kansas City.” “It Ain’t Over till It’s Over.” Well played @KCLibrary but we’ve got a way with words too. ‘Til tomorrow! @BlueJays #ComeTOgether #GoJaysGo pic.twitter.com/qED5PFp95t — TorontoPublicLibrary (@torontolibrary) October … Continue reading Libraries Take Part in World Series–Themed Twitter “Battle” →

At Yankee Stadium during the 1955 World Series, Brooklyn batter Roy Campanella and New York catcher Yogi Berra both start toward first base: Campy attempting to beat out his grounder and Yogi preparing to back up the play.

Take Me Out to the Library

By Ron Chepesiuk | October 23, 2015

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the March 1999 issue of American Libraries. The librarian headed first for the file cabinets that contained biographical records on every individual who played major-league baseball, and then to the library’s collection of hundreds of thousands of photographs. The records Gates retrieved showed that Paul Derringer (1906-1987) played … Continue reading Take Me Out to the Library →

Seabiscuit with jockey George Woolf and trainer Tom Smith after winning the Pimlico Special, November 1, 1938. (Photo: Keeneland Library)

And They’re Off!

By Alison Marcotte | June 5, 2015

“This is the job of my dreams,” says Becky Ryder, director of Keeneland Library. Founded in 1939, the public research and reference library is one of the largest sources of equine industry information. It holds hundreds of thousands of thoroughbred-related books, articles, and photographic negatives, such as the Daily Racing Form’s archives and materials on … Continue reading And They’re Off! →

Latest Library Links

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Tara Murray Grove, Clara Drummond, J. Adam Clemons, and Autumn Johnson write: “Exhibitions draw people to libraries. They encourage visitors to engage with objects and media in a public space and provide opportunities for discovery within the library’s collection. Not every library has the resources to create original exhibitions, however. Traveling exhibitions, which arrive ready to set up in the library’s existing space, can alleviate some of the labor involved in creating exhibitions while providing the same benefits for the library.” This article shares three libraries’ experiences with and keys to success for hosting a traveling exhibition.

College & Research Libraries News, June
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ALA will hold its 2023 membership meeting and information session during the ALA Annual Conference June 24 at 10 a.m. Central time. For the first time, the meeting will take place in a hybrid format with both in-person and virtual participation options. The meeting is open to all ALA personal members, but participants must register via Zoom by June 17 in order to receive voting credentials. (Members who register after June 17 will be able to attend and speak during the meeting.) The membership meeting allows members to discuss issues and bring resolutions to the floor that, if passed, will be forwarded to ALA Council.

ALA Member Center
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The Freedom to Read Foundation, the First Amendment legal defense arm of the American Library Association, has joined a broad coalition of authors, publishers, booksellers, librarians, and readers in filing a lawsuit challenging Arkansas Act 372. That law that would restrict access to books in bookstores and libraries located within the state, and in the process violate the First Amendment rights of the state’s reading public. The bill was signed by the Governor of Arkansas on March 30 and is slated to go into effect on August 1, 2023.

ALA, June 2
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Tracie D. Hall writes: “I recently had the opportunity to visit with a group of undergraduates to talk about how I’ve navigated my career. The professor who invited me noted that I had taken brave professional stances. When it was time for questions, one young woman asked earnestly, ‘Do you ever get scared that you’ll make a mistake?’ ‘All the time!’ I answered. ‘But mistakes are unavoidable. Part of being a leader is not letting the fear of making a mistake or taking a chance stop you from doing what you think is right or important.’”

American Libraries column, June
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Bill Furbee writes: “It’s been five years since librarianship’s largest event has taken place in Chicago, the hometown of the American Library Association (ALA). So much, both in the profession and the world around us, has changed since then. But so much of the 2023 Annual Conference and Exhibition will feel familiar—including top-tier authors, educational sessions, awards and celebrations, state-of-the-art exhibits, networking opportunities, and compelling speakers. The conference, which will be held June 22–27 at McCormick Place, promises to showcase conversations and innovations that will help to shape the future of libraries for years to come.”

American Libraries feature, June
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Nora Neus writes: “On a recent spring Saturday morning in Uvalde, Texas, young library patrons were learning how to set off a volcano. With help from Michelle Ramirez, outreach coordinator for the Children’s Bereavement Center of South Texas, kids carefully poured vinegar into a glass bottle with baking soda. Almost instantly, the concoction bubbled up and overflowed, to shrieks of joy and giggles. But the activity wasn’t just for fun. It was part of a grief counseling session for children following the massacre at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022, that killed 19 students and two teachers.”

American Libraries feature, May 22
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Sheree Strange writes: “Nothing beats a good podcast while doing chores, taking a drive, working out, or even making dinner. And of course, we especially cannot resist podcasts about books. We want to hear about hot new releases, indie titles we missed, and creepy books to keep us awake all night long. Not to mention those coveted author interviews and spicy opinions. Find the best bookish podcasts—and we say “bookish” because not all are limited to solely book talk. A few will cover multiple topics.”

The Uncorked Librarian, May 20

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