Nearly a year to the day after the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit heard oral arguments in Little v. Llano County, it issued a majority decision largely upholding a preliminary injunction ordering the public library to reshelve several titles that were previously removed.
While library staff have always used data in some form or another, new analytics platforms make data analysis easier than ever, empowering libraries to identify key trends at a glance and turn information into action that drives engagement.
Kate Wittenberg, managing director of Ithaka’s digital preservation service, Portico, saw that its archival conservation mission aligned in many ways with social justice ideals. In summer 2021, she began to identify underrepresented community collections that might be at risk without a preservation strategy, and in 2023 Portico launched a pilot project connecting the curators of those archives to its expertise and resources.
Calls for Nominations: Upcoming Award Submission Deadlines
*The next Kline Community Impact Prize winner will be announced in Library Journal's February 2025 issue, so the deadline for nominations has been extended to July 31, 2024.
Frederick Douglass famously said, “Once you learn to read, you will be forever free.” This powerful and inspiring idea continues to resonate more than a century later, at a time when the essential services that libraries provide are more vital than ever.
“When we’re talking with the groups who’ve taken the time, energy, and resources—and sometimes chunks of their lives—to collect this content, building the trust so that they are comfortable working with you to preserve it is a really big part of this.”
Two and a half years ago, I was fired by the High Plains Library District in Weld County, CO, after I objected to cancelling programs for LGBTQIA+ teens and youth of color because they were “polarizing.”
Digital-native users want library resources in digital form. Vendors who furnish those resources are expecting the library to share content responsibly. Using a digital delivery platform, University of Tennessee Libraries are making both groups happy—and enjoying streamlined workflows as a bonus.
Growing up in India as a young Sikh boy to aspiring middle-class parents, I understood their singular focus was to educate their children. Books were the windows that allowed me to gaze into a world far beyond my limited surroundings or imagination. The ancient tales of equality, courage, and righteousness from our scriptures, region, and history of valor ignited my imagination as I got older. At the same time, contemporary literature exposed me to the rich tapestry of cultures that coexisted in our vibrant nation.
As a book lover who works in the book industry, I have a job that aligns with my love for reading—and I get to work with librarians! Witnessing the sharp rise in attempts to ban books nationwide in recent years, I have become a vocal supporter of the First Amendment in ways that I didn’t expect when I began in publishing in 1988.
Call for Info: Library Renovation/Construction Projects Completed Since Last July
Library Journal is collecting information about library projects completed over the last year for our annual Year in Architecture feature. If your institution completed a library construction or renovation project between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024, please tell us about it! The links below will direct you to download a pdf of the form before filling out your responses online. We have separate links for public and college/university library projects. The deadline for submissions is Friday, July 26. If you are unsure of the specifics for the form, please ask your architect. They will receive free inclusion in our architect listing. Submission of high-resolution images of your completed project is encouraged and you will find digital specs and instructions in the gray box on the form.
In 1863, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared more than 3.5 million enslaved people living in Confederate states to be “forever free.” It wasn’t until Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, TX, on June 19 two years later, however, that the enslaved first learned of their freedom. That date became known as Juneteenth, first celebrated in 1866, first declared a federal holiday in 2021. This book list is a Juneteenth commemoration in the form of fiction and nonfiction about its history and the long-standing implications of enslavement and the Jim Crow era.
The Aisle-by-Aisle Exhibitor Guide & Coupon Booklet is now available for download. Get an early look at the Exhibitors and what’s happening on the show floor: book signings, show specials, prize drawings, booth giveaways.
First proclaimed Gay and Lesbian Pride Month in 1999 and expanded by President Obama in 2011, LGBTQIA+ Pride Month commemorates the 1969 Stonewall Uprising in Manhattan and celebrates the LGBTQIA+ community. The following titles, ranging from romance and mystery to social sciences and poetry, honor the experiences, legacies, and accomplishments of LGBTQIA+ people.
Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood leads holds this week. Also getting buzz are titles by Elin Hilderbrand, Katherine Center, Freida McFadden, and Rufi Thorpe. The James Beard Media Award winners are announced. Vajra Chandrasekera’s The Saint of Bright Doors wins the Nebula Award for Best Novel. Nine LibraryReads and nine Indie Next picks publish this week. People’s book of the week is All Friends Are Necessary by Tomas Moniz. Plus, Costco announced its plan to no longer sell books year-round.
Homer Aridjis’s Self-Portrait in the Zone of Silence, tr. by George McWhirter, wins the Griffin Poetry Prize. Kevin Sinfield wins the top Charles Tyrwhitt Sports Book Award for The Extra Mile. Alicia Elliott wins the Amazon Canada First Novel Award for And Then She Fell. Louise Penny wins the International Thriller Writers’ Silver Bullet Award for public service. A new “Hunger Games” book and movie are announced. Cengage, Elsevier, Macmillan Learning, and McGraw Hill have sued Google for allowing ads to run on sites that pirate textbooks.
Sharks Don’t Sink: Adventures of a Rogue Shark Scientist, by Jasmin Graham, is a starred sciences selection. "Readers certainly do not need to be scientists to enjoy this exceptional, well-written book, but it’s an excellent title for people, especially women and people of color, who are considering a career in marine science." Meg Shaffer's The Lost Story is a starred SFF title. "Readers will find this an absolutely immersive pleasure to read. Shaffer delivers an unforgettable and nostalgic experience, especially for fans of 'The Chronicles of Narnia' by C.S. Lewis or fairy-tale retellings." And Oh No He Didn’t!: Brilliant Women and the Men Who Took Credit for Their Work, by Wendy J. Murphy, is a starred social sciences selection. "This exceptional book’s stories of plagiarism showcase persistence and the insidious and enduring ways in which sexism informs and shapes the contemporary world. Murphy will motivate readers to challenge stereotypes."
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