In a judgment that is likely to impact freedom to read challenges across the country, Judge Stuart Kyle Duncan of the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled that library collection decisions are “government speech” and therefore not protected by the First Amendment. The 10–7 decision reversed the preliminary injunction issued in Little v. Llano County, a lawsuit filed in April 2022 by patrons of Llano County Library System, TX, over the removal of 17 books from one of the system’s three branches.
A dispute over leadership at the Library of Congress has emerged in what appears to be a test over the separation of powers between the executive and legislative branches of government.
Today’s libraries need programs that align with their values, offer a solid return on investment, and support bibliodiversity. This is why Syracuse University joined JSTOR’s Path to Open, at both the press and library levels. This groundbreaking initiative aims to support the transition of high-quality monographs to open access at unprecedented scale.
The sweeping preliminary injunction issued by Judge John G. McConnell in Rhode Island v. Trump marked a victory for the fight against President Trump’s executive order that sought to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS). Under the preliminary injunction, issued by McConnell on May 13, the administration is ordered to return all IMLS staff to work and to reinstate some of the terminated grants, and “shall not take any further actions to eliminate IMLS.”
The mission of the California State Railroad Museum (CSRM) in Sacramento, CA, is to collect, preserve, and share the deep history of railroads and railroading in California and the rest of the western United States. The organization is also home to a large 19th-century reconstruction of a railroad station and railroad depot, with a still-functional train that gives tours to patrons.
Library Journal will honor one library staffer or a library team with its sixth annual Marketer of the Year award in its October 2025 issue. The award, sponsored by Library Ideas, comes with a $2,000 cash prize. The award recognizes the importance of innovative approaches to marketing of library services, the role of marketing in building library engagement, and the value of quality marketing collateral to help build a vibrant sense of the library and define its relevance in the community.
Library Open Workflows is a new no-code solution from Ex Libris that empowers libraries to create customized, secure, and efficient workflows across their systems. Designed for accessibility and innovation, it simplifies complex integrations and enhances operational agility. General availability is expected in May 2025.
Key documentaries spotlight explorer and glaciologist Lonnie Thompson, the discovery of lost sarcophagi in Notre-Dame Cathedral, and the music scene and geopolitical manipulation in postcolonial Congo.
“All legal rules have their nuances when applied to novel factual contexts, but it is our role to resolve those complexities to the best of our abilities. We cannot shirk our responsibility simply because some members of our court hypothesize that First Amendment lines may be difficult to draw.”
RIPM Jazz Periodicals captures a rich and fascinating slice of history and music culture. An excellent resource to support research on 20th-century U.S. history, Black history, entertainment, and music education. This singular primary-source collection is not easily matched.
Artificial intelligence and smart automation are streamlining workflows and transforming key processes across a wide range of industries. Even libraries are now benefitting from the rapid advancements in automation and AI.
With beautiful images and a scholarly but accessible text by art historians, this book is recommended for anyone interested in 19th-century Romantic art and its influences.
This academic study will appeal to readers interested in the history and cultural impact of fashion design and photography. Highlighting many women photographers and fashion designers, Blackman’s examples and commentary give an in-depth review of couture during these transformative fashion years.
Though Young sometimes passes too quickly through topics and examples that could have benefited from a deeper dive, her overall analysis will engage readers interested in pop culture’s treatment of women and singlehood.
While lacking Eastwood’s participation or interviews with those closest to him, Levy still presents a fascinating, well-researched portrait of a complicated visionary talent.
This constantly growing collection pushes past traditional boundaries to preserve critically important endangered materials centered on LGBTQIA+ communities and history. It is a heartening, essential resource for all libraries.
Nam Le’s 36 Ways of Writing a Vietnamese Poem wins the New South Wales Book of the Year Award. Winners of the League of Canadian Poets Prizes are revealed. Dawn Macdonald’s poetry collection Northerny wins the Canadian First Book Prize. Clare Pollard’s The Modern Fairies wins the Tadeusz Bradecki Prize. The shortlist is announced for the Leacock Medal for Canadian humor writing. The Community of Literary Magazines & Presses announces the finalists for the Firecracker Awards.
Heart Lamp: Selected Stories by Banu Mushtaq wins the International Booker Prize, marking the first time a story collection has won the award. Sasha Vasilyuk wins the Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature for her debut novel, Your Presence Is Mandatory.
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