When Patty Hector, former director of the Saline County Library in Benton, AR, was fired on October 9, it didn’t come as a surprise. A decision to shift control of the library from its board to county officials, driven primarily by Hector’s refusal to comply with a resolution to move certain books containing content about racism, LGBTQIA+ subjects, and sexual activity from areas where anyone under the age of 18 could access them, was proposed in April and passed in August. What may surprise some, however, is that Hector has thrown her hat in the ring for a spot on the Saline County Quorum Court, the same body that had her terminated.
It’s easy, as librarian-educators, to be overwhelmed and intimidated by the pace of technological change, as well as dismissive of the need for educating students and patrons about privacy on the assumption that they have fully embraced these technologies and likely don’t care. But the reality is that students do care about privacy, and want to be able to make informed, intentional choices about how they are known by and accessible to others.
With new guidelines stating that by Dec. 31, 2025, all federally funded research should be made freely available to the public moving forward, the momentum toward open access publishing at colleges and universities is growing.
Paul Lynch wins the Booker Prize for Prophet Song. The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose leads holds this week. Jenna Bush Hager picks We Must Not Think of Ourselves by Lauren Grodstein (also People’s book of the week) for her book club. Two LibraryReads and five Indie Next picks publish this week. NPR releases Books We Love, NYPL publishes its Best Books of 2023, and NYT announces its 100 notable books of 2023. Erica Jong’s Fear of Flying turns 50.
Jane Austen’s classic second-chance romance, Persuasion, gets a modern twist, and her Sense and Sensibility is the inspiration for a work with super-sexy scenes, deeply emotional storylines, and strong Black and Indigenous characters.
This December, join Penguin Random House, Library Journal, andSchool Library Journal for our Winter 2023 virtual book and author festival, a free day-long event celebrating reading, authors, and librarians everywhere! Enjoy a day packed with author panels and interviews, book buzzes, virtual shelf browsing, and adding to your TBR pile.
Students learn invaluable skills they can apply in a variety of settings and applications. Across the nation, there has been renewed debate over the value of humanities degree programs as campus leaders look to overcome steep budget challenges.
Sean Carroll explains the Standard Model of particle physics, the star of My Octopus Teacher urges a deeper connection to nature, and more titles explore the wonders of the universe.
The Wren, the Wren, by Anne Enright, is a starred fiction selection. "This generational story alternates between Nell and Carmel, with a little time out for Phil and his poetry. Channeling her inner Sally Rooney as twentysomething Nell, Booker Prize winner Enright (The Gathering) is as convincing as when writing about Carmel, a woman closer to her own age. A poignant novel by a writer in peak form." Fashioned by Sargent: Painting Fashion, edited by Erica E. Hirshler and others, is a starred fine arts title. "With gorgeous images and accessible text, this exhibition catalogue is highly recommended for audiences interested in fine art in relation to fashion." And in social sciences, Kim McLarin's Everyday Something Has Tried To Kill Me and Has Failed: Notes from Periracial America is a starred selection. "Concise essays that clearly convey that the fight for racial justice must continue in the face of backlash. A must-purchase for all collections."
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