As COVID-19 Threat Grows, Libraries Balance Patron Needs with Staff Safety and Containment
By Erica Freudenberger
As recommendations to slow the spread of COVID-19 across the country become common knowledge, public events have been canceled, public schools have closed, and calls for social distancing to flatten the curve have become the norm. But some libraries remain divided on whether to remain open but suspend public programming, outreach, or meeting room rentals; limit hours; or close entirely.

Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe and Christine Wolff-Eisenberg Discuss Academic Library Response to COVID-19
By Lisa Peet
Over the past two weeks, measures to contain the spread of COVID-19 have called for increasing numbers of colleges and universities to cancel in-person classes. While some faculty have been incorporating online and virtual components into their instruction for years, for many the sudden switch poses a significant challenge.

Close Your Library | Editorial
By Meredith Schwartz
When I started writing my editorial for the April issue last week, a mere handful of public libraries had closed to contain the spread of COVID-19, though many had canceled public programming. Less than a week later, nearly 500 have closed to the public. We should close all of them.

Proactivity, Resilience: Washington Libraries on the Front Lines of COVID-19
By Erica Freudenberger
In Seattle, WA, considered by many to be Ground Zero for the coronavirus in the United States, directors have have been modeling how libraries can deal with a public health crisis calmly and compassionately.

National Book Critics Circle Announces 2019 Award Winners
By Barbara Hoffert
Scheduled for Thursday, March 12, the National Book Critics Circle’s annual awards ceremony was canceled owing to the current coronavirus pandemic. But the voting went on, with results announced Thursday night.

Public Library Advocates Build the Case for #eBooksForAll | PLA 2020
By Lisa Peet
Nearly four months after Macmillan enacted its 60-day embargo on library ebooks, the state of digital collections is still a subject of intense interest in the field. This played out at the Public Library Association (PLA) conference.

Take One Step Back: Giving Others the Chance to Serve | BackTalk
By Dustin Fife
Taking a step back is about more than just creating an opportunity for others to step forward; it is about making sure that we are getting the most for our profession and communities.

Can't-Miss Print Titles | Best Reference 2019
By Mahnaz Dar, Maggie Knapp, Patricia Lothrop, Dave Pugl, Laurie Selwyn, and Rob Tench
This year's Best Reference articles are marked by stunning visuals, from the stirring Protest! A History of Social and Political Protest Graphics to the quirky Atlas of Poetic Zoology.

How Do We Read in 2020? NEA Has Some Answers | Book Pulse
By Neal Wyatt
The Boy from the Woods, by Harlan Coben, leads holds this week. The National Endowment for the Arts has issued their 2020 “How Do We Read” report. David Lagercrantz is going to write a modern Sherlock Holmes series.

Racism, Addiction, and Classism in Healthcare: Academic Best Sellers in Medicine
By LJ Reviews
A fascinating examination of the past and present of women's healthcare; a century-spanning history of the evolution of our culture and the practice of medicine; and an analysis of how middle-class Black women navigate the complexities of dealing with doctors top the list of best-selling medicine books, as compiled by GOBI Library Solutions from EBSCO.

B&N Announces March Book Club Pick; More Pandemic Booklists | Book Pulse
By Neal Wyatt
The Barnes and Noble March book club pick is A Good Neighborhood by Therese Anne Fowler. My Dark Vanessa is decidedly buzzy. Rebecca Solnit, Recollections of My Nonexistence: A Memoir, is in the spotlight.

 Reviews

WEB-FIRST REVIEWS OF BOOKS AND MEDIA

Tatyana Fazlalizadeh's Stop Telling Women To Smile: Stories of Street Harassment and How We’re Taking Back Our Power is one of this week's starred nonfiction selections. "An important addition to women’s studies, art history, and political collections that will also be valuable in more general public library holdings." Russians Among Us: Sleeper Cells, Ghost Stories, and the Hunt for Putin’s Spies, by Gordon Corera, is one of this week's starred political science titles. "This exciting read will be enjoyed by fans of real life and fictional spy stories." Also in nonfiction, Thomas Rid's starred title, Active Measures: The Secret History of Disinformation and Political Warfare, is "A fascinating read for those who appreciate learning about history within a complex political context." And Hilary Mantel's The Mirror & the Light, the finale of Mantel's "Wolf Hall" Trilogy, is this week's starred fiction selection. "Mantel has no equal in historical fiction at setting a scene, telling a compelling story, and delineating vibrant characters. Libraries won’t be able to keep this book on the shelves."

See All  Reviews›››

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JOB OF THE WEEK
Austin Public Library is seeking a Managing Librarian or Library Manager