Voting for the American Library Association (ALA) 2026–27 presidential campaign opens March 10, and ALA members in good standing can cast their ballots through April 2. LJ invited candidates Lindsay Cronk, dean of libraries at Tulane University, New Orleans; Andrea Jamison, assistant professor of school librarianship, Illinois State University; and Maria McCauley, director of libraries, Cambridge Public Library, MA, to weigh in on some key issues.
In July 2024, when Idaho’s House Bill 710 went into effect, libraries across the state felt its impact in large and small ways, from refining policies to removing contested titles from their shelves. The law, passed by the state legislature and signed by Gov. Brad Little, prohibits libraries and schools from allowing anyone under age 18 to access material containing “sexual content,” regardless of their age—the law makes no distinction between infants and 17-year-olds—or the books’ literary merit. In February a coalition of publishers, authors, parents, students, and the Donnelly Public Library District filed a lawsuit challenging HB 710 on the grounds that it violates the First and 14th Amendment rights of librarians, educators, publishers, authors, parents, and students.
Vanessa Miller is a bestselling, award-winning author and playwright. Her writing has been centered on themes of redemption and books about strong Black women in pivotal moments of history. Her latest novel, The Filling Station, tells the story of the horrific 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre from the perspective of two young sisters.
As the new year steams into action, the book season gets in full gear as well, greeting spring, summer, and fall with a long list of titles worth noting. From fiction that focuses on a range of contemporary concerns, to nonfiction reminding us that the past is always prologue, to poetry that summons attention, these are works to know, share, and read.
In this AI Watch, we discuss: The State Libraries and AI Technologies Working Group Gathering; Violet Fox—anti-AI crusader; AI accuracy for factual questions; AI tools for everyday people in everyday situations (music/audio, transcription, and image).
Zooming in on titles publishing in the next several months, LJ’s Reviews editors explore the many appeals of genre fiction, especially focused on series titles (likely because they multiply the delights of character and setting). Also on our reading lists is a swath of issue-focused and expansive nonfiction, with books that draw attention to contemporary needs and offer historical context.
Margaret Atwood announces she will publish a memoir, The Book of Lives, in November. The Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction longlist and the Gwen Harwood Poetry Prize shortlist are announced. LibraryReads and LJ offer read-alikes for top holds title We All Live Here by Jojo Moyes. Barbara Hoffert previews a year of titles to watch for LJ. Plus, Amy Adams will star in and produce the Apple TV+ series Cape Fear, based on John D. MacDonald’s novel The Executioners.
Longlists are selected for the Reading the West Awards. Finalists are revealed for the Compton Crook Award, for best debut sci-fi, fantasy, or horror novel. Isabel Allende receives the Bodley Medal for her contributions to literature. Giada Scodellaro’s Ruins, Child wins the Novel Prize. Publishing Perspectives analyzes the longlists for the UK Carnegie Medals for children’s books and finds a trend of books about masculinity. Plus, Page to Screen and interviews with Helen Fielding, Charlamagne Tha God, and Charlotte Wood.
Winners of the Society of Authors Translation Prize, the Albertine Translation Prize, and the Westminster Book Awards are revealed. A shortlist is announced for the Athenaeum Literary Award for books from and about Philadelphia. Authors Against Book Bans successfully prevents a book ban in a Florida school district. Plus, a reexamination of the work of Janet Malcolm, interviews with Joe Piscopo and Brigitte Giraud, and new title bestsellers.
The 10th-anniversary edition of The Nightingale by patron favorite Kristin Hannah releases next week. The attempted-murder trial of the man accused of stabbing Salman Rushdie onstage in 2022 begins. AAP, IPA, and other groups release a joint statement on AI and copyright. Macmillan CEO Jon Yaged warns about the dangers of banning books. Plus, Thomas Ray’s novella Silencer will be adapted for the big screen.
The Encyclopedia of Minor League Baseball: A Complete Record of Teams, Leagues and Seasons, 1876–2019, by Lloyd Johnson and Miles Wolff, is a starred reference selection. "This edition’s integration of historical narratives with records elevates it beyond a reference work to a compelling chronicle of baseball history. Johnson and Wolff’s remarkable achievement, indispensable for baseball enthusiasts and historians, ensures that the vibrant history of the minors endures." Lucinda Scala Quinn's Mother Sauce: Italian American Family Recipes and the Story of the Women Who Created Them is a starred cooking and food title. "Holding its own among other excellent guides to the subject (like Angie Rito’s Italian American, Lidia Bastianich’s Lidia’s Italy in America, and Alex Guarnaschelli’s brand new Italian American Forever), Quinn’s insightful, welcoming introduction is the next best thing to have one’s own nonna in the kitchen." And in history, The Birth of the Anglo-Saxons: Three Kings and a History of Britain at the Dawn of the Viking Age, by Max Adams, is a starred selection. "Highlighting an elusive and understudied part of English history, this book will appeal to many, especially readers interested in medieval history. The importance of the Mercian contribution to the building of a medieval English state cannot be underestimated."
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