View in browser
LJAcademicHeader

Forward to a Friend

April 24, 2025

EBSCO
Learning from the Past | Periodicals Price Survey 2025
By Siôn Romaine, Barbara Albee, Cynthia M. Elliott, and Stephen Bosch
This year, we cast both a look back to see what can be learned from the past, and a look forward to consider what might be heading our way in the coming years.

 

Jlibrarytwofifty-Apr-24-2025-04-46-38-6376-PM
Librarians and Independent Publishers Talk Shop at IndieLib 2025
By Lisa Peet
The second Independent Publisher and Librarian Forum—IndieLib for short—was held on April 16 in downtown Manhattan, at New York University’s Engelberg Center on Innovation Law and Policy. The event brought together public and academic librarians, representatives from indie publishers and their distributors, and others across the field to learn more about one another’s work and concerns, and imagine new ways to move forward.
Jlibrarythreehundred-Apr-24-2025-04-48-59-0513-PM

SPONSORED BY OVERDRIVE INC.

 

Libby Supports Librarians


Student access matters more than ever, and so does supporting the academic community. OverDrive offers a budget-friendly digital library service with perpetual titles, seamless integration with your ILS, and flexible lending. Make your library a hub for learning and fun. With Libby, your digital library never closes—and we’ve got your back.

 

Learn more>>>

OverDrive Inc.
“Book Bans in American Libraries: Impact of Politics on Inclusive Content Consumption” | Research Briefs
By Laura Galán-Wells
While those in favor of book bans believe children should be protected from content perceived as inappropriate or abusive, those opposed worry about the societal consequences of censoring information and ideas, the infringement of First Amendment rights, and the negative impacts on authors and publishers. Researchers Uttara M. Ananthakrishnan, Naveen Basavaraj, Sabari Rajan Karmegam, Ananya Sen, and Michael D. Smith set out to examine how bans at the district level affect consumption at the national level.
Jlibrarythreehundred-Apr-24-2025-04-50-16-0793-PM
1980s Culture and Society | eReview
By James Rhoades
This AM resource provides a variety of information originating from an assortment of formats that will surely satisfy anyone interested in 1980s culture and society. Universities and colleges alike will want to consider adding this helpful targeted resource, as most people look back on the decade with both fondness and disappointment. 
ljx250401webreferev1980sculturesociety-1
EBSCO
Bloomsbury Visual Arts: Art, Race and Gender Collection | eReview
By Gricel Dominguez
BVA’s Art, Race and Gender Collection provides access to a niche selection of monographs with an intersectional approach to art studies. A valuable resource for institutions supporting research and scholarship in the areas of art, art history, women’s and gender studies, and visual culture.  
ljx250401webreferevbloomsburyart-1

“Last year I was really struck at how many independent publishers weren’t necessarily aware how their books were being offered—what was the model, what’s the price point? If you’re opting into a large number of distribution channels through a third-party distributor, you might not scrutinize that. You might just say, I’m going throw it all out there and just focus on making the books.”

 

—From “Librarians and Independent Publishers Talk Shop at IndieLib 2025”

Transylvania, Sir David Attenborough, and a Cheeky Hitchcock Impersonator | Real Reels
By Joshua Blevins Peck
This month’s can’t-miss documentaries include a deep dive into Transylvania, a portrait of beloved natural historian Sir David Attenborough, and an audacious interview with “Alfred Hitchcock.”
Jlibraryhundredwidth-Apr-24-2025-05-09-44-2644-PM
OverDrive Inc.

From LJ Reviews:

HISTORY 
Every Weapon I Had: A Vietnam Vet’s Long Road to the Medal of Honor
By Paris Davis
Intended for audiences interested in military history, civil rights, or stories of personal triumph over obstacles, this work will resonate deeply, with its themes of courage and dedication.
 
PREMIUM
John Hancock: First To Sign, First To Invest in America’s Independence
By Willard Sterne Randall
An interesting look at one of the lesser-studied Founders, in which Randall contextualizes an important figure in U.S. history. 
 
Annapolis Goes to War: The Naval Academy Class of 1940 and Its Trial by Fire in World War II
By Craig L. Symonds
An often-moving account of a group of young officers in World War II, skillfully told by one of the country’s premier authorities on U.S. Naval history and recommended for anyone interested in military history.
PERFORMING ARTS
Desi Arnaz: The Man Who Invented Television
By Todd S. Purdum
Purdum’s access to the Arnaz family and unpublished records allows him to essentially fact-check the memoirs written by Arnaz and Ball, and his honest reflection of a complicated man is poignant and heartfelt.
 
PREMIUM
The Shortest History of Music: From Bone Flutes to Synthesizers, Hildegard of Bingen to Beyoncé—5,000 Years of Instrument and Song
By Andrew Ford
This short work is limited by its brevity but offers readers an intriguing summary of the vast history of music and invites further exploration.
 
PREMIUM
Judy Garland: The Voice of MGM
By Scott Brogan
Brogan excels at detailing the breadth of Garland’s career alongside the highs and lows of her personal life. This sizeable (11 x 8.5 in.) and fully illustrated book is best for libraries with larger performing arts sections.
TECHNOLOGY
PREMIUM
Face with Tears of Joy: A Natural History of Emoji
By Keith Houston
An excellent read for those interested in history, technology, and the global scale of digital communication. Appropriate for both casual and professional audiences.
 
The AI Con: How To Fight Big Tech’s Hype and Create the Future We Want
By Emily M. Bender & Alex Hanna
Documenting how “mathy maths” AI applications are produced and idealized as useful and thoughtfully critiquing the social, cultural, and technological systems that structure this so-called intelligence, Bender and Hanna have constructed a thorough, witty, and accessible argument against AI that meets the moment.
PD 250528-S Empowering Library Users with AI
Portrayed in Panels | Graphic Novel Preview
By Thomas Batten
Biker mice from Mars, a mysterious manuscript that can control the world, and a space-traveling samurai rabbit all play out in the creatively vibrant pages of graphic works this season, filling collections with innovation and engagement.
Jlibrarythreehundred-Apr-24-2025-05-13-17-9753-PM
Kao Kalia Yang Wins 3 Minnesota Book Awards for 3 Different Books | Book Pulse
By Kate Merlene
Winners of the Minnesota Book Awards are announced; Kao Kalia Yang makes history by winning three awards for three different books. Poet and University of Iowa writing program director Christopher Merrill wins the Ottaway Award for the Promotion of International Literature. The shortlist for the Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Prize is announced.
Jlibrarytwohundred-Apr-24-2025-05-14-17-2545-PM
British Science Fiction Association Awards Winners | Book Pulse
By Kate Merlene
The British Science Fiction Association Awards winners are announced. Dorian McNamara wins the CBC Short Story Prize. Publishing Perspectives recaps Circana’s Q1 US Print Report
Jlibrarytwohundred-Apr-24-2025-05-15-36-4199-PM

From the Pages of infoDOCKET...

  • California Digital Library (CDL) Releases Statement on Endorsing the Barcelona Declaration on Open Research Information (DORI)
  • Journal Article: “Ukrainian Public Libraries During the Russia-Ukraine War: Supporting Individuals, Communities, and the Nation”
  • Journal Article: “Where There’s a Will There’s a Way: ChatGPT Is Used More for Science in Countries Where It Is Prohibited”
  • OCLC Sues Baker & Taylor for “Allegedly Using Its Data to Create Competing Product”
  • Report: “Students at Pentagon Schools Sue Hegseth Over Book Bans on Race and Gender”
Job Zone utilizes unique job matching technology to help you find the perfect job (and employers find the perfect candidate), whether you’re actively seeking or just keeping an eye out for your possibilities. Log on today and check out our newest features, including automated job and candidate matches, and email alerts.
JOB OF THE WEEK

Coalinga-Huron Library District is seeking a Library Director.

JobZone_logo2018July_200w

Did you receive this newsletter from a friend? Sign up here to get Academic Newswire

LINKS: LibraryJournal.com | News | Reviews+ | LJ Events and Webcasts

CONTACTS: Editorial: lpeet@mediasourceinc.com; Advertising: rfutterman@mediasourceinc.com

Library Journal (an MSI Information Services company), 7001 Discovery Boulevard, Suite 100, Dublin, OH 43017, United States

Manage preferences