Prison Library Support Network Volunteers Meet Incarcerated Information Needs with Grassroots Reference by Mail Service By Claire Kelley The Prison Library Support Network, established in 2015, works to meet the information needs of people who are incarcerated through a nationwide letter-writing project. Since the reference by mail program started in 2021, the New York City–based collective of librarians, graduate students, and activists has responded to nearly all of the 3,000 queries it has received from people in prisons across the United States, with the majority of letters coming from Texas, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Ohio, and Florida. | Academic Movers Q&A: Nardia Cumberbatch on Earning the Sustainable Library Certification By Amy Rea Nardia Cumberbatch, librarian at Florida’s Valencia College, was named a 2024 Library Journal Mover & Shaker for her work in helping the college achieve the Sustainable Library Certification Program, the second academic library in the country and the first library in Florida to have done so. We recently spoke with Cumberbatch about what it took to earn that certification and its resulting impact. | RUSA Book and Media Awards Are Announced | Book Pulse By Kate Merlene The RUSA Book and Media Awards are announced, including the Notable Books List, Reading List, Listen List, Essential Cookbooks, Dartmouth Medal, and Outstanding References Sources List. Percival Everett’s James and Kevin Fedarko’s A Walk in the Park: The True Story of a Spectacular Misadventure in the Grand Canyon win Andrew Carnegie Medals. Cold Crematorium: Reporting from the Land of Auschwitz by József Debreczeni is awarded the Sophie Brody Medal. | Finalists for National Book Critics Circle Awards Are Announced | Book Pulse By Sarah Wolberg The finalists for the National Book Critics Circle Awards and the longlist for the Swansea University Dylan Thomas Prize are revealed. Mick Herron wins the Crime Writers Association Diamond Dagger Award for lifetime achievement. Novelists are wondering if their careers will survive without BookTok. Penguin Random House parent company Bertelsmann has agreed to a strategic partnership with OpenAI. | SPONSORED BY EBSCO Navigating AI’s Future: How Sci-Fi Predicted Today’s Knowledge Challenges Dr. Ashleigh Faith, MLIS, PhD from EBSCO dives into "Libraries of Future Past," exploring how science fiction predicted today’s AI challenges: navigating information overload, discerning truth, and ethical knowledge pursuits. While AI helps, humans—especially librarians— are crucial in organizing and helping unearth trustworthy information. Read more>>> | 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 The Wilkinson Public Library is seeking a Library Director. | |