The Seattle Public Library (SPL) is continuing to recover from a ransomware attack on Saturday, May 25. At press time, all branches were open, in-person and virtual programs and events were still being hosted, books and other physical materials were available for checkout, and online services provided by third-party vendors including ProQuest, Hoopla, Kanopy, and others were available to patrons. Last week, SPL also restored access to ebooks and e-audiobooks. However, access to SPL’s public computers, in-building Wi-Fi, printing and copying services, pickup lockers, museum pass services, interlibrary loan services, and some other online resources remained unavailable.
Libraries deserve a reasonably priced, modern cataloging utility that provides efficient, easy to use features combined with strong, high-quality records coverage at the time of purchase.
Summer sounds—waves, bike wheels, ice cream truck bells—are joined by the skilled voices of narrators transforming novels, nonfiction, and poetry in audio editions that fill the season with not-to-miss listens, be they tense thrillers, swoony romances, or reflective fiction.
Library Journal's annual award for the Best Small Library in America was founded in 2005 to encourage and showcase the exemplary work of these libraries. It honors the U.S. public library that most profoundly demonstrates outstanding service to populations of 25,000 or less. The winner will be announced at the 2024 Association for Rural & Small Libraries conference and will have the opportunity to speak. The winning library will also receive a $5,000 cash award, and two finalist libraries will receive $1,000 each, courtesy of Ingram. The deadline for nominations is next Wednesday, June 26.
LJ caught up with Audie Award– and multiple-time Earphones Award–winning narrator Eunice Wong to learn more about her creative process and how she has found her voice and style.
“In audiobooks, which are almost never rehearsed, the actor’s life experience and passions become even more important because, in a way, our lives are the rehearsals for the books we narrate.”
Michelle Moran, author of historical fiction including Nefertiti, Cleopatra’s Daughter, and Rebel Queen, learned history and research skills in part through her work on archeological digs. Her newest book, Maria: A Novel of Maria von Trapp (Dell), marks a jump in time for her subject interests and goes far beyond The Sound of Music to portray its complicated subject. She talks with LJ about research, the Broadway production of the musical, and Maria’s real-life persona.
Understanding how students use and reuse library resources and services is critical for academic libraries. Students make up the bulk of library end-users; they determine whether and how collections are used, how library spaces are used and whether services provide value.
Journey from the ancient world to the harrowing events of the 20th century. Follow women as they struggle against and change the world. Tread the boards with playwrights and race in the wake of adventurers. It is all possible within the pages of historical fiction. In this year’s preview we dig into the research to showcase trends and titles of note. Key findings? Performing arts are breaking new ground in terms of the subjects authors are exploring, while the larger trends of retellings, genre blends, glitz and glamour, and reclaiming the lives of women castigated or dismissed by history are also front and center.
Oprah selects Familiaris by David Wroblewski for her 106th book club pick. Ted Chiang wins the PEN/Bernard and Ann Malamud Award for Excellence in the Short Story. Christina Morina wins the German Nonfiction Prize. LibraryReads and LJ offer read-alikes for buzzy book Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood. V.E. Schwab signs a two-book deal with Tor. Sylvester Stallone’s forthcoming memoir The Steps will be published by Morrow in 2025. A Crazy Rich Asians TV series, based on the books by Kevin Kwan, is in the works, and Netflix is developing a three-part series adaptation of Agatha Christie’s The Seven Dials Mystery.
Digital-native users want library resources in digital form. Vendors who furnish those resources are expecting the library to share content responsibly. Using a digital delivery platform, University of Tennessee Libraries are making both groups happy—and enjoying streamlined workflows as a bonus.
*The next Kline Community Impact Prize winner will be announced in Library Journal's February 2025 issue, so the deadline for nominations has been extended to July 31, 2024.
V.V. Ganeshananthan’s Brotherless Night wins the Women’s Prize for Fiction, and Naomi Klein’s Doppelganger: A Trip into the Mirror World wins the Women’s Prize for Nonfiction. Kevin Jared Hosein wins the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction for Hungry Ghosts. Winners of the Reading the West Book Awards, the shortlist for the Nature Writing Prize for Working Class Writers, and the Theakston Old Peculier Crime Novel shortlist are announced. Plus Page to Screen.
The Aisle-by-Aisle Exhibitor Guide & Coupon Booklet is now available for download. Get an early look at the Exhibitors and what’s happening on the show floor: book signings, show specials, prize drawings, booth giveaways.
The Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley leads holds this week. Also getting buzz are new titles by Riley Sager, Liv Constantine, Patricia Briggs, Catherine Newman, Jack Carr, and Claire Lombardo. Eight LibraryReads and three Indie Next picks publish this week. People’s book of the week is Catherine Newman’s Sandwich. Several adaptations earned Tony Awards, including The Outsiders, based on the novel by S.E. Hinton, which won Best Musical.
Call for Info: Library Renovation/Construction Projects Completed Since Last July
Library Journal is collecting information about library projects completed over the last year for our annual Year in Architecture feature. If your institution completed a library construction or renovation project between July 1, 2023 and June 30, 2024, please tell us about it! The links below will direct you to download a pdf of the form before filling out your responses online. We have separate links for public and college/university library projects. The deadline for submissions is Friday, July 26. If you are unsure of the specifics for the form, please ask your architect. They will receive free inclusion in our architect listing. Submission of high-resolution images of your completed project is encouraged and you will find digital specs and instructions in the gray box on the form.
A Year Full of Pots: Container Flowers for All Seasons, written by Sarah Raven with photographs by Jonathan Buckley, is a starred home and garden selection. "A feast for the eyes and blooming with inspiration, Raven’s text will please armchair gardeners and aid those looking to craft flower-filled delights." In romance, Jamie Harrow's debut novel One on One is a starred title. "Harrow’s breathtaking debut delves deep into the raw emotions of grief and the pure beauty of rediscovering joy in an exquisite tale of second chances, featuring an enemies-to-lovers romance." And What To Cook When You Don’t Feel like Cooking, by Caroline Chambers, is a starred sciences selection. "Highly approachable and friendly to all skill levels, this book fits the bill for anyone who hesitates to prepare meals; a must-have for time-constrained cooks. Essential for every collection."
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