LJ’s 2024 Year in Architecture trends see libraries simultaneously designing for pragmatic concerns, such as safety and site constraints, and an equally important quotient of delight—achieving harmony in the process!
On October 24, the Association of College and Research Libraries announced the publication of its 2024 report for the Project Outcome for Academic Libraries (POAL) toolkit. Data in the report offers a snapshot of POAL’s use and impact in FY24, from September 1, 2023, to August 31 of this year. The report is available as a free download from the Project Outcome for Academic Libraries website.
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In today's evolving world of public spaces, design is capable of catalyzing deeper connections between communities and users who don’t often cross paths or journeys. The blending of architecture and social function plays a pivotal role in fostering environments where diverse communities can gather, interact, and engage in meaningful ways..
LJ has received an Eddie award for its February 2024 cover story “Hungry for Connection: Addressing Loneliness Through the Library,” by Editor-in-Chief Hallie Rich. In May, 2023, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy issued an advisory calling attention to loneliness, isolation, and a lack of connection as a public health crisis increasing the risk of mental health challenges and even premature death. LJ’s feature examined how library programs “can build the very relationships our nation’s public health experts say we most need to cultivate.”
As Lorcan Dempsey, formerly with OCLC, observed in portal: Libraries and the Academy (2008), “discovery happens elsewhere”—that is, people are using internet search engines, recommendations from social media, or emails from friends and colleagues to discover content. Search can be a powerful tool, provided you know what you are looking for. Yet there are significant problems associated with the search process.
Social media influencers are helping propel demand for lifestyle-related content. Publishers are leveraging the built-in following that content creators bring with them from TikTok, Instagram, and other social media channels to drive sales by giving them significant book deals to share their advice on living, loving, crafting, cooking, and decorating.
This month's can’t-miss foreign and indie films feature tradition and hope in rural northern Senegal, the trial and execution of Adolph Eichmann, and a flop-turned-cult-hit starring David Bowie.
“Achieving a sense of balance through design is increasingly important for libraries. Since the pandemic shutdowns and sometimes bumpy reopenings, libraries have had to meet requirements of safety and practicality while finding ways to incorporate the joy and expansiveness needed to welcome all members of the community—and, in many cases, bring a hesitant public back.”
This month's must-see documentaries feature a deep dive into AI, the nostalgia of classic arcade and video games, and a thoughtful portrait of grizzlies in the wild.
JoinLibrary Journal and School Library Journalon November 14 for our eighth annual LibraryCon Live! We're excited to present a day-long celebration of fandom, spotlighting genre fiction for adults and teens with panels devoted to comics and graphic novels, horror, sf/fantasy, and more.
Forthcoming DVDs and Blu-rays feature a demon-controlled pond, the unearthing of sacred ancestral remains, and terrifying yet nuanced zombies and ghosts.
The shortlists for Scotland’s National Book Awards and for the William Hill Sports Book of the Year are announced. Barnes & Noble has selected 13 finalists for the 2024 Book of the Year. Suzanne Nossel is stepping down as CEO of PEN America. Plus, Page to Screen and interviews with Jeff VanderMeer, Paula Hawkins, and William Boyd.
December’s Indie Next list features #1 pick The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer. GMA's November book club pick is The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins, and Reese Witherspoon’s pick is We Will Be Jaguars: A Memoir of My People by Nemonte Nenquimo & Mitch Anderson. Taylor Jenkins Reid previews her forthcoming novel Atmosphere. Tina Knowles announces her memoir, Matriarch, due out in April. LibraryReads and LJ offer read-alikes for Louise Penny’s buzzy book, The Grey Wolf. Alan Murrin’s The Coast Road will be adapted for TV. Plus, authors Joe Hill and Stephen Graham Jones recommend great horror books on the NYT Book Review podcast.
Kathleen DuVal’s Native Nations: A Millennium in North America wins the Cundill History Prize. NYT reports on librarian burnout in the face of the “crisis of violence and abuse” that libraries are encountering. Some Nobel and Pulitzer winners have signed an open letter denouncing cultural boycotts of Israel. Plus, new title bestsellers and interviews with Stanley Tucci, Scott Hawkins, Jane Hirshfield, and Jess Walter.
Lost and Lassoed by Lyla Sage leads holds this week. Also in demand are titles by Isabel Ibañez, Phillip Margolin, Bill Zehme, and Beatriz Williams. People’s book of the week is The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins. The Southern Book Prize finalists, Waterstones Book of the Year shortlist, and Audiofile November Earphones Award winners are announced. Martha Stewart’s latest cookbook arrives, along with November book previews. Music legend Quincy Jones has died at the age of 91.
Box Office Poison: Hollywood’s Story in a Century of Flops, by Tim Robey, is a starred performing arts selection. "Covering over 100 years of Hollywood infamy, Daily Telegraph film critic Robey tours some legendary cinematic flops.... A surefire hit for movie lovers." Lauren Kung Jessen's Yin Yang Love Song is a starred romance. "With fluid writing and an unputdownable story, Jessen’s (Red String Theory) witty rom-com leans hard into the fake-dating trope with great success." And Parent Yourself First: Raise Confident, Compassionate Kids by Becoming the Parent You Wish You’d Had, by Bryana Kappadakunnel, is a starred parenting title. "This handy book is filled with many practical suggestions and psychological insights for parents to work through their own emotional hardships in order to best help their child through life’s challenges. It’s a critical tool and introspective for parents who want to heal and grow from past experiences."
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