#american-library-association — Public Fediverse posts

Now shipping! Presenting a systematic philosophical framework for thinking critically about knowledge, information, and one’s own quest for what matters in life, this book serves as a fun and irreverent guide for sound-decision making in action. https://alastore.ala.org/thnkcrit

#ALA #AmericanLibraryAssociation #LIS #MLIS #libraries #librarianship #InformationScience #infolit #informationliteracy #punk #criticalthinking #library

When you give to ALA's 150th Anniversary Campaign during #NationalLibraryWeek between now and 4/25, your donation will be matched 2:1, thanks to a matching gift challenge from the Steve and Loree Potash Family Foundation. Your $15 becomes $45 this week only! https://give.ala.org/campaign/763273/donate?c_src=web&c_src2=150th

#ALA #AmericanLibraryAssociation #LIS #MLIS #libraries #librarianship #InformationScience #library

How Books Traveling to People Promotes Reading

https://watercresswords.com/2026/04/22/books-travel-promote-reading/

American Library Association Shares Book Ban Data, List of ‘Most Challenged’ Titles of 2025

U.S. librarians tracked 4,235 unique book challenges in 2025, nearly matching the record of 4,240 recorded in 2023, and almost double last year's count.
The post American Library Association Shares Book Ban Data, List of ‘Most Challenged’ Titles of 2025 appeared first on Publishing Perspectives.
https://publishingperspectives.com/2026/04/american-library-association-shares-book-ban-data-list-of-most-challenged-titles-of-2025/

#AmericanLibraryAssociation #BookBans #FreedomtoRead #Libraries #UnitedStates

Look for the ALA Store at #PLA2026 ... Booth 1611! Apparel, bookmarks, posters, totes, and gift and professional development books galore. https://www.placonference.org/

#ALA #AmericanLibraryAssociation #LIS #MLIS #libraries #librarianship #InformationScience #publiclibraries #library

Registration is open for our free webinar on Thursday, April 16, "Using Artificial Intelligence to Elevate and Secure a Human Workforce." Wherever you stand on the subject of AI, our panel of author-experts will shine a light on the current landscape while leaving space for what will surely be a robust discussion. https://ala-events.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_cHxC9eJTQJeqQdKyIsRC4Q#/registration

#ALA #AmericanLibraryAssociation #LIS #MLIS #libraries #librarianship #InformationScience #AL #artificialintelligence #library

Congressional Republicans advance federal ‘don’t say trans’ school bill

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.advocate.com/politics/national/trans-identity-education-ban

Lead with courage, compassion, and clarity using the professional development resources in our new digital catalog! https://alastore.ala.org/SS26catalog

#ALA #AmericanLibraryAssociation #LIS #MLIS #libraries #librarianship #InformationScience #library #alaeditions

Now shipping! Designed as a real-world reference, the newest edition of OIF's "Intellectual Freedom Manual" offers clear, up-to-date insights on protecting intellectual freedom, fighting censorship, safeguarding privacy, and many other key IF topics. https://alastore.ala.org/ifm11

#ALA #AmericanLibraryAssociation #LIS #MLIS #libraries #librarianship #InformationScience #library #intellectualfreedom #censorship #bookbans

Spanning H. G. Wells’s "The Time Machine" to Marvel’s Loki, "The Infinite Loop: Archives and Time Travel in the Popular Imagination" engages archivists and devotees of science fiction alike by exploring common tropes within the genre—and common assumptions in the archival profession—and providing context. Read an excerpt from the book now: https://alastore.ala.org/sites/default/files/2026-01/9798892552776_sample.pdf
#ALA #AmericanLibraryAssociation #LIS #MLIS #libraries #librarianship #InformationScience #scifi #sciencefiction #doctorwho #archives

Yesterday's webinar for public library workers is now viewable on YouTube! https://youtu.be/q-uuGdGarn0?si=IZkaaJJcdz9Li0bw

#ALA #AmericanLibraryAssociation #LIS #MLIS #libraries #librarianship #InformationScience #library #publiclibraries

Timeline cleanse: celebrate 150 years of the American Library Association! https://youtu.be/v5L_7MB8G3c?si=Hd4Ww5K4BjUAel7g

#ALA #AmericanLibraryAssociation #LIS #MLIS #libraries #librarianship #InformationScience #library #ala150

As 2026 peeks over the horizon, we'd like to take a moment to reflect back on the past year, including the 20+ books we published: http://tinyurl.com/49d8vf8d

#ALA #AmericanLibraryAssociation #LIS #MLIS #libraries #librarianship #InformationScience #library

Moving Beyond the Acronym – American Libraries Magazine

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Moving Beyond the Acronym

Academic librarians talk about doubling down on DEI efforts and core values in an uncertain climate

January 2, 2026, Facebook Twitter Email Print

The world of college admissions drastically shifted in 2023, when the Supreme Court’s landmark rulings in two cases—Students for Fair Admissions (SFFA) v. Harvard and SFFA v. University of North Carolina—rejected race-conscious affirmative action policies. Just two years later, as some schools report declining enrollment of students of color, a flurry of executive orders has threatened diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives at colleges and universities.

Last April, Choice, the publishing unit of the American Library Association’s Association of College and Research Libraries, convened the virtual panel “Affirmative Action and the Future of DEI.” Moderated by Fatima Mohie-Eldin, social sciences editor for Choice and editor of its Toward Inclusive Excellence blog, the panel explored how these coalescing issues are impacting academic librarians and information scholars.

The panelists were: Sean Burns, associate professor at University of Kentucky’s School of Information Science in Lexington; Renate Chancellor, associate professor and associate dean for access, ethics, and belonging at Syracuse (N.Y.) University’s School of Information Studies; and Jerome Offord Jr., associate university librarian for community development, belonging, and engagement at Harvard Library in Cambridge, Massachusetts.

The following are edited excerpts of their discussion, which considered how institutions can pursue and reaffirm their commitments to DEI principles, the murky legal and political territory around education and information, and how collaboration can support access and inclusion. View the full program.

Higher education institutions are facing increasing pressure to restructure or even eliminate their DEI programs and offices. How can they continue to advance their commitments to DEI in this environment?

Jerome Offord Jr.: One of our biggest challenges around diversity, equity, and inclusion is that, over the years, we’ve talked about DEI in terms of business cases, like diversifying staff and hitting metrics, but we’ve failed to recognize that this is human-behavior work. It’s change work, and change doesn’t happen in a day, a year, or even a few years. It’s about relearning how we live and interact as human beings.

Whatever the acronym, the work itself isn’t going away, whether in academic or public libraries or in LIS programs. We’re still asking: How do you serve the community you’re hired to serve? And if you look at that community, its users bring diverse perspectives and needs, right? So how do we educate ourselves, examine our biases, and ensure that we’re collecting, purchasing, and producing information that meets those needs?

From that foundation, diversity work must always continue. It’s hard, especially when the acronyms become political targets. This administration’s actions have simply revealed what many people already felt about this work, and that just means we have more to do.

Sean Burns: It’s important that any strategic response recognizes that these policies operate on two levels. First, there’s the attack on DEI programs under the claim that DEI itself is discriminatory. Then there’s the argument that people should be judged, hired, and promoted purely on “merit.” But decades of research show how systems of injustice and unequal distributions of capital and property have advantaged certain races and genders over others. This false, zero-sum narrative about merit ignores the reality that many have been rewarded because of their race, gender identity, or inherited wealth.

As for what libraries can do, we’re about access: access to knowledge, to multiple perspectives, to the understanding that no single knowledge domain is supreme. Whether we call it DEI or something else, that’s the core work libraries have always done.

Renate Chancellor: Until something is actually passed into law, we should continue the work we’ve been doing. We still need to foster inclusion and a sense of belonging for everyone—those who work in libraries as well as across the university. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are for everyone. Universities can’t look away.

As for academic libraries, I’ve always found librarians to be wonderfully opinionated. We’re not afraid to express how we feel, and we should continue doing that. If you have the opportunity to serve on a committee or in a leadership role, take it. Once you’re in the room with deans, provosts, and chancellors, you have their ear and can speak up.

A February 2025 article in Bloomberg Law examined the legal ambiguity of these executive orders, noting that the administration does not define DEI or list any specific activities it considers illegal. What effect does this ambiguity have? Does this uncertainty create an opportunity to rethink or strengthen our DEI frameworks?

Burns: The article was fascinating. The authors make an important distinction between what they call “lifting DEI” and “leveling DEI.” They argue that lifting DEI, or efforts that give preference to underrepresented groups, is what these anti-DEI measures most directly target. Leveling DEI, by contrast, seeks to remove bias from evaluation processes, aiming for so-called meritocracy.

On the surface, that seems rational. The authors give the example of symphony orchestras. In 1970, women held less than 5% of symphony orchestra positions. Lifting DEI would mean giving women a hiring preference; leveling DEI meant holding blind auditions behind a screen.

While the distinction between lifting and leveling is interesting, it can also be a distraction. Real progress requires both. Sometimes we must lift, as in the example of ADA [Americans with Disabilities Act] accommodations for ergonomic chairs. Those don’t remove bias; they raise people up—sometimes literally!

Chancellor: The library profession has spent years trying to define diversity. There have been countless articles debating “What is diversity?” That fixation, I think, hurt us. We spent too much time defining it instead of simply recognizing that it exists.

Likewise, the people attacking DEI now don’t truly understand it. They don’t like the acronym or what they think it represents. Much of the backlash is really aimed at Black and Brown people, because that’s who they believe DEI is for, but diversity is far broader. It includes people with disabilities, those who are neurodivergent, and others whose experiences and trauma led to the very policies we now call DEI.

Even before the recent wave of executive orders targeting DEI, the 2023 Supreme Court decision upended affirmative action in admissions. How can the library profession strategize around these compounding challenges for diversity on campus?

Offord: I think these executive orders will give cover to those who were never truly committed to recruiting or supporting diverse populations. They’ll say, “See? We don’t have to do this anymore.” Unfortunately, that’s going to be the outcome in some places.

One of the hardest things I read after the ruling was an article where someone wrote, “See? I told you, these people only got in because they were Black or Brown.” But what those critics missed was that some students may have chosen not to apply to or attend these institutions because of what’s happening with DEI. Many are returning to minority-serving institutions, where they feel safer and more supported.

We have to recognize that this new generation of students grew up with DEI as part of their worldview. They’ve experienced it firsthand. Older generations—boomers, Gen X, even some millennials—see it differently. There’s a huge generational gap in understanding. But I think we’ll see younger people fighting for this work, as we’ve already seen on campuses. Students want this. As institutions and as a nation, we need to embrace a diversity of students to prepare for the future.

Chancellor: There’s overwhelming data showing that when classrooms are diverse, all students benefit. Each institution will now have to confront an uncomfortable question: Do we truly believe in diversity and inclusion or are we just going to go along with the current political tide?

I remember when college websites would show one Black student, one Asian student, one Latinx student, just enough to check a box. That always bothered me, because it wasn’t real representation. I worry we’ll move even further backward now to a point where we don’t even pretend to include everyone.

Do we truly believe in diversity and inclusion or are we just going to go along with the current political tide?—Renate Chancellor, associate professor and associate dean for access, ethics, and belonging at Syracuse (N.Y.) University’s School of Information Studies

There are still legal ways to recruit equitably. For instance, instead of targeting specific demographic groups, institutions can target certain ZIP codes, particularly those with more diverse populations. For graduate programs, they can establish a presence at historically Black colleges and universities.

There’s room for strategy and creativity here. The same applies to hiring faculty and staff. We can still pursue diversity within the bounds of the 2023 affirmative action ruling, but it requires intention and persistence.

Editor’s Note: The featured image at the top is from WP AI.

Editor’s Note: Read the rest of the story, at the below link.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Moving Beyond the Acronym | American Libraries Magazine

Tennessee whistleblower says library board chair sought private data as part of state's book purge

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.advocate.com/news/tennessee-library-books-purge

Get a discount code for 50% off "The Big Sourcebook of Free and Low-Cost Library Programming" at the ALA Store! It's waiting for you in the December issue of Libraries Rock Worlds, the ALA Editions monthly newsletter that gets you up to speed on the latest publications and happenings from around ALA. https://tinyurl.com/3yxhr2kh

#library #librarianship #americanLibraryAssociation #librarians #librarywork #libraryworkers

ALA Announces Shortlist for 2026 Andrew Carnegie Medals

American Library Association Announces Shortlist for 2026 Andrew Carnegie Medals, including several books in translation.
https://publishingperspectives.com/2025/11/ala-announces-shortlist-for-2026-andrew-carnegie-medals/

#AgustinaBazterrica #AmericanLibraryAssociation #BrianGoldstone #CarnegieMedals #HanKang

Why we must fight attempts to undermine our freedom to read
In 1953, at the height of the McCarthyist red scare, the #AmericanLibraryAssociation & the Association of American Publishers issued a #Freedom to #ReadStatement The organizations expressed concerns about the rising public sentiment that it was worth violating core First Amendment freedoms to keep certain ideas from reaching American readers
The statement, last updated in 2004, begins: “The freedom to read is essential to our #democracy

Wyoming library director wins $700,000 after being fired for defending LGBTQ+ books

https://web.brid.gy/r/https://www.advocate.com/news/wyoming-library-director-wins-settlement

Sparking Young Minds with Forensic Science and Storytelling

Guest Blogger

Sparking Young Minds with Forensic Science and Storytelling

September 29, 2025| Guest Contributor

What do fingerprints, footprints, and fiber analysis have in common?

Picture a group of kids huddled over a table in your library, dusting for “mystery” fingerprints they just read about in a story. Their eyes widen as the patterns appear! It’s discovery, excitement, and learning all at once.

Fingerprints, footprints, and fibers found at crime scenes are types of forensic trace evidence. They help solve mysteries and uncover what happened at a location. Kids love solving mysteries—and they love playing detective. These clues can spark curiosity and imagination while introducing cause and effect.

From Crime Labs to Library Tables

My background in biotechnology and forensic science, combined with my passion for STEMM education, has shaped how I bring science to life for children. Kids of all ages are naturally curious, especially when they’re solving mysteries or exploring the world around them.

I asked myself: How can I capture the thrill of scientific discovery in a way children can enjoy and understand?

The answer came by blending playful storytelling with hands-on science activities. Each letter of the alphabet became a chance to introduce a real-world forensic concept—from “A is for Analysis” to “Z is for Zero Contamination.” One of the biggest challenges was taking complex science and translating it into language kids could understand, without losing its meaning.

Librarians face similar challenges. Turning complicated ideas into age-appropriate, engaging content is a powerful way to bring STEMM into storytime and library programming. Whether it’s exploring forensic mysteries with fingerprint kits after reading a picture book or hosting a scavenger hunt for “evidence,” these science activities can be both fun and educational.

Why Forensic Literacy Matters in Early Education

Forensic science isn’t just about solving crimes—it’s about developing observation, reasoning, and ethical thinking. Introducing these skills early can help children become thoughtful problem-solvers for life.

By bringing forensic science activities into early
education, we give children tools that go beyond
the lab. These hands-on lessons encourage logical
reasoning, attention to detail, and critical thinking,
all while turning science into a fun and interactive
experience.

Simple Forensic Activities for Library Programming

Looking for easy ways to bring forensic science into your programs? Try these:

• Fingerprint Fun: Have kids “dust” for their own fingerprints using pencils, tape, and paper. Pair this with a mystery-themed picture book.
• Fiber Detective: Provide small fabric samples and magnifying glasses. Kids can compare fibers to guess which “suspect” they came from.
• Animal Track Hunt: Hide paper animal tracks around the library and challenge kids to match them to the right animals.
• Fruit DNA Extraction: For older children, extract DNA from strawberries—a simple way to connect biology to real-world science.
• Invite a Local Expert: Host a Q&A with a forensic scientist or local law enforcement to help inspire future investigators.

These activities support inquiry-based learning and align with science standards in fun, meaningful ways!

Encouraging Lifelong Curiosity

During a recent STEMM demo, a child looked up at me wide- eyed and asked, “Can I be a scientist too?” That moment reminded me why early exposure matters. Children often see themselves in the roles we show them—whether that’s a storyteller, an explorer, or a scientist.

Librarians can open those doors. Every mystery solved during
storytime, every question encouraged in a program, helps build a
generation of critical thinkers, innovators, and problem-solvers.

Continue/Read Original Article: https://www.alsc.ala.org/blog/2025/09/sparking-young-minds-with-forensic-science-and-storytelling/

#2025 #ALA #ALSC #America #AmericanLibraryAssociation #Books #Children #Coaching #Education #ForensicScience #History #Librarians #Libraries #Library #LibraryOfCongress #PlayResearcher #Reading #Storytelling #Teaching #TheAssociationForLibraryServiceToChildren #UnitedStates #YoungMinds #YoungPeople

School bus internet, library Wi-Fi lending could end with FCC vote

Referral Shoutout: Thanks to…Library Link of the Day
http://www.tk421.net/librarylink/  (archive, rss, subscribe options)

The FCC is expected to end a Biden-era rule change that allowed nearly 200,000 schools and libraries to loan out Wi-Fi hotspot devices.

By Sarah D. Wire, USA TODAY

It could soon be harder for students to access the internet on school buses and for the public to borrow mobile internet hotspots from libraries.

In a Sept. 23 letter, a coalition of school and library advocacy groups urged the Federal Communications Commission to protect the programs that have allowed schools and libraries to lend out hotspot devices.

“One in five households in our country still do not have access to reliable home broadband. Hotspots are not a permanent fix, but they’ll make sure students, jobseekers, veterans and seniors don’t get left behind,” American Library Association President Sam Helmick said in a statement provided to USA TODAY.

The FCC is scheduled to vote at its Sept. 30 meeting to undo a 2024 rule change made by the Biden administration that allowed schools and libraries to lend out hotspots and provide Wi-Fi on buses as part of the existing E-Rate program, which allows schools and libraries to obtain affordable broadband.

When schools and businesses were closed during the pandemic, Congress allocated $123 million to the FCC to purchase hotspots for schools and libraries. The Biden FCC vote in 2024 came after authority to spend that money ended.

Schools and libraries in every state have already had contracts approved and money has already been spent. In fiscal year 2025, which ends Sept. 30, schools and districts requested a total of $27.5 million for Wi-Fi hotspots.

According to a Sept. 3 FCC news release, the company that runs the program, called E-Rate, would be ordered to “deny pending funding year 2025 requests for E-Rate funding for the off-premises use of Wi-Fi hotspots and Wi-Fi on school buses as these services will be determined to be ineligible.”

Editor’s Note: Read the rest of the story, at the below link.

Continue/Read Original Article Here: School bus internet, library Wi-Fi lending could end with FCC vote

#2025 #ALA #America #AmericanLibraryAssociation #DonaldTrump #ERate #Education #FCC #FederalCommunicationsCommission #Health #History #Internet #Lending #Libraries #LibraryOfCongress #Opinion #Politics #Resistance #SchoolBus #Science #Technology #Trump #TrumpAdministration #UnitedStates #WiFi

Our new books address such urgent professional issues as AI management, student volunteer empowerment, and trauma-informed service. You’ll also find resources to strengthen digital literacy, improve workplace well-being, and explore critical approaches to information literacy. https://alastore.ala.org/FW26catalog

#ALA #AmericanLibraryAssociation #LIS #MLIS #libraries #librarianship #InformationScience #library #LibraryWork

Legendary Actor/Author/Activist George Takei Named Honorary Chair of Banned Books Week 2025

Here’s the Full Text of Today’s Announcement From the American Library Association (ALA):

Pioneering actor, author, and activist George Takei has been named honorary chair of Banned Books Week, which will take place October 5 – 11, 2025. Takei will be joined in leading the annual event by youth honorary chair Iris Mogul.

“Books are an essential foundation of democracy,” said Mr. Takei. “Our ‘government of the people, by the people, for the people’ depends on a public that is informed and empathetic, and books teach us both information and empathy. Yet the right to read is now under attack from school boards and politicians across America. I’m proud to serve as honorary chair of Banned Books Week, because I remember all too well the lack of access to books and media that I needed growing up. First as a child in a barbed-wire prison camp, then as a gay young man in the closet, I felt confused and hungry for understanding about myself and the world around me. Now, as an author, I share my own stories so that new generations will be better informed about their history and themselves. Please stand with me in opposing censorship, so that we all can find ourselves — and each other — in books.”

Mr. Takei is recognized as an award-winning actor, outspoken civil rights activist, social media icon, and New York Times–bestselling author. He has leveraged his popularity as a star of the Star Trek franchise and a social media influencer to advocate for several causes, including the rights of Japanese Americans and LGBTQIA+ individuals.

His award-winning New York Times bestseller “They Called Us Enemy” (Top Shelf Productions, 2019) uses both words and images to depict Mr. Takei’s childhood as one of 125,000 Japanese Americans imprisoned in concentration camps by the U.S. government during World War II. This graphic memoir has been targeted by censors multiple times since publication, most recently in Monroe County School District in Tennessee, where it was among nearly 600 titles removed in an attempt to comply with the state’s vaguely-worded Age-Appropriate Materials Act.

Mr. Takei’s latest acclaimed graphic memoir “It Rhymes With Takei” (Top Shelf Productions, 2025), which Publishers Weekly described in its starred review as challenging “Americans to look to how past humanitarian injustices speak to current political debates,” has not appeared on banned books lists yet. But the memoir’s depiction of Mr. Takei’s life as a closeted gay man and decision to come out at the age of 68 will likely meet resistance in places where state and local laws target the inclusion of LGBTQIA+ materials in schools and libraries.
In addition to Mr. Takei, youth honorary chair Iris Mogul will also raise awareness about censorship threats throughout Banned Books Week. Ms. Mogul is a Florida teen who started a banned books club in her community after the state implemented laws that resulted in the removal of hundreds of books about race, history, and sexuality from schools. Ms. Mogul continued her advocacy work as a student leader in the National Coalition Against Censorship’s Student Advocates for Speech and received an honorable mention from the Miami Herald Silver Knight Awards in May 2025..

Since 2021, the American Library Association and PEN America have tracked a sharp escalation in the attempts to ban books, with thousands of unique titles targeted annually. Books by or about LGBTQIA+ individuals and people of color make up nearly half of those titles. The majority of book censorship attempts now originate from organized movements. According to ALA, pressure groups and government entities that include elected officials, board members, and administrators initiated 72% of demands to censor books in school and public libraries in 2024.

Since it was founded in 1982, Banned Books Week has drawn attention to attempts to remove books and other materials from libraries, schools, and bookstores. Now in its 43rd year, the theme for Banned Books Week 2025 is “Censorship is so 1984. Read for Your Rights.” George Orwell’s cautionary tale 1984 serves a prescient warning about the dangers of censorship, and this year’s theme reminds us that the right to read belongs to all of us, that censorship has no place in contemporary society, and that we must defend our rights.

Let Freedom Read Day, a day of action, will be observed on October 11. Everyone is encouraged to take at least one action to fight censorship — all you need is 5 minutes! For information about ways to participate and resources, visit bit.ly/LetFreedomReadDay.

Visit BannedBooksWeek.org for information about events, ways to participate, and promotional materials. Follow Banned Books Week on social media (@BannedBooksWeek on Bluesky, Facebook, and X, @banned_books_week on Instagram) for the latest updates.

About George Takei

George Takei is a civil rights activist, social media superstar, Grammy-nominated recording artist, New York Times bestselling author, and pioneering actor whose career has spanned six decades. He has appeared in more than 40 feature films and hundreds of television roles, most famously as Hikaru Sulu in Star Trek. He has used his success as a platform to fight for justice on a wide range of issues, particularly those facing the Japanese American and LGBTQIA+ communities. His advocacy is personal: during World War II, Takei spent his childhood unjustly imprisoned in United States incarceration camps along with 125,000 other Japanese Americans. He also spent the first 68 years of his life closeted, finally coming out as gay in 2005 to become a tireless advocate for marriage equality. His books include the autobiography To the Stars, the award-winning graphic memoir They Called Us Enemy, and the children’s picture book My Lost Freedom: A Japanese American World War II Story. In 2025, he reunited with the team behind They Called Us Enemy for a new graphic memoir reflecting on his life on both sides of the closet door, titled It Rhymes With Takei.

About Iris Mogul

Originally from Miami, Florida, Iris Mogul is determined to resist censorship from her state’s legislators and around the country. As a high schooler, Iris started a banned books club in her community after the state passed laws to remove hundreds of books about race, history, and sexuality from schools. She continued her advocacy work as a student leader in the National Coalition Against Censorship’s Student Advocates for Speech where she spoke and wrote about topics like book banning, political censorship in AP US History curriculum, and the failing humanities education in Florida. Last Banned Books Week, she joined the Miami bookstore Books & Books for their musical Sing for Freadom event!

Now a freshman at the University of California Santa Cruz, Iris finds joy in music, reading, writing, and learning. She envisions a life of working towards collective liberation for all people through the vehicle of fighting mass incarceration and criminalization.

Read original article: Read More

Original article: View source

Creating a library leadership program is within reach! Complete with a plethora of customizable forms, templates, and tools that you can modify to suit your own needs, this book offers a roadmap: https://alastore.ala.org/fromLtoL

#ALA
#AmericanLibraryAssociation
#LIS
#MLIS
#libraries
#librarianship
#InformationScience
#schoollibraries

In a new podcast, Dr. Nicole A. Cooke talks about the important legacy of black women in #librarianship and how the profession can become ever more diverse and community centered: https://circulatingideas.com/2025/09/02/296-the-legacy-of-black-women-in-librarianship-when-they-dared-to-be-powerful-by-nicole-a-cooke/

#ALA #AmericanLibraryAssociation #LIS #MLIS #libraries #InformationScience #history #library #LibraryWork

Circulating Ideas chats with Michael Hanegan and Chris Rosser about why librarians should play a central role in shaping an ethical future of AI. https://circulatingideas.com/2025/08/20/295-generative-ai-and-libraries-by-michael-hanegan-and-chris-rosser/

#ALA #AmericanLibraryAssociation #LIS #MLIS #libraries #librarianship #InformationScience #AL

Now shipping! A must-have resource for every school librarian’s shelf, this guidebook offers practical advice in a friendly, conversational tone on an incredible breadth of topics rooted in AASL best practices. Both new and experienced school librarians will feel like they’re getting guidance from a trusted friend or mentor. https://alastore.ala.org/slgtae

#ALA #AmericanLibraryAssociation #LIS #MLIS #libraries #librarianship #InformationScience #schoollibraries #schoollibrarians

Show Up for Our Libraries | American Library Association – ALA

ALA

Advocacy & Issues

Show Up for Our Libraries

Libraries are among the most trusted institutions in America. From cradle to grave, libraries provide opportunity and enrichment for everyone in their communities. Yet in recent years, libraries have been facing unprecedented challenges – bans on library materials and programs, threats to cut local funding, and state legislation that would criminalize librarians for doing their jobs. Now the federal government is moving to cut off its modest but effective support for libraries, from withdrawal of funding for broadband to the elimination of the only source of federal funding for our nation’s 125,000 libraries, the Institute of Museum and Library Services.

Libraries are here for us – in schools, on campuses, in cities, in small towns, and beyond. Here are ways we can Show Up #ForOurLibraries:

If you have 5 minutes:

1. Call Your Members of Congress.

Use this form to make a call in support of federal library funding. Enter your address in the form, and then click the blue “Start Call” button to receive a phone call that connects you with your elected officials. Visit this page for details on how much your state receives from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

Call on Congress to protect IMLS

2. Email Your Members of Congress.

Use this form to email your members of Congress. Enter your address in the form, and then click the “Send email” button to contact your elected officials. Please customize your email if possible – tell your library story!

Email Congress to protect IMLS

3. Help spread the word on social media or in person.

Follow this link for social media graphics and sample social posts to help get the word out! Use our print resources below to help spread the message in person!

Social Media Toolkit

If you’re asking why you should contact Congress in more than one way: The truth is that legislators get thousands of messages each day. The more they get on any one issue, the higher their staff puts them on their priority list—especially when it comes to phone calls.

Print Resources

Use these customizable Canva templates to educate your patrons about the importance of federal library funding.

Bookmark 1
Bookmark 1 with white background

Bookmark 2
Bookmark 2 with white background

Flyer
Flyer with white background

Continue/Read Original Article Here: Show Up for Our Libraries | ALA

#2025 #ALA #America #AmericanLibraryAssociation #Books #ForOurLibraries #History #Librarians #Libraries #Library #Reading

Our author Rebecca Hass leads a conversation with librarian and literary ambassador Mychal Threets at #ARSL2025 in Albuquerque. In a time when life (and library work) can feel especially heavy, Mychal and Rebecca will explore how we can intentionally center joy, care, and mental health in our professional lives. Register now! https://www.arsl.org/2025-conference

#ALA #AmericanLibraryAssociation #LIS #MLIS #libraries #librarianship #InformationScience #librarywork

Now shipping! Speaking directly to library workers, this book demonstrates the power and fulfillment that comes from actively participating in shaping both the conditions under which they labor and the conditions that govern the library itself. https://alastore.ala.org/oryrlib

#ALA #AmericanLibraryAssociation #LIS #MLIS #libraries #librarianship #InformationScience #librarylife #unions