1. Literary Candles ($11) Readers can bring their favorite books to life with Etsy artist Callie Meaney’s literary candles. Whether it be the scent of the ocean breeze at Jay Gatsby’s shoreline, the freshly laundered socks of Dobby the House Elf, or the blue spruce from the Narnia forest, From the Page soy candles bring … Continue reading Holiday Gift Guide for Librarians and Book Lovers
Before the opening general session even began, hundreds of school librarians met at IdeaLab, a sort of digitally enhanced poster session, with tabletop video displays on topics from STEM and STEAM, national standards, Common Core, and more. Karen Nourse Reed and Jennifer “Megan” Carlton, of the James E. Walker Library at Middle Tennessee State University … Continue reading AASL Conference Opens with IdeaLab
Michael, you are currently at work on a book, This Machine Kills Fascists: Technology and Culture in the US Folk Music Revival, about the American folk music revival of the 1950s and 1960s. What part did Alan Lomax play in that revival? MICHAEL J. KRAMER: Alan Lomax’s part in the US folk music revival is … Continue reading The Legacy of Alan Lomax
Some #bookspinepoetry for our friends @BlueJays & @torontolibrary #TaketheCrown #GoRoyals #ALCS pic.twitter.com/Zj5ZvhFljv — KCMO Public Library (@KCLibrary) October 20, 2015 Toronto Public Library responded, saying, “Warning.” “Kansas City.” “It Ain’t Over till It’s Over.” Well played @KCLibrary but we’ve got a way with words too. ‘Til tomorrow! @BlueJays #ComeTOgether #GoJaysGo pic.twitter.com/qED5PFp95t — TorontoPublicLibrary (@torontolibrary) October … Continue reading Libraries Take Part in World Series–Themed Twitter “Battle”
“We used to have an event in Glen Ellyn called BookFest involving local merchants and the library,” says Susan DeRonne, adult department director at Glen Ellyn Public Library (GEPL). “[It] had a tent where self-published authors could sell their works, and it became more and more popular in its last years.” GEPL is one of … Continue reading Solving the Self-Published Puzzle
Speakers Kick off Midwinter with the ERT/Booklist Author Forum (January 8), an exciting panel moderated by a Booklist editor. Get inspired at the Arthur Curley Memorial Lecture (January 9) where you’ll hear a talk by cyberbullying activist Lizzie Velasquez, best known for her TEDx talk viewed more than 9 million times on YouTube. Attend the … Continue reading Making the Most of Midwinter 2016
Instead, Davis assists patrons with their health care questions by helping them find information on Medline-Plus, an authoritative, free website where the public can find health information in more than 40 languages. Although Davis, a former medical librarian, is familiar with health care topics, most public librarians do not necessarily have a medical background. Still … Continue reading Improving Health Literacy, One Public Library at a Time
The answers lie in understanding the history of stereotypes in our profession and also in looking outside the profession to larger social conditions. We cannot separate our understanding of library stereotypes from the history of librarianship that influenced their development in the first place. Librarians are not explicitly responsible for the creation and perpetuation of … Continue reading The Stereotype Stereotype
He dove into the web in the early 1990s, creating his first web page. Later, while at the Mid-Hudson Library System, he orchestrated web automation for 45 rural libraries in New York, for which he was named a Cybrarian of the Year in 1998 by then-telecom giant MCI Communications. Now a trustee of the Anne … Continue reading Building a Better Board of Trustees
A native of Virginia Beach, Virginia, Williams credits his mother, who is a librarian and teacher, for being the biggest influence in his life. Williams is featured in a new READ poster, available at the ALA Store. He responded via email to questions from American Libraries while on tour in Europe. American Libraries: In 30 … Continue reading Newsmaker: Pharrell Williams
Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the October 1997 issue of American Libraries. It has been updated to include new information (updates in blue). American Libraries is no exception. However, unlike less reputable media, we go to original sources whenever possible to ascertain whether or not our spooks are spurious. And in so doing … Continue reading Phantoms among the Folios:
A Guide to Haunted Libraries
Your most recent book is a fascinating look at the Underground Railroad and antislavery networks of pre–Civil War New York City. Explain how you came across the document that shed new light on these events. ERIC FONER: It was totally accidental. Madeline Lewis, an undergraduate history major at Columbia who also worked for my family … Continue reading Slavery’s Hidden History