Book Review of the Week: ‘In the Blood’

For this installment of our weekly book reviews from Booklist, the American Library Association’s nationally distributed book and media review publication, we have Diego Báez’s review of “In the Blood” by Carl Phillips.

Trump Withdraws Appeal, Securing Historic Victory for Libraries

On April 6, a federal court granted the Trump Administration’s request to withdraw its appeal of a federal judge’s earlier ruling that struck down the Administration’s dismantling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services—the only federal agency dedicated to providing funding for the nation’s libraries.

Trump Repeats Threats to Eliminate IMLS

The proposed Fiscal Year 2027 federal budget released April 3 by the White House would cut funding for the only federal agency dedicated to supporting all types of libraries, the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the school library program Innovative Approaches to Literacy, and several library-eligible programs.

Jesse Jackson and a Legacy of Library Activism

Throughout his life of activism and public service, Reverend Jesse Jackson consistently championed libraries as centers of knowledge where individuals and communities can learn about their past, present, and future.

Booklist Reader: The Legacy of Jane Goodall

Jane Goodall (1934–2025) advocated ardently for the preservation of the living world right up to the end of her extraordinarily courageous, creative, giving, and enormously influential life. She transformed wildlife studies through her groundbreaking work with chimpanzees, then expanded her conservation efforts to encompass all the planet’s plants and animals. These books recommended by ALA’s Booklist encapsulate Goodall’s legacy in the work of scientists and others deeply inspired and guided by her knowledge, wisdom, and convictions.

Book Review of the Week: ‘A Splintering’

“[A] raw, unflinching portrait of feminine rage, gender constraints, class resentment, and the corrosive pull of worldly ambition.” For this installment of our weekly book reviews from Booklist, the American Library Association’s nationally distributed book and media review publication, we have Andrienne Cruz’s review of “A Splintering” by Dur e Aziz Amna.

A City That Plays Together: What It Takes to Run a 17,000-Player Library Game

City dwellers are used to seeing lawn signs for politicians, schools, or reminders to pick up after your dog. But during the summer in Ann Arbor, Michigan, a different kind of sign begins sprouting up across the city. These colorful, circular signs aren’t for an upcoming election but instead “lawn codes” for the Ann Arbor District Library’s (AADL) Summer Game.