In episode 37 of the “How I Library” podcast, show host and I Love Libraries editor Phil Morehart speaks with author Molly Guptill Manning about her new book, “A Librarian’s War: The Man Who Fought World War II with Books and Brought the Joy of Reading to Millions,” which tells the incredible story of Ray Trautman, the Chief Librarian of the U.S. Army during WWII.
This Banned Books Week, we revisit some past “How I Library” guests and their thoughts on book bans and censorship that they shared on the podcast. Not surprisingly, they all have strong opinions about this heinous occurrence. From actors Ethan Hawke and David Duchovny to writers Min Jin Lee and Jason Reynolds and more, they are all allies in the fight for the freedom to read.
For this installment of our weekly book reviews from Booklist, the American Library Association’s book and media review publication, we have Leah von Essen’s review of the haunting novel, “The Girl with a Thousand Faces” by Sunyi Dean.
On October 6, 1876, 103 librarians gathered in Philadelphia to create a new association for librarians: the American Library Association (ALA). For 150 years later, ALA has endured to help shape the library profession and American history—and the country is celebrating today, from proclamations to podcasts.
It’s Banned Books Week! The observation also coincides with the American Library Association’s (ALA) 150th anniversary on October 6. To mark the occasion, ALA has released a list of the 150 most challenged books documented from 1990 through 2025. The list spans contemporary titles such as “Gender Queer: A Memoir” by Maia Kobabe and literary classics such as “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee and “Of Mice and Men” by John Steinbeck.
A long-overdue magazine was recently returned to Concord (N.H.) Public Library after the library eliminated late fees—132 years late!
Each year, American Libraries releases the Library Design Showcase, its annual celebration of new and renovated libraries across the U.S. and Canada. The featured libraries represent some of the most exciting and innovative design examples from the past year.
Libraries and schools across the country are experiencing unprecedented levels of attempts to ban or remove books from their shelves. I Love Libraries will continue to raise awareness by highlighting attempts to censor library materials, as well as efforts by librarians, parents, students, and concerned citizens to push back against them. This update includes news from Arkansas, Tennessee, Missouri, and Florida.
For this installment of our weekly book reviews from Booklist, the American Library Association’s book and media review publication, we have Diego Báez’s review of “Redwork” by poet Laurie Ann Guerrero.
Ray Bradbury, one of the most celebrated writers of the 20th century who gave us the classics “Fahrenheit 451,” “The Martian Chronicles,” and “The Illustrated Man,” was born in Waukegan, Illinois, in 1920. And now, 126 years later, his hometown is celebrating him in grand fashion.
