“Deeply disturbing and downright Orwellian.” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) didn’t mince words when discussing the recent wave of book banning and book challenges that is erupting in schools and libraries across the US. Speaking from the Senate floor on Wednesday, Schumer denounced the efforts as “patently un-American.” “We don’t need to look that far into history …
Art Spiegelman is speaking out after his graphic novel Maus was banned by a Tennessee school board last week. Maus chronicles Spiegelman’s family’s history during the Holocaust, with Jewish characters rendered as mice and Nazis as cats. It was awarded the Pulitzer Prize in 1992—the first graphic novel to win the award. The 10-member board in McMinn County chose to remove the two-volume book …
The internet and game show lovers are abuzz over librarian Rhone Talsma’s victory over trivia ace Amy Schneider on Jeopardy! on Wednesday night. Talsma, a multimedia librarian at Chicago Ridge (Il.) Library, beat the long-running champ when she failed to come up with the correct response to the clue, “The only nation in the world …
Last weekend, thousands of librarians gathered for the American Library Association’s inaugural LibLearnXvirtual conference, where they had opportunities to hear from authors and luminaries about their work, the value of literacy and education, and the importance of libraries and librarians. Here’s what a few of them had to say: Molly Shannon, actor, comedian, and author …
This morning, the American Library Association (ALA) announced the top books, digital media, video, and audio books for children and young adults—including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery, and Printz awards—at the Youth Media Awards, which took place virtually during LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience. Selected by librarians and other literature and media experts, the awards …
Celebrating the Year’s Best Literature for Children and Young Adults Read More »
When COVID-19 struck in early 2020, people across the US found themselves quite suddenly without many essential services—including those offered by their local libraries. When Arlington (Texas) Public Library (APL) closed its doors due to the pandemic, APL community programming librarian Yuliana Aceves stepped up to help her community, leading her to be chosen as a …
I Love My Librarian Award Winner Spotlight: Yuliana Aceves Read More »
January 18 is the National Day of Racial Healing. In its sixth year of observance, it is a time to contemplate our shared values and create the blueprint together for how we heal from the effects of racism. Libraries, librarians, and book lovers across the country are participating in the National Day of Racial Healing …
This is a guest post by Burkely Hermann, the librarian behind Pop Culture Library Review. The Disney Channel young adult animated series, The Owl House, is known for its LGBTQ representation, voice acting, visuals, animation, and writing. Less recognized, however, is the fact that one of the supporting characters, Amity Blight (voiced by Mae Whitman), is …
Books, Magic, and Representation: Libraries and Librarians in The Owl House Read More »
New years bring new resolutions. And for many of us, these resolutions focus on health and fitness. Whether it’s a decision to start eating healthier, a vow to exercise daily, or simply a desire to slow down during the day and practice mindful breathing, we use the new year to as a proverbial restart button …
Are you book wrapt? Reid Byers, author of The Private Library: The History of the Architecture and Furnishing of the Domestic Bookroom (Oak Knoll Press, 2021), coined the phrase to describe the intense feeling of comfort that a well-stocked personal library can provide—be it a room stacked to the ceiling with shelves of books or a …
