It was history more than 200 years in the making. While performing her Tuesday night set on “The Special Tour” in Washington, D.C., superstar performer and classically trained flautist Lizzo treated fans to a once-in-a-lifetime spectacle: playing a crystal flute owned by former U.S. President James Madison that is currently held by the Library of …
There was a time when the names Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael, and Leonardo conjured images of Italian Renaissance artists. But today, for many, those names are forever linked to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles—a ragtag group of mutated, adolescent, martial arts-master turtles who fight crime from the sewers of New York City. Before they became film, …
Cowabunga! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Co-Creator Kevin Eastman Loves Libraries Read More »
George M. Johnson knows about book bans. Their book, All Boys Aren’t Blue (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2020), has been frequently challenged in schools and libraries throughout the U.S. and appears on the American Library Association’s Top 10 Most Challenged Books of 2021 list. Johnson is serving as honorary chair of Banned Books Week this …
R. L. Stine has been scaring kids for 30 years with his Goosebumps series of horror books for young readers. But Goosebumps might not have existed without a librarian. Stine credits a librarian in Columbus, Ohio, with introducing him to Ray Bradbury and other writers as a youth. He says their works scared and mesmerized …
R. L. Stine on the Librarian Who Turned Him Into a Writer Read More »
Renee Greenlee was one of 10 librarians honored in 2022 with an I Love My Librarian Award from the American Library Association. But just months after receiving the award, Greenlee resigned from her position as director of Vinton (Iowa) Public Library, citing complaints that she received from the community due to the library having LGBTQ+-themed …
It’s Banned Books Week, when we celebrate the freedom to read and spotlight current and historical attempts to censor books in libraries and schools. For 40 years, this annual event has brought together the entire book community in shared support of the freedom to seek and to express ideas, even those some consider unorthodox or …
Ten Titles for Your Banned Books Week Reading List Read More »
There’s only two weeks left to nominate your favorite librarian for a 2023 I Love My Librarian Award! Is your librarian a local hero? Do they go above and beyond to serve your community? Are they a champion for inclusivity or a defender of the freedom to read? Then tell the world how awesome they …
Last Chance to Nominate Your Favorite Librarian for an I Love My Librarian Award! Read More »
Signs abound during political campaigns. They’re a great way for citizens to show their support for a candidate or issue. Why not display a window or yard sign that proclaims your support for libraries? This Library Card Sign-Up Month let everyone in your neighborhood know that you love libraries by putting a sign in your …
Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and author Maria Hinojosa’s nearly 30-year career has taken her all over the world, reporting for PBS, CBS, WGBH, WNBC, CNN, NPR, and anchoring and executive producing the Peabody Award-winning show Latino USA. In her memoir, Once I Was You (now available in a Young Readers Edition from Simon & Schuster Books …
Maria Hinojosa on How Libraries Changed Her Life Read More »
Book challenges and bans are increasing in libraries and schools throughout the United States. To help spread the word about these activities and efforts to combat them by librarians, parents, students, politicians, and concerned citizens, I Love Libraries will frequently highlight several stories on the current crisis. This roundup includes news from Montana, Virginia, Florida, …
