This summer, a promotional video for Texas’s Harris County Public Library (HCPL) took the internet by storm, thanks to an instantly legendary character named Curbside Larry. In the clip, Larry dons a cowboy hat and aviator sunglasses to sing the praises of HCPL’s new curbside pick-up services, all with the energy and bravado of a […]
Viral Sensation Curbside Larry Talks Libraries and Informercials Read More »
Each year, library professionals and booksellers come together to select the winners of the Andrew Carnegie Medals for Excellence in Fiction and Nonfiction. This week, they announced the 46 books on their longlist for the 2021 award, which includes some of the most talked about books of the past year. “This was unquestionably a challenging year
Librarians and Booksellers Name Their Top Books of 2020 Read More »
Librarians work all over the world, from big cities and suburbs to the furthest reaches of the planet. Case in point: Edgardo Civallero is a librarian stationed in the Galápagos, an archipelago off the coast of Ecuador known for influencing Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. Civallero is part of the Charles Darwin Foundation (CDF), a
What It’s Like to Be a Librarian in the Galápagos Read More »
September is in full swing, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this back-to-school season is brand new territory: many students are staying home and learning online, while others are spending part of the week on campuses that have transformed to meet safety guidelines. School libraries may not be the busy hubs of activity they are
Librarians Are the MVPs of This Back-To-School Season Read More »
Has a librarian made a difference in your life? Now is your chance to say thank you: nominations for the prestigious I Love My Librarian Award are open through November 9. Each year, the I Love My Librarian Award recognizes 10 outstanding librarians with a $5000 prize and the honor of a lifetime. Leaders from
Nominate a Superstar Librarian to Win $5000 Read More »
Librarians have teamed up with Netflix to provide resources connected to the new series Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices. Bookmarks is a collection of 12 episodes featuring different Black celebrities—including Tiffany Haddish, Common, and Jill Scott—reading children’s books from Black authors. The videos are designed to showcase the Black experience and spark broader conversations about identity,
Librarians Partner with Netflix to Support “Bookmarks: Celebrating Black Voices” Read More »
Looking for great kids’ and YA reads about gender equality and justice? Librarians from the Feminist Task Force of the American Library Association’s Social Responsibilities Round Table have compiled a powerful list entitled “Rise: A Feminist Book Project for ages 0-18.” Selections include fiction, non-fiction, and graphic novels and highlight the work of diverse authors and illustrators. Here
Librarians Share Their Top Ten Feminist Books for Youth Read More »
We asked the American Library Association’s social media followers and newsletter subscribers for their stories about deciding to become a librarian. Here are a few of our favorites: “My mother was a school librarian and I can remember the countless days we spent as kids in her school library after school and during the summer,
8 People Share Why They Became Librarians Read More »
by Twanna Hodge Equity, diversity, and inclusion are core values of librarianship, but we’re still a long way from library staff reflecting the demographics of their communities: more than three quarters of librarians are white, and just 6.8% are Black. The American Library Association’s Spectrum Scholarship program is one program working to change this, offering
On Being Black in Librarianship Read More »
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, people everywhere are living through historic, challenging times. With that in mind, Virginia’s Arlington Public Library (APL) launched a “quaranzine” to provide a creative outlet for local residents. Since early April, APL has published weekly online issues of the Quaranzine, spotlighting multidisciplinary contributions from community members of all ages; submissions
Library “Quaranzine” Finds Beauty in Social Distancing Read More »
