Roadtrip Nation, the PBS documentary series that sends three people across the United States in an RV to explore what it means to build a career—and more importantly, a life—around the things you love, has dropped its new season, and libraries are at the forefront.
September is Library Card Sign-up Month, a national campaign to emphasize the importance of library cards to a child’s education and to combat illiteracy. The campaign first started in 1987 as a response to then Secretary of Education, William Bennett, who stated: “Let’s have a campaign … Every child should obtain a library card and use it.”
Thirty rural public libraries received Wi-Fi hotspots and $2,000 in funding to support increased patron access to the internet and digital tools as part of ALA’s Community Connect: Fostering Digital Access program. We look at two of the program’s success stories.
Libraries across the country are hosting Pokémon Clubs, with patrons of all ages embracing the game for its engaging play and educational components.
Christopher Nolan’s cinematic adaptation of “The Odyssey” has taken the world by storm. The Library of Congress currently holds a plethora of materials—some centuries old—related to Homer’s nearly 3,000-year-old epic poem.
Singer Dua Lipa has partnered with Livraria Lello in Porto, Portugal, to open a physical library for banned and censored books. The Manifesto Library is dedicated to books “that challenge power, censorship, exclusion, and dominant narratives.”
Have you ever wanted to own an iconic American Library Association (ALA) READ® poster? Now’s your chance. ALA has partnered with the world’s largest collections auctioneer to auction a selection of rare READ® posters, offering supporters, collectors, and library fans a chance to own a piece of library history.
Polson (pop. 5,100) in the northwestern part of Montana is enveloped by a serene, natural environment which includes Flathead Lake, the largest freshwater lake west of the Mississippi. Not surprisingly, Polson is a popular place for retirees looking to settle down and escape into a calm, rural life. North Lake County Public Library in Polson recognizes its obligation to that community, and it is doing so with help from the American Library Association.
Kristi Holmes, PhD, associate dean for knowledge management and strategy and director of Northwestern University’s Galter Health Sciences Library and Learning Center, has been named the 2026 Medical Librarian of the Year by the Friends of the National Library of Medicine, a nonprofit devoted to increasing public awareness and use of the National Library of Medicine. The award honors individuals who demonstrate exceptional leadership, innovation, and sustained contributions to the advancement of health sciences librarianship at the local, national, and international levels.
On May 14, Acting Librarian of Congress Robert R. Newlen announced the latest round of recordings that will join the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress for 2026. The 25 acts were selected as audio treasures worthy of preservation for all time based on their cultural, historical, or aesthetic importance in the nation’s recorded sound heritage.
