“History is freaking cool you guys!” Lizzo Brings History to Life with James Madison’s Flute
By Chase Ollis |
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 …
Cowabunga! Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Co-Creator Kevin Eastman Loves Libraries
By Phil Morehart |
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, …
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George M. Johnson Is Fighting for the Truth
By Phil Morehart |
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 on the Librarian Who Turned Him Into a Writer
By Phil Morehart |
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 …
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Why I Left: A Librarian Speaks Out After Quitting Her Job Due to Community Complaints Over LGBTQ+ Books
By Phil Morehart |
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 …
Librarians as Gatekeepers
By Laura Mendez |
It’s Banned Books Week, when the national conversation is centered on the freedom to read and attempts by groups and individuals across the country to censor books and remove them from libraries and schools. But did you know that librarians regularly remove books from libraries every year? It’s called “weeding,” and it’s an essential task …
Ten Titles for Your Banned Books Week Reading List
By Phil Morehart |
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 …
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Last Chance to Nominate Your Favorite Librarian for an I Love My Librarian Award!
By Phil Morehart |
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 …
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