News and Updates
Texas Libraries Provide a Lifeline to Mental Health
May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Libraries play a critical and often overlooked role in helping their patrons and communities address mental health challenges. Libraries in Texas are taking this responsibility to heart, and one did so with help from the American Library Association.
Federal Court Halts Dismantling of Institute of Museum and Library Services
The library world experienced a victory yesterday when the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia granted a temporary restraining order to block President Trump’s dismantling of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, the only federal agency dedicated to the nation’s libraries and museums.
Hey Kids, It’s Summer Reading Time
The school year is wrapping up for many students, giving them even more time to discover some new favorite books. Thankfully, the Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC), a division of the American Library Association, has released its 2025 Summer Reading Lists just in time. ALSC’s Summer Reading Lists feature books and digital media options to keep children engaged in reading and exploring throughout the summer. Here are some highlights.
U.S. Book Challenges Update: April 2025 Edition
Libraries and schools across the country are experiencing unprecedented levels of attempts to ban or remove books from their shelves. I Love Libraries will continue to raise awareness by highlighting attempts to censor library materials, as well as efforts by librarians, parents, students, and concerned citizens to push back against them. This report includes news from Tennessee and Texas, as well as looks at two authors who are standing up against book censorship.
‘How I Library’ Episode 17: Dawn Logsdon and Lucie Faulknor
In episode 17 of the “How I Library” podcast, show host and I Love Libraries editor Phil Morehart speaks with filmmakers Dawn Logsdon and Lucie Faulknor about their new documentary, “Free for All: The Public Library,” which premieres April 29 on PBS’s Independent Lens.
Banned Book-Themed Speakeasy Raises Funds for Libraries
Cocktails and banned books come together this week to raise awareness, funds for libraries, and spirits at a pop-up speakeasy in the Washington, D.C. area.
Shelter from the Storm
Receiving a grant from the American Library Association allowed an Iowa library to offer its community a safe space from tornadoes and other inclement weather.
Libraries, Librarians, and Library Lovers Light Up C2E2
The Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) rolled into town April 11-13 and proved—once again—to be a haven for library lovers.
NASA Helps Tribal Librarians Explore the Universe
NASA voyaged a little closer to home when it held a professional development workshop for Tribal libraries at New Mexico State Library in August 2024. Facilitated by the NASA Science Activation program’s NASA@ My Library project with input from area Tribal libraries, the program explored an array of space-related programming and activities that libraries could adapt.
Opening Doors
In Goldthwaite, a small, but vibrant town of approximately 1,700 people in central Texas, Jennie Trent Dew Library fills many voids in a community that is missing essential nonprofit and civic organizations. This made the library an ideal candidate for ALA’s Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities grant, an initiative to assist small and rural libraries in providing greater accessibility of facilities, services, and programs for patrons with disabilities.
U.S. Book Challenges Update: February 2025 Edition
More than 500 books removed from schools in Tennessee. An Oscar-winning actor reacts to her book being banned. These are among the stories in our latest report on book bans and challenges happening across the U.S. and efforts to thwart them.
‘How I Library’ Podcast Episode 15: Eric Rogers
In episode 15 of the “How I Library” podcast, show host and I Love Libraries editor Phil Morehart speaks with television, film, and podcast writer Eric Rogers, whose credits include “Futurama,” “NYPD Blue,” “Skylanders Academy,” “Polly Pocket,” “Teen Titans Go!,” and more. He is currently the creator, executive producer, and showrunner of the animated series for kids, “Angry Birds: Mystery Island.” Rogers joins the show to discuss “Angry Birds,” his writing career, what goes into making a television show, especially an animated show for kids, and of course, how he libraries.
Fifty-Five Years of the Black Caucus of the American Library Association
Fifty-five years ago, Black librarians came together to establish an organization that would change librarianship and the American Library Association. Established in 1970, the Black Caucus of the American Library Association advocates for the development, promotion, and improvement of library services and resources to the nation’s African American community and provides leadership for the recruitment and professional development of African American librarians. It was the culmination of decades of conversations and work.
And the Best Graphic Novels for Adults of 2024 Are…
Attention comic book and graphic novel lovers—this is big news! The American Library Association’s Graphic Novels & Comics Round Table has announced its 2024 Best Graphic Novels for Adults Reading List and Top 10 List.
What Does It Mean to Be Human?
A touring exhibit that looks deep into the past to explain how humankind evolved over millennia has found welcome homes in libraries and seminaries across the United States.
Poverty and Philanthropy: Combining Education with Community Needs
In the latter half of the 2010s, 6th graders at Wyoming (Ohio) Middle School took a class that gave them firsthand experience in addressing food disparity in the community—one that ended up winning the school in the Cincinnati suburbs a grant from the American Library Association.
Give Your Library Lover an ALA Valentine
Valentine’s Day is here—and what better way to celebrate than by spreading your love of libraries?
We’ve Made Some Changes
We’ve made some changes here at I Love Libraries, but one thing has remained the same: our dedication to sharing the wonderful world of libraries with you. And the facelift allows us to do that in exciting, new ways.
Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud Want You to Support the American Library Association
Raina Telgemeier and Scott McCloud are legends in the comic book world—and huge supporters of the American Library Association. They want you to support ALA too.
Books to Build Civic Engagement
It’s never too early to learn about the importance and power of elections. Developed by the Association for Library Service to Children, a division of the American Library Association, the Inspiring Future Voters booklist is a collection of titles that will help young people understand the importance of voting, civic engagement, and making their voices heard.
ALA Warns New IMLS Acting Director Not to Cut Legally Mandated Programs for Libraries and Museums
The American Library Association urged the new acting director of the Institute of Museum and Library Services, Keith Sonderling, to be mindful of the legal obligations that Congress has imposed on the agency.
What Does the Institute of Museum and Library Services Do, and How Will Its Elimination Affect You?
Some of the many programs that may be affected by the Trump administration’s decision to eliminate the Institute of Museum and Library Services include: early literacy development; summer reading programs for kids; high-speed internet access; employment assistance for job seekers; braille and talking books for people with visual impairments; staff training, recruitment, and professional development; preservation, maintenance, and digitization of collections; and so much more.
Transforming Access: How Nearly 700 Small and Rural Libraries Are Advancing Accessibility
Since 2022, the American Library Association’s Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities initiative has awarded grants to 662 small and rural libraries nationwide. In the latest round of funding, 300 libraries will receive money to enhance accessibility to facilities, services, and programs for people with disabilities. Seventy-three percent of these round-three grantees serve populations of 5,000 people or less.
Trump Administration Calls for Elimination of Federal Agency that Funds Libraries
The Trump Administration has called for the elimination of the Institute for Museum and Library Services, the nation’s only federal agency that provides funds for America’s libraries.
A Lifelong Love of Books and Libraries
Hubbard (Ohio) Public Library’s oldest patron, Lily Walter, who celebrates her 105th birthday in May, stopped by the library last month to renew her library card. She told the library she has loved reading and libraries for 101 years—as long as she can remember.
Kentucky School Program Grows Readers, Leaders, and Community
In Louisville, Kentucky, an elementary school’s path to become a Spanish-immersion magnet school helped create an ALA award-winning program that raised awareness of the Hispanic/Latinx community and fostered the cultural competence and unity of all students by asking: What unites us?
‘The Blair Witch Project’ Joins University of Pittsburgh Library’s Horror Studies Collection
The University of Pittsburgh Library System’s Horror Studies Collection is a horror-lover’s dream. Amongst the holdings are the George A. Romero Archival Collection, consisting of hundreds of items from the influential “Night of the Living Dead” filmmaker, the literary papers of “Whalefall” and “The Shape of Water” author Daniel Kraus, scripts from filmmakers Wes Craven (“A Nightmare on Elm Street”) and John Carpenter (“Halloween”), and first editions of “Frankenstein,” “Dracula,” and various Edgar Allan Poe works. And now, students and researchers will have access to items from the 1999 found-footage classic, “The Blair Witch Project,” courtesy of the film’s producer.
The American Library Association is Defending E-Rate at the Supreme Court. Here’s Why that Matters.
E-Rate has been a quiet powerhouse providing broadband connectivity to libraries and schools across the U.S. for nearly three decades. A conservative group is challenging it in court.
Opening Doors
In Goldthwaite, a small, but vibrant town of approximately 1,700 people in central Texas, Jennie Trent Dew Library fills many voids in a community that is missing essential nonprofit and civic organizations. This made the library an ideal candidate for ALA’s Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and Rural Communities grant, an initiative to assist small and rural libraries in providing greater accessibility of facilities, services, and programs for patrons with disabilities.
