News and Updates

In episode four of the “How I Library” podcast, I Love Libraries editor and show host Phil Morehart speaks with #1 New York Times-bestselling author Jason Reynolds. They discuss writing for young readers, the fun and challenges of working in the superhero world, book bans, library memories, music, and more.

Time has unveiled its Next Generation Leaders list for 2024, and librarian Mychal Threets, who was also a recipient of a 2024 I Love My Librarian Award, is amongst the honorees. Threets has taken the U.S. by storm with his TikToks that celebrate reading and spreading “library joy.”

The Chicago Comic and Entertainment Expo (C2E2) rolled through the Windy City April 26-28, bringing with it thousands of fans and exhibitors of everything pop culture—from comics books to role-playing and video games to movies and beyond. Given the literary underpinnings of almost every bit of media showcased at C2E2, it’s no surprise that book bans and libraries would be represented.

May is Mental Health Awareness Month. Libraries play a critical and often overlooked role in helping to address the mental health challenges in our cities and society, with many libraries employing social services teams to connect patrons to critical services.

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 Colorado, Utah, Florida, and a look at state efforts to ban book bans.

On the May 5 episode of "Last Week Tonight," host John Oliver defended public libraries, stating they’ve become another front in the ongoing culture war as many experience attacks on their funding, staff, and collections.

The American Library Association is teaming up with Paramount Pictures to celebrate the film IF, coming to theatres May 17. And we want you to celebrate with us. Enter now to win an IF prize pack of plushes, a puzzle, a tablet, and a $100 Fandango gift card to see the film!

Medar de la Cruz, an artist who works as a jail-and-prison-services assistant for Brooklyn Public Library, received the Pulitzer Prize in the illustrated-reporting-and-commentary category for “The Diary of a Rikers Island Library Worker."