All posts tagged: Library

A Global Reading Crisis, Book Lists Galore, and More Links for Library Workers

A Global Reading Crisis, Book Lists Galore, and More Links for Library Workers

Published by Jenni Sidey

Katie’s parents never told her “no” when she asked for a book, which was the start of most of her problems. She has an MLIS from the University of Illinois and works full time as a Circulation & Reference Manager in Illinois. She has a deep-rooted love of all things disturbing, twisted, and terrifying and takes enormous pleasure in creeping out her coworkers. When she’s not at work, she’s at home watching the Cubs with her cats and her cardigan collection. Other hobbies include scrapbooking, introducing more readers to the Church of Tana French, and convincing her husband that she can, in fact, fit more books onto her shelves. Twitter: @kt_librarylady View All posts by Katie McLain Horner Source link

The Battle of the Library Fulfillment Programs

The Battle of the Library Fulfillment Programs

Published by Jenni Sidey

Hello, library friends! We’re taking a deeper dive into a few important news stories, including the rise of multiple library fulfillment programs in the absence of Baker & Taylor and federal legislation updates. Let’s dive in. Battle of the Library Fulfillment Programs More updates on how companies are trying to fill the Baker & Taylor-shaped void: Amazon, Brodart, Libraria, and Follett are expanding their preordering services. Ingram and Penguin Random House have partnered on a new print-on-demand service for libraries, which will offer POD access for 200 of Penguin Random House’s backlist titles, including books by Harlan Coben, Janet Evanovich, Nalini Singh, and more. And ThriftBooks has launched LibraryAdvantage, which will allow library workers to order “everything from new releases to out-of-print editions,” plus a buyback program that allows libraries to earn store credit. For the libraries exploring these new options, I will be interested to see if they end up sticking with one primary fulfillment service or if they’ll create more customized collection management systems across multiple services. Federal Library Legislation Updates Kelly Jensen …

The Best Books of July, Rapid Readalikes, and More Links for Library Workers

The Best Books of July, Rapid Readalikes, and More Links for Library Workers

Published by Jenni Sidey

Welcome back, library friends. I have a treasure trove of buzzy book resources that are useful whether you’re ordering for your library’s collections, recommending books to patrons, or just looking to build your own TBR. We have the best books of July (and the year so far), rapid readalikes for buzzy books, author and genre resources, and so much more! Let’s dive in. Best Books of July July picks from Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Crime Reads, Kirkus, L.A. Times, New York Times, NPR, Reactor (sci-fi, fantasy, horror, romantasy), Time, and Vulture. Book Riot’s best books of July, plus picks for mysteries/thrillers, romance, SFF, horror, historical fiction, nonfiction, LGBTQ+ reads, and children’s books. The best new comics & graphic novels in July. The best audiobooks of July. Best Books of the Year + Upcoming Releases Check Your Shelf Sign up to receive Check Your Shelf, the Librarian’s One-Stop Shop For News, Book Lists, And More. Subscribe to Selected No Thanks New Books You May Have Missed Readers Advisory Resources Rapidfire Readalikes For Buzzy Books We love …

Youth Privacy Protections and Library Card Access @ Your Library

Youth Privacy Protections and Library Card Access @ Your Library

Published by Jenni Sidey

It is an especially challenging time to work in libraries. The needs continue to grow; the budgets are flat, if not shrinking; and the assault by outside parties to destabilize and defund the institutions continues. Library workers are finding their mental health impacted, even–and sometimes especially!–if they love the job dearly. Though it might not feel like an opportune time to focus on library policies when there are so many other fires to tend to. But it might actually be the ideal time to consider where and how your library is addressing new and proposed legislation nationwide that intends to make the job harder than it should be. In June, the Literary Activism newsletter dove deep into two intertwining topics: privacy protections for minors and library card access policies and procedures. These are issues that have become a focus for some state-level lawmakers, meaning there is a good chance they will become topics of interest to even more state-level lawmakers in the coming sessions. Both privacy and library card access policies in the library are …

What Goes Into Tracking Censorship, With an Update From the New York Public Library Comms Team

What Goes Into Tracking Censorship, With an Update From the New York Public Library Comms Team

Published by Jenni Sidey

What goes into creating a Literary Activism story? A lot of time, energy, and effort. Not every story about book censorship or library challenges makes the weekly link roundup cut, as each story is vetted for as much context and insight as possible. For news stories that are reported, time and energy goes into doing significant research, which can include interviews on or off the record, interviews and research done on background that may never make the story itself, and, where possible, utilizing public records information acquired through Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests. There have been many times when that research leads to a story worth writing and publishing. There are other times when that research ends up leading to dead ends or ends up changing the story altogether. For example, last year, I had been directed to a story of a library worker being fired for having “too much” in the children’s area for Pride celebrations; upon digging into the story further–including a call with the community’s lawyer–this was not a story about …

Public Library and School Internet Access Is Under Threat

Public Library and School Internet Access Is Under Threat

Published by Jenni Sidey

Although the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the government overseen by Congress, as has been the case in the Trump-Vance administration, the agency’s role in federal operations has shifted to following the administration’s will and agenda. Current FCC chair Brendan Carr was appointed by Trump during his first administration, and Carr’s background includes authoring the Project 2025 chapter about the FCC. Perhaps it comes as little surprise, then, that one of the most important resources in public schools and public libraries–the internet–is on the FCC’s chopping block. The e-Rate program helps bridge the digital divide by providing schools and libraries with access to affordable internet and telecommunications services. As more and more services are only accessible online, the e-Rate program has been especially vital in keeping folks connected, especially in small and rural areas. It’s easy to think of schools and libraries as places of learning, with widespread access to physical and digital materials. But those digital services aren’t free, and most of these public institutions benefit from e-Rates. They have …

The Rise of Ragebait Lit and More Updates For Library Workers

The Rise of Ragebait Lit and More Updates For Library Workers

Published by Jenni Sidey

Welcome back, library friends. I hope our US readers enjoyed their holiday weekend and that everyone stayed cool in the middle of this awful heat wave. I have an assortment of updates to keep you at the top of your library game: publishing news and think pieces, a summer reading list “bonanza,” memoir lawsuits, a UK literary crisis, and more. Publishing Updates Nonfiction book publishers aren’t even remotely ready for AI. The rise of the sensitivity reader. Publishing CEOs warn against AI witch hunts at the US Book Show. Australia is publishing books too quickly, and everyone is losing out. Why publishers prefer debut novels. Kwame Alexander is launching his own all-ages imprint with Sourcebooks. Google Play Books has launched the AI-powered Book Insights, “a helpful reading companion” built with Gemini. RA/Genre Resources The rise of ragebait lit. The New York Times Book Review editors pulled together a summer reading list “bonanza.” Where to start with Barbara Kingsolver. The big gay lit boom. Books & Authors In the News Acclaimed author Jane Yolen has died …

The best free movie app I’ve found was hiding behind my library card

The best free movie app I’ve found was hiding behind my library card

Published by skeptic

There are only so many hours in the day, so why would you want to spend any of them bored? Sure, there is a time and a place for some peace and quiet when you can pick up a good book and relax. But some people would much rather watch the movie or TV series that the book is based on than do that. Whichever way you land on the never-ending “is the book or the movie better” debate, you have plenty of ways that you can find the movie. In this day and age of streaming, some movies and TV series are only available in certain places while others are available on multiple platforms. Many of the time, you have to pay for the ability to watch whatever you want. There are plenty of free streaming options out there that give you a wide variety of movies and TV series to view. One that you might not know that you have access to is Kanopy, which only requires a library card to use. Related …

Yes, there really is cocaine in the Library of Congress  

Yes, there really is cocaine in the Library of Congress  

Published by Jenni Sidey

Get the Popular Science daily newsletter💡 Breakthroughs, discoveries, and DIY tips sent six days a week. By signing up, you confirm you are 16+, will receive newsletters and promotional content and agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy. You may unsubscribe at any time. What’s the weirdest thing you learned this week? Well, whatever it is, we promise you’ll have an even weirder answer if you listen to PopSci’s hit podcast. The Weirdest Thing I Learned This Week hits Spotify, YouTube, Apple, and everywhere else you listen to podcasts every-other Wednesday morning. It’s your new favorite source for the strangest science-adjacent facts, figures, and Wikipedia spirals the editors of Popular Science can muster. If you like the stories in this post, we guarantee you’ll love the show. FACT: There’s cocaine in the Library of Congress By Rachel Feltman The Library of Congress has more than 170 million items, and they’re definitely not all books. And no, I’m not just talking about old-timey letters and other historical documents. There’s …

Aesop Queer Library Partners with ACLU

Aesop Queer Library Partners with ACLU

Published by Jenni Sidey

The fabled Greek storyteller Aesop is the inspiration behind the fragrance, skincare, and hair product company of the same name. While perfume may seem to have nothing to do with queer literature, for Aesop, it does. In 2021, the company launched the Aesop Queer Library to celebrate Pride month. Rather than changing their logo or incorporating rainbows into their marketing, they’ve partnered with local bookstores and organizations with pro-LGBTQIA+ philosophies to develop in-store takeovers and pop-up “Reading Room” libraries across the globe. These libraries center books by queer authors, inviting guests to not only engage with those works in store but to also bring home a free copy for themselves.  This year’s Aesop Queer Library is teaming up with the American Civil Liberties Union. The company has partnered with the ACLU for four years, noting their commitment to defending American rights, including and especially freedom of speech and expression. The “Body of Work” theme for this year’s Queer Library aims to explore how “the queer body can challenge assumptions, give greater visibility to stories too …