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On August 9, the
ALA Executive Board issued a statement in response to proposed state legislation that would censor library materials or put at risk the library workers who provide access to information, including information about reproductive health care. “ALA stands committed to the free, fair, and unrestricted exchange of ideas and the right of library patrons to seek information free from observation or unwanted surveillance by the government or other third parties, in accordance with the law and the US Constitution,” the statement reads. “The passage of [recent state legislation prohibiting abortion]—and proposals to adopt similar legislation in other states—has prompted concerns that provisions within those bills may be used to pursue criminal or civil charges against library workers.”...
AL: The Scoop, Aug. 9; ALA, Aug. 9
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American Libraries’ online column
Letters of the Law explores a wide range of legal issues that arise in libraries, with the help of a pair of leading authorities: Mary Minow (a librarian who became a lawyer) and Tomas A. Lipinski (a lawyer who became a librarian). In his latest column, Lipinski addresses new regulations governing exemptions to copyright law, case law surrounding challenges to public library collections, and legal factors when considering controlled digital lending....
AL Online: Aug. 5
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Registration and housing are now open for
Core Forum 2022, to be held October 13–15 in Salt Lake City. The conference will include keynote presentations, educational sessions, panels, exhibits, and poster sessions on topics such as access and equity, assessment, buildings and operations, leadership and management, metadata and collections, preservation, and technology. Personal members of Core and the Utah Library Association will receive a
$150 early bird discount through September 6. Reservations for housing at the conference site must be made by September 11....
Core: Leadership, Infrastructure, Futures, Aug. 3
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As of August 8, ALA has begun accepting education program proposals for its next Annual Conference and Exhibition, to be held in Chicago June 23–27, 2023. Proposals will be accepted through a
single submission site for all ALA divisions, round tables, committees, and offices. The deadline to submit content is midnight Eastern on September 16. For more information,
consult the FAQ at alaannual.org....
ALA Conference Services, Aug. 5
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ALA will hold its
2022 Virtual Volunteer Fair from 3–5 p.m. Central on September 14. The fair is an opportunity for ALA members to speak with committee members and staff liaisons in breakout rooms and learn about the ALA groups that are offering volunteer opportunities. ALA members can drop in and out of the event as needed, but
registration is required. A schedule and list of breakout sessions will be sent to registered attendees prior to the event....
ALA Governance, Aug. 8
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Ron French writes: “What started as a fight over an LGBTQ-themed graphic novel may end with the closure of a west Michigan public library. Voters in Jamestown Township, a politically conservative community in Ottawa County, rejected renewal August 2 of a millage that would support the Patmos Library. That vote guts the library’s operating budget in 2023—84% of the library’s $245,000 budget comes from property taxes collected through a millage. Without a millage, the library is likely to run out of money sometime late next year, said Larry Walton, library board president.”
WZZM-TV (Grand Rapids, Mich.) reported that on August 8, the library board voted unanimously to put the millage back on the ballot in November. As of press time, a
GoFundMe campaign had raised more than $80,000 for Patmos Library....
Bridge Michigan, Aug. 3; WZZM-TV (Grand Rapids, Mich.), Aug. 8
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Molly Enking writes: “The catastrophic floods in eastern Kentucky that left dozens of people dead or missing have also devastated a regional cultural center that holds over 50 years of Appalachian art and historical records. On Thursday, the Kentucky River in Whitesburg, Kentucky, swelled to over 20 feet, overwhelming the downtown area with floodwaters. Among the drowned buildings is
Appalshop, a renowned local nonprofit that teaches courses and manages an evolving archive of Appalachian oral histories, film, music, art and cultural items.”...
Smithsonian Magazine, Aug. 3
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Alec Schemmel writes: “A public library in Oregon plans to hold a donation kickoff Thursday to launch a local high school’s gender-affirming closet, which will offer clothes, makeup, and accessories to transgender students. Driftwood Public Library in Lincoln City, Oregon, has
set up a wishlist for those who can’t attend Thursday’s donation drive. Included on the wishlist are chest-binders and TransTape, fake eyelashes, makeup, underwear, and other clothing. ‘Many students who are transgender and/or nonbinary are not supported by their parents nor can showcase it with their daily clothing choices,’ reads the
Driftwood Public Library’s website. ‘These students will be able to go into the closet and take anything that they may need to identify however they are comfortable within their clothing. It will also have makeup brochures and different resources that they can reach out to.’”...
KOMO-TV (Seattle), Aug. 3
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Aman Kumar writes: “With tons of options present in the market, it’s tough to choose a perfect web browser for streaming Twitch. Some offer full HD support but consume a lot of system resources, whereas others are battery-efficient but don’t allow streaming in the highest quality possible. To help you make an ideal decision, here are the five best browsers that check all the essential boxes for streaming Twitch.”...
MakeUseOf, Aug. 9
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Roy Rivenburg writes: “More than half of America’s 9,000 public library districts now lend
nontraditional objects, says Maria McCauley, president of the Public Library Association. Many have also revamped their event calendars to include such programs as punk rock aerobics, speed dating, cow milking demonstrations, and indoor miniature golf. The beyond-books trend began, depending on who is asked, either a decade ago in Sacramento, California, or in the 1800s, most notably in Braddock, Pennsylvania, a Pittsburgh suburb whose library featured a boxing ring, eight billiards tables, a swimming pool, a bowling alley, a game room, and a 964-seat music hall with cushioned opera chairs.”...
The Christian Science Monitor, Aug. 3; American Libraries feature, June 2017
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Nell Clark reports: “An ornate pencil drawing of a dragon; a floral postcard congratulating a 40th birthday, never mailed; a silver crochet hook. All of these items share a connection: They were left behind in books returned to the Oakland (Calif.) Public Library. Librarian Sharon McKellar collects the found artifacts and posts them in a collection titled Found in a Library Book. McKellar was fascinated by the things she’d find at the library and the anonymous glimpses into people’s lives they offered. She thought the public may be interested too, so nearly 10 years ago she began adding found items to the library’s website.”...
NPR: Morning Edition, Aug. 2
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Caitlin Hobbs writes: “There are now a lot of ethical schools of thought out there—more than just Socrates—and it can be a little scary to try to get through them, especially considering the jargon they use. Here, I’ve put my degree to good use by collecting some books on ethics, written with the common person in mind, to help get you started with ethical thinking.”...
Book Riot, Aug. 2
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