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ALA announced March 11 that its Executive Board has decided not to hold LibLearnX: The Library Learning Experience in 2026, citing financial reasons and other factors. LibLearnX will be held January 24–27, 2025, in Phoenix as scheduled. ALA is determining how best to celebrate events traditionally held at the January conference, including the I Love My Librarian Awards, the Martin Luther King Jr. Sunrise Celebration, and the Youth Media Awards. ALA President Emily Drabinski, the Executive Board, and Interim Executive Director Leslie Burger will hold a
town hall
meeting at 1 p.m. Central on March 19 to answer member questions about the state of the Association. To ensure as many questions are answered as possible, please submit questions by March 15....
AL: The Scoop, Mar. 11
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Emily Udell writes: “Artificial Intelligence’s (AI) critics have sounded the alarm about the models’ tendency to reinforce and amplify any biases found in the data they are trained on. Others have raised concerns about false information and privacy, as well as plagiarism and copyright, issues of particular concern to academic and school libraries. American Libraries spoke with five technology experts, educators, and librarians who are pioneering the use of generative AI at their institutions. They discuss how it’s being used in libraries, what ethical concerns have emerged, and how librarians can educate their communities on navigating these powerful technologies.”...
American Libraries feature, Mar./Apr.
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Diana Panuncial writes: “From chatbots to image generators to robot companions, artificial intelligence (AI) is a hot topic across many industries right now. In Episode 93, Call Number explores how AI is emerging in libraries. First, Cheryl Eberly and Larry Singer from Santa Ana (Calif.) Public Library discuss a library initiative that provides neurodivergent youth with access to robots that help them build social-emotional skills. Then, Elissa Malespina, teacher-librarian at Union (N.J.) High School, discusses generative AI and the ways in which today’s students, teachers, and librarians are using it in schools.”...
AL: The Scoop, Mar. 11
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Be a part of the PLA 2024 Conference experience from the comfort of your own desk! The Virtual Conference will take place April 3–5, 2024, and include 20+ educational programs; live-streams of speakers like “Poet of Code” Dr. Joy Buolamwini and comedian Dulcé Sloan; author interviews; mindfulness practices; networking opportunities; and ONE YEAR of on-demand access.
Learn more and reserve your seat today!
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ALA has opened
applications for the second year of the
ALA Building Library Capacity grants, which will provide $10,000 to up to 16 libraries. Each year of the grants focuses on adding capacity to different segments of the library community. This year’s grants will support libraries that serve incarcerated people or those re-entering society. The application deadline is April 12, 2024, with awards announced at the end of May. There will be a
virtual grant information session on Tuesday, March 19 at 3 p.m. Central....
ALA Chapter Relations Office, Mar. 6
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Karin Greenberg writes: “How can we get boys to read more often? It’s a question that comes up frequently in my life as a librarian. The literary gender gap is real. During a recent lesson when I was asked to share some titles with a 9th-grade class in preparation for their next independent reading project, I had a realization. It’s not the content that’s the problem, it’s the reading. After listening to several students joke about how bad they are at reading, I compared it to exercise and sports. On the spot, I came up with the idea of a reading workout.”...
Knowledge Quest, Mar. 7
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Susan Bond writes: “When the University of Toronto Libraries transitioned to our new library services platform in 2021, we were in the middle of a worldwide pandemic. As the go-live day was approaching, we were worried that people might not be prepared. We initially proposed two weekly Ask me Anything (AMA) sessions as a stopgap: a way to bridge the difference between what we wanted our training to be and what we were able to deliver. In the years since that time, the AMAs have grown into something different: A space where we come together to talk about how we work as a system.”...
College & Research Libraries News, Mar.
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Tyler Vazquez writes: “Although Florida's controversial opponent-labeled 'Don't Say Gay' law was upheld in court Monday, many opponents of the law are happy with a
March 11 settlement, which they feel makes crucial allowances, while the bill’s supporters are also claiming victory this week. Despite the legislation being upheld by the court, the settlement clearly outlined certain protections for discussions of LGBTQ+ subjects. Discussions of LGBTQ+ people, anti-bullying rules based on sexual orientation and gender identity, and Gay-Straight alliance groups are all allowed under the new rule. Library books that are not being used directly in classroom instruction are also not barred from schools under the law.”...
Florida Today, Mar. 12
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Sam LaFrance and Kasey Meehan write: “From July 1, 2022, to June 31, 2023, a quarter of over 3,000 book bans that PEN America recorded were books with scenes of rape or sexual assault. Of the 12 most frequently banned titles, five contained scenes of rape or sexual assault. The erasure of books on sexual abuse is striking amid an epidemic of sexual violence. The book-banning movement is efficiently eradicating an already narrow space to learn about sexual violence in public schools. These books aren’t harmful—censorship is.”...
Ms., Mar. 4
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Peter Murray writes: “The British Library in London suffered a major cyber attack in October 2023 that encrypted and destroyed servers, exfiltrated 600 gigabytes of data, and has had an ongoing disruption of library services after four months. On March 8, the library published an
18-page report on the lessons they are learning. Their investigation found the attackers likely gained access through compromised credentials on a remote access server and had been monitoring the network for days prior. The library profession should be grateful to the British Library for their openness in the report, and we should take their lessons to heart.”...
Disruptive Library Technology Jester, Mar. 9; British Library, Mar. 8
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Susan Haigh writes: “Whenever bestselling author Robin Cook releases a new medical thriller, the head of the public library in West Haven, Connecticut, knows demand for digital copies will be high. So will the price. Like many libraries, West Haven has been grappling with the soaring costs of e-books and audiobooks. Librarians in several states have been pushing for legislation to rein in the costs and restrictions on electronic material. This year, lawmakers in states including Connecticut, Massachusetts, Illinois, Hawaii and New Hampshire have proposed bills aimed at closing the affordability gap. A bill was introduced in Virginia but was tabled in February.”...
Associated Press, Mar. 12
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Elisa Shoenberger writes: “It was a hard-won campaign, but you did it. You nurtured a character from the start—made a backstory, rolled the dice, chose your feats, and equipped your character. You met a ragtag group of explorers that journeyed through the continent of Faerûn to defeat evil. And you did it. Putting away your weapons, whether sword and sphere, or offensive magic spells, seems so anticlimactic. What do you do? The answer is obvious: Read books like Baldur’s Gate.”...
Book Riot, Mar. 12
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Diba Mohtasham writes: “When former librarian and author Jean Armour Polly first introduced the idea of having computers in libraries in the early 1980s, she was met with pushback. [But] in 1981, Polly managed to secure an Apple II Plus into the small library she was working at the time in Liverpool, New York. By 1992, they were offering free internet for the public. Polly would also go around attending library conferences about the internet, excitedly speaking to anybody who would listen about the resource.” She also popularized the phrase “Surfing the internet” in a 1992 Wilson Library Bulletin article....
NPR, Mar. 8
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