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“Between January 1 and August 31, 2024, ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom tracked 414 attempts to censor library materials and services. In those cases, 1,128 unique titles were challenged.
In the same reporting period last year, ALA tracked 695 attempts with 1,915 unique titles challenged.” PEN America’s
preliminary report on book bans in public schools found nearly three times as many incidents during the 2023–2024 school year as in the year prior, although more than 80% of the book bans tracked were due to state laws in Iowa and Florida. Data also don’t account for
incidents of self-censorship by educators who fear retribution if they include certain materials in their instruction....
AL: The Scoop, Sept. 23; PEN America, Sept. 23; Slate, Sept. 23
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Sanhita SinhaRoy writes: “More than 120 anti-censorship advocates convened September 17 at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., for a daylong Intellectual Freedom Summit. The event, organized by ALA, aimed to strengthen partnerships and sharpen strategy in the battle against book challenges. The last ALA Intellectual Freedom Summit was held in 1953 and produced the
Freedom to Read Statement.” This year’s event featured an opening keynote by 1619 Project creator Nikole Hannah-Jones, and speakers, panels, and breakout sessions addressing specific censorship campaigns and general strategies for fighting censorship. Also read the
American Association of School Librarians’ recap....
AL: The Scoop, Sept. 19; Knowledge Quest, Sept. 23
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Leigh Kunkel writes: “With Gen Z in its higher-education years and Gen Alpha fast approaching, academic libraries are seeking ways to reach tech-savvy students. Many institutions are using augmented reality (AR) to connect with students. Unlike virtual reality, which immerses the user in a computer-generated world, AR integrates digital elements into the physical world in real time through images and sounds. Through both student- and library-led initiatives, academic libraries are meeting digital natives on their own turf with AR treasure hunts that double as orientations, opportunities to create room-reservation systems, and other helpful tools.”...
American Libraries Trend, Sept./Oct.
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Linda W. Braun writes: “My previous column discussed how library staffers should approach centering equity authentically when creating programs and services for youth and families. In this column, I’d like to highlight some foundational principles of codesign and how they can make our offerings more accessible to the audiences we wish to reach. Unlike traditional collaborations, codesign involves library staffers, community members, and youth working together as equals to design programs and services that meet the varying needs of young people and their families.”...
American Libraries column, Sept./Oct.
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Cindy Hohl writes: “As president of the ALA, I am inspired by the countless ways that libraries foster civic engagement in our communities and proud to be part of a profession that is dedicated to public service and democratic engagement. I am calling on everyone in the library community to
register to vote, use
Reader Voter Ready resources at your library, and
share your stories.” Also, a
Knowledge Quest blog post offers guidance for encouraging civic engagement among high school students, and the Association for Library Services to Children has released its
Inspiring Future Voters booklist....
ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, Sept. 17; Knowledge Quest, Sept. 19; ALSC Blog, Sept. 19
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ALA invites applications for the third round of funding of the
Libraries Transforming Communities: Accessible Small and
Rural Communities grant. This round of funding will offer $3.5 million in $10,000 and $20,000 grants to libraries serving populations under 25,000 to increase the accessibility of facilities, services and programs to better serve people with disabilities. Library workers may apply for funding through December 11. Previous awardees are eligible to apply, although applicants not previously awarded will be prioritized. Those interested in applying can
register for a pre-application webinar to be held October 10 at 12 p.m. Central....
ALA Public Programs Office, Sept. 17
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“Artificial intelligence (AI) has the potential to positively impact library and archives collections and services—enhancing reference, instruction, metadata creation, recommendations, and more. However, AI also has ethical implications. This paper presents an extensive literature and review analysis that examines AI projects implemented in library and archives settings. Just over half of the papers included in the literature review mentioned ethics or values related issues in their discussions of AI implementation in libraries and archives, and only one-third of all resources discussed ethical issues beyond technical issues of accuracy and human-in-the-loop.”...
Information Technology and Libraries, Sept. 23
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Jenna Prestininzi writes: “Royal Oak (Mich.) Public Library was set to reopen Sept. 23 after a temporary closure over the weekend because of an insect invasion.
The library had closed on September 21 after staff discovered bugs in a DVD case that were placed in a book drop and entered the building. An inspection by the library's pest control company checked the library, book drops and returned items and cleared the library to reopen.” When the bugs were discovered, library staff bagged potentially affected materials and stored them in an isolated garage, and Director Sandy Irwin closed the library as a precaution....
Detroit Free Press, Sept. 22–23
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Joe Supan writes: “About 2.8 million American households added an internet subscription in 2023, according to newly released Census data. That’s less than the 3.2 million households that got online in 2022, and the second smallest jump since the Census Bureau began collecting the data in 2015. Still, that means 92.2% of American households now have an internet subscription—up from 76.7% in 2015.” However, the expiration of the
Emergency Broadband Benefit and its replacement by the
Affordable Connectivity Program (which also provides subsidies for home internet but at a lower rate for many) may affect that progress....
CNET, Sept. 22
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Nihar Chhaya writes: “Whether you want to advance in leadership or stay relevant where you are, continuous learning is critical to success. After all, if you’re not evolving in this ever-changing world, you may not only get left behind the competition—you could find that your current skills aren’t even needed anymore. At the same time, you might be trying to stay above water with no energy to devote to more training. Consider these five strategies to ensure you’re continuously learning even when you’re feeling depleted or overwhelmed.”...
Harvard Business Review, Sept. 24
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“A previously unknown string trio from Mozart’s early years has been discovered in the archives of the music library of Leipzig (Germany) Municipal Libraries, according to a statement from the institution. Consisting of seven miniature movements for two violins and bass, the trio ‘is thought to have been written in the mid to late 1760s,’ the researchers posit. The discovery was made during research to compile the latest edition of the thematic catalog of Mozart’s complete musical works.”...
The Strad, Sept. 22
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Ella Creamer writes: “As a teenager in the 1970s, novelist Jonathan Coe spent hours in Birmingham (England) Central Library. Now, Coe is among the writers featured in a newly launched ‘protest zine’ rallying against the wide-ranging cuts to library services proposed by Birmingham city council. In March, Birmingham city council approved what were thought to be the biggest budget cuts in local authority history, including a targeted £2.3m reduction in the library budget. The number of council-funded community libraries would be reduced from 35 to either 27 or 17, depending on which proposal is pursued.”...
The Guardian, Sept. 23
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