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Jory Heckman writes: “The Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) put all of its approximately 75-employee workforce on paid administrative leave March 31, according to several IMLS employees, as the agency prepares for major cuts to its operations. The
American Federation of Government Employees Local 3403 [which
represents IMLS workers] said all work processing 2025 grant applications has ended, ‘in the absence of staff’ and that ‘the status of previously awarded grants is unclear. Without staff to administer the programs, it is likely that most grants will be terminated.’” In
ALA’s response, President Cindy Hohl said “Within months, if not weeks, local libraries will experience the impact of IMLS grant cancellations.”...
Federal News Network, Mar. 31; ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, Mar. 31
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Avani Kalra writes: “In 2022, Sami Aaron started facilitating virtual climate cafés, forums where people could express their anxieties about climate change and connect with like-minded individuals without the pressure to turn sessions into activism. Aaron has so far facilitated 32 virtual climate cafés—including several alongside ALA’s Sustainability Round Table (SustainRT)—and is in the early stages of developing in-person events for libraries. In recent years, dozens of other organizations, activists, and therapists have hosted similar cafés at libraries across the country.”...
American Libraries Trend, Mar./Apr.
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Megan Bennett writes: “Bob the Drag Queen—who won RuPaul’s Drag Race in 2016 and has since starred in other reality shows such as HBO’s We’re Here and Peacock’s The Traitors, as well as several comedy specials—released his debut novel this month. Harriet Tubman: Live in Concert (Gallery Books) imagines the iconic abolitionist coming back to life and creating a hip-hop album. American Libraries spoke with Bob about his longtime fascination with Tubman, as well as his inspiration for the novel and accompanying songs.”...
American Libraries Trend, Mar. 31
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The economics of talent, an emerging field, highlights that smart policies helping people realize their potential can change the game for entire societies. Talent is one of the world’s most valuable resources. Countries that identify and nurture the best minds gain a competitive edge. Those that fail to do so don’t just slow their own progress—the world loses out, too. F&D Magazine’s March issue examines the role of global talent and human capital through a macroeconomic lens.
Read March Issue.
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Allison Escoto writes: “Sustainability has rightly become a major concern for our profession. From education and advocacy to library architecture and supportive workplace environments, library professionals are addressing all types of sustainability in their work. These recommended reads are part of American Libraries’ special report on libraries and sustainability.”...
American Libraries column, Mar./Apr.
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Dr. Brené Brown, a research professor and Huffington Foundation Endowed Chair at the University of Houston’s Graduate College of Social Work, has been added to the speaker lineup at ALA’s 2025 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Philadelphia, to be held June 26–30. Brown has spent the past two decades studying courage, vulnerability, shame, and empathy, and her TED talk on the “Power of Vulnerability” is one of the most popular in the world with more than 60 million views. Brown will present the ALA President’s Program on Sunday, June 29, at 3:30 p.m....
ALA Conference Services, Mar. 28
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Violet Fox writes: “On February 18, the Library of Congress (LC) announced a special list of revisions in the Library of Congress Subject Headings (LCSH) relating to
Trump’s Executive Order 14172, [notably changing] the LCSH for Gulf of Mexico to America, Gulf of, and for Mount Denali back to McKinley, Mount (Alaska). It was not surprising that LC would follow the example of the US Board of Geographic Names, as that’s standard operating procedure. What wasn’t standard was the speed at which this revision was pushed through.”...
ACRLog, Mar. 28
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The Special Libraries Association (SLA) has announced it will begin a dissolution process after 116 years of service to the profession. SLA will continue to operate in a limited capacity over the coming months to fulfill outstanding commitments and assist members in this transition, including hosting the 2025 SLA Annual Conference and Expo June 7–10 at the University of Pittsburgh. Further information, including timelines, town halls, and resources for affected members, and date of member dissolution voting meeting, will be made available on
SLA’s website as they are available....
Special Libraries Association, Mar. 26
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Anthony Lonetree and Zoë Jackson write: “As high schoolers staged a walkout March 23, parents filed suit against St. Francis (Minn.) Area Schools alleging the district unlawfully banned dozens of books based on the ideas they contained and the ratings of an anonymous website that recently went dark.” Students also staged walkouts
at Radnor (Pa.) High School over the removal of Gender Queer, Fun Home, and Blankets from the library. Students at
numerous schools on military bases worldwide did the same in response to restrictions on learning materials....
Minnesota Star-Tribune, Mar. 24; Philadelphia Inquirer, Mar. 21; Washington Post, Mar. 17
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Tasha Squires writes: “When the 17 students in my school’s Spanish/English dual-language program visited the library at the beginning of the school year, my main concern was, how do I get them connected to reading? When our program started three years ago, we knew that 7th and 8th graders were notoriously difficult to engage in reading. We set out to create an atmosphere that engaged our multilingual students, offering them a wide variety of formats to choose from and presenting them with representation in the materials in the library.”...
Edutopia, Mar. 26
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Jeff Trexler writes: “The stated aim of
Texas Senate Bill 20 is to criminalize artificial intelligence (AI)-generated child pornography; the language used to do this, however, also encompasses ‘a cartoon or animation’ regardless of the use of AI and applies to images ‘regardless of whether the depiction is an image of an actual child.’ This language has raised concerns over SB20’s potential impact. The Comic Book Legal Defense Fund has encountered situations in which government officials have claimed all manga is by definition child porn, and practically every day brings another heated yet legally unfounded accusation that a graphic novel is pornographic or obscene.”...
Comic Book Legal Defense Fund, Mar. 25
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Phil Morehart writes: “It’s never too early to learn about the importance and power of elections. Developed by the Association for Library Service to Children for ALA’s
‘Reader. Voter. Ready.’ campaign last year, the
Inspiring Future Voters booklist is a collection of titles that will help young people understand the importance of voting, civic engagement, and making their voices heard. The booklist includes fiction and nonfiction titles for all ages from birth to young adult.”...
I Love Libraries, Mar. 25; Association for Library Service to Children, Sept. 2024
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Two new documentary films on libraries will have their official premieres in April.
Banned Together, which follows three students as they work to reinstate 97 books suddenly pulled from school libraries in South Carolina, will be available for streaming on Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video starting April 10.
Free for All: The Public Library, which chronicles the evolution of the American public library, will air on PBS’s Independent Lens April 29 and on the PBS app....
Banned Together, Mar. 20; PBS Independent Lens
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