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ALA has announced the first featured speakers at its 2026 Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago June 25–29. Journalist Rachel Maddow, host of the Emmy Award–winning The Rachel Maddow Show on MS NOW, author of several books, and creator of several podcasts on public affairs and history, will speak at the
Opening General Session on June 26. Wayne Brady, Emmy-winning host of Let’s Make a Deal, longtime performer on Whose Line Is It Anyway?, and coauthor with Maurice Broaddus of the upcoming novel Hard Times, will speak at the
Closing General Session June 29.
Early-bird registration is open through April 24....
ALA Conference Services, Feb.
19
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Amelia N. Aldred writes: “Prior to 2023, each chapter onboarded incoming chapter leaders individually, supplemented by ALA advocacy training focused on topics, not roles.
But in response to rising attacks on libraries—including censorship of library materials, defunding efforts, and disinformation campaigns about the profession—ALA shifted its approach and began a new pilot program to provide intensive training to all chapter leaders.
The Chapter Advocacy Workshop is an intensive program that equips incoming leaders with critical advocacy skills such as building relationships with legislators, navigating media interviews on hot-button issues, and creating public advocacy campaigns for library support.”...
American Libraries Online, Feb.
25
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Lucy Podmore writes: “My community supports the school library, and students are active library users, but the public has limited knowledge about how we choose books and select programming to make the library a place students want to be.
In 2023, I created the Freedom Walk, an interactive program that explores the ideas behind our freedom to read and the critical role students and the public can play in protecting that freedom.
Instead of celebrating what we can’t read, we celebrate our right to read.”...
American Libraries column, Jan./Feb.
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Amazon Business offers free features designed for libraries: Improved MARC Records with expanded metadata including Award Notes, BISAC Subject Headings, and Target Audience, and Grids with 9xx Field Capabilities to pass library-specific metadata directly into your ILS, eliminating manual data entry. Why Amazon Business for Libraries? Save 30–45% off list price on preorders and new releases. Access free MARC records pre- and post-purchase. Streamline workflows with Grids integration. Discover new titles through Library Hub. Whether you're a small rural library or major metropolitan system, public libraries get the same free access. Contact
booksenterprise@amazon.com to learn more.
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American Libraries is
accepting submissions for the 2026
Library Design Showcase, our annual feature celebrating new and newly renovated libraries of all types and sizes.
The showcase will appear in the September/October issue. We are looking for examples of innovative library architecture that address patrons’ needs in unique and effective ways.
We are especially interested in submissions from libraries that are approaching design with sustainability, accessibility, and smaller budgets in mind.
Partial renovations, projects under $1 million, and school libraries are encouraged to apply.
The deadline to submit is May 1, 2026....
American Libraries Trend, Jan./Feb.
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Karen Lindell writes: “In its
National Impact of Library Public Programs Assessment, ALA identifies financial skills as one of nine programming competencies that are vital to successful library programs.
Financial skills include the ability to budget; use techniques like cost-benefit analysis; understand documents such as basic contracts and tax forms; and identify grants, partnerships, and other sources of financial support.
Here are tips from programming librarians on how they keep track of what they’re spending, determine whether they’re using funds wisely, and seek financial aid from outside sources.”...
Programming Librarian, Feb.
17
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Jennifer Sturge writes: “Volunteering with community groups has got me thinking about how important it is to ensure that there are opportunities for information literacy to be shared throughout the community.
Digital citizenship and information literacy are most effective when students receive consistent messages across environments.
When families, after-school programs, and community organizations understand the same concepts, such as evaluating sources, recognizing misinformation, and practicing responsible online behavior, students are more likely to apply these skills authentically.
After all, if the adults in their lives are not practicing these things, how can we expect our students to practice them?”...
Knowledge Quest, Feb.
18
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Lauren Miller writes: “Pickens County (S.C.) Library System canceled dozens of youth programs starting February 23, after its board voted to implement a new collections policy that restricts certain content for minors.
To comply with the policy, library staff must review around 86,000 books. Because of the increased workload,
several programs are canceled for the foreseeable future. Trustees stated the changes are necessary to secure state funding [totaling about $370,000]. In addition to program cancellations, library management confirmed that interlibrary loan services are suspended system-wide so staff can assist with the relocation of materials within the library branches.”...
WSPA-TV (Spartanburg, S.C.), Feb. 19
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Grace Therrell writes: “Seven years ago, I was nearing the end of my masters program and I had just published my first peer-reviewed journal article born from a school assignment.
I was new to research and feeling a lot of insecurity about being a researcher.
Now here I am seven years later—recently tenured, working on a PhD, and regularly calling myself a researcher.
A lot has changed since that first foray into research, though some has stayed the same.
Here’s what I’m learning lately about research and about myself as a researcher.”...
The Librarian Parlor, Feb.
20
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After the Central Intelligence Agency
discontinued The World Factbook, a new community-maintained successor has launched.
Phillip Paik writes: “OpenFactBook provides free, comprehensive, and accurate information about every country in the world.
We believe geographic and demographic data should be accessible to everyone—students, researchers, journalists, developers, and curious minds alike.” Sources include
World Bank Open Data,
REST Countries API, and
World Factbook archives....
OpenFactBook; Heise Online, Feb. 5
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Carrie Webster writes: “The user experience (UX) industry is facing its most significant shift yet.
We are moving past the era of ‘design at any cost’ into the era of sustainable UX.
For years, we have treated the internet as an ethereal, weightless cloud.
We were wrong. The cloud is a sprawling network of data centers, undersea cables, and cooling systems that hum 24/7. If we want to build a future that lasts, we must stop designing for ‘wow’ and start designing for efficiency.”...
Smashing Magazine, Feb.
23
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Yasir Mahmood writes: “I've always found it frustrating that Excel's most popular functions, such as SUM, AVERAGE, MIN, and MAX, fall apart the moment your data has a single error value.
A stray #DIV/0! or #VALUE! in your range will cause the whole formula to return an error.
The usual fix is wrapping everything in IFERROR, which works but clutters the formula bar.
AGGREGATE is a function I've leaned on precisely because it skips that mess.
If you work with real-world data that isn't always clean, AGGREGATE is worth learning.”...
MakeUseOf, Feb. 22
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Becky Siegel Spratford writes: “The Wuthering Heights movie is getting people who
don't normally talk about books, talking about books. They are debating and discussing a book (and not just the adaptation) in spaces where you don't always see book conversation.
We need to seize this moment.
People want to read more classics because of this movie.
And who has more classics? Libraries!” Spratford recommends displays, programs, and more to take advantage—as well as preparation for the next big book adaptation coming to theaters, March’s Project Hail Mary....
RA For All, Feb. 19; Publishers Weekly, Feb.
18
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