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Ann Medaille writes: “With the advent of new technologies and rapid social and economic shifts, library workers’ jobs are being transformed.
Compared with a decade ago, library workers now spend more time consulting on complex research tools, teaching digital literacy classes, supporting virtual learning environments, helping users troubleshoot devices, and codesigning projects with community partners.
The pace at which library staffers are called upon to learn new skills is accelerating, and workers may struggle to keep up.
While corporations may embrace upskilling to stay competitive, libraries will have to support upskilling to remain relevant.”...
American Libraries feature, Fall
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Amy Hardin writes: “Library renovations can feel overwhelming—especially when you’re juggling tight budgets, big community expectations, and a building that’s showing its age. The good news is you don’t have to choose between ‘do nothing’ and ‘tear it down.’ Most successful library upgrades live somewhere in the middle: a smart, phased plan that protects your long-term vision while making meaningful improvements right now.
Here are a few practical ways to think about approaching a library renovation.”...
American Libraries Online, Sept.
15
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In the 15 years since Fayetteville (N.Y.) Free Library opened the first recognized public library makerspace, similar creative hubs have spread to libraries throughout the country.
In By the Numbers, learn more makerspace facts, including details about DC Public Library’s Dance Studio; how University of Utah’s Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library used its makerspace to contribute to pandemic relief; and how Paul Smith Elementary School in Franklin, New Hampshire, taught students to make pillows perfect to lounge on while reading....
American Libraries Trend, Fall
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Modern-day libraries are more than a collection of books.
These spaces serve as community centers, after-school study areas, and public forums for local events.
To serve these many needs, a library must remain versatile to adapt to the day’s needs. Spacesaver’s Flexible Shelving allows library layouts to be easily reconfigured, promoting multi-use areas. Available with exposed or concealed casters and in a range of sizes and design styles, Flexible Shelving units accommodate the fit and function of your operation, personnel, and patrons—without being permanently fixed in position.
Take advantage of the units’ customizable configurations to create a vast range of storage and display uses that give your library ultimate flexibility.
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Violet Fox writes: “In March 2025, I wrote about
anticipatory obedience at the Library of Congress (LC), describing how LC fast tracked changes to the Library of Congress Subject Headings relating to the Gulf of Mexico and Mount Denali.
When Trump issued an executive order on August 27 directing federal agencies to change Lake Ontario to Lake America, catalogers around the world waited to see how LC would handle the changes.
On September 3, LC scheduled a proposal to change the subject heading, and on September 11, the change was approved.
The speed with which this happened is astounding.”...
ACRLog, Sept. 12; Mar. 28, 2025
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ALA’s Nominating Committee is seeking nominees for the positions of ALA president-elect, executive board member, and councilor-at-large in the 2027 spring election. The president-elect will serve a three-year term as president-elect in 2027–2028, president in 2028–2029, and immediate past president in 2029–2030. The committee will select no fewer than 18 candidates for the 12 at-large council seats. Councilors-at-large and executive board members will serve three-year terms beginning in 2027. For more information or to nominate a candidate, visit the
ALA Election website. The nomination deadline is October 31....
ALA Governance Office, Sept.
10
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“Given the increasing threat US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) poses to immigrant and refugee communities across the United States, Toward Inclusive Excellence is returning to the topic of how best to support these communities on college and university campuses.
Our September 2 webinar brought together three academic librarians to share the steps and protocols they have employed on their campuses, along with suggestions for how academic librarians can respond to this moment.” The Public Library Association
hosted a webinar geared toward public libraries in February, but this webinar focuses on the academic library community....
Choice: Toward Inclusive Excellence, Sept.
2; American Libraries feature, Summer
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Amelia N. Aldred writes: “In July, the Eighth Circuit Court of Appeals cleared the way for
Act 372, a law that promotes censorship in libraries and other places, to go into effect.
This is part of an ongoing lawsuit,
Fayetteville Public Library v. Murray, that challenged sections of Act 372. Here are the facts about Act 372, the Eighth Circuit Court decision, and how advocates can support libraries and library workers in Arkansas.”...
Unite Against Book Bans, Sept.
10
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Aster Zhao writes: “Across three platforms, the strongest use case for artificial intelligence (AI) features is early-stage research: learning unfamiliar vocabulary, assessing whether a document is relevant, or locating a useful passage in a long text.
Database embedded tools can lower the barrier for novice researchers because they operate in databases libraries already license.
Their limitations are equally clear.
None of these tools are well suited for expert, transparent, or reproducible searching.
The tools generally support one document, chapter, or viewed result set at a time—not synthesis across a full literature.
Output quality is another challenge.”...
Katina, Sept. 11
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Amelia Schafer writes: “The Chicago National Archives holds hundreds of thousands of Bureau of Indian Affairs records spanning nearly two centuries, but the site is set to close by the end of September.
There is no clear answer about where the documents are going or when they’ll next be accessible.
There are maps, photos, court records, first-hand testimonies, Indigenous language materials, genealogies, and more stored in the archives, all of which is at risk, according to tribal historians.
According to a
leaked interagency email, San Francisco and Seattle’s National Archives are both slated to close as well.”...
ICT, Sept. 6; Federal News Network, June 25
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Asher Kessler writes: “In 2006, Facebook was facing something of a crisis.
Its internal data suggested that for the first time since its launch two years earlier, the company had stopped growing.
The solution cofounder Mark Zuckerberg and colleagues came up with, the News Feed, meant individual users’ homepages would be automatically updated with information tailored to them.
Twenty years later, we can understand this development as one of the most significant socio-technical changes of the entire digital revolution.
It ushered in an age where algorithmic systems structured how people interacted, consumed news, and conducted political activity.”...
The Conversation, Sept.
7
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Liz Parker writes: “It’s officially Practical Magic season! If you grew up watching the 1998 film, starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman as descendants of a long line of powerful witches, you’ll know that the long-awaited sequel hit theaters on September 10, so what better time for a witchy reading list? Whether you’re a witch yourself or you simply love the special magic that autumn conjures up each year, this article is for you.”...
Reactor, Sept. 9
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Courtney Mares writes: “Pope Leo XIV visited the Vatican Library for the first time as pope on his birthday, September 14, and announced plans for the construction of a new modern building in Vatican City to house the holdings of the library and the Vatican Apostolic Archive. The pope said it seemed providential to celebrate his 71st birthday at the Vatican Library because his mother was a librarian.”...
OSV News, Sept. 14
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