AI on the Horizon By Matt Enis Several major companies—including Clarivate, EBSCO, OCLC, and OverDrive—are introducing new AI tools and features that will impact researchers, patrons, and library work directly. |
The New Bedford Whaling Museum l Archives Deep Dive By Elisa Shoenberger For fans of Herman Melville’s novel Moby-Dick, the name New Bedford, MA, may ring a bell, since it’s where Ishmael, the main character, signs up for the whaling expedition. The city is also home to the New Bedford Whaling Museum, which was founded as the Old Dartmouth Historical Society in 1903. |
IMLS Honors Five Libraries with 2024 National Medal By Lisa Peet On the evening of July 31, the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) celebrated its 2024 National Medal for Museum and Library Service at the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum in Washington, DC. IMLS Acting Director Cyndee Landrum presented the National Medals to the award recipients, which included a range of libraries from across the country. |
Digital Rights, Free Speech Groups Raise Concerns as KOSA Passes the Senate By Matt Enis On July 30, the U.S. Senate passed the Kids Online Safety Act (KOSA) 91–3. Supporters of the bill say that it will help protect children from the potential harms of social media platforms and other online services, but critics say that if the legislation passes the House and becomes law, it will lead to online censorship—potentially including politicized censorship by the Federal Trade Commission and state attorneys general who would enforce the law. |
Call for Nominations | LJ Movers & Shakers 2025 The editors of Library Journal need your help in identifying emerging talents in the library world—both great leaders and behind-the-scenes contributors who are providing inspiration and model programs for others. Our 23rd annual round of Movers & Shakers will profile up-and-coming individuals from around the world who are innovative, creative, making a difference fighting against censorship, and helping improve their workplace. From librarians and non-degreed library workers to publishers, vendors, coders, entrepreneurs, reviewers, and others who impact the library field—Movers & Shakers 2025 will celebrate those people who are moving all types of libraries ahead! Deadline to submit: October 18, 2024 |
“As an example, if I was searching ‘what are the repercussions of plastic surgery?’ the word repercussions…[is] not a subject heading. So, the AI is actually helping us expand that search for the user so it connects better to the content.” —From “AI on the Horizon” |
Social Sciences | Prepub Alert, February 2025 Titles By Melissa DeWild and Neal Wyatt A journalist investigates the global business of trash, a pair of books explore the housing crisis through stories of the unhoused, and two authors delve into the impact of racism. |
NTIA Announces Availability of $1 Billion in Digital Equity Grant Funding By Matt Enis The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) on July 24 announced the availability of almost $1 billion in competitive grant funding for programs that “support efforts to achieve digital equity, promote digital inclusion activities, and spur greater adoption and meaningful use of broadband,” according to a notice of funding opportunity posted by the agency. Application materials are available on NTIA’s BroadbandUSA website, and must be submitted through the NTIA Grants Portal by September 23. |
Call for Nominations | LJ Librarian of the Year 2025 The LJ editors are seeking nominations for the 36th annual Library Journal Librarian of the Year Award, sponsored by Baker & Taylor, to honor a professional librarian for outstanding achievement and accomplishments reflecting the loftiest service goals of the library profession. Deadline to submit: October 23, 2024 |
Honoring James Baldwin’s 100th Birthday | Book Pulse By Sarah Wolberg NPR, NYT, and LitHub honor the centenary of James Baldwin’s birth. Praiseworthy by Alexis Wright wins the Miles Franklin Literary Award. The longlist has been selected for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize. A new revised volume of Freud’s complete works, 30 years in the making, is out now from Rowman & Littlefield. The Dallas-based Southwest Review is launching New Pony Press. |
NYT Book Club Picks Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend for August | Book Pulse Sarah Wolberg | Book Pulse The NYT Book Review book club picks Elena Ferrante’s My Brilliant Friend for August. Catherine Taylor wins the TLS Ackerley Prize for memoir and biography with The Stirrings: A Memoir in Northern Time. The Cundill History Prize longlist is announced. The short stories on the Caine Prize for African Writing shortlist are revealed. Finalists are selected for the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award, recognizing the best books with a horse racing backdrop. Howard Andrew Jones wins a Trigon Award, honoring “the past, present, and future of science fiction, fantasy, and horror.” |
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The Metropolitan Library System of Oklahoma is seeking a CEO. |
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