While the COVID-19 pandemic has understandably been a key concern over the past few years, architects and librarians haven’t neglected other important factors in the continuing evolution of libraries in their communities.
The Rural Libraries Endowment, establishedin 2019, has received a substantial boost that is proving to be instrumental in addressing the needs of many rural communities across New Mexico. Originally funded at $1 million, the fund now stands at $28 million, with the addition of $27 million added over four years.
After a year spent enduring book challenges and politically charged barbs, no one can blame the profession for entering 2024 shell-shocked and exhausted. Yet, in the face of this trauma, we still find librarians and library workers who are resolute in their commitment to library values. Tired, yes, but smart about the ways in which they can provide important library service within the political context of their unique community and situation.
This year marks the 20th anniversary of Gale’s “Eighteenth Century Collections Online” (ECCO), the largest collection—32 million pages—of 18th-century books, pamphlets, periodicals, and other ephemera in the world. ECCO was revolutionary in providing researchers and students a text-searchable corpus at their desktops 24/7.
Librarians have a strong tradition of active involvement in the field post-retirement. That work includes fighting censorship, and foregrounding those efforts couldn’t come at a more critical time.
“Over the last couple of years, many of us have felt like we were doing our best to keep our heads above water. Lisa Varga is a warrior. She has spent the last three years donning the armor of her intellect to fight for libraries not only in her back yard, but across the state of Virginia.”
The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins leads holds this week. Audiofile announces the January 2024 Earphones Award Winners. The Silvers-Dudley Prize winners are announced. January book club picks arrive, along with The Millions' Great Winter 2024 Preview. People’s book of the week is Invisible Woman by Katia Lief. February’s Indie Next List Preview features #1 pick Bride by Ali Hazelwood. Literary adaptations took home honors at a revamped Golden Globes. Oprah options the rights to Abraham Verghese’s The Covenant of Water. Plus, the Los Angeles Public Library gets into book publishing with the acquisition of Angel City Press.
Land of My Sojourn: The Landscape of a Faith Lost and Found, by Mike Cosper, is a starred spirituality and religion title. "Essential reading for Christians who have lost hope." In performing arts, Jennifer Keishin Armstrong's So Fetch: The Making of ‘Mean Girls’ (And Why We’re Still So Obsessed with It) is a starred selection. "A straightforward and entertaining retelling of the creation of Mean Girls, the movie, that has a place in the hearts of many. An excellent addition to collections." And Twenty-First-Century Access Services: On the Front Line of Academic Librarianship, edited by Michael J. Krasulski and Trevor A. Dawes, is a starred reference title. "This is a recommended purchase for its abundance of knowledge about access services and their history, operations, and management. Best for readers who don’t work directly in access services, including library students and those wanting to learn other librarians’ perspectives on access services."
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