Academic Movers Q&A: Matt Huculak on Connecting People and Preserving Holocaust History By Amy Rea Matt Huculak was named a 2024 Library Journal Mover & Shaker for his work with researchers, artists, Holocaust survivors, and educators to help develop a graphic book about the Holocaust. We recently spoke with Huculak, who is now director of KULA: Library Futures Academy at the University of Victoria, about the vital importance and relevance of that work and how it came about. | Gale Launches New Digital Scholar Lab Features and Online Digital Humanities Course By Matt Enis Gale recently debuted new personalization and visualization features for its Digital Scholar Lab—a cloud-based research environment designed to facilitate the access and analysis of Gale primary source materials and a researcher’s local humanities and social sciences collections. The seven tool updates expand text and data mining research possibilities for students, faculty, and librarians. | SPONSORED BY INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND Available Now: Near-term and Future Global Forecasts The IMF Flagship Publications are the premier source for understanding the latest economic developments across regions and countries globally. These reports present a unique source of authoritative data, information, and analysis examining the state of public finances, assessing the risks of financial systems, and inspecting external developments and positions. Learn more>>> | Jewish American Heritage Month | A Reading List By Sarah Hashimoto First recognized by presidential proclamation in 2006, Jewish American Heritage Month celebrates the accomplishments, community, and culture of Jewish American people. The following booklist features history, biography, novellas, historical fiction, and more, all commemorating the breadth of experience and wide-ranging accomplishments of Jewish Americans. | Mental Health Awareness Month | A Reading List By Sarah Hashimoto Mental Health Awareness Month highlights the importance of mental wellness and promotes advocacy, sharing, compassion, and the dismantling of stereotypes surrounding a wide range of mental health conditions. The following books include contemporary romance, literary fiction, poetry, memoirs, and more, all speaking to the importance of continued dialogue surrounding mental health. | SPONSORED BY CLARIVATE | EX LIBRIS Enhancing Efficiency and Simplicity: The New UX in Alma Ex Libris has introduced a redesigned user experience in Alma, focused on enhancing efficiency, accessibility, and usability. Developed in close collaboration with the library community, the update reflects a deep commitment to a user-centered design. Learn more>>> | Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month | A Reading List By Sarah Hashimoto Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, observed in May, recognizes the achievements, contributions, and complex histories of Americans descended from 75 countries across the Asian continent. The following books, both fiction and nonfiction, provide a window into the resilience, creativity, and breadth of experience within this varied group. | “[L]ibrarians are more than just collectors of knowledge or objects. We’re connectors of people. There’s been a shift over the past decade in the library’s training and hiring around making librarians an integral part of the research process as it happens on campus. Liaison librarians have expertise in how a particular discipline does its research, and therefore have a special role to play in things like data management, preservation, and storytelling.” —From “Academic Movers Q&A: Matt Huculak on Connecting People and Preserving Holocaust History” | Oregon Book Award Winners Are Revealed | Book Pulse By Kate Merlene The Oregon Book Award winners are announced. Cyrus Cassells wins the Jackson Poetry Prize. Finalists for the Crime Writers of Canada Awards and German Nonfiction Prize are announced, along with longlists for the CWA Dagger Awards and the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. Mystery Writers of America’s 79th Edgar Awards will be celebrated May 1; CrimeReads hosts a roundtable with the nominees to discuss the state of crime writing. | SOCIAL SCIENCES PREMIUM Fans: A Journey into the Psychology of Belonging By Michael Bond Bond’s book is an excellent introductory text on fan studies and the psychology behind fandom but does not go in depth with the significant body of existing scholarship. PREMIUM Misbehaving at the Crossroads: Essays & Writings By Honorée Fanonne Jeffers Jeffers has formed her garden, with the fertile roots laid down in her homage to Alice Walker’s In Search of Our Mother’s Gardens, and planted seeds that will inspire readers to seek out old stories with an understanding of feminism and intersectionality. These concepts are, in Jeffers’s hands, so beautifully rendered that her audience will be willing to accept the difficulty of the work she asks of them. PREMIUM Submersed: Wonder, Obsession, and Murder in the World of Amateur Submarines By Matthew Gavin Frank A well-documented look at the submarine community that combines true crime with science writing and history. It’s a good pick for fans of Erik Larsen, as Frank also intersperses the events of a crime within a subject’s larger context, all in engaging and haunting writing. | LA Times Book Prize Winners | Book Pulse By Kate Merlene The Los Angeles Times Book Prize winners are announced, including Jiaming Tang, Laura Beers, Jesse Katz, Jennine Capó Crucet, Andrea Freeman, Danielle Trussoni, and Kelly Link. The Plutarch Award shortlist is announced along with the finalists for the RBC Bronwen Wallace Awards for Emerging Writers and the Theakston Awards longlist. Globe Pequot is purchasing Square One Publishers, while Alliance has canceled an agreement to purchase the bankrupt Diamond Comics. | Job Zone utilizes unique job matching technology to help you find the perfect job (and employers find the perfect candidate), whether you’re actively seeking or just keeping an eye out for your possibilities. Log on today and check out our newest features, including automated job and candidate matches, and email alerts. JOB OF THE WEEK Coalinga-Huron Library District is seeking a Library Director. | |