LJ’s 2024 Placements & Salaries Survey sees new grads grapple with questions of relocation, living wages, and job drift, but eager to begin careers in the field.
On October 3, the Urban Libraries Council announced the six North American public libraries named as Top Innovators for 2024 as part of its annual Innovations Initiative. Denver Public Library; Gwinnett County Public Library, GA; Miami-Dade Public Library System, FL; San Francisco Public Library; Toronto Public Library; and Virginia Beach Public Library, VA, were recognized for their out-of-the-box thinking, measurable outcomes, and the potential for other libraries to replicate and implement the award-winning programs.
How old is your library? In 2021, the American Library Association reported that the average library building is over 40 years old and that the nation’s 17,000 public libraries would need approximately $32 billion dollars for construction and renovation over the next 25 years.
The American Library Association and the Sustainable Libraries Initiative have announced the new National Climate Action Strategy for Libraries and created an implementation guide to help libraries incorporate climate action locally into strategic and facility plans.
Fall arrives. Tune in to the seasonal atmosphere with reviews covering cooking, crafts, and more. From knitting scarves to planting bulbs, these books help readers celebrate, gather, and create.
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
In an effort to minimize student boredom while learning library information, Jacksonville State University (JSU) librarians implemented gamification―introducing game mechanics into non-game environments―which studies have shown can increase engagement and motivation, and in turn, improve learning across age groups and settings. JSU librarians Karlie Loren Johnson and Kimberly Westbrooks analyzed their results in “Quelling the Boredom with Alternative Instruction: Augmented Reality, Escape Kits, and Scavenger Hunts.”
“This year’s Top Innovators and Honorable Mentions exemplify the evolving role of libraries as dynamic public institutions that are integral to the fabric of our urban communities. These innovative projects confirm the powerful impact of libraries and how they actively shape the future of our cities.”
South Korean novelist Han Kang, best known for 2016’s Booker Prize–winning The Vegetarian, wins the Nobel Prize in literature. The shortlist for the Center for Fiction First Novel Prize is announced. BBC’s Between the Covers book club has revealed its books and guests for its eighth season, starting with Chris Whitaker’s All the Colors of the Dark. Winners of the New Mexico-Arizona Book Awards and Scholastic UK’s inaugural Graphic Novel Prize are announced. Created by Humans, a company that helps writers license their works for use by AI, has forged a partnership with the Authors Guild. Plus new title bestsellers.
Dr. Ashleigh Faith, MLIS, PhD from EBSCO dives into "Libraries of Future Past," exploring how science fiction predicted today’s AI challenges: navigating information overload, discerning truth, and ethical knowledge pursuits. While AI helps, humans—especially librarians— are crucial in organizing and helping unearth trustworthy information.
Dolen Perkins-Valdez returns with a novel inspired by the real-life Kingdom of the Happy Land, Jennifer Weiner pens a story about sisters who form a pop supergroup, and Nancy Thayer offers another Nantucket-set novel.
Forty in-depth reviews of travel series, spanning hikes in national parks to a perfect day in Positano. To help manage selection, we provide full bibliographic data for 533 individual titles that make up this series review, along with a downloadable spreadsheet of every title sortable by BISAC.
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
Oprah picks From Here to the Great Unknown by Lisa Marie Presley, with Riley Keough, for her book club. Publishers Weekly rounds up the rest of October’s book club picks. Finalists for the Governor General’s Literary Awards and the Wonderland Awards are announced. October’s Loanstars features top pick The Waiting by Michael Connelly. LibraryReads and LJ offer read-alikes for top holds title The Last One at the Wedding by Jason Rekulak. BBC will adapt Janice Hadlow’s The Other Bennet Sister, to be aired during the 30th anniversary of BBC’s classic Pride and Prejudice series. Plus, the latest on the Princess Diaries 3 film, based on the books by Meg Cabot.
Former librarian Terah Shelton Harris has been named Target’s author of the year; The Women by Kristin Hannah is book of the year. The Elgin Awards winners are announced. The 2024 Nobel prize in literature will be awarded this Thursday. From Here to the Great Unknown: A Memoir by Lisa Marie Presley with Riley Keough gets reviews and buzz. The Millions revisits Claudia Rankine’s Citizen 10 years after its publication. Here One Moment by Liane Moriarty will get a new series adaptation, courtesy of Nicole Kidman. Colleen Hoover’s Reminders of Him will be adapted for film. NYT looks at weeding in libraries. Plus, LJ announces a new partnership with the Libraries Lead podcast.
Malcolm Before X, by Patrick Parr, is a starred social sciences selection. "Parr never overreaches or preaches. He doesn’t slight Malcolm’s rigidities but he enriches readers’ appreciation of one of the most influential spokespersons of a tumultuous age." Haruki Murakami's The City and Its Uncertain Walls is a starred fiction title. "At times a meditation on romance, reality vs. fantasy, ghosts, and the power of written words, this metaphysical novel examines the questionable value of timekeeping while thoroughly exploring unconditional love, self-imposed constraints, and deaths of one’s body and soul." And Amy James's debut novel, A Five-Letter Word for Love, is a starred romance. "This heartfelt novel will surely garner an enthusiastic following for debut author James."
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