While there are many botanical gardens across the United States, only one has the distinction of being a tropical botanical garden chartered by the U.S. Congress: the National Tropical Botanical Garden, located in Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi.
Between September 22 and 28, the nation’s library community once again “celebrated” Banned Books Week, an annual event established in 1982 by the American Library Association (ALA) to profile acts of censorship and book banning in schools and libraries across the nation. Beginning with a “Library Bill of Rights” that ALA adopted in 1939, library leaders worked hard during the 20th century to hone a national image as defenders of intellectual freedom, opponents of censorship, and proponents of the freedom to read. But between 1939 and 1982 that image evolved to become an information silo of librarianship’s own making, one that was silent on or indifferent to issues of race and libraries.
We’ve been shaking things up at the MIT Press for over 60 years, changing how knowledge flows between academics and the world. Reflecting and amplifying the values of an educational institution that places a premium on experimentation and open knowledge, the MIT Press has been a leader in open access publishing for decades.
Nicollette Davis, assistant librarian for kinesiology, social work, and health sciences at the Louisiana State University library system, was named a 2024 Library Journal Mover & Shaker for her work advocating for BIPOC people, both in the library system and in the community. We recently spoke with Davis to learn more about her projects.
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!
Putting off adoption of new technologies puts libraries at risk of falling behind in serving their users effectively. For libraries tackling new initiatives, the ability to manage change is crucial. We spoke with several library leaders to learn how they reduce organizational stress and navigate change at both the organizational and individual levels.
As the devastating scenes come in from Florida, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Georgia in the wake of Hurricane Helene and we seek ways to assist with recovery and rebuilding the impacted communities, it is a reminder of the need to prepare for natural disasters. Syracuse University worked with the Institute of Museum and Library Services, FEMA, and librarians to create a list of tips for libraries to prepare for natural disasters and have a plan for after the emergency when libraries often become a community hub for recovery.
“We don’t want to say, ‘These things are in the past, they don’t affect us now.’ They do. They still affect us now. We need to be good stewards of information and provide historical context to certain things, and also do our best to provide people with the evidence they need to do good research in medicine.”
The National Book Award Finalists are announced, as are the longlist for the Saif Ghobash Banipal Prize for Arabic Literary Translation and Audiofile’s October 2024 Earphones Award winners. The 2024 slate of MacArthur Fellows includes writers Ling Ma, Juan Felipe Herrera, Jason Reynolds, and Jericho Brown.
At the MIT Press, we believe that everyone deserves access to scholarship. Our dedication to this mission remains strong as we head into the fourth funding cycle for Direct to Open (D2O), our model for open access monographs. Libraries and consortia can commit to support the program through November 30, 2024.
This reference guide is an accessible addition to any undergraduate reading list, but it will be particularly useful for social sciences students. It is well-written, clearly structured, and easy to read and use.
An invaluable purchase for libraries of all kinds and sizes. Tuccillo’s advice is practical and timely, allowing libraries to foster vibrant, inclusive, and productive library support groups.
While this is largely a work of urban history, it will also appeal to readers interested in understanding the intersection of city, state, and federal policies (and funding).
While Stourton steers dangerously close to overfilling the book with names and anecdotes, his brisk writing style and honest approach will win over readers. Ultimately this is a remarkable story about a bygone world, well told by an insider.
Tepper has fashioned a winning book on the unsung heroines of Broadway musicals that will be appreciated by readers of women’s studies and theater lore.
Library Journal & AM developed the AV primary sources survey to learn the extent to which library audiovisual materials are being used in colleges and universities as primary sources for scholarly research.
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.
My journey into librarianship was a bit unusual: Unlike those who began as a page or in an LIS role fresh out of grad school, my library career started in marketing. It was my job to understand the many ways the library brought value to the community and to develop stories and campaigns that shed light on the best aspects of our work. I was so inspired by what I saw in our branches that I eventually pursued a library degree. And as I deepened my knowledge, I saw that libraries could benefit from more attention to external communication.
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