All Rise at Wilmington Public Library | LJ Marketer of the Year Award 2024 By Lisa Peet Wilmington Public Library enlists community input alongside vibrant in-house marketing to build excitement around innovative events, earning them LJ’s 2024 Marketer of the Year award, sponsored by Library Ideas, LLC. San José Public Library, CA, and Worcester Public Library, MA, received honorable mentions. |
| Interactive Map Combines Banned Book Data and Little Free Library Locations By Lisa Peet During Banned Books Week, this year September 22–28, LJ saw a wide range of libraries celebrating the right to read in their communities: public, K–12, and academic; urban and rural; large and small—and, now, little. Little Free Libraries, the birdhouse-sized book exchange structures scattered across neighborhoods around the world, have joined forces with the American Library Association and PEN America to encourage the distribution of banned books in the areas they’re needed most. |
| Even Librarians Live in Information Silos | Back Talk By Wayne A. Wiegand 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. Sponsoring a Banned Books Week was yet another way to reinforce that image. 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. |
Modern Library Marketing | Editorial By Hallie Rich 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. |
SPONSORED BY EX LIBRIS, PART OF CLARIVATE Navigating Technology Change: Librarian Leaders Share Their Best Practices
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.
Read more>>> |
| The 1939 Library Sit-In Project Sheds Light on an Important Civil Rights Event | Editors’ Note By Kathy Ishizuka On August 21, 1939, five Black men quietly sat down to read in the Alexandria, VA, Public Library after being refused a library card. Occurring years before more widely known efforts to desegregate lunch counters beginning in the 1950s, the Alexandria Library sit-in is the focus of a project to digitize and distribute related materials and teaching resources. |
| The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden Tops Holds Lists | Book Pulse By Kate Merlene The Boyfriend by Freida McFadden leads holds this week. Also getting buzz are titles by Ina Garten, Louise Erdrich, Malcolm Gladwell, James Patterson and David Ellis, and Nita Prose. Seven LibraryReads and seven Indie Next picks publish this week. People’s book of the week is Love Can’t Feed You by Cherry Lou Sy. Plus, LitHub previews “The Literary Film & TV You Need to Stream in October.” |
SPONSORED CONTENT Moving Libraries Forward With an Open-Solution Strategy
Libraries looking to break away from siloed solutions often struggle to connect with other systems and institutions. This can result in complex and resource-intensive development, cause frustration and limit opportunities. To overcome these challenges, institutions are now shifting to an open-solution strategy that relies upon flexibility and customization.
Read more>>> |
| 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 |
| Costanza Casati’s Clytemnestra Wins Glass Bell Award | Book Pulse By Sarah Wolberg Costanza Casati’s Clytemnestra wins the Goldsboro Books Glass Bell Award. David Waldstreicher wins the George Washington Prize for The Odyssey of Phillis Wheatley: A Poet’s Journeys Through American Slavery and Independence. Winners of the Alberta Book Publishing Awards are announced. Plus, Page to Screen and interviews with Emmanuel Acho, Elizabeth Strout, Garth Greenwell, and Lauren Elkin. |
| Washington State Book Award Winners | Book Pulse By Kate Merlene The Washington State Book Award and Dream Foundry Award winners are announced. Elly Griffiths wins Author of the Year at the BA Conference Awards. LibraryReads and LJ offer read-alikes for Sally Rooney’s Intermezzo. Interviews arrive with Janice Hallett, Elyse Graham, Ed Burns, Kenny G, Ashley Spencer, David Sedaris, Aaron Zebley, and Wright Thompson. The Kingdoms of Savannah by George Dawes Green will get a TV adaptation, and Garth Greenwell’s What Belongs to You goes to the opera. Plus, NYT delves into the “Strega Nona September” TikTok trend, inspired by the children’s books by Tomie dePaola. |
| Wolfson History Prize and British Academy Book Prize Shortlists | Book Pulse By Sarah Wolberg Shortlists for the Wolfson History Prize and the British Academy Book Prize are announced. The Treaties We Break by Tina Shah wins the Mo Siewcharran Prize for unpublished fiction writers from Black, Asian, mixed heritage and minority ethnic backgrounds. Llano County, TX, told the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals that it should hand politicians near total authority over what books can go on public library shelves. Plus new title bestsellers and interviews with Richard Osman, Isabella Hammad, Paola Ramos, Uzo Aduba, and Myriam J.A. Chancy. |
| 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 |
WEB-FIRST REVIEWS OF BOOKS AND MEDIA |
Dead in the Frame, by Stephen Spotswood, is a starred mystery. "A solid 'Pentecost and Parker' installment, Spotswood’s newest title takes on another closed-door mystery to great effect. He balances the tension, the red herrings, and the clues well, and fans of the series will be in for a treat. Mystery readers in general would do well to place this series on their TBR lists to enjoy the twists and turns that make these titles a joy to read." Yotam Ottolenghi's Ottolenghi Comfort is a starred spirituality and religion selection. "Ottolenghi, beloved chef and author of seven NYT-bestselling cookbooks, has written (with frequent collaborators Helen Goh, Verena Lochmuller, and Tara Wigley), a book that exemplifies and explores the meaning of comfort food, offering nostalgia, convenience, indulgence, and nurturing.... This beautiful book ties hunger, taste, connection, and community together; it will be a welcome addition to all collections." And Paper Boat: New and Selected Poems, 1961–2023, by Margaret Atwood, is a starred nonfiction selection. "Essential for any serious poetry collection." See All Reviews››› |
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
SMU Libraries is seeking a Library Cataloger. |
|
