The creative problem solving that allowed Anaheim Public Library to weather the pandemic while meeting pre-pandemic goals have earned it the 2021 Gale/LJ Library of the Year award.

In the #MeToo era, we reflected on how widespread sexual harassment felt in our field, and we wanted to know whether that feeling was supported by evidence. A research team consisting of three academic librarians and two sociologists who specialize in data analysis decided to find out.

Looking for ideas for family-friendly vacations or staycations? We offer options for taking to the road or engaging in some armchair travel.

The American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) is a $1.9 trillion stimulus package passed by Congress on March 10. It includes targeted funding for various sectors of the economy and government impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, ranging from agriculture to small businesses to education—and libraries. Here are the ins and outs of how new federal funds will reach public libraries and how they can be spent.

COVID shifts drove falling print circ and rising ebooks. But will it last? LJ's 2021 Materials Survey looks at some of the last year's trends.

This is the 13th year of the LJ Index of Public Library Service and Star Library ratings. The 2020 scores and ratings are based on FY18 data from the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Public Library Survey (PLS). Because of that delay, they don’t reflect the impact of the coronavirus; that won’t be reflected in the data until 2022. The big news in this year’s edition is that successful retrievals of electronic information (e-retrievals)—measuring usage of online content, such as databases, other than by title checkout—joins the six other measures that determine the LJ Index.

Whether librarians are providing services in-person or virtually, reference has changed with the pandemic.

Library Journal’s annual Placements & Salaries survey reports on the experiences of LIS students who graduated and sought their first librarian jobs in the previous year: in this case, 2019. Salaries and full-time employment are up, but so are unemployment and the gender gap; 2019 graduates faced a mixed job market even before the pandemic.

From an Ithaka S+R Blog Post by Melissa Blakenstein and Dylan Ruediger: Earlier this year, we conducted a national survey of community college library directors, asking detailed questions about their current service provision and future plans, while also covering the pandemic’s impact on funding, services, and strategy. As we analyzed survey results for publication next […]

From a DPLA Announcement: DPLA is pleased to welcome the NJ/DE Digital Collective as DPLA’s newest service hub. The NJ/DE Digital Collective is a collaboration launched by the New Jersey State Library (NJSL) and Delaware Division of Libraries (DDL) that serves libraries and cultural heritage institutions throughout New Jersey and Delaware. More than 20 organizations […]

From The German Marshall Fund of the United States: This paper outlines what a “full stack” approach to new public media might look like. The “full stack” involves all the layers in communicating information, from production through distribution. In considering what a reinvigorated infrastructure for civic information might look like, the paper asks anew what […]

AP, Reuters to Help Twitter Elevate More Credible Info (via Associated Press) Courthouse News Asks New Mexico Courts to ive Back Public Access (via Couthouse News) Pearson Launches a Comprehensive Textbook Solution for Students. What are Its Prospects? (via The Scholarly Kitchen) Preliminary Program For the BitCurator Users Forum 2021 Released (BitCurator Consortium) Preserving Our […]

When the long-awaited COVID-19 vaccines began to roll out in mid-December 2020, their distribution was immediately complicated by a shortage of doses and widespread uncertainty about who would be given priority. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued suggested guidelines for phased allocation. When it was not yet clear who would be next, many library workers, leaders, and associations began advocating for public facing library workers to be vaccinated as soon as feasible.

In the messy middle of the pandemic, library leaders share how things have changed since March 2020, their takeways, and continuing challenges.

Whether librarians are providing services in-person or virtually, reference has changed with the pandemic.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of books on the subject has been increasing exponentially. This introductory list, which will be updated regularly, is meant to help collection development librarians get started on determining which books work best for their collections.

B&N's August book club pick is Sandie Jones's The Guilt Trip while Good Morning America picks The Husbands by Chandler Baker. The August 2021 Earphones Award Winners arrive at Audiofile. The 2021 Vivian Award winners were announced, courting controversy. The 2021 New England Book Award (NEIBA) announces finalists. Damnation Spring by Ash Davidson, Something New Under the Sun by Alexandra Kleeman, and Here, Right Matters: An American Story by Alexander Vindman get reviewed. Profiles and reviews of the late Anthony Veasna So continue. Interviews arrive with Chandler Baker, Dolly Alderton, Alexander Vindman, and Sara Kamali. Plus, Reese Witherspoon's company Hello Sunshine sells for $900 million. 

 

On July 21, the Board of Trustees of the Niles-Maine District Library, IL, walked back several items in a contentious FY22 budget proposal. Following a three-hour public comment meeting the night before, community protests, and a complaint filed with the Illinois Labor Relations Board on behalf of library workers’ recently joined union, the board adopted a compromise budget—but some feel the concessions are too little and too late.

 LJ ’s first readers’ advisory (RA) survey in eight years found that RA is a growing practice, but librarians want more training and tools to do it better, particularly in genres they don’t read for pleasure. Can crowdsourcing help RA keep up?

Who doesn't like looking at new spaces and envisioning a different life? We feature several ways to browse real estate listings, allowing to escape and daydream.