Despite the delays and complications of the pandemic, many libraries persevered to debut new and renovated buildings this year. Playful, dynamic lighting, relaxed and inviting outdoor spaces, light-filled and visible interiors with embedded technology, and smart, sustainable infrastructure are this year’s top trends.

Going virtual in a pandemic year, the National Book Awards reveals that writing matters more than ever. 

Library Journal covers many projects initiated within libraries, but occasionally a great idea is born of sheer fandom. The Library Land Project emerged from consultants Greg Peverill-Conti and Adam Zand’s love of libraries, and their goal to visit as many in their home state of Massachusetts as possible—and kept growing from there.

Library distributor Baker & Taylor announced on October 28 that it would be returning to the academic market as a full-service vendor.

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.

Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe and Christine Wolff-Eisenberg discuss the fourth and final analysis of their Academic Library Response to COVID-19 survey, “Indications of the New Normal,” looking at the current phases of academic library pandemic reactions.

From a California Dept. of Technology: The California State Library has launched a one-stop portal for all grant and loan opportunities offered on a competitive or first-come basis by California state agencies and departments.

From the Associated Press: A roundup of some of the most popular but completely untrue stories and visuals of the week. None of these are legit, even though they were shared widely on social media. The Associated Press checked them out. Here are the facts… Direct to Full Text See Also: More “Not Real News” […]

From The Daily Pilot/LA Times: Historians, rejoice! The Sherman Library & Gardens just uploaded at least 4,000 of its archived photos that detail the history of Southern California since the late 19th century. That 4,000 is just a fraction of the estimated 40,000 photos in the Newport Beach library’s archives, still to be uploaded in […]

From the National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS): The National Network for Equitable Library Service (NNELS) is excited to announce the receipt of support from the Government of Canada’s Social Development Partnerships Program – Disability Component (SDPP-D), a program designed to improve the participation and integration of people with disabilities in all aspects of […]

The Internet Archive Provides a Look Ahead to Public Domain Day 2021 Library Renovation is Leading the Way in Energy Conservation, Safety of Library Users (University of Virginia Library) Why Web Scraping Is Vital to Democracy (via The Markup)

Successfully facing COVID fatigue is important for our overall well-being, and health experts have identified a number of coping strategies that can help.

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.

Lisa Janicke Hinchliffe and Christine Wolff-Eisenberg discuss the fourth and final analysis of their Academic Library Response to COVID-19 survey, “Indications of the New Normal,” looking at the current phases of academic library pandemic reactions.

To hunt down a brutal bludgeoner, Buffalo Detective Lauren Riley must travel to Reykjavik, Iceland, in the latest Cold Case Investigation mystery by Lissa Marie Redmond. At age 22, Redmond passed her police exam while still a student at the University of Buffalo.

Barnes & Noble booksellers pick World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, and Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil, illustrated by Fumi Nakamura, as the book of the year. Half Gods by Akil Kumarasamy wins the the Bard Fiction Prize, and Fifth Sun: A New History of the Aztecs by Camilla Townsend wins the Cundill History Prize. Reality TV star Shep Rose of Southern Charm is writing a memoir called Average Expectations: Lessons in Lowering the Bar. Adaptations out this week include Nomadland and The Hardy Boys. Plus, a TV series based on Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart is in the works.

Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline is No. 1 on the NYT Hardcover Fiction Best Sellers list and the NYT Audio Fiction list, and starts at No. 2 on the USA Today Best-Selling Books list. Forthcoming book news is out about A Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins and Life After Death by Sister Souljah. Adaptations are in the works for Memorial Drive: A Daughter's Memoir by Natasha Trethewey and The Supremes at Earl’s All-You-Can-Eat by Edward Kelsey Moore.

Ranging from debut authors to authors who have claimed big sales or awards with their first few books, here are rising stars in the thrillersphere.