Mahnaz Dar

Toni Morrison, Ravi Shankar, and Richard Avedon star in the best arts books published in 2020.

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

Deborah Douglas voyaged throughout the South in preparation for her book Moon U.S. Civil Rights Trail: A Traveler’s Guide to the People, Places, and Events That Made the Movement (Moon Travel Guides).

With most museums still closed, digital exhibits offer opportunities to consider outbreaks past and present from a safe distance.

Shutdowns due to COVID-19 continue, but virtual book talks, author interviews, and other book-related activities, from cooking demonstrations to book clubs, abound. The following events from publishers and others in the book ecosystem can be shared with patrons or viewed by librarians with an eye toward collection development and readers' advisory.

Advancing Racial Equity and Inclusion in the Workplace, a virtual symposium hosted by the Denver Public Library (DPL) on July 8–10, convened academic and public librarians and others who discussed equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) work, the emotional toll it takes, and barriers such as white supremacy culture.

The death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers not only resulted in protests throughout the country, it also forced many non-Black Americans to finally grapple with the realization that Black lives are systemically devalued. To help readers learn to recognize and combat systemic racism, several institutions and organizations are making resources readily available.

Though most libraries remain closed in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, public librarians are still connecting with their patrons—thanks, in part, to virtual book clubs.

True crime is more popular than ever; fans of Tiger King or Making a Murderer looking to escape the stress of self-isolating will appreciate this list of lesser-known selections.