From IMLS: The Institute of Museum and Library Services announced today the release of a research brief on the public library response to community needs during the first 9 months of the COVID-19 pandemic. The brief, “Access to Public Library Services and Materials During the First Nine Months of the COVID-19 Pandemic,” highlights how public […]
From CBS News (via YouTube): Poet and author Amanda Gorman joins “CBS Mornings” for her first interview since her poem and book, “The Hill We Climb,” was restricted by a Florida elementary school. She shares her initial reaction to the ban, why she believes restricting books keeps history from children and how she got involved […]
From a Joint Announcement: U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Central Library is working to add more than 47,000 unique items published by NOAA authors and grantees to the National Collection of U.S. Government Public Information. GPO shares NOAA’s goal of providing additional avenues to access […]
From a Nature Editorial: Why are we disallowing the use of generative AI in visual content? Ultimately, it is a question of integrity. The process of publishing — as far as both science and art are concerned — is underpinned by a shared commitment to integrity. That includes transparency. As researchers, editors and publishers, we […]
AI For Drug Discovery: Digital Science Fully Acquires OntoChem Congressional Research Service (CRS) Director Under Fire Resigning at Congress’ Research Arm (via BGov) EU Busy with AI Assessing Copyright in Third Countries and Making Proposals For the Book Sector GPO Kicks Off Second Pilot Project to Enhance Access to Government Information NISO Welcomes New Board […]
AI For Drug Discovery: Digital Science Fully Acquires OntoChem Congressional Research Service (CRS) Director Under Fire Resigning at Congress’ Research Arm (via BGov) EU Busy with AI Assessing Copyright in Third Countries and Making Proposals For the Book Sector GPO Kicks Off Second Pilot Project to Enhance Access to Government Information NISO Welcomes New Board […]
Abraham Verghese wins the 2023 Writer in the World Prize. The James Beard Media Award winners are announced. Mr. B: George Balanchine’s 20th Century by Jennifer Homans wins the 2023 BIO Plutarch Award. The 2023 Roswell Award Winners are announced, as are shortlists for the Rachel Funari Prize, Taste Canada Awards, and Sturgeon Award. The June 2023 Loanstars Adult List is out, featuring top pick Zero Days by Ruth Ware. S.A. Cosby’s All the Sinners Bleed gets reviewed, and Elliot Page’s memoir continues to buzz.
Cross Down by James Patterson and Brendan DuBois is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.
From Circana: Sales of LGBTQ fiction in the U.S. reached an all-time high in the 12 months ending May 2023, according to Circana, formerly IRI and The NPD Group, increasing by 6.1 million units. This growth represents an 11% increase over the previous 12-month period and a 173% surge compared to the pre-pandemic benchmark of 2019 […]
From the University of Maryland Libraries: The University of Maryland Libraries is excited to announce the acquisition of Ford’s Theatre records. The Ford’s Theatre records will be archived with Special Collections in Performing Arts (SCPA) and located in the Michelle Smith Performing Arts Library. The historic Ford’s Theatre opened in Washington D.C. in 1863. Less […]
AI Is Used Widely, but Lawmakers Have Set Few Rules (via Stateline) Are Public Computers in Libraries Becoming Obsolete? (via Government Technology) California Expands Partnership with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to Make Free Books Available to Kids Under 5 (via EdSource) ||| Additional Information EveryLibrary and GLAAD Partner On a “Playbook to Fight Against Book […]
When Alice Rose Barnes wins the lottery and hires grumpy carpenter Angus Drummond to do extensive renovations on her new house, she doesn’t realize how much he’s going to change her life. Readers will love the banter between Rose and Angus and cheer them on as they slowly build their relationship in this romance debut.
The June issue’s romance pick of the month is a hilarious, slow-burn romantic comedy, featuring a full cast of fun, quirky characters and intriguing, likable protagonists. This unputdownable novel will fly off shelves, and readers will clamor for Desai’s backlist.
From its resourceful, resilient protagonist to its seamlessly constructed, au courant plot, everything about Ware’s newest novel is guaranteed to keep her fans up way past their bedtimes.
LitHub releases its Ultimate Summer 2023 Reading List. Canada’s International Cundill History Prize names its 2023 jury. A Utah school district has banned the Bible from primary schools. Filmmaker Noah Baumbach will publish a memoir with Knopf. Actress Elizabeth Banks is starting a wine-drinking book club. Interviews arrive with Lisa See, Ocean Vuong, Keith Ellison, David Von Drehle, Robert Waldinger, Alan Philps, Barbara Kingsolver, and Amelia Possanza. Plus, Robert Thorogood will adapt his novel The Marlow Murder Club for PBS Masterpiece.
From Loughborough University (via Newswise): By 2025, it is estimated that the global data will surpass 180 zettabytes The amount of digital data is doubling every two years A typical data-driven business employing 100 full-time employees will generate approximately 2,203 tons of CO2 emissions annually due to new data The inclusion of the data CO2 […]
Here’s the Full Text of a NNELS Announcement: Have you noticed an increase in news lately about Artificial Intelligence (AI)? It is certainly a hot topic and something most of us interact with on a daily basis, often without realizing it. For example, if you ask Siri to tell you the weather before you head […]
Bloomsbury: Survival of Publishers Points to AI Prophecy Overkill (via FT, Subs Only) ||| Archived Version Indiana School Librarians Worry New Law Banning ‘Obscene’ Books Will Harm Their Work and Students (via Chalkbeat Indiana) Library Futures Releases 2022 Annual Report Library Organizations and Publishers File Amicus Briefs in Little v. Llano County Lawsuit Freedom to […]
To celebrate LGBTQ+ Pride Month, the Boston Public Library (BPL) is releasing the We Are Pride booklist, hosting a variety of programs across BPL locations, and highlighting items from the Special Collections department during the month of June. The We Are Pride booklist contains 75 recently published fiction and non-fiction titles for children, teenagers, and adults from authors such as Janelle Monáe, Akwaeke Emezi, Andrew Holleran, Maulik Pancholy, Casey McQuiston, Joshua Whitehead, and Danica Roem.
Panorama collects information from disparate sources such as ILS, SIS, and ERP software and merges different data sets into one platform for easy analysis and reporting. The platform includes an IPEDS Data Dashboard that automatically pulls the information required for institutional IPEDS reporting into one simple location, saving staff countless hours of work.
Cross Down by James Patterson and Brendan DuBois leads holds this week. Other buzzy books include: Unfortunately Yours by Tessa Bailey, Same Time Next Summer by Annabel Monaghan, The Paris Daughter by Kristin Harmel, and Pageboy by Elliot Page. AudioFile announces the June 2023 Earphones Award Winners. The 2022 Aurealis Awards winners are announced, along with the 37th Annual Asimov’s Readers’ Award winners. Seven LibraryReads and 10 Indie Next picks publish this week. People’s book of the week is Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea. The June Costco Connection features Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See and The Five-Star Weekend by Elin Hilderbrand. Plus, a poem written by U.S. Poet Laureate Ada Limón will travel to a moon of Jupiter.
The article linked below was recently published by the Journal of Librarianship and Information Science (JOLIS). Title Global Trends in Digital Preservation: Outsourcing Versus In-House Practices Authors Rafiq AhmadBacha Khan University, Pakistan Muhammad RafiqBacha Khan University, Pakistan Muhammad ArifUniversity of the Punjab, Pakistan Source Journal of Librarianship and Information Science (JOLIS)DOI: 10.1177/09610006231173461 Abstract Digital preservation […]
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 Arkansas Times A group of public libraries and supporters filed a federal lawsuit Friday to challenge a new state law that aims to censor what books children can get to in libraries and puts librarians in danger of criminal charges if they allow young people access to content deemed harmful. The suit asks a federal […]
From the Arkansas Times A group of public libraries and supporters filed a federal lawsuit Friday to challenge a new state law that aims to censor what books children can get to in libraries and puts librarians in danger of criminal charges if they allow young people access to content deemed harmful. The suit asks a federal […]
From the Yale Library: LUX: Collection Discovery—a new cross-collection search tool—provides users worldwide with online access to more than 17 million items within Yale University’s museums, libraries, and archives. “The LUX project is an incredible way to bring together the diverse collections across the cultural heritage units at Yale,” said Barbara Rockenbach, Stephen F. Gates […]
A small selection of new or recently updated reports from the Congressional Research Service. Is That Climate Change? The Science of Extreme Event Attribution Juneteenth: Fact Sheet Montana’s TikTok Ban and Pending Legal Actions 2023 Hurricane Outlooks and 2022 Hurricane Season Review Wildfire Statistics Direct to All Reports From CRS
From The Sacramento Bee: Gov. Gavin Newsom sent a stern message Thursday to school leaders across California — any attempt to ban books from classrooms or libraries may require them to answer to the state attorney general. In a letter to county and district superintendents and charter school administrators, Newsom, State Superintendent Tony Thurmond and […]
Here’s the Full Text of a Statement From: The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) The Massachusetts Library Association (MLA) The Massachusetts Library System (MLS) The Massachusetts School Library Association (MSLA) Book challenges in Massachusetts’ school and public libraries have quadrupled in just one year*, mirroring the surge the American Library Association has reported nationwide. Challenges […]
A new national NPR/Ipsos poll reveals that 52% of Republicans are opposed to banning books from schools, whereas book bans are supported by 5% of Democrats, 16% of Independents, and 35% of Republicans. Paige Cowan-Hall has won the Women’s Prize Trust 2023 Discoveries Prize for her yet-to-be-published historical fiction novel Marooned. The Society of Authors announced this year’s Authors’ Awards shortlists across 11 categories. Donna Tartt’s agent has debunked the rumor that she is releasing a new novel in June 2023.
This is an unashamedly weird (but also funny) novel, but if readers can get beyond the morbid premise, there is much enjoyment to be had with Moore’s unique style, particularly the extended, loopy dialogue, replete with wordplay, song lyrics, conspiracy theories, literary and pop culture references. By its end, it becomes a moving tale of longing, grief, and acceptance.
A bold formal statement that’s both a continuation of Porter’s thematic interests and an artistic expansion; if it doesn’t quite rise to the level of his previous work, fans of the author and adventurous readers alike should still find plenty to chew on.
With vivid and realistic characterizations, Schulman (This Beautiful Life) has written a work of fiction that should be read and discussed widely. Part mystery, part thriller, and at its heart an examination of why and how women can treat each other so callously and despicably, it’s tough to set down. Ironically, it would make a tremendous movie.
All told, this is a quirky journey from White, recipient of the National Book Foundation’s Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters, that will undoubtedly deliver to devotees as well as those new to the prolific author.
From those who sought to help the Adlers in Vienna to the bonds between Samuel and his wife, Selena and Anita, and Anita and her grandmother, there’s much love in a book whose poles are moments of great violence. Classic Allende enlarging her framework, as she did with A Long Petal of the Sea and Violeta.
This funny, steamy, and heartfelt romance from Hartl (Heartbreak for Hire) is perfect for readers searching for their next friends-to-lovers meets fake-dating fix.
While not the best of the four Bascombe novels (e.g., Let Me Be Frank with You), it is still a worthy conclusion to a series that ranks with Updike’s “Rabbit” novels for its incisive take on American life across several decades.
Soweto-born Makhene uses her unique voice to characterize South Africa much as Ben Okri does for Nigeria or NoViolet Bulwayo for Zimbabwe. Her debut collection is necessarily difficult and disturbingly intense, as any stories of life under apartheid must be, but careful reading will unearth kernels of the inherent resilience and humor of her people.
Following the widely acclaimed Modified: GMOs and the Threat to Our Food, Our Land, Our Future, Maine resident Shetterly has written a masterly debut novel about the first year of the plague and its corrosive effects on one family in the United States struggling to survive intact. Readers will be hard-pressed to leave this story behind.
Dr. Shannon Jones, director of libraries and professor at the Medical University of South Carolina–Charleston, was named a 2021 Library Journal Mover & Shaker for her significant commitment to mentoring other library workers in medical and academic librarianship, as well as creating a Medical Library Association book club focused on books discussing diversity, equity, and inclusion. LJ recently talked with her to learn what she’s been doing since then.
From a Library and Archives Canada Library and Archives Canada (LAC) is proud and excited to offer access to the digitized 1931 Census of Canada, 92 years after it was conducted. This is the first time that LAC has provided online access to census content on the first day permitted by law. The 1931 Census data […]
From an Everett Herald Commentary by Washington Sec. of State, Steve Hobbs and Sara Jones, Washington State Librarian: In 2016, Gov. Jay Inslee prompted state and local agencies to collaborate on improving outcomes for people re-entering society. The State Library’s Institutional Library Services — which has operated libraries in state correctional facilities for more than […]
Readers will love the fast-paced wit of both Amy and the supporting characters while she discovers who she is, where she wants to be, and what is truly in her heart.
Plot discrepancies and uneven pacing detract from full enjoyment the narrative, but fans of Dorothea Benton Frank will appreciate revisiting Sullivan’s Island.
This forceful, necessary novel, which includes graphic descriptions of sexual assault, depicts the often silent suffering and unfathomable effects of sexual abuse. Readers of Garth Greenwell or Eimear McBride will find it well worth diving into.
Gaynor’s immersive novel pairs well with Jessica Mann’s nonfiction book Out of Harm’s Way: The Wartime Evacuation of Children from Britain, in which firsthand accounts and extensive research relate the experiences of children who were removed from their families and taken to foreign countries. Similarly, Julia Kelly’s novel The Lost English Girl takes place at the very beginning of the war when children were being evacuated to the countryside.
Newton’s latest historical novel (following The Girls from the Beach) brings to light the kidnapping of Czech children during World War II. Readers who like this genre will enjoy.
Smith wrestles contemporary themes surrounding women’s independence, racism, and class disparity from centuries-old events in her beautifully crafted historical. Readers of Geraldine Brooks or Hilary Mantel will be enthralled.
The level of chaos in Robin’s life overwhelms the issue of widowhood at times in the novel, but there is a strong setting and many elements to engage readers. Recommended for fans of Emiko Jean or Marisa de los Santos.
Wray deftly explores late adolescence with its roller-coaster intensity of friendship and the music that binds everything together, in this case heavy metal and its mythological fantasies, which here become all too darkly real.
Thompson combines a gothic novel, a time-travel romance, and a frank depiction of living with mental illness. Most compellingly, the protagonist’s mental state is central to the narrative without driving the plot.
A solid and unbiased source of primary documents on the most contentious political challenges facing the nation. For readers at all levels, especially high schoolers and undergrads.
Moreno-Garcia (The Daughter of Doctor Moreau) has written a love letter to Mexico City’s film industry and an excellent entry into the popular horror subgenre of occult films. Suggest to fans of The Shoemaker’s Magician by Cynthia Pelayo, Experimental Film by Gemma Files, and The Remaking by Clay McLeod Chapman.
This atmospheric historical mystery by the author of The Jade Lily reveals a Paris on the verge of war, in all its captivating beauty and excess. Suggest for fans of Cara Black or Betty Webb’s Lost in Paris.
Whitney may be the amateur sleuth, but Goldy certainly calls the shots in this third book of the series (following Something Fishy This Way Comes). Perfect for cozy fans who enjoy a solid narrative, adventure, and a dash of romance.
Two-time Hugo finalist Tingle (Straight) has a huge cult following, and his brilliant mainstream debut does not disappoint. Suggest to fans of authors such as V. Castro and Hailey Piper, who take well-worn tropes and explore them through marginalized perspectives, creating something breathtaking and wholly new.
Yet another not-to-miss release by the popular and critically acclaimed Tremblay (The Pallbearers Club), showcasing a discomfort that is reminiscent of Shirley Jackson but still new and thought-provoking.
The author of the Crispin Guest mysteries writes about Victorian street life and desperation in a pastiche relieved by humor. Suggest Vicki Delany’s “Gemma Doyle” series as a read-alike.
From its resourceful, resilient protagonist to its seamlessly constructed, au courant plot, everything about Ware’s newest novel is guaranteed to keep her fans up way past their bedtimes.
This book can be enjoyed from cover to cover or as a choose-your-own spooky adventure; either way, it will entice all who encounter it to seek out more horror. Libraries should consider having a reference and a circulating copy and may want to make extra copies of the reading checklist in the back to hand out.
Readers who enjoy an on-the-run thriller such as Adrian McKinty’s The Island or Wanda M. Morris’s Anywhere You Run, mixed with a dash of seduction, suspense, and twists, will enjoy this compelling tale.
This Golden Girls–style cozy mystery has plenty of humor and style. Readers should expect a slow burn, since the narrative action fails to ignite until midway through the story. Perfect for cozy aficionados looking for a new series and some laughs.
