Bloomsbury Publishing purchased ABC-CLIO in December 2021 for $22.9 million, bringing ABC-CLIO’s four imprints and 32 databases into U.K.-based Bloomsbury’s academic and professional division.

With increased attention to the needs of sober and sober-curious drinkers, Dry January, and a growing respect for individual dietary restrictions, bartenders and spirit makers alike have taken note of the demand for non-alcoholic cocktails offering the same level of sensory and social experience as their higher proof counterparts. They go by many names, meant to evoke respect and innovation in the drinks and spirits industry: zero-proof, no-proof, alcohol-free, virgin, teetotalers, soft drinks, temperance drinks, neutral, 0% ABV (alcohol by volume), and more.

With tributes to the late Stephen Sondheim coming thick and fast in the wake of his late November death, Rick Pender, author of The Stephen Sondheim Encyclopedia (Rowman & Littlefield), discusses his new book, his research process, what it was like corresponding with Sondheim, and the enduring appeal of the Broadway composer.

LJ’s Best Books of 2021 celebrate titles to treasure, indelible works that build and shape collections. They offer reads of solace and community, insight and joy. These 144 titles across 15 categories highlight the essential books of the year

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 a CC Blog Post: recently allocated $1M to Creative Commons (CC) in honor of CC’s 20th Anniversary. This three-year, general operating support will help foster CC’s commitment to Better Sharing by addressing equity gaps and unequal balances of power in the open ecosystem. The internet has global ownership with people sharing more information and […]

From the University of California Davis Library: World-renowned celebrity chef Martin Yan’s collection of nearly 3,000 cookbooks, his first wok, thousands of photographs and other media will be the main ingredients in an archive to be established in his name at the University of California, Davis. Yan and his wife, Susan, both UC Davis graduates, […]

Note: The list of winners is available as a PDF. Note: A video recording of the announcement event is available (also embedded below). From ALA: The American Library Association (ALA) today announced the top books, digital media, video and audio books for children and young adults – including the Caldecott, Coretta Scott King, Newbery and […]

North Carolina: 21 Newspaper titles added to DigitalNC! (via Digital NC) Texas State Library and Archives Commission Digitizes and Makes Available Nearly 80,000 Department of Transportation Records (via TSLAC) Two More State Ebooks Bills Move Forward with One Well Underway (via Readers First) University of Arkansas: Libraries’ $5.1 Million Gifts to Result in Endowments and […]

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.

Ten new and classic films and TV shows now available on DVD and Blu-ray.

LJ’s documentary film reviewer picks four gripping new works, now available on DVD/Blu-ray. 

LJ’s film columnist picks the month’s top indie and foreign films, now available on DVD and Blu-ray.

Tom Lin and Hanif Abdurraqib are named Andrew Carnegie Medal winners. The 2022 RUSA Book & Media Awards are announced including the Notable Books List, Reading List, The Listen List, The Sophie Brody Medal, Essential Cookbooks: The CODES List, and the Outstanding References Sources List. The 2021 Nation­al Jew­ish Book Awards are also announced and the Sheikh Zayed Book Award names four 2022 category longlists. The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis leads holds this week. Six LibraryReads selections and seven Indie Next picks publish this week. People's book of the week is Real Easy by Marie Rutkoski. Plus, the February issue of Entertainment Weekly arrives with a Winter Thriller Guide and more.