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class="interior-wrapper"> <div class="content-container"> <header class="page-header"> <h1 class="page-title">Trends</h1> </header> <article> <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/11/01/for-the-ages/"><img width="970" height="647" src="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/trends-book-clubs.jpg" class="attachment-i2x3-sml size-i2x3-sml wp-post-image" alt="An older woman and a child look at a photo of a Ferris wheel." decoding="async" fetchpriority="high" srcset="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/trends-book-clubs.jpg 970w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/trends-book-clubs-300x200.jpg 300w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/trends-book-clubs-200x133.jpg 200w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/trends-book-clubs-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 970px) 100vw, 970px" /></a> <div class="article-list__article-detail"> <h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/11/01/for-the-ages/" rel="bookmark">For the Ages</a></h2> <span class="publishing-info__byline">By <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/authors/rosie-newmark/" rel="tag">Rosie Newmark</a> | </span> <span class="publishing-date">November 1, 2024</span> <p>“There’s so much that we share / That it’s time we’re aware / It’s a small world after all,” several older adults sang along with students, who were visiting from nearby Totoket Valley Elementary School (TVES) as part of an intergenerational book club. The song was part of the club’s discussion of the picture book Mr. … <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/11/01/for-the-ages/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">For the Ages</span> <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a></p> </div> </article> <hr /> <article> <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/11/01/the-bottom-line/"><img width="970" height="647" src="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/trends-diapers.jpg" class="attachment-i2x3-sml size-i2x3-sml wp-post-image" alt="A woman passes a stack of diapers through the window of a minivan." decoding="async" srcset="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/trends-diapers.jpg 970w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/trends-diapers-300x200.jpg 300w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/trends-diapers-200x133.jpg 200w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/trends-diapers-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 970px) 100vw, 970px" /></a> <div class="article-list__article-detail"> <h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/11/01/the-bottom-line/" rel="bookmark">The Bottom Line</a></h2> <span class="publishing-info__byline">By <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/authors/cass-balzer/" rel="tag">Cass Balzer</a> | </span> <span class="publishing-date">November 1, 2024</span> <p>For nearly half of US families with young children, the answer is: all of the above and more. A National Diaper Bank Network study found that in 2023, an unprecedented 47% of families with young children nationwide struggled to afford diapers—a drastic increase from 2010, when 33% of families reported diaper need. In response, libraries … <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/11/01/the-bottom-line/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">The Bottom Line</span> <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a></p> </div> </article> <hr /> <article> <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/11/01/the-political-scientist-is-in/"><img width="970" height="647" src="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/spotlight-polisci.jpg" class="attachment-i2x3-sml size-i2x3-sml wp-post-image" alt="A series of posters with text, set up on easels. The first poster is titled "Know Your Local Government."" decoding="async" srcset="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/spotlight-polisci.jpg 970w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/spotlight-polisci-300x200.jpg 300w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/spotlight-polisci-200x133.jpg 200w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/spotlight-polisci-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 970px) 100vw, 970px" /></a> <div class="article-list__article-detail"> <h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/11/01/the-political-scientist-is-in/" rel="bookmark">The Political Scientist Is In</a></h2> <span class="publishing-info__byline">By <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/authors/ashley-johnson/" rel="tag">Ashley Johnson</a> and <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/authors/catherine-savage/" rel="tag">Catherine Savage</a> and <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/authors/roz-topolski/" rel="tag">Roz Topolski</a> | </span> <span class="publishing-date">November 1, 2024</span> <p>Noting the public’s eroding faith in the election process and its growing mistrust of many information sources, staffers at Vernon Area Public Library District (VAPLD) in Lincolnshire, Illinois, realized the library could help. The Pew Research Center has found that eight in 10 Americans trust libraries to help them find reliable facts, and that a … <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/11/01/the-political-scientist-is-in/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">The Political Scientist Is In</span> <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a></p> </div> </article> <hr /> <article> <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/09/03/spirit-in-the-stacks/"><img width="970" height="647" src="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/trends-ghost.jpg" class="attachment-i2x3-sml size-i2x3-sml wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/trends-ghost.jpg 970w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/trends-ghost-300x200.jpg 300w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/trends-ghost-200x133.jpg 200w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/trends-ghost-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 970px) 100vw, 970px" /></a> <div class="article-list__article-detail"> <h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/09/03/spirit-in-the-stacks/" rel="bookmark">Spirit in the Stacks </a></h2> <span class="publishing-info__byline">By <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/authors/anne-ford/" rel="tag">Anne Ford</a> | </span> <span class="publishing-date">September 3, 2024</span> <p>“As soon as they get their card, they immediately place a hold on a ghost-hunting kit,” Knisley says. Like many libraries, CCPL has begun loaning out collections of specialized electronic items said to help seekers of the supernatural track down spirits. These kits usually consist of a backpack or carrying case filled with items such … <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/09/03/spirit-in-the-stacks/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Spirit in the Stacks </span> <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a></p> </div> </article> <hr /> <article> <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/09/03/augmented-reality/"><img width="970" height="647" src="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/trend-ar.jpg" class="attachment-i2x3-sml size-i2x3-sml wp-post-image" alt="" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/trend-ar.jpg 970w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/trend-ar-300x200.jpg 300w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/trend-ar-200x133.jpg 200w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/trend-ar-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 970px) 100vw, 970px" /></a> <div class="article-list__article-detail"> <h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/09/03/augmented-reality/" rel="bookmark">Optimizing Reality</a></h2> <span class="publishing-info__byline">By <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/authors/leigh-kunkel/" rel="tag">Leigh Kunkel</a> | </span> <span class="publishing-date">September 3, 2024</span> <p>“College students, being digital natives, are more inclined to engage with technology-driven learning tools,” says Yingqi Tang, distance education and electronic resources manager at Jacksonville (Ala.) State University’s (JSU) Houston Cole Library. That’s a major reason many institutions are using augmented reality (AR) to connect with students. Unlike virtual reality, which immerses the user in … <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/09/03/augmented-reality/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Optimizing Reality</span> <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a></p> </div> </article> <hr /> <article> <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/09/03/makerspace-and-sense-of-place/"><img width="970" height="647" src="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/spotlight.jpg" class="attachment-i2x3-sml size-i2x3-sml wp-post-image" alt="Ted Quiballo, instructional technologies librarian at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, shows interns for World Relief Chicagoland’s youth summer program how to use a 3D scanner." decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/spotlight.jpg 970w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/spotlight-300x200.jpg 300w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/spotlight-200x133.jpg 200w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/spotlight-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 970px) 100vw, 970px" /></a> <div class="article-list__article-detail"> <h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/09/03/makerspace-and-sense-of-place/" rel="bookmark">Makerspace and Sense of Place</a></h2> <span class="publishing-info__byline">By <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/authors/sarah-p-lee/" rel="tag">Sarah P. Lee</a> and <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/authors/ted-quiballo/" rel="tag">Ted Quiballo</a> | </span> <span class="publishing-date">September 3, 2024</span> <p>For nearly a decade, Northwestern University (NU) in Evanston, Illinois, and the Chicago office of the national nonprofit World Relief have worked together to offer free summer programming for families who are refugees or seeking asylum. In 2021, after the US military withdrew its final troops from Afghanistan, tens of thousands of Afghan families fled … <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/09/03/makerspace-and-sense-of-place/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Makerspace and Sense of Place</span> <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a></p> </div> </article> <hr /> <article> <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/09/03/music-libraries-and-collections/"><img width="970" height="647" src="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/btn-flier-1.jpg" class="attachment-i2x3-sml size-i2x3-sml wp-post-image" alt="A 1981 concert flier for Dr. Cool and Cold Crush Brothers, archived in the Hip-Hop Collection at Cornell University Library" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/btn-flier-1.jpg 970w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/btn-flier-1-300x200.jpg 300w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/btn-flier-1-200x133.jpg 200w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/btn-flier-1-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 970px) 100vw, 970px" /></a> <div class="article-list__article-detail"> <h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/09/03/music-libraries-and-collections/" rel="bookmark">Music Libraries and Collections</a></h2> <span class="publishing-info__byline">By <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/authors/megan-bennett/" rel="tag">Megan Bennett</a> | </span> <span class="publishing-date">September 3, 2024</span> <p>1,000 Number of event fliers in the Hip-Hop Collection at Cornell University Library (CUL) in Ithaca, New York. These handmade fliers, made between 1976 and 1984, advertise early live performances by genre trailblazers like Grandmaster Flash and the Cold Crush Brothers. To date, CUL has digitized about half of these fliers. 1,900 Number of items … <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/09/03/music-libraries-and-collections/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Music Libraries and Collections</span> <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a></p> </div> </article> <hr /> <article> <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/06/03/shaking-up-science/"><img width="970" height="647" src="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/trends-research.jpg" class="attachment-i2x3-sml size-i2x3-sml wp-post-image" alt="Grade school students stand around a table with a science project on it as a grad student talks about it." decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/trends-research.jpg 970w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/trends-research-300x200.jpg 300w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/trends-research-200x133.jpg 200w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/trends-research-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 970px) 100vw, 970px" /></a> <div class="article-list__article-detail"> <h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/06/03/shaking-up-science/" rel="bookmark">Shaking Up Science</a></h2> <span class="publishing-info__byline">By <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/authors/greg-landgraf/" rel="tag">Greg Landgraf</a> | </span> <span class="publishing-date">June 3, 2024</span> <p>The event was RPL’s second Flip the Fair, introduced in 2022 to help graduate students develop skills to effectively communicate their research while engaging local elementary students with STEM topics and the library. It’s an example of how libraries are seeking innovative ways to share science and research with new audiences. “We wanted to give … <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/06/03/shaking-up-science/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Shaking Up Science</span> <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a></p> </div> </article> <hr /> <article> <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/06/03/sip-sip-hooray/"><img width="970" height="647" src="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/trends-tea.jpg" class="attachment-i2x3-sml size-i2x3-sml wp-post-image" alt="Library staff posed in Bridgerton period garb" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/trends-tea.jpg 970w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/trends-tea-300x200.jpg 300w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/trends-tea-200x133.jpg 200w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/trends-tea-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 970px) 100vw, 970px" /></a> <div class="article-list__article-detail"> <h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/06/03/sip-sip-hooray/" rel="bookmark">Sip, Sip, Hooray</a></h2> <span class="publishing-info__byline">By <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/authors/cass-balzer/" rel="tag">Cass Balzer</a> | </span> <span class="publishing-date">June 3, 2024</span> <p>In the corner broods a striking, enigmatic figure—tall, fastidiously groomed, and drawing the attention of everyone nearby. But that’s not the Duke of Hastings from Bridgerton, and this isn’t 19th-century London. It’s the 21st century, these guests are gathered at Collier County (Fla.) Public Library (CCPL), and the figure in the corner is a life-sized … <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/06/03/sip-sip-hooray/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">Sip, Sip, Hooray</span> <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a></p> </div> </article> <hr /> <article> <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/06/03/a-greener-way-to-read/"><img width="970" height="647" src="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/spotlight-summer-reading.jpg" class="attachment-i2x3-sml size-i2x3-sml wp-post-image" alt="Summer reading program participants at Montgomery County (Md.) Public Libraries choose brand-new books to take home, courtesy of Friends of the Library, Montgomery County." decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/spotlight-summer-reading.jpg 970w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/spotlight-summer-reading-300x200.jpg 300w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/spotlight-summer-reading-200x133.jpg 200w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/spotlight-summer-reading-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 970px) 100vw, 970px" /></a> <div class="article-list__article-detail"> <h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/06/03/a-greener-way-to-read/" rel="bookmark">A Greener Way to Read</a></h2> <span class="publishing-info__byline">By <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/authors/amy-k-alapati/" rel="tag">Amy K. Alapati</a> and <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/authors/maranda-schoppert/" rel="tag">Maranda Schoppert</a> and <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/authors/sean-riley/" rel="tag">Sean Riley</a> | </span> <span class="publishing-date">June 3, 2024</span> <p>When school lets out, children gravitate to public libraries. Meanwhile, libraries strive to help those children maintain or improve their reading and critical-thinking skills throughout those school-free months, often by way of summer reading programs. At Montgomery County (Md.) Public Libraries (MCPL), we have redesigned our summer reading challenge in hopes of inspiring our young … <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/06/03/a-greener-way-to-read/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">A Greener Way to Read</span> <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a></p> </div> </article> <hr /> <article> <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/06/03/by-the-numbers-literary-san-diego/"><img width="970" height="647" src="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/btn-seuss.jpg" class="attachment-i2x3-sml size-i2x3-sml wp-post-image" alt="Photo of the bronze Dr. Seuss and Cat in the Hat statue outside Geisel Library, the main library of University of California San Diego" decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/btn-seuss.jpg 970w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/btn-seuss-300x200.jpg 300w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/btn-seuss-200x133.jpg 200w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/btn-seuss-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 970px) 100vw, 970px" /></a> <div class="article-list__article-detail"> <h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/06/03/by-the-numbers-literary-san-diego/" rel="bookmark">By the Numbers: Literary San Diego</a></h2> <span class="publishing-info__byline">By <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/authors/megan-bennett/" rel="tag">Megan Bennett</a> | </span> <span class="publishing-date">June 3, 2024</span> <p>The American Library Association’s 2024 Annual Conference and Exhibition will be held June 27–July 2 in San Diego. 4 Number of crown-shaped chandeliers designed by author L. Frank Baum for the Hotel del Coronado, located on San Diego Bay. The hotel, where Baum frequently stayed as a guest, is said to have inspired the Emerald … <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/06/03/by-the-numbers-literary-san-diego/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">By the Numbers: Literary San Diego</span> <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a></p> </div> </article> <hr /> <article> <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/05/01/the-spice-of-life/"><img width="970" height="647" src="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/trends-spice.jpg" class="attachment-i2x3-sml size-i2x3-sml wp-post-image" alt="Image shows a row of paper bags filled with Maynard (Mass.) Public Library's February spice of the month, fenugreek." decoding="async" loading="lazy" srcset="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/trends-spice.jpg 970w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/trends-spice-300x200.jpg 300w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/trends-spice-200x133.jpg 200w, https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/trends-spice-768x512.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 970px) 100vw, 970px" /></a> <div class="article-list__article-detail"> <h2 class="entry-title"><a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/05/01/the-spice-of-life/" rel="bookmark">The Spice of Life</a></h2> <span class="publishing-info__byline">By <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/authors/diana-panuncial/" rel="tag">Diana Panuncial</a> | </span> <span class="publishing-date">May 1, 2024</span> <p>“Staff will come down and say, ‘What’s going on? Everything smells so good,’” says Sally Thurston, MPL’s adult programming coordinator and circulation assistant. Since January 2022, Thurston has run the library’s spice club, which offers patrons kits filled with a featured spice, recipes, and other information based on the selection. Patrons then prepare a dish … <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/05/01/the-spice-of-life/" class="more-link">Continue reading <span class="screen-reader-text">The Spice of Life</span> <span class="meta-nav">→</span></a></p> </div> </article> <hr /> <nav class="navigation paging-navigation" role="navigation"> <h1 class="screen-reader-text">Posts navigation</h1> <div class="pagination loop-pagination"> <span aria-current="page" class="page-numbers current">1</span><a class="page-numbers" href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/category/trends/page/2">2</a><a class="page-numbers" href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/category/trends/page/3">3</a><span class="page-numbers dots">…</span><a class="page-numbers" href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/category/trends/page/24">24</a><a class="next page-numbers" href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/category/trends/page/2">Next →</a> </div> </nav> </div> </div> <div class="col-sidebar"> <aside id="latestlinks-3" class="widget col-sidebar__latest-library-links-widget"> <h2><a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/latest-links/">Latest Library Links</a></h2> <div class="latest-library-links__container"> <ul id="latest-links"> <li id="post-145910" class="post-145910 latest-links type-latest-links status-publish hentry"> <div class="latest-library-links__timestamp-container"> <span class="link-timestamp">1h</span> </div> <div class="latest-library-links__content-container"> <p class="link-content"><p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-145911" src="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/reader-150.png" alt="Young woman reading" width="150" height="100" />Rose Horowitch writes: “An alarming phenomenon has sprung up over the past few years: Many students are arriving at college unprepared to read entire books. The problem does not appear to be that ‘kids these days’ are incurious or uninterested in reading. Instead, young people might be responding to a cultural message: Books just aren’t that important. The professors I spoke with didn’t think their students were lazy. They saw that their students’ schedules are crowded with activities that are less about personal development and more relevant to future employment.”</p> </p> <p class="link-source"><a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/how-gen-z-came-to-see-books-as-a-waste-of-time/ar-AA1uZs5Q?ocid=entnewsntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=1b3f2dc9405949e3bdf49dd25c794937&ei=16" target="_blank">The Atlantic, Nov. 29</a></p> </div> </li> <li id="post-145908" class="post-145908 latest-links type-latest-links status-publish hentry"> <div class="latest-library-links__timestamp-container"> <span class="link-timestamp">17h</span> </div> <div class="latest-library-links__content-container"> <p class="link-content"><p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-145909" src="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/metadata-150.png" alt="Metadata illustration" width="150" height="100" />Mia Blixt-Shehan writes: “The ALA Core Metadata Standards Committee has developed a rubric to help information professionals evaluate metadata schemas in order to select one that would best fit the needs of a given project. The first official version of the Metadata Schema Assessment Framework is now available via the <a href="https://alair.ala.org/items/fc007ecb-e1e0-4288-bf11-1e1299b7897c">ALA Institutional Repository</a>. The Committee identified several criteria that can be used to evaluate metadata schemas, and the rubric also contains levels for assessing the extent that a given schema meets each criterion.”</p> </p> <p class="link-source"><a href="https://alacorenews.org/2024/11/27/metadata-schema-assessment-framework-now-available/" target="_blank">Core News, Nov. 27</a></p> </div> </li> <li id="post-145906" class="post-145906 latest-links type-latest-links status-publish hentry"> <div class="latest-library-links__timestamp-container"> <span class="link-timestamp">23h</span> </div> <div class="latest-library-links__content-container"> <p class="link-content"><p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-145907" src="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/ai-flores-150.jpg" alt="Academic Insights by Lorin M. Flores" width="150" height="100" />Lorin M. Flores writes: “The ongoing need to rapidly acquire knowledge and skills related to new technologies and developments in the library field has been a preoccupation of library workers and administrators for years. Keeping current may seem impossible, given time and budget constraints. But microlearning in the form of short online courses, or microcourses, can be an efficient and effective strategy to fulfill professional development needs. Microlearning involves condensing instructional content into bite-sized chunks of information for maximum cognitive impact. Ideally, each course should range from five to 10 minutes to make the information graspable and maximize engagement.”</p> </p> <p class="link-source"><a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/11/01/small-victories/" target="_blank"><i>American Libraries</i> column, Nov./Dec.</a></p> </div> </li> <li id="post-145904" class="post-145904 latest-links type-latest-links status-publish hentry"> <div class="latest-library-links__timestamp-container"> <span class="link-timestamp">1d</span> </div> <div class="latest-library-links__content-container"> <p class="link-content"><p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-145905" src="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/newsmaker-harris-150.jpg" alt="Portrait of author Vashti Harrison" width="150" height="100" />Alison Marcotte writes: “Author-illustrator Vashti Harrison made history this year as the first Black woman to win the Caldecott Medal, which has been awarded since 1938, for her picture book <em>Big</em>. It tells the story of a big girl in a world that celebrates small, tracing her journey to self-love and showing the power of words to both hurt and heal. Harrison also received 2024 Coretta Scott King Author and Illustrator Honor awards. <em>American Libraries</em> spoke with Harrison about the response from readers nationwide, life after winning the Caldecott, and how the publishing world can continue to elevate untold stories.”</p> </p> <p class="link-source"><a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2024/11/01/newsmaker-vashti-harrison/" target="_blank"><i>American Libraries</i> Trend, Nov./Dec.</a></p> </div> </li> <li id="post-145898" class="post-145898 latest-links type-latest-links status-publish hentry"> <div class="latest-library-links__timestamp-container"> <span class="link-timestamp">4d</span> </div> <div class="latest-library-links__content-container"> <p class="link-content"><p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-145899" src="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/connection-150.jpg" alt="Wire connections" width="150" height="100" />Jessamyn West writes: “My drop-in time work used to be a lot of teaching basic skills. Then for a time it was teaching people about software, [and then] social media, then mobile phones. Lately the major thing I do is something I call ‘How do I connect this to that?’ Each of these things is not just a ‘read the help pages’ situation because it involves multiple interrelated systems. Understanding how these things work together is the main skill that’s required to help people troubleshoot. Here are a few concepts that are useful.”</p> </p> <p class="link-source"><a href="https://www.librarian.net/stax/5610/connecting-this-to-that/" target="_blank">Librarian.net, Nov. 23</a></p> </div> </li> <li id="post-145896" class="post-145896 latest-links type-latest-links status-publish hentry"> <div class="latest-library-links__timestamp-container"> <span class="link-timestamp">4d</span> </div> <div class="latest-library-links__content-container"> <p class="link-content"><p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-145897" src="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/identifyable-150.jpg" alt="Montage of faces with a magnifying glass examining them." width="150" height="100" />Abigail Goben writes: “If you have followed me on Mastodon in the past two years, you may have seen a post of Today’s Survey Demographics. I started this one day when yet another survey hit one of the myriad professional listservs I lurk on, in order to be publicly annoyed at how quickly I could be re-identified from the ‘entirely anonymous’ survey that had been distributed. What else is social media for? Then about 15 months ago, I started capturing the survey instruments to see what the demographic question trends really were and the variety of risks surveyors were introducing.”</p> </p> <p class="link-source"><a href="https://hedgehoglibrarian.com/2024/11/20/call-me-re-identified/" target="_blank">Hedgehog Librarian, Nov. 20</a></p> </div> </li> <li id="post-145894" class="post-145894 latest-links type-latest-links status-publish hentry"> <div class="latest-library-links__timestamp-container"> <span class="link-timestamp">5d</span> </div> <div class="latest-library-links__content-container"> <p class="link-content"><p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-full wp-image-145895" src="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/point-of-sale-150.jpg" alt="Point of Sale unit" width="150" height="100" />“Some public libraries in Japan will trial sales of new books from fiscal 2025 to fill the void caused by a nationwide decline in the number of physical bookstores, industry officials said. The program is aimed at increasing opportunities for people to buy books, particularly the elderly who may be unfamiliar with the process of using online shopping sites. The trial will be conducted in a number of libraries by TRC Library Service Inc., which provides library services for local governments and others, in conjunction with book wholesaler Nippon Shuppan Hanbai Inc.”</p> </p> <p class="link-source"><a href="https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2024/11/b2b0de69ee4c-japan-libraries-to-trial-book-sales-amid-decline-in-bookstores.html" target="_blank">Kyodo News, Nov. 23</a></p> </div> </li> </ul> <a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/latest-links/" id="latest-library-more" class="latest-library-links__container__more-links">View more Latest Library Links</a> </div> </aside><aside id="black-studio-tinymce-3" class="widget col-sidebar__widget_black_studio_tinymce"><h2 class="widgettitle">AL Live</h2> <div class="textwidget"><p><a href="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/al-live/"><img class="al-live-widget-logo alignnone" src="https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/al-live-logo@2x-300x113.png" 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