Blog

"Keep the literal and figurative lights on; cockroaches hate that": Michael Cart on YA lit, censorship, and his new book

Posted by Rob Christopher on 05/23/2022

For well over a decade now, Michael Cart and his book Young Adult Literature: From Romance to Realism have served as invaluable guides to both the history and unfolding landscape of YA lit. Longtime columnist and reviewer for Booklist, as well as a prolific author and editor, Cart decided that the new fourth edition called for a sweeping update.

“We need to have difficult conversations, but they should be respectful ones”: Belinha S. De Abreu on media literacy and social justice

Posted by Rob Christopher on 04/13/2022

In his Foreword to Belinha S. De Abreu's new book, Yohuru Williams writes, "Young people are literally bombarded with images and information, raw and unfiltered. The contours of when and how they receive information have changed dramatically from just a few years ago, resulting, on the positive side, in a democratization of information, and on the negative side, in the monumental task of discriminating fact from fiction while discerning credible sources ...

An interview with Jeanie Austin about library services and incarceration

Posted by Rob Christopher on 03/10/2022

Our jail and prison populations are four times larger than in 1980; half of all adults in the United States have an immediate family member that has been incarcerated for at least one night. These sobering statistics, drawn from research by from FWD.us and Cornell University, shed light on why library services to incarcerated people and people who have been incarcerated are so important.

"Making mistakes is such an important part of the learning process": an interview with Thomas P. Mackey and Trudi E. Jacobson about metaliteracy in a connected world

Posted by Rob Christopher on 03/02/2022

We live in a connected world, one that requires learners to be flexible, adaptable, and self-directed. And, as Thomas P. Mackey and Trudi E. Jacobson put it, "Today’s learners and contributors to the connected world need to understand their ethical responsibilities for consuming information in these spaces." Viewing learners as producers is an important part of a framework for nurturing reflective development and growth.

"Diversity of identities should be a celebration, not a burden": an interview with Jessica Anne Bratt

Posted by Rob Christopher on 02/22/2022

Children's librarians are taking seriously our profession’s calls for equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). They already know that popular storytimes can be an effective way to increase community representation and belonging at the library.

"Information literacy is perhaps the most critical issue for libraries to address in their communities": Natalie Greene Taylor and Paul T. Jaeger discuss their book

Posted by Rob Christopher on 02/02/2022

While many books have been written on the subject, Foundations of Information Literacy, by Natalie Greene Taylor and Paul T. Jaeger, is the first to examine information literacy from a cross-national, cross-cultural, and cross-institutional perspective. Providing a historical perspective to illuminate our current moment, the authors explore how information, technology, education, employment, engagement, society, policy, democratic governance, and human rights intersect.

Compact copyright: an interview with author Sara R. Benson

Posted by Rob Christopher on 10/19/2021

As a lawyer, copyright librarian, and iSchool instructor, Sara R. Benson has plenty of experience fielding questions that involve delving into murky legal precedent and current law.

An interview with Ellyssa Kroski about VR programming

Posted by Rob Christopher on 06/07/2021

Once the stuff of science fiction, augmented reality (AR), virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality (MR) are already being incorporated into library programming at hundreds of academic, public, and school libraries across the country. Ranging from simple gaming activities utilizing VR headsets to augmented reality tours, exhibits, immersive experiences, and STEM educational programs, many of these exciting ideas are collected in Ellyssa Kroski's new book 32 Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality Programs for Libraries.

Why information policy is important: an interview with Paul T. Jaeger and Natalie Greene Taylor

Posted by Rob Christopher on 04/09/2021

by Larra Clark, Deputy Director, ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office and Deputy Director, Public Library Association (PLA)

Responding to rapid change: an interview with Callan Bignoli and Lauren Stara

Posted by Rob Christopher on 01/28/2021

In the face of shifting circumstances and an ever-widening constellation of challenges, plotting a sustainable way forward for libraries depends upon recommitting ourselves to our underlying values, such as customer service and community-building, while fostering the improvements that change makes possible.