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

a photo of author Michael Cart promoting an interview on YA lit, censorship, and his new book

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

a photo of author Belinha S. De Abreu, Ph.D.

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

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

a photo of authors Thomas P. Mackey and Trudi E. Jacobson

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.

"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

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.

An interview with Ellyssa Kroski about VR programming

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.