American Library Association Journals
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Ezra Jack Keats Pays It Forward: What Makes the EJK Award Unique
No full textAs an elementary school librarian, awards season is alwaysa highlight of the year. Having been fortunate enough toserve on both the Newbery and Caldecott committees, Iam deeply aware of how hard committees work to sort throughthe amazing volume of books published for children each year, tofind the ones that have a special quality. The Ezra Jack Keats (EJK)Award is no different in its pursuit of excellenc
When Kids Hate Reading but Love Books: Lessons Learned from Motivation Theory and Community Literacy
No full textChildren’s librarians are usually team players. Yes, theystruggle sometimes. For example, they may find themselveswanting to excuse fines for kids they know can’tpay, allow noisy, happy kids plenty of time to calm down whilethe rest of the library looks on disapprovingly, pull out anothernew copy of the latest title in an uber-popular series for the eagerreader in front of them who isn’t on that holds list, and buy armfulsof comic books and graphic novels (collection developmentbudget be damned!)
Preserving Government Information: Past, Present, and Future
No full textPreserving Government Information:Past, Present, and Future. Jacobs, J.A.and Jacobs J.R. San Diego: FreeGovInfoPress, 2025. 420 pgs. https://freegovinfo.info/PGI/In Preserving Government Information,Jim Jacobs and James Jacobs (both veteranGODORT supporters and establishedlibrarians) pour literally decades of work,experience, knowledge, and collaborationinto 400 pages
Sharing the Creative Process: Talking with Lynn Brunelle and Jason Chin
No full textHumans have long marveled at the stunning beauty of whales as they move so gracefully through the water and then suddenly breach with a showy splash. But what happens when those awe-inspiring creatures die and fall to the ocean floor? In Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall (Holiday House, 2024), author Lynn Brunelle and illustrator Jason Chin provide some answers in this year’s Sibert Medal-winning book
Editor’s Corner: A Light in the Darkness
No full textI have sat down to write this editorial countless times over thepast few months. Every time I think I’m ready, something elsepops up in the news that causes me to renavigate my thoughtsand emotions. These are troubling times for not just all librariansand libraries, not just for those in our communities thatrely on us and our work, but also the grander government informationlandscape. To try and cover all that has happened inthe few months since President Trump began his second termwould be a paper in itself
For Your Enrichment: The Librarian as Cryptologist
No full textModern search behavior patterns and strategies have increasingly placed academic librariansas ‘decoders’ of the work assigned to the students they serve. This function extends beyond thetraditional reference interview and places the librarian into collaborative academic relationshipswhere practices traditionally delivered by ancillary support services become part of the referenceand instructional process. The academic librarian is entrusted with the role of “cryptographer,”navigating thesis assumptions with students to complete assignments. By examining howreference questions are constructed and the terminology they use in particular with often repeatedterms, librarians can learn to identify those queries that require critical intervention and demandinstructional intercession serving to illustrate how frequently students may stumble with syntax,words, and phrases which prompt librarians to aid students in “decoding” their assignments
Digitizing Pre-1978 Dissertations at Binghamton University Libraries
No full textIn 2023, Binghamton University Libraries initiated a project to digitize its pre-1978 dissertationsand make them available in its institutional repository. This Communication on Practice provides anoverview of the key decisions made before embarking on the project, the workflow, and the challenges encountered. We drew upon the experiences and lessons learned from other institutions to guide our process, and hope this paper will serve as a resource for those considering similar projects at their institutions
Where Do I Belong? Creating an Inclusive Metadata Policy
No full textInclusiveness and honoring different cultures that reflect our patrons has been discussed in many different venues in the last few years. The staff of the Brigham Young University Library recognized the need for our metadata to demonstrate the commitment we have to honor others and to create a community of belonging. The staff also recognized that a policy would provide a roadmap for how to embark on fixing legacy metadata and how to move forward in creating metadata that reflects our core values in the library and at the university. This case study details how we developed an inclusive metadata policy and its accompanying documentation. We provide examples of how the policy is being implemented and the steps we have taken to help library staff understand cultural humility and how it can be applied in their work
Behind the Curve but Moving Ahead: Advocating for an Open Access Policy as a Late-Stage Adopter
No full textOpen access policies are a well-established practice within the scholarly communications landscape; numerous research universities passed policies more than ten years ago. However, some institutions remain without an open access policy. Such institutions occupy an ambiguous position, as they fortuitously benefit from the ample literature and best practices on open access policies–yet they also face entrenched issues, such as inadequate staffing, siloed research support, and a campus culture averse to open access, which have put them behind the curve on adopting an open access policy in the first place. This study traces the University of North Carolina at Charlotte’s recent work developing and advocating for an open access policy, offering a framework other research institutions can follow as later adopters
Book Review: Making a Collection Count: A Holistic Approach to Library Collection Management, Third Edition
No full textIn the third edition of Making a Collection Count, Holly Hibner and Mary Kelly continue to provide valuable information for the new professional. There are nine chapters. Some chapters differ little from the previous edition, while other chapters have been significantly updated and a new chapter has been added. The chapters are “Collection Statements and Policies,” “Life Cycle of a Collection,” “Collection Metrics,” “Physical Inventory,” “Statistics,” “Weeding,” “Collection Organization,” “Collection Budgets,” and “Everything is Connected.” Each chapter has an updated bibliography at the end. Two collection management policies are included as appendices: one for a public library and one for an academic library