Freedom House library, September 1964

Freedom Libraries and the Fight for Library Equity

Freedom libraries in the south provided Black residents with access to spaces and books, whether in church basements or private homes.
Librarians in Gary, Indiana protect themselves with masks in October 1918 during the flu pandemic

Libraries and Pandemics: Past and Present

The 1918 influenza pandemic had a profound impact on how librarians do their work, transforming libraries into centers of community care.
A power button filled with green leaves in front of a dark background.

The 4 Questions to Ask before You Unplug

If you're concerned about the internet's effects on the world and on yourself, unplugging might not be the answer.
Librarian computer lab

How Librarians Can Be Digital Mentors for Teens

The role of librarians, archivists, media trainers, and other information professionals in fostering a healthy digital world for the next generation.
Siri settings

An App for Autism

For some families, Apple's assistant Siri has become a crucial bridge between their autistic children and the outside world.
White Rabbit banned books

Celebrate Banned Books Week

The last week of September is Banned Books Week, when the American Library Association calls our attention to works that have been censored.
meeting

14 Ways to Make Meetings Less Awful

Can anything be done to make meetings more useful and less dull?
Bernie Sanders sitting in front of the New York Public Library with his mittens crossed

A Vintage Op-Ed from Bernie Sanders

Bernie Sanders' February 2003: "On My Mind: The Patriot Act's Threat to Libraries" published in American Libraries.
In this April 16, 2015, photo, Carla Hayden, CEO of the Pratt Library, gives a tour of the library's central branch in Baltimore. President Barack Obama on Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016, has nominated Hayden, the longtime head of Baltimore’s library system, as the next Librarian of Congress. (Barbara Haddock Taylor/The Baltimore Sun via AP) WASHINGTON EXAMINER OUT

Carla Hayden: Librarian of Congress

Carla Hayden has a history of social justice work in public libraries.
Dorothy Bennett in Peru

The Star-Studded Life of Ms. Dorothy Bennett

The wacky life story of the astronomer, author, children's book publisher, and anthropologist who restored an old barge on the Gowanus Canal in 1937.