Over decades, books that rouse children’s interest in the natural world have morphed in style and approach—an evolution reflective of tectonic societal change.

Humans like to seal collections of ephemera in containers that they then hide in soon-to-be-forgotten places. Whither the time capsule?

Recruited to the war effort thanks to their deft research skills and technological know-how, librarians used microforms to gather and share intelligence with Allied forces.

The Kern County, CA Board of Supervisors got a lesson in the Streisand Effect back in 1939, when they banned The Grapes of Wrath from their libraries and schools.

Freedom libraries in the south provided Black residents with access to spaces and books, whether in church basements or private homes.

A clash of library enthusiasts ended with a sexual harassment scandal.

The 1918 influenza pandemic had a profound impact on how librarians do their work, transforming libraries into centers of community care.

In the 19th century, more working class readers started partaking in contemporary fiction. Modernist literature, however, was specifically not for them.

In the late 19th century, more women were becoming librarians. Experts like Melvil Dewey predicted they would suffer ill health, strain, and breakdowns.

Even now, in the age of Google Maps, its name is synonymous with the unknown edges of the world: welcome to Timbuktu.