Public Libraries

The November 4 elections across the country sent a resounding message that voters value their libraries.

Follett Content and Mackin are among the companies stepping up to try to fill the public library field’s substantial distribution gaps following Baker & Taylor’s bankruptcy.

The Page (AZ) Public Library prioritizes the diverse needs of its community—addressing hunger, digital equity, and social-emotional learning for students—while actively including and recognizing its Indigenous community members.

Dedicated librarians and library supporters can continue critical advocacy work to shape the legislative and policy environment in ways that complement, rather than counteract, our professional values. 

Baker & Taylor (B&T), the largest library wholesaler in the country, is shuttering. At a town hall on October 6, CEO Amandeep Kochar told staff that B&T would cease operations.

From censorship news and picks in Spanish-language middle grade/YA to straight talk on book banning, our most viewed stories of the week.

The nine picture books cited in Mahmoud v. Taylor are not pornography. Nor are they obscene. What is obscene is a Supreme Court decision that denies the basic humanity and equality of LGBTQIA+ people.

 AI-generated booklists are possible—and even published. So what is the value of human curation?

What titles stand out as the greatest in literature for children and young adults? That’s the question School Library Journal has posed to readers.