Library and Academic Institution Movements & the Law

The proposal is not yet final; it must clear the state Senate. But for those who manage or use the state’s 160 library districts, especially in rural areas where services are not as robust, the threat feels real, librarians and patrons told the PBS NewsHour.

PEN America, a U.S.-based nonprofit organization dedicated to free expression through literature, has created a dataset tracking books banned or restricted in school classrooms and libraries in the United States from July 2021 to March 2022. The dataset contains the book’s name and author, the schoo

Parishes are getting into heated arguments over the discussion to ban books in libraries, which some argue is a targeted attack towards the LGBTQ+ community.

A podcast attempting to shine light on the radical inequities and the oppressive nature of the library profession, specifically as it pertains to BIPOC professionals and the communities they serve in the state of Oregon. An Oregon Library Associat...

A rural Texas county that was ordered by a federal judge to return banned books to its public library shelves is now considering shutting down its libraries entirely.

These efforts are part of a broader, conservative-led movement to chisel away at the rights and status of LGBTQ Americans.

Bill Text (2023-04-04) Public monies; ideology training; prohibition [House minority caucus: Do pass]

House lawmakers heard hours of testimony over legislation that would strip school and library employees of a legal defense against charges they distributed material harmful to minors.

“The ability to read is fundamental to a child’s success,” Little wrote.

2021 ACRL Academic Library Trends and Statistics Survey: Highlights and key academic library instruction and group presentation findings

Missouri library leaders say a plan by state legislators to strip state funding for public libraries across the state would weaken rural libraries.

Nearly half the states in the U.S. now allow people previously convicted of felonies to vote.

pIn March 2020, the Internet Archive, a nonprofit created by the entrepreneur Brewster Kahle, launched a new feature called the National Emergency Library. Restrictions linked to the spread of COVID-19 had made it difficult or impossible for people to buy books or visit libraries in person, and so the Archive removed limits on the digital […]/p

The move “allows them to exist in their own context,” library cataloger Kate Peck says.

A recording of the June 10th ACRL Together Wherever presentation: 2020 President’s Program - Shifting the Center: Transforming Academic Libraries through Gen...

Guest Post by Anonymous In the last year, there has been much talk of de-credentialing (dropping degree requirements from) academic law librarian positions. While possibly driven by the shortage of…

An OCLC presentation by Mary Sauer Games, VP Global Product Management, and Merrilee Proffitt, Senior Manager OCLC Research. Digital Reference Page available...

Guest Post by Trezlen Drake, Head of Digital Resources, and Foreign & International Law Research Librarian at Yale Lillian Goldman Law Library As a woman of color from a financially disadvantag…

Many of us want to create materials with accessibility in mind, to ensure that our electronic materials are available to all patrons. But how do we go about ...

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Being challenged by dyslexia? Dyslexie font motivates you to start reading more. With the innovative tools, we clear the way through the letter jungle.

When news organizations say they support diversity efforts but their actions don't match, teams and communities lose faith

Rescinded by the ACRL Board of Directors in June 2022 upon the approval of the joint ALA/ARL Cultural Proficiencies for Racial Equity: A Framework (PDF). Purpose and Goals of the Standards The following standards were developed by the Racial and Ethnic Diversity Committee of ACRL (Association of College & Research Libraries), based on the 2001 National Association of Social Workers Standards for Cultural Competence in Social Work Practice.1 The standards are intended to emphasize the need and obligation to serve and advocate for racial and ethnically diverse constituencies.

The Lillian Goldman Law Library has launched a books-to-prison initiative to establish libraries in jails and prisons across Connecticut.

In 2016, J. Murrey Atkins Library at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte opened a reservable study room where student parents and caregivers can study with their children on campus. In 2018, the library opened a second family-friendly study room to meet the needs of our growing campus community. To inform the room design, the library conducted a mixed methods research study that included a user survey, an examination of room reservation and usage data, and one-on-one user interviews. This paper focuses on the user-centered design process used to inform the development of the second, family-friendly, library study room.

Diversity is a cornerstone of the library profession and the Association of College and Research Libraries (ACRL) has recently announced a renewed emphasis on diversity and inclusion. In response to this initiative, this paper will review the current academic literature relating to diversity initiatives in academic libraries. Specifically, it will discuss diversity as it pertains to staffing, culture, collections, services and programming. These five areas are good starting points for libraries to reflect on the current state of diversity at their institutions and plan for meaningful change.

abstract: This article presents a case study of an urban academic library’s attempt to identify factors that influence the perceptions of students of color concerning the library as a welcoming space. The goal of this study is to determine if there are qualitative divergent factors along racial lines concerning how students use this library. The research is grounded in the theory of symbolic interactionism and Critical Race Theory. The authors then used these theories to focus on three themes that emerged reflecting racial differences among library users. This project adds to the limited scholarly research concerning the influence of the library on the experiences and the retention and success rates of students of color.

This study looks at undergraduate Hispanic students’ interpretations and current perceptions of the academic library’s purpose, usefulness and value. What are the reasons to use the library? What are the barriers to use? This study will examine academic libraries’ move toward electronic library materials and what it means for Hispanic students. The results of this study will help academic libraries at Hispanic Serving Institutions to better understand how they are currently being perceived and what they need to do to market themselves and their collections to better serve Hispanic students.