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Articles on Librarians

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Librarian Sharice Towles checks in books at the main branch of the Reading Public Library circulation desk in Reading, Penn. Ben Hasty/MediaNews Group/Reading Eagle via Getty Images

How book-banning campaigns have changed the lives and education of librarians – they now need to learn how to plan for safety and legally protect themselves

Librarians are defending the rights of readers and writers in the battle raging across the US over censorship, book challenges and book bans. That conflict has even changed how librarians are trained.
As the pandemic continues to pose new challenges, libraries are finding ways to better meet the needs of their communities. Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision via GettyImages

Being a librarian isn’t just about books – it’s about helping everyone get access to information and resources

A scholar of literature for children and young adults shares her insights on how to better connect children with literature and libraries with their communities.
Nearly 80% of high school students struggle to verify the credibility of a source, a 2016 study found. Hill Street Studios/DigitalVision Collection via Getty Images

Librarians help students navigate an age of misinformation – but schools are cutting their numbers

The number of school librarians in the US has dropped about 20% over the past decade, a recent study found. Here are four ways school librarians prepare students for today’s world.
People are warned that what they post on the internet will live forever. But that’s not really the case. 3alexd/E+ via Getty Images

The Internet Archive has been fighting for 25 years to keep what’s on the web from disappearing – and you can help

Portions of the internet disappear every day. Preservation of this historical record requires a proactive approach by archivists and everyday citizens.
Nikki Luman works part-time for a public library in Sycamore, Ohio. AP Photo/Tony Dejak

143,518 US public library workers are keeping their communities informed, connected and engaged – but their jobs may be at risk

During economic downturns, local governments tend to cut spending on libraries, even as the need for their services grows.
Despite an increasinly online-only world, libraries can still reveal the lives of the people who once owned the books within them. (Shutterstock)

As libraries go digital, paper books still have a lot to offer us

What stories will we tell about library collections in the future? As digitization takes over libraries, margin notes and scribbles are still part of the research process.
China’s five-storey Tianjin Binhai Library occupies an area of 33,700 square metres with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves which can contain up to 1.2 million books. Roman Pilipey

Friday essay: the library – humanist ideal, social glue and now, tourism hotspot

In our world of pervasive consumerism, libraries continue to be founded on humanism. Their core purpose as accessible places is vital – yet they are also now popular tourist destinations.
The much heralded ‘death of the book’ has nothing to do with the death of reading or writing. It is about a radical transformation in reading practices. Marcella Cheng/NY-CC-BD

Essays On Air: Why libraries can and must change

Essays On Air: Why libraries can and must change The Conversation, CC BY23.3 MB (download)
The much heralded 'death of the book' has nothing to do with the death of reading or writing. It's about a radical transformation in reading practices, as explained in this episode of Essays On Air.
Unstacked allows us to see what others’ are searching for among the 6 million items in the State Library of NSW’s collection. Unstacked/the State Library of NSW

Unstacked: revealing the hidden gems of the State Library of NSW

A new website allows you to see what other people search for in the State Library of NSW’s vast collection of artefacts – and discover things you’d never think to look up in the first place.
Australia’s librarians are a vital component of our research institutions. Shutterstock

A library without librarians is a just a shed full of books

The research libraries attached to Australia’s art galleries are one of the nation’s great cultural assets. But the National Gallery of Australia’s library is losing crucial staff as ‘efficiency dividends’ hit home.
Banned Books Week highlights books that have been challenged or permanently removed from library shelves. 'Shelves' via www.shutterstock.com

How do libraries get away with banning books?

While legal precedent makes banning books difficult, it still happens.
Since 1982, over 11,000 books have been challenged by individuals seeking to have them banned from schools or libraries. 'Book' via www.shutterstock.com

I’m a librarian who banned a book. Here’s why.

When only six people showed up for a panel designed to raise awareness of banned books, the pot needed to be stirred a bit.

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