Category Archives: Spotlight

Mind Your Mental Health

This article is from the May 2023 issue.

Most of us would agree that we are ‘on the other side’ of the pandemic. That does not mean that people will no longer be affected by COVID. It also does not mean that the high volume of people who experienced mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, depression, etc. has diminished. All it takes is ten minutes of watching the news to see that people are struggling with mental health challenges. Some people are still grieving losses experienced during … Read the rest

A Reflection on Open Education Network’s OER Librarianship Certificate Program

This article is from the April 2023 issue.

By Emma Wood

It had been some time since I was an enrolled student of anything outside of a conference or webinar so when an opportunity to participate in OEN’s Open Educational Resources Librarianship Certificate program arose, I was delighted at the chance. Open Educational Resources (OER) have been near and dear to my heart since I learned of the concept while I was a college student struggling to afford textbooks.  From my BA in English to my Masters in … Read the rest

Celebrating National Women’s History Month

This article is from the March 2023 issue.

During the entire month of March, the ALA Committee on the Status of Women in Librarianship (COSWL) will recognize and celebrate women’s achievements with National Women’s History Month.

National Women’s History Month traces its origins back to March 8, 1857, when women from New York City factories staged a protest over working conditions. International Women’s Day was later observed in 1909 on that date and is currently observed on March 8 each year. In 1981, the U.S. Congress designated the … Read the rest

Library Workers Who Are Neurodivergent – Part Two

This article is from the January 2023 issue.

By Kelley McDaniel

In part one of this article, the author discussed the issue of unemployment/underemployment of adults who are neurodivergent in the context of libraries and used the Autism @ Work Playbook to provide concrete strategies for helping libraries become part of the solution to the problem. In this second part, we hear directly from a library worker who is neurodivergent. In Question & Answer format, they describe their experience trying to establish a career in libraries. 

We Need … Read the rest

We Need to Talk About How We Treat Library Workers Who Are Neurodivergent – Part One

This article is from the December 2022 issue.

By Kelley McDaniel

How does your library encourage and accommodate patrons who have dyslexia or other learning differences? What about patrons who have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) or other neurobehavioral differences? And how about patrons who have dyspraxia, Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), or other developmental differences? What these diagnoses have in common is that they all fall under the umbrella of neurodiversity. Neurodiversity is a relatively recent term (coined in the 1990s) that recasts the notion that there is … Read the rest

Check Out the Galaxy of Stars

This article is from the April 2022 issue.

This year, National Library Workers Day (NLWD) was April 5, 2022. NLWD is a day for library staff, library users, administrators, and Friends groups to recognize the valuable contributions made by all library workers. Twitter (#NLWD22, #Nationallibraryworkersday, & #NationalLibraryWeek) was flooded with words of praise for amazing library workers from people across the nation, including Congressional representatives and labor unions. In addition, individuals were encouraged to submit names of library workers as Stars for the ALA-APA Galaxy of … Read the rest

COSWL Celebrates National Women’s History Month

This article is from the March 2022 issue.

During March, which is National Women’s History Month (NWHM), the ALA Committee on the Status of Women in Librarianship (COSWL) will recognize and celebrate women’s achievements in various ways.

COSWL is hosting a complimentary webinar titled ‘Ageism and the Library Workplace: Strategies for Those Experiencing Discrimination Based on Perceptions of Age’ on Friday, March 11, 2022, 1:00 pm (ET)/12:00 pm (CT). For more details, see the news release. Register in advance for this webinar. 

COSWL is sponsoring a ‘Women … Read the rest

It’s Emotional Wellness Month

This article is from the October 2021 issue.

By Beatrice Calvin

“Emotional wellness” refers to our ability to process feelings in a healthy, positive way and manage the stress of everyday life.

I’ve been excitedly awaiting autumn, the time of year when the leaves begin to fall and the temperatures turn cooler. It’s finally here. In my anticipation of autumn, I forgot that the days get shorter, and there are often more cloudy and dreary days than sunny ones. Today was one of those cloudy days. I wanted … Read the rest

Reframe to Repeat: Create Your Own Exercise Plan

This article is from the August 2021 issue.

By Maggie Mason Smith

I didn’t start out struggling with exercise.  My first job was at a skating rink, where I skated for entire shifts multiple days per week.  With my focus on friends and making money, exercise was far from my mind.  But with the onset of my twenties and a new, more sedentary position in libraries came a realization of and subsequent struggle with exercise.  

The benefits of exercise are well-known: it controls weight, combats disease, improves mood, … Read the rest

University of Notre Dame Celebrated NLWD21 with a Mad Tea Party

This article is from the April 2021 issue.

Many libraries and library users celebrated library workers last Tuesday, April 6th, on National Library Workers Day (NLWD). The ALA-APA Galaxy of Stars received more than 1,400 STAR nominations.

Natalie K. Meyers of the Hesburgh Libraries at the University Notre Dame (Indiana) sent in the photo and commented, “Here’s what our weirdest workers’ day party ever looked like. We haven’t been all together in over a year (except virtually), so we had a mad tea party. In … Read the rest