ALA Editions/Neal-Schuman

Young activists and the public library

CHICAGO — Assisted by social media and other digital tools, today’s children and teens are energetic and active participants in a host of social causes, from climate change and gun control to voting rights and racial equity. Public libraries can facilitate their activism by providing trustworthy information and creating opportunities for young people to develop leadership and participation skills.

AASL’s guide to 30-minute STEAM activities for elementary learners

CHICAGO — Published by AASL and ALA Editions, Deborah Rinio’s book “STEAM Activities in 30 Minutes for Elementary Learners” places school librarians at the intersection of inquiry, exploration, and creativity in an elementary school setting. Learners will think like a scientist and design like an engineer using an iterative process to make authentic learning connections and develop a growth mindset.

Libraries and the substance abuse crisis

CHICAGO — The opioid epidemic, and other behavioral health issues such as alcohol and drug abuse, directly impact every community across the nation; and, by extension, public libraries’ daily work. Because libraries are not only trusted guardians of information but also vital community centers, people struggling with addictive behaviors as well as their family members and friends often turn to the library for help. But many library workers feel overwhelmed, finding themselves unprepared for serving these patrons in an effective and empathetic way.

Intellectual freedom stories from a shifting landscape

CHICAGO — Intellectual freedom is a complex concept that democracies and free societies around the world define in different ways but always strive to uphold. And ALA has long recognized the crucial role that libraries play in protecting this right. But what does it mean in practice? How do library workers handle the ethical conundrums that often accompany the commitment to defending it?

Access to ALA Editions | ALA Neal-Schuman textbooks during the COVID-19 pandemic

CHICAGO — Used in a variety of courses, ALA Editions | ALA Neal-Schuman’s textbooks are available in e-book format for libraries and individuals through aggregators and other distributors. To help maintain academic continuity during the pandemic, we are making our textbooks easier to access through the following promotions. Institutions interested in these offers should contact their vendor representative directly.

Access to ALA Editions | ALA Neal-Schuman e-books during the COVID-19 pandemic

CHICAGO — In response to the need to support remote access to information during the COVID-19 outbreak, ALA Editions | ALA Neal-Schuman is making materials easier to access through the following promotions. Institutions interested in offers outside the ALA Store should contact their vendor representative directly.

ALCTS presents a guide to graphic novels

CHICAGO — The circ stats say it all: graphic novels’ popularity among library users keeps growing, with more being published (and acquired by libraries) each year. The unique challenges of developing and managing a graphics novels collection have led the Association of Library Collections and Technical Services (ALCTS) to craft “The Library’s Guide to Graphic Novels,” published by ALA Editions.

Ideas for smart spaces and creative places

CHICAGO — Make your library building become a more exciting, interesting, experiential space where people are engaged and want to spend time with Elisabeth Doucett’s new book “100+ Ideas to Inspire Smart Spaces and Creative Places,” published by ALA Editions.

Kenneth D. Crews’s authoritative copyright resource gets an update

CHICAGO — Copyright law never sleeps, making it imperative to keep abreast of the latest developments. Declared “an exemplary text that seals the standards for such books” (Managing Information), the newly revised and updated fourth edition of “Copyright Law for Librarians and Educators: Creative Strategies and Practical Solutions,” published by ALA Editions, offers timely insights and succinct guidance.

Linked data for the perplexed librarian

CHICAGO — Linked data is already happening right now, evident in projects from Big Tech and the Wikimedia Foundation as well as the web pages of library service platforms. The goal of exposing cultural institutions’ records to the web is as important as ever—but for the non-technically minded, linked data can feel like a confusing morass of abstraction, jargon, and acronyms.