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June 17, 2025

Sourcebooks
Judge Denies ALA’s Motion to Block Dismantling of IMLS
By Lisa Peet
In an upset to the temporary restraining order granted in American Library Association v. Sonderling, Judge Richard J. Leon has denied without prejudice the request for a preliminary injunction to block the Trump administration’s attempts to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
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Withholding IMLS Funding is Illegal, Says GAO
By Hallie Rich
The Government Accountability Office (GAO), a nonpartisan agency within the legislative branch, issued a report on Monday finding that the Trump administration broke the law when it withheld funding to the nation’s libraries via the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).
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SPONSORED BY CLARIVATE | EX LIBRIS

 

Moving Libraries Forward in an Ever-Changing World


Libraries are once again at the forefront of change, continuously adapting to meet the shifting demands of their communities and institutions. From harnessing the power of emerging technologies to redefining the role of physical spaces, libraries are evolving into vibrant, multifunctional hubs of innovation, collaboration and learning.

 

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Clarivate | Ex Libris
Gwinnett County Public Library Hosts Game Jam and Video Game Showcase
By Matt Enis
The Gwinnett County Public Library’s Learning Labs this spring hosted the library’s fourth annual Game Jam and GameDev Showcase, this year including 45 game developers and drawing more than 1,300 attendees who had an opportunity to meet the developers and try their games.
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Topical Times | Historical Fiction Preview
By Kristen Orth and Sarah-Ruth Tasko
Historical fiction was never so timely as right now, with current themes and genre blends traversing all eras.
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SPONSORED BY GALE, PART OF CENGAGE GROUP

 

New Gale Resource Helps Libraries Cater to Older Adults’ Learning Needs

Older adults are looking for ways to reduce isolation, forge connections with others, and learn new skills—and libraries have a key growth opportunity to help them achieve these goals. Gale Presents: GetSetUp helps libraries fill these critical needs with a turnkey online solution that doesn’t place any additional burden on staff. 

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Friends & Fiction at Five
By Hallie Rich
In March 2020, Mary Kay Andrews, Kristin Harmel, Kristy Woodson Harvey, and Patti Callahan Henry—along with founding cohost Mary Alice Monroe, who left the show in 2021—gathered on Zoom to talk about how they could best reach readers and support independent bookstores and libraries. From their casual conversation, the idea for Friends & Fiction was born.
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“The extent to which some libraries have already cancelled services and programming—and even lost staff in some cases—is evidence of the importance of IMLS.”

 

–From: Judge Denies ALA’s Motion to Block Dismantling of IMLS

Call for Nominations: LJ's 2025 Marketer of the Year Award
Library Journal will honor one library staffer or a library team with its tenth annual Marketer of the Year award in its October 2025 issue. The award, sponsored by Library Ideas, comes with a $2,000 cash prize. The award recognizes the importance of innovative approaches to marketing of library services, the role of marketing in building library engagement, and the value of quality marketing collateral to help build a vibrant sense of the library and define its relevance in the community.
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SPONSORED CONTENT

 

Are You Going to ALA Annual in Philadelphia?


The Aisle-by-Aisle Exhibitor Guide & Coupon Booklet is now available for download. Get an early look at the exhibitors and what’s happening on the show floor: book signings, show specials, prize drawings, and booth giveaways. 

Download
ALA Coupon Booklet
Juneteenth 2025 | A Reading List
By Sarah Hashimoto
In 1863, President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared more than 3.5 million enslaved people living in Confederate states to be “forever free.” It wasn’t until Union soldiers arrived in Galveston, TX, on June 19, two years later, however, that the enslaved first learned of their freedom. That date became known as Juneteenth, first celebrated in 1866 and declared a federal holiday in 2021. This booklist is a Juneteenth commemoration in the form of fiction and nonfiction about its history and the long-standing implications of enslavement and the Jim Crow era.
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LJ Talks with Horror Legends Christopher Golden and Brian Keene
By Becky Spratford
LJ talks with the bestselling authors about their collaboration creating and editing the anthology The End of the World as We Know It: New Tales of Stephen King’s The Stand.
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SPONSORED BY SOURCEBOOKS

 

Q&A: Terah Shelton Harris Explores Survival and Redemption in Where the Wildflowers Grow

Acclaimed author and librarian Terah Shelton Harris portrays the healing power of storytelling in her new novel, Where the Wildflowers Grow. 

Read more>>>

 

SourcebookS
LJ Talks with Anthropologist Kendra Coulter, Author of The Tortoise’s Tale
By Kristen Orth and Sarah-Ruth Tasko
Kendra Coulter is a professor of management and organizational studies at Huron University College at Western University. As an anthropologist, she has become a leading voice in animal ethics and sustainability and written many academic works, including Defending Animals: Finding Hope on the Front Lines of Animal Protection. The Tortoise’s Tale marks her fiction debut. She talks with LJ about her philosophy, her inspirations, the role of music in her book, and her forthcoming projects.
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Call for Submissions: LJ’s 2025 Year in Architecture
Library Journal is seeking submissions for its annual Year in Architecture issue (November 2025). The issue will feature public and academic library projects completed between July 1, 2024 and June 30, 2025. Let us know about your remodeling projects and new buildings by filling out this online form. Material must be submitted by Friday, August 1 to be considered for the issue.
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Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award Longlist Revealed | Book Pulse
By Sarah Wolberg
The longlist for the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award is announced. LitHub publishes “The Ultimate Summer 2025 Reading List.” Oregon passes a law to protect access to books in school libraries. In spring 2026, Christian publisher Baker will launch Haven, an imprint it describes as “wholesome fiction without faith content.” Plus, new title bestsellers and interviews with Wally Lamb, V.E. Schwab, and Jess Walter.
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Maurice Vellekoop’s I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together Wins Doug Wright Award | Book Pulse
By Kate Merlene
Maurice Vellekoop’s memoir I’m So Glad We Had This Time Together wins the Doug Wright Award. Canisia Lubrin’s Code Noir wins the Danuta Gleed Literary Award for best Canadian debut short story collection. Authors Gary David Crew and Garth Nix receive the Medal of the Order of Australia. LibraryReads and LJ offer read-alikes for top holds title Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab. Annie Leibovitz will reissue a new edition of her 1999 book Women in November. Gill Hornby’s The Elopement will be adapted for TV.
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Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston Tops Holds Lists | Book Pulse
By Kate Merlene
Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston leads holds this week. Also in demand are titles by Kristin Harmel, Laura Lippman, Nikki Erlick, and Liv Constantine. Four LibraryReads picks and four Indie Next picks publish this week. Andrew Miller wins the Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction for his novel The Land in Winter. The James Beard Media Award winners are announced. People shares its must-read summer recommendations.
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Yael van der Wouden and Rachel Clarke Win Women’s Prizes for Fiction and Nonfiction | Book Pulse
By Sarah Wolberg
Yael van der Wouden’s The Safekeep wins the Women’s Prize for Fiction, while the nonfiction prize goes to Rachel Clarke’s The Story of a Heart: Two Families, One Heart, and the Medical Miracle That Saved a Child’s Life. Winners of the Reading the West Book Awards are announced. NYT updates its list of the best romance novels of the year. NYPL celebrates the hundredth anniversary of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture. ALA’s Young Adult Library Services Association will be subsumed into the Association for Library Service to Children. Plus, Page to Screen and interviews with E. Jean Carroll, Peter Mendelsund, and Vikas Adam.
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From the Pages of infoDOCKET...

  • Journal Article: “Prospects of Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) for Academic Library Search and Retrieval”

  • Journal Article: “What Language are We Speaking?: Marketing Information Literacy on University Library Websites”

  • A New Book From IFLA: “Libraries Driving Education for Sustainable Development”; Open Access Edition Available

REVIEWS 

WEB-FIRST REVIEWS OF BOOKS AND MEDIA

Wild Reverence, by Rebecca Ross, is a starred SFF title. "This tale of thriving after abuse and finding renewed hope in love leaves readers with a brutal, yet achingly romantic story." Heart Strings, the second book in the "A Love in Galway" series by Ivy Fairbanks is a starred romance. "Fairbanks’s second Galway-set story (after Morbidly Yours) is a sexy and sentimental second-chance romance that explores the true power of forgiveness. Perfect for fans of Abby Jimenez, Emily Henry, and Tessa Bailey." And in fiction The Second Chance Cinema, by Thea Weiss, is a starred selection. "A captivating, cozy tale that will resonate with romance fans. This tantalizing escape is more than a magical theater; it leads readers to consider the weight of past decisions and long-held secrets."

 

See All Reviews›››

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