Looking for games to use in library programs? The ALA Games and Gaming Round Table's 2025 Platinum Play Classics Hall of Fame honorees are proven hits. https://bit.ly/4qGt2oS

Authors, celebrities, and librarians reflect on the importance of diverse stories and the threats against them in our #BannedBooksWeek Noted and Quoted feature. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/10/09/noted-and-quoted-intellectual-freedom/

Totes in 4-Post Shelving is a mobile, modular system that helps libraries safely store and organize the diverse items in a Library of Things. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/access-to-your-library-of-things-simplified/ Sponsored by Spacesaver.

Were you a Berenstain Bears reader? At the Brian Sutton-Smith Library and Archives of Play at the Strong National Museum of Play, you can find original sketches from their creators—and much more! Read more in our Bookend department. https://bit.ly/47FviUF

“There are many ways to customize [controllers] for adaptive gaming.” Learn how Deerfield Public Library makes videogame programs accessible to people with disabilities in "Adaptive Arcade." https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/11/03/adaptive-arcade/

"I hope that people can have this opportunity to be lured in by this beautiful food and actually learn something and maybe, hopefully, develop some empathy where there might not have been." Read our Newsmaker interview with award-winning chef Sean Sherman. https://bit.ly/3LgoIN7

Welcome to new ALA Executive Director Dan Montgomery, who starts his position today, November 10. Read his inaugural American Libraries column, "Ready to Go." https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/11/03/ready-to-go/

In "Walk with a Purpose," Lucy Podmore shares how her library shifted the focus from book bans from freedom. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/10/06/walk-with-a-purpose/ #BannedBooksWeek #BannedBooks

Tamika Barnes of Georgia State University and Becky Calzada of Leander (Tex.) Independent School District have been announced as candidates for the 2027–2028 ALA Presidency. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/barnes-calzada-seek-2027-2028-ala-presidency/

ALA President @samhelmick.bsky.social highlights how ALA chapters are "our first indicators of new trends, the tightening pressure on legislative challenges, and the steady rhythm of community needs." https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/11/03/the-pulse-of-our-profession/

Library-hosted game jams, where patrons develop tabletop role-playing games, can promote literacy, community building, and partnerships. Learn more in "Jam Forever," https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/11/03/jam-forever/

Our November/December issue is now online, with features on gaming in libraries and professional development and an interview with (and recipe from) chef Sean Sherman. Read the full issue at https://bit.ly/AL-ND25issue or by article at https://bit.ly/AL-ND25stories

Did you know: The Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising library includes more than 750 20th-century vintage sewing and knitting patterns. Learn more facts from the intersection of fashion and libraries! https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/09/02/by-the-numbers-fa

"One of our goals is to make the new building a destination, particularly for teens." Librarians at Stark Library share how they're collaborating with users to design the teen space in a new Main Library building. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/09/02/the-teen-scene/

Libraries provide employment resources for all—as evidenced by Toronto Public Library's events to support autistic and neurodivergent job seekers. Read more in our most recent issue. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/09/02/an-accessible-expo/

Janet Hyunju Clarke won the 2025 ALA Medal of Excellence in honor fo her leadership of Ready for Success, which integrates research skills into high school curricula. Read her story and others from ALA Award winners. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/09/02/2025-ala-award-winners/

#Ransomware attacks can seriously interrupt library services, but cyberinsurance, training, legal experts, and a well-planned command structure can make recovering easier. Learn more in "Road to Recovery." https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/09/15/road-to-recovery/

Learn how the University of Florida's George A. Smathers Libraries created a peer-to-peer advisory program to help students learn about the libraries' academic and other resources. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/09/02/reading-the-room/

See the winners of the 2025 AIA/ALA Library Building Awards, including the Center for Missouri Studies at the State Historical Society of Missouri. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/09/02/2025-ala-aia-library-building-awards/

You can win free registration to ALA's 2026 Annual Conference in the #ForOurLibraries Fundraising Challenge Learn more at https://bit.ly/4lezrDW

In a new online column, ALA's Senior Endowment Trustee Brett Bonfield introduces himself and gives an overview of ALA's endowment, which provides ongoing support to the Association. https://bit.ly/3J8OaDu

Explore Singapore's new pop-up Star Wars library, the long-awaited reopening of Johannesburg City Library in South Africa, and more news from around the world in our online Global Reach column. https://bit.ly/476zNZD

In the face of censorship, budget cuts, and personal attacks, firsthand accounts of librarians matter more than ever. Our Librarian's Library column this issue shares several inspiring memoirs by librarians. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/09/02/our-own-stories/

ALA President @samhelmick.bsky.social shares five sustainability strategies for librarians. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/09/02/sustainability-at-our-core/

Innovative ways libraries help their users, example #1,591: Some libraries offer access to driving simulators for new or anxious drivers to safely build skills. https://bit.ly/4mc41OM

“We’re learning by experience what to look for. We don’t want to put our library’s name on something that’s not good.” Learn how librarians are responding to the challenges of #AI-generated books in "Books by Bots." https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/09/02/books-by-bots/

Close out #BannedBooksWeek with inspiring quotes about the importance of diverse stories and the threats against them. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/10/09/noted-and-quoted-intellectual-freedom/

Meet the next generation of activists: Read about the National Coalition Against Censorship and Brooklyn Public Library's Teen Advocacy Institute. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/10/09/the-next-generation-of-activists/ #BannedBooksWeek

Did you know: Only 16% of documented book challenges in school and public libraries in 2024 came from parents. Learn more statistics in our special #BannedBooksWeek By The Numbers. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/10/07/by-the-numbers-banned-books-week-2025/

American Libraries interviews #BannedBooksWeek Youth Honorary Chair Iris Mogul about her activism and hopes for the future. https://bit.ly/4mOJkc9 Mogul will moderate a panel of youth activists streaming Oct. 8 at 3 Central: https://bit.ly/4mTC7ro

Learn how one library shifted the focus from book bans from freedom in "Walk with a Purpose." https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/10/06/walk-with-a-purpose/ #BannedBooksWeek #BannedBooks

Did you know author R.F. Kuang got married in a library? Learn more about her connection with libraries, how she balances logic and imagination in her work, and her attraction to underworld stories in our extended interview. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/09/02/newsmaker-r-f-kuang/

ICYMI: The outstanding facilities in our Library Design Showcase include everything from showstopping new constructions to a $200 renovation that made a big impact. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/09/02/2025-library-design-showcase/

The new Consumer Price Index Manual: Theory, 2025 provides a comprehensive overview of the issues that drive the methods and practices for constructing Consumer Price Indices. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/beyond-inflation-data/ Sponsored by International Monetary Fund

The federal government shutdown may have major repercussions for libraries. @librarypolicy.bsky.social explains the likely impacts. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/the-scoop/how-the-2025-government-shutdown-will-impact-libraries/

Today, October 1! Join us for the next AL Live, co-presented with Booklist Webinars, “Addressing Research and Writing Challenges with the APA Style Manual" at 2 p.m. Eastern. Register for FREE at bit.ly/4ptaw2G. Sponsored by the American Psychological Association.

Smokey Bear (no the!) is the longest public advertising campaign in the United States. Join our visit to the Smokey Bear collection at the National Agricultural Library. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/09/02/bookend-the-original-happy-camper/

As driver education increasingly is outsourced from public schools to for-profit providers, some libraries are filling the gap by providing free access to driving simulators. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/09/02/license-to-learn/

Coming soon! Join us for the next AL Live, co-presented with Booklist Webinars, “Addressing Research and Writing Challenges with the APA Style Manual" on Wednesday, October 1 at 2 p.m. Eastern. Register for FREE at bit.ly/4ptaw2G. Sponsored by the American Psychological Association.

How many products are held in the Estée Lauder Companies Archives? Find fascinating fashion facts in this month's By the Numbers. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/09/02/by-the-numbers-fashion-and-beauty/

Meet incoming ALA director Daniel J. Montgomery in American Libraries' new interview. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/09/25/meet-dan-montgomery/

Join us for the next AL Live webinar, co-presented with Booklist Webinars, “Addressing Research and Writing Challenges with the APA Style Manual" on Wednesday, October 1 at 2 p.m. Eastern. Register for FREE at bit.ly/4ptaw2G. Sponsored by the American Psychological Association.

Top fundraisers in ALA's #ForOurLibraries Fundraising Challenge will win free registration to ALA Annual 2026. The challenge runs through December! Learn more at https://bit.ly/4lezrDW

What happens when teens design their own library space? Christine Herman and Jo Phillips share how they're engaging their users to help make Stark Library's new Main Library a destination for teens. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/09/02/the-teen-scene/

Apply for the $5,000 Carnegie-Whitney Grant, which provides up to $5,000 for the preparation of print or electronic reading lists, indexes or other guides to library resources. Applications due November 7. https://www.ala.org/news/2025/09/carnegie-whitney-grant-awards-5000-guides-library-resources

Toronto Public Library shares how it has helped to connect neurodivergent job seekers with employers and employment resources in a sensory-friendly environment. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/09/02/an-accessible-expo/

While #ransomware attacks are no longer rare and increasingly target public institutions careful preparation and a support network can improve library response. Learn more in "Road to Recovery," https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/09/15/road-to-recovery/

Coming tomorrow, September 17: Attend the ALA Members Virtual Town Hall at 3 pm Eastern. Hear from ALA leaders, including the incoming executive director. Register at https://ala-events.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_2HeCuOS_TCWfBhOssSnLEg#/registration

Learn how the University of Florida's George A. Smathers Libraries brought students in by embedding itself into student life in this issue's Academic Insights column. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/09/02/reading-the-room/

See the winners of the 2025 AIA/ALA Library Building Awards, including the @Spokane Public Library Liberty Park Branch. https://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2025/09/02/2025-ala-aia-library-building-awards/