Sponsored by Overdrive.
Kids read more when they have access to ebooks and audiobooks from both their school and public library. Public Library CONNECT makes it easier than ever to connect them with your library’s digital resources. With the Sora K-12 reading app, you can enable young readers in your community to borrow age-appropriate ebooks and audiobooks from your library for both classroom learning and recreational reading. Kids not only read more, it also means more checkouts for your digital collection.
Welcome to Check Your Shelf. As we slowly move towards increased COVID vaccinations, a group of employees at my library have organized to volunteer at a county vaccination clinic over the next several weeks in order to help the community and get staff members vaccinated. (Illinois allows vaccine clinic volunteers to get priority vaccinations.) It’s astounding what a messed up situation this whole thing is, but we’re hoping we can assist in a positive way. And people I know who are already volunteering say that the experience has been amazingly positive and joyful. I hope all of you are finding safe ways to get vaccinated as quickly as possible, but I know it’s not as quick as it needs to be.
Libraries & Librarians
News Updates
You’re probably well aware of this news already, but Dr. Seuss’s estate has pulled six of his titles from publication due to racist imagery. This presents a significant quandary for libraries about what to do with these titles. The Denver Public Library, for example, has said that they won’t pull any Dr. Seuss books from its collection.
“Why the decision to pull six Dr. Seuss books is an important move for diversity.”
The Indiana state Senate has withdrawn a bill that would punish schools and public libraries for distributing “harmful material” to minors.
Cool Library Updates
This Brooklyn librarian has become an unlikely star with her virtual bilingual story time.
Worth Reading
Library Journal published the results of their 2021 Library Budgets survey. Not surprisingly, budgets got majorly messed up in the last year.
A disproportionate pandemic: library patrons with disabilities have face compounded challenges in the last year.
How school librarians adjusted to remote learning.
The librarian war against QAnon.
Looking at libraries as essential services. (Sadly, this is not about a push to get library workers vaccinated early.)
This article, however, DOES push for library employees to be vaccinated immediately.
Libby is stuck between libraries and publishers in the ebook war.
A Black History Month moment from 1961 when the Tougaloo Nine tried to integrate their local library through a read-in.
How user-friendly is your website?
Book Adaptations in the News
HBO Max options Marissa Meyer’s YA novel Instant Karma for a series.
America Ferrera makes her directorial debut with I Am Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter.
Phoebe Robinson will write and star in the adaptation of her book Everything’s Trash But It’s Okay.
George R.R. Martin is working on another project with HBO that isn’t Winds of Winter.
Madison Wells has picked up the rights to Come As You Are by Emily Nagoski, with plans for film, TV, and a podcast.
David Fincher will adapt the graphic novel series The Killer by Alexis Nolent as a film.
The Stephen King short story “The Jaunt” is getting an adaptation.
Dave Grohl of Foo Fighters fame is working with his mother, Virginia Hanlon Grohl, to adapt her book From Cradle to Stage: Stories From the Mothers Who Rocked and Raised Rock Stars as a six-part unscripted series.
Paddington 3 is officially in the works.
Casting updates for the HBO adaptations of The Time Traveler’s Wife and The Girl Before.
The Dry is going to be released in North America on May 21st!! Squeee!!!
First look at the upcoming adaptation of Lisey’s Story by Stephen King.
Trailer for Shadow and Bone, which premieres April 23rd on Netflix.
Teaser trailer for the latest season of The Handmaid’s Tale.
Books & Authors in the News
A best-selling and extremely controversial book about transgender people has been removed from Amazon three years after its publication.
Haruki Murakami has launched a new…t-shirt line?
Numbers & Trends
The Ripped Bodice posted the results of their 5th annual Diversity in Romance survey, and (not surprisingly) there’s still a LOT of work to do.
(TW: sexual abuse) France is seeing an increase in the number of memoirs alleging sexual abuse.
Award News
Nomadland won the Golden Globe for Best Picture – Drama.
Longlists/finalists were announced for the PEN/Faulkner Awards, Walter Scott Prize for Historical Fiction, LA Times Book Prize, and International Prize for Arabic Fiction.
Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous
Thanks to Undocupoets, poets don’t need papers to be heard.
The Ben West Palm Hotel in Florida launches a Book Butler program for guests.
On the Riot
Libraries offering services to seniors during the pandemic.
7 services your public library (probably) offers.
A list of literacy-related places seeking donations to help with relief efforts in Texas.
Ten-year-old Joziah Jason started a podcast called “R.E.A.D. Books with Joziah” to share his love of reading with listeners.
How reading eBooks changes our perception (and reviews).
I hope everyone gets to enjoy some sunshine and warmer weather this weekend! Catch you on Tuesday!
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.