4h
H. Jiahong Pan writes: “For Michael Sayen, visiting the local library after hours is a great way to get work done, or seek respite from the weather, regardless of what day it is. The Wyoming (Minn.) branch of East Central Regional Library (ECRL) is home to a new initiative called ‘extended access,’ which allows users to access a library branch when it is unstaffed. ECRL is one of a handful of rural library systems across the United States to offer such a service, increasing library access at a time when libraries are struggling for funding.”
The Daily Yonder, Oct. 13
7h
ALA focused on the success of the federal E-Rate program in public comments delivered to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) October 13. The FCC has proposed terminating or limiting E-Rate, which has provided affordable broadband to libraries and schools for nearly 30 years. Roughly 75% of US public libraries rely on E-Rate support for internet access and broadband-enabled services. ALA encourages libraries to file comments by November 12 to tell the FCC what losing E-Rate would cost their communities, using the sample comments at ala.org/erate.
ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Office, Oct. 14
23h
Maria Leon-Roman writes: “Día de los Muertos is a holiday observed on November 1–2 that is traditionally celebrated in Mexico and in parts of Latin America with the purpose of honoring our loved ones who have passed away with ofrendas (altars), food, music, prayer, and cemetery visits. It is more of a festive than a somber occasion. I knew when I became a children’s librarian that this would be a program that I would want to host at my branch. Here’s what I’ve done over the years.”
ALSC Blog, Oct. 20
1d
Hilary Turner writes: “The biggest challenge for me right now as a first-year academic librarian is: How do I become a familiar presence on campus and acquaint students, professors, and other constituents with the services I offer? How do I build social and professional capital? The most helpful way for me to begin answering this question has been to run mini experiments. Curiosity is a good friend in this. Here are four of the outreach strategies I’ve tested in my first two months on the job.”
ACRLog, Oct. 19
2d
Donna Seaman, Annie Bostrom, and Susan Maguire write: “During American election seasons in the era of social media and artificial intelligence, it is easy to become inundated by information—some strictly factual, some biased, and some that’s just filling space in a shameless play for clicks and views. But deeper analysis and understanding are possible. Booklist editors have compiled a list of nonfiction titles that investigate both historical and recent forces that have shaped democracy and our electoral system. (And for children and young adults, see Booklist’s recommendations on understanding propaganda and surveillance states.)”
AL: The Scoop, Oct. 16
5d
Theadora Soter writes: “To begin bridging the gap between the public and University of Utah Marriott Library’s rare books collection, we reached out to Bookish SLC, a social reading group that participates in silent, group reading all around the city. Together, we decided that the Bookish October 2025 meeting would be held at the University of Utah. With logistics in place, we turned to the heart of the event—the books themselves. As a relatively new curator, I spent considerable time crafting a selection that would be both seasonally spooky and representative of the collection’s breadth.”
TPS Collective, Oct. 12
5d
nickb writes: “There are not many computer file formats I would trust to still be readable 50 years from now, but plain text is one of them. That may sound like faint praise. A text file cannot embed a spreadsheet, preserve elaborate page layouts, run a presentation, or provide many of the conveniences we expect from modern applications. What it does instead is store text in one of the simplest and most widely understood forms in computing, and that simplicity is a large part of why it has lasted.”
Dead Parrot BBS, Oct. 4
