3h
Camellia Burris writes: “Former library director Luanne James is suing Rutherford County (Tenn.) Library System six months after she was fired for refusing to relocate LGBTQ-related books. Luanne James filed a federal civil rights lawsuit September 23 in the US District Court in Nashville. She’s claiming that Rutherford County’s library board wrongfully terminated her in March, violating discrimination laws and her First Amendment right to freedom of speech. The board voted 8–3 to oust James after she refused an order to relocate more than 100 books from the children’s section to the adult’s section.”
WPLN-FM (Nashville), Sept. 25, Mar. 31
23h
M Roberts writes: “I thought my first year at Vanderbilt had flown by, but as it turns out, the first semester of my second year seems like it’s moving even more quickly! I’ve been thinking a lot about how different this year feels from last year, and how I wish I could go back and tell myself not to be stressed. If there were three things I could tell myself a year ago, they would be: Spend time on relationships, don’t panic if you don’t know the answer, and enjoy the moment.”
ACRLog, Sept. 26
1d
Eric Stroshane writes: “ALA’s Office for Intellectual Freedom is receiving reports of bots conducting automated spam searches of library catalogs. This behavior is nefarious and a security concern requiring immediate action. Bot activity during normal business hours can also negatively impact catalog performance for legitimate users. Imperva’s 2025 Bad Bot Report indicates that bot traffic is ‘infiltrating industries, bypassing security measures, and disrupting digital ecosystems,’ and that AI is rendering bot activity more pervasive and damaging, a trend that has only gotten worse in 2026.”
Office for Intellectual Freedom Blog, Sept. 29
1d
Stephanie Book writes: “The American Association of School Librarians (AASL) has relaunched the AASL Standards web portal, providing school librarians and their learning communities with an enhanced digital resource for exploring, understanding, implementing, and advocating for the second edition of the National School Library Standards for Learners, School Librarians, and School Libraries. With streamlined navigation, curated collections, improved search functionality, and a growing library of new, second edition-aligned resources, the site provides users with clearer pathways from learning about the standards to putting them into practice.”
Knowledge Quest, Sept. 23
2d
Alika Medina writes: “The research lab Transluce says an OpenAI agent targeted the University of New Mexico’s digital library in multiple hacking attempts in May, but did not successfully breach the system. According to the report, the agents were trying to obtain a photograph from UNM’s Valmora Collection, which documents the history of health care in Mora County.” New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez urged congressional leaders to regulate the artificial intelligence industry in the wake of the attempted hack.
KOB-TV (Albuquerque, N.M.), Sept. 24; Transluce, Sept. 23; Source NM, Sept. 25
2d
Reanna Esmail writes: “Library workers are well aware of the effects of book bans and censorship. Propaganda and disinformation are the flipside of the same coin. Understanding the complex relationships among these interrelated processes is more critical than ever, especially as libraries explore possible solutions and responses. The following books show how disinformation can lead to censorship and how censorship can, in turn, allow disinformation to thrive.”
American Libraries column, Fall
2d
ALA and the International Interior Design Association have announced the winners of the 2026 Library Interior Design Awards. Submissions are open to any library worldwide and are judged by industry professionals for extraordinary interior design and innovative concepts. Of the selected projects, one is named Best of Competition. The winners were recognized in June at ALA’s Annual Conference and Exhibition in Chicago.
American Libraries feature, Fall
