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Hey, librarians. This is Check Your Shelf, and the majority of this newsletter is COVID-19 updates. Before I jump into the links, I want to say I hope you all are hanging in there as best as you can. I know there are a lot of libraries that still haven’t closed to the public, and a lot of libraries that have closed but are not paying their staff. This situation has brought out the best and the worst in a lot of people, and if you’re feeling lost, angry, confused, or paralyzed with anxiety, you’re not alone.
Libraries & Librarians
COVID-19
- ALA’s official statement about the COVID-19 pandemic, and its later statement recommending that libraries close to the public.
- From Library Journal: Close your library.
- From Book Riot: With COVID-19, library staff should not be required to report to work.
- ALA’s pandemic resource guide for libraries.
- Macmillan abandons its library eBook embargo in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Will this be a permanent change? We shall see…
- NYC mayor Bill de Blasio was reportedly “furious” as library heads planned to close libraries in the wake of COVID-19.
- Chicago librarians are dealing with a conflict of their own as they protest mayor Lori Lightfoot’s decision to keep some of the CPL branches open. As of Wednesday evening, 61 of the 80 branches plan to close next week.
- Combating xenophobia and fake news surrounding COVID-19.
- Two school librarians create a resource guide for dealing with COVID-19 in schools and libraries. Plus 6 COVID-19 resources you may not know about.
- Book Riot put together its own list of COVID-19 resources.
- A very recent article from the Journal of Hospital Infection about the “persistence of coronaviruses on inanimate surfaces,” or as librarians put it, “How long can the coronavirus live on items returned to the library.
- 2020 Texas Library Association annual conference moves online. Plus tips for moving your own conference or presentation into the digital world.
- Amazon is putting book deliveries and other non-prioritized items on hold until April 5th.
- Universal is making its current theater movies available for on-demand viewing.
- How librarians are working digitally.
- Tips for building your remote workforce.
- Need something to keep you occupied? Help write the Great Librarian Novel on Google Docs!
News Updates
- The proposed Kentucky state budget cuts $2.5 million in funding for local libraries, which could mean that some rural libraries need to close.
- Minnesota legislature focuses on Drag Queen Story Hour.
Cool Library Updates
- The Huron (SD) Public Library wins a Fitbit grant for their library.
- Little Free Library celebrates its 100,000 box!
Worth Reading
- How J. Edgar Hoover used the power of libraries for bad.
- This Minecraft library gives users access to censored articles from countries around the world.
- 5 indicators of empowered readers.
Book Adaptations in the News
- Meet the cast of the new Netflix Baby-Sitter’s Club show!
- Lucy Alibar, who wrote the screenplay for Beasts of the Southern Wild, will be adapting the screenplay for Where the Crawdads Sing.
- Judy Blume’s novel Wifey will become an HBO limited series.
- Girl, Woman, Other has sold screen rights.
- Disney is planning for a live-action Peter Pan remake.
- Universal is making a new Dracula movie.
- The joys and challenges of adapting Stephen King novels.
Books & Authors in the News
- Myriam Gurba writes an article for Vox, saying, “I called out American Dirt’s racism. I won’t be silenced.”
- How My Dark Vanessa has become one of the biggest books of the year.
- Other controversial Oprah book club picks over the years.
Numbers & Trends
- National Endowment for the Arts says that in 2017, 55% of Americans reported some form of book-reading outside of work and school.
- This tiny Harry Potter book is expected to fetch £150,000 at auction.
Award News
- Winners of the National Book Critics Circle Awards.
- Leslie Marmon Silko wins a $100,000 lifetime achievement award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters for her writings about her Laguna Pueblo heritage.
- The James Beard media awards will be postponed until this summer.
Bookish Curiosities & Miscellaneous
- 10 ways to support your indie bookstore through coronavirus and beyond.
- This teacher is rewriting western fairy tales for Muslim children.
- Censoring Anne Frank: how her diary has been edited throughout history.
- Check out Tana French’s newly curated Pandora Station!
- The Harry Potter differences between the books and the movies that these BuzzFeed readers found unacceptable.
On the Riot
- Using school libraries to fight fake news.
- In gratitude to libraries.
- Staying connected as a solo school librarian.
- What career in library science would be best for you?
- How to fix book binding.
- Best book podcasts for all genres
- The question we ask ourselves way too often: how flawed does a book have to be before I can’t appreciate it anymore?
- Gen Z’s relationship with reading.
- 50 gorgeous bullet journal spreads to track your reading.
- When you shouldn’t DNF a book.
- Book club questions & a reading guide for Such a Fun Age.
- Do the hot dudes reading know they’re being hot?
I don’t even know what the next week will look like. Use whatever self care strategies you have at your disposal, be kind to yourself, stay inside as much as you can, and wash your hands.
Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter.