Sponsored by Lerner Books
In a complicated political era, this book celebrates feminism and female contributions to politics, activism, and communities. Each of the forty-four women profiled in this illustrated book has demonstrated her capabilities and strengths in political and community leadership and activism, both in the United States and around the world. This book will show you what the road to power looks like for women in modern times. By showing up and representing women in the decisions that make or break a country, these leaders pave the way for future female politicians. Draw inspiration from these groundbreaking women to make a difference in your own world.
Welcome to Check Your Shelf. This week has been fueled by rage, but amidst the rage, we had to take our old, grumpy cat, Gilbert, to have some teeth extracted, and now he has about 10 teeth left in his mouth. His new nickname is officially Gilbert “Ten Toofs.” And Houdini has been in a LOT of time outs this week because he refuses to let Gilbert recuperate in peace. Send help!
Libraries & Librarians
News Updates
- The Nashville Library director says a potential tax rollback could close most of the city libraries.
Cool Library Updates
- The Library of Congress launches a free AI tool that lets you search 16 million old newspaper pages for historical images.
- Everything you need to know about the Library of Congress’ 20th annual (virtual) National Book Festival.
Worth Reading
- Why librarians are not childcare.
- The fog of implicit bias.
- Library managers on the challenges of leading from a distance.
- From reactive to proactive youth services.
- Banned Books Week through an alternate lens: Amnesty International.
- How libraries are writing a new chapter during the pandemic.
Book Adaptations in the News
- Amazon gets the rights to All the Old Knives, a thriller by Olen Steinhauer, and starring Chris Pine and Thandie Newton. Um, YES PLEASE.
- Matt Haig’s novel, The Midnight Library, has been optioned for film.
- Best new adaptations premiering in 2020-2021.
Books & Authors in the News
- The National Security Council appears to support John Bolton’s claim that the Trump administration improperly hijacked his book’s review process for political purposes.
- A California school district considers a ban on several classic books, including To Kill a Mockingbird and Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry.
- Fantasy author Terry Goodkind has died at age 72, and Forrest Gump author Winston Groom dies at age 77.
Award News
- Here are all of the longlists for the National Book Award.
- The National Book Foundation announces its 5 Under 35 honorees, all of whom are women of color!
- The 2020 Children’s Book Council Diversity Award winners have been announced.
- Watchmen and The Mandalorian win big at the Creative Arts Emmys.
- PEN alters its Emerging Voices Fellowships, prompting concerns from writers and former PEN American staffers.
- Winners of the Academy of American Poets awards have been announced.
Pop Cultured
- Killing Eve gets a fourth season.
On the Riot
- On finding sanctuary in on-campus libraries.
- #WorldKidLit Month: why we need translated literature for kids!
- I haven’t read X-book. Am I a reader?
- If you’re still struggling with reading during COVID, don’t worry – you’re still not alone.
- Reading The Baby-Sitters Club for the first time as a twenty-something.
- Why Taylor Swift needs to read diverse books.
- Why there aren’t more jointly authored novels.
It’s the weekend again. ALL REMAINING POLITICAL AND CULTURAL ICONS NEED TO BE BUBBLE WRAPPED AND PROTECTED AT ALL COSTS.
—Katie McLain Horner, @kt_librarylady on Twitter. Currently reading The Real Lolita: The Kidnapping of Sally Horner and the Novel That Scandalized the World by Sarah Weinman.