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The article reports on the recovery of the Toronto Public Library (TPL) from a ransomware attack on October 28, 2023 that shut down the library's internal network, website, and public computers. Topics discussed include the inability of patrons to access their library accounts online or use the library's computers for more than two months, comments from Toronto's City Library Vickery Bowles, and findings of the "2023 Palo Alto Networks Canada Ransomware Barometer" report.

The article reports on the launch of a job training program by Georgia's Clayton County Library System (CCLS) that enables patrons to use virtual reality (VR) headsets to simulate hands-on experiences in various trades. Topics include the Interplay Learning as the recommended software by Assistant Library Director Marquita Gooch-Voyd, demand for the job training program, and advice of Director Rosalind Lett for other library systems that consider purchasing Interplay or other similar software.

The article discusses the survey and report "Gen Z and Millennials: How They Use Public Libraries and Identify Through Media Use" which found that people 40 and younger are using public libraries, often at higher rates, compared with older generations, even when they do not define themselves as readers. Other findings include the percentage of people 40 and under who visited a library branch within a 12-month period and the challenges libraries and publishers face with Gen Z and millennials.

The article discusses the results of the "Library Journal's" 2021 survey on readers' advisory (RA) services in U.S. public libraries. Topics include the challenges reported by RA librarians, the necessity for multilingual RA resources, and the most useful question one asks patron when conducting one-to-one RA.

The article discusses the changes in public libraries as of June 2021. Topics covered include ways libraries are engaging with patrons, critical role of both public libraries and their higher education counterparts in helping their communities have access to technology throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and automated solution offered by LaptopsAnytime to the challenge faced by librarians during the pandemic.

The article focuses on the 2019 "Library Journal" Index of Public Library Service based on the most recent findings from the Institute of Museum and Library Services Public Library Survey, Fiscal Year 2017. It discusses the addition of Wireless Fidelity sessions to the measures used to determine the Star Libraries in the U.S. It presents the number of libraries that retained their Star status and of those that lost theirs. It also describes the factors that affect the Star status of libraries.

The article reports on the launch of the status of Ferguson Library in Stamford, Connecticut as the first sanctuary library in the state. Ferguson followed Chicago Public Library's lead to become the second sanctuary library in the U.S., a place where patrons are promised access to books banned or challenged elsewhere. The Senate Bill 2, An Act Concerning the Mental, Physical and Emotional Wellness of Children" drafted by the Connecticut General Assembly's Committee on Children is discussed.

The article discusses how passive programming, described as temporary, self-directed activities or exhibits that users interact with in their own time, can solve a library's need to encourage library patrons with less funding and fewer human resources. Topics discussed include examples of self-directed activities or exhibits, move taken by Princeton Public Library in New Jersey and the interactive exhibit at the Lakewood Public Library.

The article discusses the author's claim that the implementation of innovative ideas and programs at U.S. public libraries is helping library patrons find reliable wellness information and health-related aid as of 2016, and it mentions an open access movement and health literacy in America. Library nurses in places such as Arizona are examined, along with health care collaborations involving libraries in Sale Lake County, Utah and South Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The article discusses the shift of patron service of libraries toward human-centered design techniques, also known as design thinking, as of September 2016. Topics include the reason behind the adoption of design thinking techniques by Melanie Huggins, executive director of the Richland Library in Columbia, South Carolina, the key features of design thinking, user experience (UX) design as a common assessment tool in academic and public libraries, and libraries that adopted design thinking.

The article provides information on the premier 85 Queen series of the Kitchener Public Library in Toledo, Ontario, which features various in-depth events to encourage conversations among patrons. Such events include readings by well-known authors as well as interviews conducted by experienced journalists and full concert-style performances with storytelling by musicians. People who attend the events receive emails aimed at enhancing their library experiences.

The article focuses on the ethnographic approaches of customer journey mapping (CJM) and service blueprinting (SB) used in the project at the Edmonton Public Library (EPL) in Alberta which evaluated EPL's customer experience (CX). Topics discussed include reason that CX can be difficult to grasp and evaluate, description of a CJM, and suggestions for public libraries interested in using CJM and SB. The five categories of the SB template are also mentioned.

The article provides information on the Public Libraries Survey (PLS) Report issued by the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) on August 2, 2018 which offered a look at public library use, financial health, staffing and resources in the U.S. active public libraries in fiscal year 2015. Findings include total public library visits in 2015, number of collection items made by the library during the period, and how libraries are working to rebound from the Great Recession of 2009.

The article focuses on genealogy tools used by librarians. It is stated that librarians have to meet their patrons' expectations, for which librarians use an array of genealogy tools, but patrons value time spent with a librarian. Genealogy expert Debra Dudek, head of adult and teen services at the Fountaindale Public Library District (FPLD) in Illinois, says that with a Fountaindale library card, patrons can check out two hours with her, but genealogy requires an investment of time.

The article focuses on the role of data in the library-wide user experience (UX) improvement project at North Carolina's Chapel Hill Public Library (CHPL). Topics discussed include the methods used by CHPL staff to gather data, information on service blueprinting as a data-related tool, and the use of data for a library's major decision making.

The article offers the author's insights about the remarks of public librarian Steve Barker in his "Wall Street Journal" (WSJ) article "In Age of Google, Librarians Get Shelved," which focuses on the diminishing role of librarians and public libraries. Topics include the book "Part of Our Lives: A People's History of the American Public Library," American public library users, and the American Library Association (ALA).

The author reflects on the issuance of fees and fines for business purposes by libraries. Topics discussed include the Park Ridge Public Library in Illinois, examination of the return on investment (ROI) by libraries, and interactions between the library and its patrons. In addition, she also talks about the risk of fees or fines on library access.

The article discusses the introduction of the Internet Screening in Public Libraries Act (ISPLA) to the Illinois General Assembly, focusing on opposition to the bill by the American Library Association (ALA) and Illinois Library Association (ILA). Other topics include information on supporters and opponents of the bill, the bill's resemblance to the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA), and how the bill puts the burden of determining legitimate research on patrons and librarians.

The article features the book club Cook the Book which was established by the Gold Coast Public Library, located in Glen Head, New York. Topics discussed include the inspiration behind the book club, the bases for the selection of cookbooks, and activities for program participants. The benefits of the program are also cited, including connecting members of the community.

The article discusses how public libraries, while consistently working to grow their electronic book (e-book) collections, often find money to be a deterrent when purchasing new titles. Topics include the report "Ebook Usage in U.S. Public Libraries" which is compiled and distributed annually by the periodical, e-book circulation patterns in libraries and patron demands, and the percentage of fiction and nonfiction e-books in collections.