Search

The article offers information on the constant changes to periodical and several members of the periodical's editorial board. Topics discussed include the changing landscape of the libraries in the U.S.; the diversity problem in the periodical's staff; and the editorial board members, such as Michelle Caswell, Ricardo L. Punzalan and Michael Crandall.

The engagement of the US federal government with libraries has been disjointed. Financial support for libraries has been controversial and inconsistent, and many policy decisions have directly affected library operations and activities, particularly those of public libraries. Libraries' experiences with the federal government offer many lessons about the broad ideological attitude toward--and constraints on--library support before the 2016 election. These lessons have import for all publicsphere institutions as they navigate the even more complicated current environment. This article argues that the best hope for library funding and support is to concentrate efforts at the local and state levels, coordinating efforts and sharing ideas and resources across locations and types of institutions. A national advocacy strategy coordinated across the states will maximize advocacy efforts where we may have a greater chance of success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the aftermath of the 2016 U.S. presidential election for libraries. The outcome of the election and the policies that were implemented since the 2017 inauguration pose many challenges for the activities and roles of libraries including the inclusion of people with disabilities, the defunding and closure of federal agencies that support libraries, and the closure of public and school libraries.

The authors, the incoming editorial team of "Library Quarterly," discuss the history and future of the publication. They note that not long after its founding in 1931, the publication began to address the social and community roles of the library in addition to more narrow library-science topics. They compare the challenges facing U.S. libraries during the recent Great Recession with those of the 1930s Great Depression.

School librarians play a pivotal role in facilitating learning of all subjects in primary and secondary schools in the United States, but their potential contributions to science have not been explored. In this paper, we show how school librarian practices can directly enhance aspects of science education by providing concrete examples from a study where we engaged school librarians to co-design and co-implement a science-infused after-school program. We found that librarians are a strong asset in science learning, as they foster youth engagement in authentic inquiry practices and engage young people’s everyday life interests in science learning. This study contributes new insight into how librarians can use their expertise to enhance science education efforts in schools. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An introduction is presented in which the editor discusses various reports within the special issue on libraries in the U.S.