Date needed: Dec 15, 2024 12:00 PM

Observance/ date: N/A

Writer: Megan Mullen

Format: Blog post

Length: 850–1000 words

Key objectives:

• Show how libraries support new artists (visual artists, musicians, performers, etc.) in their communities through various programs and initiatives, giving them publicity (sharing their work or allowing them to hang flyers), connecting them to others in the art world, providing business resources, etc.

Keywords:

• Emerging artist

Other resources:

• EveryLibrary Writer Handbook for Articles on Medium (2024)
• If you would like to see how your article will be edited to the formatting and style needs of our publication, please visit EveryLibrary Style Guide for Articles on Medium (2024)
• Since AI learns from humans, it is learning some of our phrasings; to avoid these phrases, here are some things that we use to guide our publication as AI prevalence increases in the publication world:
• Recognize: The 10 Most Common Phrases Used by AI | by József Manhertz | The Short Form | Medium
• 6 ways to make your content stand out from AI writing | Zapier
• We adhere to the Elimination of Harmful Language Initiative guide

Where to Begin

Many examples of libraries help emerging artists, especially in their local communities. For instance:

• Amateur and professional art exhibits (Greenburgh Public Library, NY): Westchester Photographic Society
• Annual art shows (Alachua County Library District, FL): Art Shows for Teens and Adults — Spring, Summer, and Fall
• Access to equipment in makerspaces or a Library of Things — The Workshop (Palatine Library District, IL). The Workshop is a community-led space to explore, build, and create. It features an up-to-date maker space and media studios and is located on the first floor of the Main Library.
• Programs about how to create an online store to sell creations — How to Sell on Etsy program (Fort Bend County Libraries, TX)

Have you ever wanted to sell something on Etsy but need help knowing what or where to start?

Recording Booths or Performance Spaces

Those wanting to arrange recording sessions in their libraries might need the facilities offered by more extensive facilities, whether public or academic. They also would need instructions about how and when to use the equipment.

Similar to music recordings, theatrical performances also need dedicated space, though, in smaller libraries, these spaces are likely to house all-purpose events.

Artist Types, Age, and Gender

Many successful artists over 50 years old include female singers and other performers.

For example:

• Shania Twain: A best-selling country music artist with over 85 million albums
• Celine Dion: Known as “The Queen of the Power Ballads”
• Diana Ross: A leader of Motown’s most successful act, The Supremes
• Stevie Nicks: An artist admired by today’s biggest stars
• Madonna: Her 2021 single, “Popular,” has been streamed 700 million times

Ageless Ingenuity

At 69, artist Dan Droz reinvented his career, shifting from design and marketing to sculpting. He shares how he did it, his creative process, and the satisfaction of seeing his sculptures in public spaces.

~ Interview by Taylor Marks (for Ageist)

Marks asked, “When did you begin your art career?”

I’d been a “closet” sculptor for several years, making small pieces in my basement, but I had never exhibited or sold anything. In the spring of 2018, an artist friend suggested I show some of my work to a Pittsburgh gallery that represented her to see if they’d be interested in displaying a few pieces. I dropped in one afternoon with some photos of my work, and after looking at them, the owner looked up and said, “If you can make 30 pieces like this in the next two months, I’d like to do a solo show of your work this year.” The show opened on November 30, 2018, and the gallery sold more than half of the sculptures that night. That’s when I decided to think about a career change.

“What were you doing before?”

I had been running a midsize design and marketing firm for 18 years and taught design at Carnegie Mellon University.

“How did you prepare for the career shift?”

I decided to have two locations: an office in the building where I had my business and a ‘studio’ where I could actually make things. This siloed separation keeps me focused. I do computer renderings and business stuff without distraction when I’m in the office. In the studio, it’s all hands-on. Finding collaborators who could handle fabrication and finishing was the most time-consuming and essential.

An Artistically-Minded Entrepreneur

Patti Curtis never expected to be a small business owner. She had a thriving career as an executive for a large cosmetics company, but at age 53, she was laid off without warning. So Curtis polished her resume, updated her LinkedIn profile, and thought a new job would come quickly. But she couldn’t even land an interview.

Before long, Curtis started building her business, Fogue Studios. The criteria were simple: a collective of artists over 50 who wanted to make and sell art collaboratively. So she opened in 2018 with an 800-square-foot space, and in less than two years, Fogue Studios has grown to a 6,000-square-foot gallery with 37 resident artists.

She routinely hosts events, including classes, live music, poetry readings, and selling art. But while Curtis was the studio’s sole proprietor, the memory of being jobless and frustrated loomed large. So, putting people over profit, she described Fogue Studios as the “anti-gallery.”

“I think the most successful entrepreneurs are those who can change society, the environment, their neighborhood, and their clients,” she said. As quarantine restrictions slowly ease, Fogue Studios continues to adjust to the new normal, already holding outdoor events.

In person, Curtis is sincere, confident, and wickedly funny. While she doesn’t take herself too seriously, she feels strongly about the realities of ageism and changing the paradigm of what age looks like.

Curtis decided to dive back into a world she had left behind years ago. As a college art major, she was passionate about expressing herself but never thought it could be a career. Now jobless again, Curtis found solace in creativity. But she also found many other aging artists with abundant talent waiting to display it.

She said, “I wanted to give back to other artists, so we all take care of and support one another.” She believes the most successful entrepreneurs can adapt to what’s happening in society, the environment, their neighborhood, and their customers.

© Interview, 2020 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved

Libraries and Emerging Artists

Courtesy of PC Sweeney Published in EveryLibrary January 6, 2021

Libraries serve many community needs. They offer access to information and technology, open spaces for collaboration and escape, and implementing programs and events that enrich the community.

• Libraries host and help writers and other creatives
• Libraries exhibit community art
• Libraries instill creativity in patrons

If you’re an emerging artist and see yourself as a professional, you will discover many benefits by delving into open-access collections. Apollo: The International Art Magazine lists collections ranging from The Art Institute of Chicago to the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa, Wellington to Yale University, and others.

Assignment: Libraries Help Emerging Artists was originally published in EveryLibrary on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

How does your local library treat mental health concerns? And what’s missing in conversations about libraries and mental health?

What’s Missing?

Librarians with mental health disorders also play a role. We often mask our own mental health struggles for the sake of helping patrons. Maybe also because of “sanism” and stigma among coworkers. Librarians with mental illness deserve to be open about their experiences.

Worldwide, most of those who need mental health care lack access to high-quality mental health services. Stigma, human resource shortages, fragmented service delivery models, and lack of research capacity — leaving an expansive mental health gap.

Mental Health in Schools and Universities

Four priority areas are identified for focused attention to diminish the lack of mental health treatment and improve access to high-quality mental health services. Mental health challenges, such as stress, anxiety, depression, and burnout, can significantly impede students’ academic performance and degree progression.

Recognizing and addressing the interconnectedness of mental health and academic success is essential for fostering a supportive learning environment where students can thrive both academically and emotionally. Fortunately, that’s where campus libraries can help. Many academic libraries are implementing mental health outreach programs at their institutions.

Wellness Programs

Libraries can actively engage with students by hosting events focused on mental health. Workshops, seminars, and discussion groups provide platforms for students to share experiences, learn coping strategies, and connect with peers facing similar challenges.

Events featuring guest speakers, panel discussions, and wellness activities aimed at promoting mental health awareness and resilience can be coordinated by tapping campus expertise — staff counselors, nutritionists, athletic trainers, faculty art professors, and student peer groups. By integrating mental health initiatives into their programming calendars, libraries demonstrate their commitment to supporting students’ holistic development.

Safe Spaces

Academic libraries serve as sanctuaries amidst the buzz of everyday college life. So, by cultivating and transforming physical spaces where students feel comfortable and at ease, libraries play a pivotal role in fostering mental well-being. Some examples are:

• The library at William Paterson University created a “Leisure Lounge” that invites students to read for pleasure and serves as a reminder that reading doesn’t have to be a burden.
• Western Michigan University incorporates pet therapy (“therapuppies”) sessions at the library before exam periods, offering students a chance to alleviate stress and enhance their well-being through interaction with trained animals.
• Many libraries now offer “brain breaks” during stressful study sessions with collections of puzzles, Legos, and games.

Normalized Mental Health Discussions

Libraries possess a unique platform to advocate for mental health awareness. By collaborating with campus organizations, faculty, and administrators, libraries can heighten the conversation surrounding mental health and advocate for implementing policies and initiatives that prioritize student well-being.

Providing students with books and other resources pertaining to mental health helps further destigmatize mental health struggles, encourages students to seek help when needed, and gives them the information they need.

Bibliotherapy at Work

Bibliotherapy, the therapeutic use of reading material, is a great fit for libraries. Making collections of ebooks available and highlighting them via a LibGuide makes it easy for those in need to find resources. The library is an essential curator of resources from credible sources, including peer-reviewed and scholarly literature, as well as popular and nontraditional resources that students can relate to and readily understand.

Libraries Play a Vital Role in Supporting Student Mental Health

With dedication, collaboration, and a commitment to inclusivity, libraries can nurture positive well-being among their communities. Libraries play a crucial role in supporting student mental health, which correlates with improved academic performance, higher student retention, and increased graduation rates.

Does Mental Health Overlap the Use of Controlled Substances?

Public libraries have a critical opportunity to support the information needs of patrons dealing with and impacted by substance misuse. Related programming and services are deeply connected to addressing health equity, and they help libraries link community members to critical information that can improve their lives and the lives of loved ones.

WebJunction offered the “Opioid Crisis Support Kit for Public Libraries” to help library staff assess their strengths and capacity, identify key local partners with whom to collaborate or coordinate, and plan and implement programming and services that contribute to addressing the opioid crisis.

Mental health issues can overwhelm those who are affected. Addiction is similarly distressing for the individual and their families. And when the two issues merge, an even bigger challenge arises. This intersection, according to psychiatrist Akhil Anand, MD, is called dual diagnosis or co-occurrence.

“We see a large overlap between substance use disorders and mental health issues,” says Dr. Anand. “For example, substance use disorders are twice as common in those diagnosed with anxiety or depression than they are in the general population.”

We spoke with Dr. Anand to get a better idea of why this occurs and what can be done about this unique circumstance.

Why Dual Diagnosis Occurs

One theory is that individuals struggling with mental health disorders may try to manage symptoms by self-medicating with alcohol or drugs, says Dr. Anand. And this can easily lead to addiction. For example, untreated attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and schizophrenia may lead to higher rates of substance misuse.

“Another theory is that substance misuse may cause the mental health disorder,” according to Dr. Anand. “Chronic marijuana use is linked to schizophrenia, for example. Also, methamphetamine use increases the susceptibility to psychosis.”

But a person’s environment also plays a role. Stressful life circumstances that trigger depression or anxiety can lead to self-medicating with alcohol or drugs.

Simultaneous Treatment

It’s important to treat the co-occurring disorders at the same time. “If you don’t treat the substance misuse, you jeopardize treatment for the mental health disorder,” says Dr. Anand. “And if you don’t treat the mental health disorder, you jeopardize treatment of the addiction.”

For example, you may need medication to correct the brain chemical imbalance involved in major depression. “Alcohol is a depressant, and can cause depression, worsen someone’s depression, and cause rebound anxiety. So even if you’re getting the right medication, if you keep drinking, your symptoms may not improve and if so, only marginally,” says Dr. Anand.

Old, New, and Innovative Libraries

At the Legler Regional Library in Chicago’s Garfield Park neighborhood, there’s a new service residents can check out besides browsing books or using computers. One day a week, they can also talk with a licensed counselor stationed at the library as part of Mayor Brandon Johnson’s expansion of public mental health services.

On Tuesdays, Jordan Henderson, a licensed professional counselor with Chicago’s Department of Public Health, can be found in a study room at the library or browsing the rows of bookshelves to connect with residents who may need mental health services — much to many people’s surprise.

“People come to the library for all types of things, but one they don’t expect to see is mental health services,” Henderson said. “Some people come and need to vent. Others come for resources, whether that be housing resources, food resources, job resources. Other people need long-term therapy.”

Henderson has been providing services at the library — which can range from outpatient therapy to referrals to services — for three weeks and hopes to see them expanded. It’s the first new site of Johnson’s recently announced plan to expand the city’s publicly run mental health services. In addition to Legler Library, the city plans to reopen the Roseland Mental Health Clinic, add mental health services at the city’s Pilsen clinic, and phase out the use of police responding to mental health crises.

The Legler Library branch is one of the busiest distribution sites for the overdose-reversing nasal spray Narcan. It’s one of three library branches, in addition to the Beverly and Edgewater locations, where mental health services are offered. Chicago Public Library Commissioner Chris Brown said libraries are natural places to reach people.

“The reality is, we don’t have a built environment for mental health spaces throughout the entire city,” Brown said. “But we do have 81 libraries in all 77 neighborhoods.”

EveryLibrary

To mark the expanded services, Johnson held a small roundtable event Tuesday afternoon at the Legler Library branch to discuss access to mental health issues and commemorate June as Men’s Mental Health Month. In 2022, men were roughly four times more likely than women to die by suicide, and rates were highest among older men, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Sitting around a table in one of the library’s community rooms, Johnson, Brown, 28th Ward Ald. Jason Ervin, and attendees discussed the stigma that can prevent Black men, in particular, from accessing mental health services — and the importance of receiving treatment from an understanding provider.

“I know, specifically as Black men, Black boys, it’s helpful, when you don’t have to always explain your trauma and pain,” Johnson said. “Someone who just sort of intuitively knows or they can finish the statement — just that simple head nod, where it might take a little bit more for that child to open up.

We all mask it, because it’s internal. It’s not a limp that you have. It’s not a crutch that you’re walking around in,” Jones said. “People don’t know if you’re struggling if you don’t tell them because we hide it so well. And then you have to be willing to accept the help that they give you. But you also have to tell them if that help is working or not.”

We remark, “Simply, go to your best friend(s) and say, ‘I need help.’”

Mental Health Resources to Share

• Researching Low Morale in Libraries. Overview of Kaetrena Davis Kendrick’s work on low-morale experiences in libraries and possible solutions.
• Self-Care for Library Workers. Califa provides a list of freely available resources and archived webinars from Infopeople and other professional development providers supporting self-care work for library workers.
• Information studies prof works to address mental illness among librarians. Read about how an LIS professor is facilitating dialogue about mental health concerns among library staff by creating a zine.
• LIS Mental Health. This website features a blog, zine, and resource area, all geared toward library workers.
• Mindfulness for Librarians. Massachusetts Library System mindfulness resources, including links to social media groups, booklists, and downloadable materials from a mindfulness workshop.
• Working Toward Wellness: Exploring Trauma-Informed Librarianship. Library Journal article with firsthand experiences and perspectives from library staff.
• Books, Programming, Resources: Helping Patrons Through the Opioid Crisis. This collection of resources can help you connect patrons to the information they need to support themselves or a loved one.
• Helping Libraries to be Autism-Ready. This article gives an overview of the University of Washington’s new Autism-Ready Libraries Toolkit.
• Resources for Social Work and Library Collaboration. Examples, articles, and resources to learn how partnering with social workers can benefit library staff and the people they serve.
• Public Libraries Respond to the Opioid Crisis with Their Communities. Barrington Public Library Case Study (pdf).

List from WebJunction.

Visit www.everylibrary.org to learn more about our work on behalf of libraries.

#librarymarketers: Enjoy this story? Want to use it for your library newsletter, blog, or social media? This article is published under Creative Commons License Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International and is free to edit and use with attribution. Please cite EveryLibrary on medium.com/everylibrary.

This work by EveryLibrary is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0

Mental Health In Libraries: Highly Diverse and Often Overlooked was originally published in EveryLibrary on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

You might dream of building your own small business. But how daunting is such an undertaking? Chances are you won’t find the needed resources at home or even scanning popular business periodicals. Business News Daily’s Skye Schooley, Business Operations Insider and Senior Lead Analyst, says that:

Although entrepreneurship can be a challenge, it’s not all doom and gloom: There are currently 31.7 million small businesses in the U.S., accounting for 99.9% of all businesses nationwide. Still, small businesses are the cornerstone of the American economy, and for good reason. If you have a great business idea and want to try your hand at entrepreneurship, weigh the pros and cons first.

Also, remember that you’re not alone in your pursuit. Public libraries, especially the larger ones you find in urban settings, not only have books but also databases, highly skilled business librarians, and numerous other resources.

What Does It Take to Start a Small Business?

We recommend a detailed yet comprehensible article in Forbes Advisor, “How To Start A Business In 11 Steps (2024 Guide).” Before You Begin: Get in the Right Mindset by absorbing the following advice:

Discover Your Best Business Concept

A business concept is a brief statement of the purpose and intent of a business idea. It is a summarization of the core elements that define a business. It describes the reasons for the potential functions, depth and breadth of market reach, and overall goals of a business. It also provides a rundown of the most crucial aspects of a more developed business plan and serves as a well-packaged resource to offer potential investors and partners.

Essentially, there are a few basic elements to include in a business concept:

• Describe your product or service.
• Find competitors and market analysts.
• Create an overview of consumer demand or market needs.
• Detail your unique value proposition (UVP).
• Make a planned outline to take to market and begin launching your strategies.

Choose Your Business Structure

• Register your business and acquire licenses.
• Get your finances in order.
• Fund your business.
• Apply for business insurance.

The opportunity to study local markets and populations is incredibly valuable for a small business. Libraries and library workers recognize this fact and will seek ways to make reference services available to patrons as they develop business plans. The Central Library of Rochester & Monroe County in New York founded its own Business Insight Center (BIC) to cater to this need. The BIC offers access to research sources such as IBISWorld, PitchWorld, and Frost & Sullivan, helping users survey their industry, find venture capital firms, and investigate emerging technology.

This reference center also provides market research reports, searches for trademarked logos, and helps review and file patent applications. The opportunity to obtain quality research while avoiding inconvenient or prohibitive costs makes the library an essential stop for any self-employed individual.

Certified health IT includes products, programs, or systems that meet federal standards on security, privacy, usability, and interoperability. The Office of the National Coordinator for Health Information Technology (ONC), a division of the U.S. Health and Human Services Department (HHS) oversees health IT certification. Although certified health IT participation is voluntary, providers must use certified health IT products and systems to participate in Meaningful Use and other federal electronic health record adoption programs.

Why Obtain a Professional Certification?

The following are five benefits to remember if you’re considering pursuing a professional certification.

1. Gain a Competitive Advantage

When you have training that your competitors don’t, it sets you apart. Certifications can differentiate you from other professionals in your field, showing that you have a demonstrated commitment to understanding and excelling in your profession. It can give you an advantage, which is particularly important in today’s competitive market. Stay on top of trends and learn how to use that new software or social platform before it becomes a household name.

2. Boost Efficiency

Professional certifications can also help give your business a solid foundation. The advanced training, information, and knowledge you gain from specialized coursework can provide you with up-to-date tools and technical strategies to guide and direct you in executing your projects, allowing you to manage all aspects of your work more effectively.

3. Increase Earning Potential

The time and effort invested in professional certifications often result in increased income. Most clients will understand the higher costs associated with specialized training and are willing to pay for consultants who have industry certifications. For example, Project Management Professional (PMP) certification recipients report median salaries that are 26 percent higher than those who are not PMP-certified.

4. Develop Knowledge and Skills

By acquiring new and updated industry information or techniques, you can hone current work habits that may be causing inefficiencies or quality issues with your output while increasing your competencies. Doing so can give you the skills and confidence to try something new, such as establishing the groundwork to implement a more sophisticated working environment for your consultancy.

5. Establish Professional Credibility

An increasing number of companies, nonprofits, and government organizations want (or may even be required) to engage independent consultants with certain certifications from recognized programs. Certification demonstrates your commitment to superior professionalism, upholding industry standards, and continued learning. These merits can help boost your professional credibility and prestige within your own network, with your current clients, and when pursuing new business opportunities or bidding on projects.

Certifications are often a worthwhile investment because of the many advantages they can provide throughout your career. As you move forward and your business evolves, keep your certifications up to date so you can continue to realize these benefits. Also, be sure to publicize your certifications on your website, marketplace, and LinkedIn profile.

How Libraries Can Enhance Their Services for Small Businesses

The following six tips can help libraries build or expand their programs and services to meet the needs of small businesses and entrepreneurs:

1. Augment Your Library’s Small Business E-resources Collection. A healthy mix of databases, ebooks, and digital magazines can provide access to community demographics, industry trends, marketing insights, and other research.
2. Provide Access to E-learning Platforms. E-learning is a flexible option for busy entrepreneurs because they can access the content anytime, from anywhere. Consider e-learning resources that help them write business plans, create spreadsheets and presentations, code apps and websites, and master social media.
3. Offer Meeting Space. In addition to providing a quiet place to write a business plan, library meeting rooms give entrepreneurs spaces to hold focus groups to help refine a product or service idea.
4. Publish Regular Bulletins. Share articles about the latest business trends and promote your library’s small business services. Determine a cadence and invite patrons to subscribe.
5. Deliver Programming to Your Target Audience. Example programs include training courses, roundtable events featuring local small business owners talking about their entrepreneurial journeys, and networking events that help your community’s entrepreneurs make connections and form partnerships.
6. Map Your Community’s Entrepreneurial Ecosystem. Vital ecosystems allow entrepreneurs to find the knowledge and resources to succeed. Besides adding to the resources in your library, your documentation should include small business accelerators and incubators, entrepreneurship training programs and workshops, coworking spaces, makerspaces, colleges and universities, small business centers, pitch events and competitions, venture capital firms, civic organizations, community groups and any other resources that support entrepreneurs.

Visit www.everylibrary.org to learn more about our work on behalf of libraries.

#librarymarketers: Enjoy this story? Want to use it for your library newsletter, blog, or social media? This article is published under Creative Commons License Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International and is free to edit and use with attribution. Please cite EveryLibrary on medium.com/everylibrary.

This work by EveryLibrary is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0

Build Entrepreneurship by Researching in Large Public Libraries was originally published in EveryLibrary on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

Prison Libraries and Their Challenges

In an opinion piece for The Hill, Moira Marquis states, “Reading isn’t a crime, but the state of prison libraries is a punishment.” These powerful words show that while considerable attention is given to the underfunding and censorship in public schools and libraries, more needs to be offered for the abysmal funding and censorship seen in prison libraries.

One example is Derek Trumbo, an incarcerated writer in Kentucky who said, “Let’s be honest, there’s not much one can glean from Westerns, romance and pulp novels,” and yet these are the only kinds of books “readily available on the shelves of the prison library.”

PEN America

A new report from PEN America shows that prison censorship is rising dramatically, depriving those behind bars of quality reading materials. The need for these is ongoing despite incarcerated people being the most illiterate population in the United States.

Censorship inspired the first Prison Banned Books Week. With its half-century Prison and Justice Writing program, PEN America is now partnering with nonprofits that send books to prisons to educate and mobilize the public to support actions and end prison censorship.

The Prison Libraries Act

One way to reach that goal is the recently introduced Prison Libraries Act. Prison libraries tend to be much smaller, with minimal holdings and older books in only a few genres. Thanks to the new act, this would change by allocating funds specifically for prison libraries to expand resources in US and territorial correctional facilities.

The Prison Libraries Act also provides grants for prisons to update materials, hire qualified librarians, and support digital literacy and career readiness. The legislation would be authorized at $10 million annually through 2029, focusing on creating libraries in prisons that otherwise would not have the means to scale their services.

Serving Incarcerated Library Patrons

Library services to prisoners and jails, as well as nonincarcerated people impacted by the carceral system, have historically not been a central feature of the broader library community. The past several years, however, have witnessed a notable shift in visibility. The annual meeting of the American Library Association has devoted numerous sessions to justice initiatives, and published literature in this area has also started to gain traction.

Several major grant-funded initiatives have brought increased visibility in prisons. The New York Public Library received funding from the Mellon Foundation to seed Reference by Mail programs throughout many library systems.

Prisoners’ Right to Read

Participation in a democratic society demands unfettered access to current social, political, legal, economic, cultural, scientific, and religious information. Information and ideas available outside the prison are essential to incarcerated people. Learning to thrive calls for access to a broad range of knowledge to transition successfully to freedom.

Even those individuals who are incarcerated for life require access to information, literature, and a window into the world.

The American Library Association asserts a compelling public interest in preserving intellectual freedom for individuals of any age held in jails, prisons, detention facilities, juvenile facilities, immigration facilities, prison work camps, and segregated units within any facility.

When free people, through judicial procedure, segregate some of their own, they are responsible for providing humane treatment and essential rights. Among these is the right to read and to access information. The right to choose what to read is fundamental, and suppressing ideas is fatal to a democratic society. Denying intellectual freedom — the right to read, write, and think — diminishes the human spirit of those segregated from society.

Libraries and the Future of Incarceration

The US witnessed a steady decline in the federal and state prison population over the early decades of the twenty-first century, with a 2019 population of roughly 1.4 million men and women incarcerated at year’s end — the lowest since 1995. With COVID-19 shutting down critical sectors of society in 2020, criminal justice reformers urged a continuing focus on reducing prison populations. Many states now permit early release for nonviolent offenders. Some are even closing their facilities.

Still, the US will undeniably continue using incarceration as a sanction for criminal behavior at a much higher rate than in other Western countries, in part because of our higher rate of violent offenses. Consequently, a majority of people incarcerated in the US are serving prison sentences for violent crimes (58 percent). The most serious offenses for the remainder are property offenses (16 percent), drug offenses (13 percent), or other offenses (13 percent; generally, weapons, driving offenses, and supervision violations).

An important consideration is the conditions of prison life in understanding how individuals rejoin society after their sentence ends:

• Are they prepared to be valuable community members?
• What lessons have they learned during their confinement that may help them turn their life around?
• Will they succeed in avoiding a return to prison?
• What is the most successful path for helping returning citizens reintegrate into their communities?

Being incarcerated can be traumatic, often leading to mental health disorders and difficulty rejoining society. Imprisonment disrupts the routines of daily life and has been described as “disorienting” and a “shock to the system.”

Thus, the entire prison experience can jeopardize the personal characteristics necessary to be effective partners, parents, and employees once released. Besides lacking vocational training, education, and reentry programs, individuals face challenges in reintegrating into their communities.

While the incarceration context constrains individual behavior and choices, the motivation for individuals to change their behavior is rooted in valuing their family and other positive relationships. In contrast, interpersonal relationships in prison are complex, as there is often a culture of mistrust and suspicion coupled with a profound absence of empathy.

Many psychologists believe that changing unwanted or harmful behaviors requires changing thinking patterns since thoughts and feelings affect behaviors. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) came about as a psychosocial intervention that helps people learn how to identify and change destructive or disturbing thought patterns that have a negative influence on behavior and emotions. It focuses on challenging and changing unhelpful cognitive distortions and behaviors, improving emotional regulation, and developing personal coping strategies that target solving current problems.

Even so, the most robust CBT program that meets three hours each week leaves 165 hours where participants are entangled in the typical prison environment. Such an arrangement is likely to dilute the impact of therapy. To counter these negative influences, a new idea could be connecting CBT programming in prison with the existing therapeutic communities. These communities — in prison or the outside community — were established as a self-help substance use approach to rehabilitation.

Therefore, the recommendations of the Brookings-AEI Working Group on Criminal Justice include:

Short-Term Reforms

• Create Transforming Prisons Act
• Accelerate Decarceration Begun During Pandemic

Medium-Term Reforms

• Encourage Rehabilitative Focus in State Prisons
• Foster Greater Use of Community Sanctions

Long-Term Reforms

Embrace Rehabilitative/Restorative Community Justice Models

Encourage Collaboration between Corrections Agencies and Researchers

Visit www.everylibrary.org to learn more about our work on behalf of libraries.

#librarymarketers: Enjoy this story? Want to use it for your library newsletter, blog, or social media? This article is published under Creative Commons License Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International and is free to edit and use with attribution. Please cite EveryLibrary on medium.com/everylibrary.

This work by EveryLibrary is licensed under CC BY-NC 4.0

The Present and Future of Prison Libraries and Incarcerated Patrons was originally published in EveryLibrary on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is an independent agency of the United States federal government established in 1996. It is the primary source of federal support for US libraries and museums, with the mission to “advance, support, and empower America’s museums, libraries, and related organizations through grantmaking, research, and policy development.”

Museum and Library Services Act of 1996

The Museum and Library Services Act of 1996 (MLSA) established the Institute of Museum and Library Services within the National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities. The new agency combined the former Institute of Museum Services and federal museum programs, which had existed since 1976, with the Library Programs Office and federal library program that had been part of the Department of Education since 1956.

Today, the agency is a member of the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities, along with the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Federal Council on the Arts and the Humanities.

Public Programs and Special Initiatives

IMLS provides a broad and diverse range of museum- and library-related services. One is America250, a multiyear effort to commemorate the semiquincentennial (250th anniversary) of the nation’s founding. The nonpartisan U.S. Semiquincentennial Commission, created by Congress, and the supporting nonprofit America250 Foundation are leading this effort nationally.

Community outreach through museums and libraries that want to engage diverse audiences and foster civic discourse will be at the project’s core. PBS Books provided free resources and offered webinars to support museum and library staff in designing programs, such as integrating the video content to host screening events and community conversations around the series themes.

Information Literacy Task Force

According to the American Library Association, “Information literacy is a set of abilities requiring individuals to ‘recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information.’”

IMLS is also working on an interagency task force and facilitating the development of a resource portal bridging information literacy research and practice to advance information literacy in communities. This group is charged with helping libraries and community organizations support specific challenges faced by people of all ages.

National Medal for Museum and Library Service

This award is the “nation’s highest honor for institutions that make significant and exceptional contributions to their communities.” Since 1994, IMLS has presented the award to 182 outstanding libraries and museums of all types and sizes that profoundly impact their communities. On May 23, 2023, IMLS announced eight winners for the 2023 National Medal for Museum and Library Service. These include the following:

Libraries

• Kuskokwim Consortium Library (Bethel, AK)
• LA County Library (Los Angeles, CA)
• Long Branch Free Public Library (Long Branch, NJ)
• Toledo Lucas County Public Library (Toledo, OH)

Museums

• COSI: Center of Science and Industry (Columbus, OH)
• Jim Gatchell Memorial Museum (Buffalo, WY)
• Museum of Discovery and Science (Fort Lauderdale, FL)
• Riverside Art Museum (Riverside, CA)

The First Lady of the United States usually presents the award. So, on July 17, 2023, First Lady Jill Biden hosted the year’s National Medal for Museum and Library Service ceremony.

After a complete renovation, the Discovery Museum reopened in 2024. This hands-on institution blends science, nature, and play, inspiring families to explore and learn together. The museum, with its accessible outdoor playscape and giant treehouse, encompasses the best of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Math) learning on a beautiful 4.5-acre campus abutting 180 acres of conservation land in Acton, MA, about twenty miles west of Boston.

Hands-on, open-ended exhibits developed by professional educators inspire curiosity and exploration, providing a fun and engaging experience for children and adults to discover their world together. The museum is devoted to informal education that enhances classroom learning and serves families and schools from towns throughout the region.

National Student Poets Program

This program is the nation’s highest honor for young poets presenting original work. This partnership between IMLS and the Alliance for Young Artists & Writers acknowledges student poets’ achievements at the national level and shows the importance of literacy.

Each year, a national panel of literary luminaries selects five National Student Poets from Gold and Silver National Medalists in the Scholastic Art & Writing Awards poetry category.

These ambitious youngsters, nominated in grades 10 and 11, are appointed at a special ceremony. During their year of service, they lead readings and workshops at libraries, museums, and schools and participate in a range of regional literary and arts events representing five geographical regions of the nation. On November 13, 2023, First Lady Jill Biden honored the Class of 2023 National Student Poets at the White House in Washington, DC.

Save America’s Treasures

Save America’s Treasures (SAT) is a grant program from the National Park Service in collaboration with IMLS, the National Endowment for the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Humanities. It was designed to support the preservation of nationally significant historic properties and collections that convey our nation’s rich heritage to future generations.

Since 1999, more than four thousand requests for funding totaling over $1.54 billion have been received. More than $315.7 million was awarded for 1,300+ projects. The National Park Service (NPS) administers the SAT program in cooperation with its partners, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH), the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA), and the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS).

Addressing Long-Standing Inequities

Museums for All

Museums for All is a partnership between IMLS and the Association of Children’s Museums that encourages low-income families to visit museums and build lifelong habits. Participating museums offer free or significantly reduced admission fees to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cardholders year-round. The program comprises over one thousand museums, making free or discounted museum visits possible for over five million children and families nationwide.

National Tribal Broadband Summit

Federal Communications Commission (FCC) statistics show that American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities have less access to broadband than the general US population.

The National Tribal Broadband Summit is part of the Biden-Harris administration’s ongoing efforts to close the digital divide. It builds on an all-of-government approach to support Tribal sovereignty in the digital arena to ensure Tribal lands are fully connected. The Summit’s aim is collaboration with federal partners, Tribal Nations, and others to make broadband development on Tribal lands less burdensome. New technologies and innovative partnership solutions should fully support Tribal self-governance.

The Tribal Broadband Connectivity Program is a $3 billion program directed to Tribal governments for use in broadband deployment on Tribal lands. It’s also for telehealth, distance learning, broadband affordability, and digital inclusion.

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Information technology, also called IT, refers to utilizing various digital technologies for storage, processing, data transmission, and information. This broadly encompassing field involves hardware such as computers, servers, storage devices, software, networks, and other digital innovations.

IT is the backbone for multiple functions — from fundamental data handling to intricate business processes like financial management, marketing strategies, and supply chain operations. However, the main focus here will be the academic sector.

Information Technology Benefits in Academia

Information technology has dramatically changed how we live and work. It has also helped individuals, organizations, and society as a whole. Some of IT’s main benefits include:

• Improved Efficiency. IT has made it possible to automate many routine and time-consuming tasks (e.g., report generation, data entry, and recordkeeping), thereby making time and resources available for more strategic and value-added pursuits.
• Enhanced Communication. IT has allowed faster communication with others, regardless of location. Video conferencing, email, instant messaging, and other digital communication tools have become essential for business and educational communication and personal interactions.
• Increased Productivity. IT has enabled greater worker productivity by providing the tools and resources necessary to perform more effectively. Doing so allows access to information, software applications, and collaboration tools that make collaboration more efficient.
• Improved Decision-Making. IT has established a niche for gathering, analyzing, and presenting data and information in real time, helping people make better-informed decisions. The process has led to more accurate forecasting, improved risk management, and better performance management.
• More Significant Innovation. IT has provided access to new technologies, tools, and platforms, enabling individuals and organizations to build and collaborate on innovative ideas and solutions.

IT in the Face of COVID-19

Following the global spread of COVID-19, education and educational institutions have been severely affected. At the start, global lockdown seemed the only way to limit the spread of infection. The first measures occurred in the Chinese city of Wuhan, where authorities had suspended all educational activities to control the education crisis.

Initially, they postponed routine tasks. Yet, despite their previous use, online courses were the best and perhaps only way to replace face-to-face contact. Plus, some educational facilities already had the infrastructure to offer large-scale online courses.

Psychological effects of the pandemic and quarantine measures are evident among all groups of people, including fear of disease and infection and its consequences. For children, especially those with mental problems, the daily school routine is a psychological comfort. Therefore, when schools were closed, staff expected mental health symptoms to increase. The problem was that there was no alternative. A possible solution is for children to play online games, which unfortunately causes extensive time in front of electronic devices.

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Here, obesity reared its ugly head, with problems related to inactivity and school closure, along with unhealthy habits among children. Under these circumstances, support is needed with systematic home-based programs supervised by schools so children can exercise regularly.

In a recent article, reporter Scott Carlson noted that students’ ability to find increasingly more research materials online questioned the need for academic libraries to continue.

“University libraries bring to mind undergraduates rooting through dusty stacks or sitting in reading rooms with their noses buried in tomes,” Carlson wrote. “These days, however, more and more students are entering libraries not through turnstiles but through phone lines and fiber-optic cables.”

However, far from witnessing a final blow, developing and adopting digital information technology became essential to keeping academic libraries alive and vital. Meanwhile, despite numerous efforts, COVID-19 continues to present a serious threat to global health.

Information Technology for Today’s Higher Ed

Still, quickly implementing preventive measures and public awareness through social media contributed to saving lives. Moreover, contributions to scientific and educational fields came from professionals working at home, who appreciated the opportunity to do so.

Librarians Led the Way in the Pandemic

Carlson noted that academic librarians had effectively led their institutions into the era of social distancing partly “because libraries had already spent decades figuring out how to offer online services and get information to people who rarely came into the building.”

A Greater Emphasis on Technology Ensued

It used to be that library card catalogs and print matter like encyclopedias, dictionaries, and other written (sometimes handwritten) knowledge sources were the instruments of the pre-internet era.

Citing the research and opinions of library directors and scholars, Carlson espoused that the library of the future — the one that emerged from the pandemic — will likely place higher value on its digital information technology and related resources and services. It will also convince library staff to be more active in engaging users.

According to Carlson:

“Libraries need far more aggressive outreach programs for patrons and more careful curation of digital collections and e-resources, just to keep the library’s expertise and resources in front of students and researchers.”

Digital Information Technology Can Reduce Chaos

Students visit campus libraries in person about the same amount that they connect to them online. Doing this authenticates the notion that, while more and more of the library’s role is shifting toward electronic resources, the physical space is still of equal value.

A Library Journal study found that the three most common library interactions reported by students were “accessing digital resources (61.2%), using the physical library as a study space (47.8%), and conducting research for an assignment or project (43.8%).”

Over half of survey respondents (52.3 percent) said they access e-books through their campus library. Half reported using textbooks or course reserves, and nearly half used databases.

For print publications, 34 percent of students reported using the library to access books, and 20.9 percent for journals. At 43 percent, electronic journal usage was more than twice as high.

Adopting New Technologies Keeps Libraries Vital

IT has made it easier for people to share information, collaborate, and maintain distant relationships. Online courses, e-learning tools, and educational apps have also made education more accessible and interactive, enabling remote learning and personalized educational experiences.

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Bringing libraries into communities is among the best ways for them to reach a broader audience. This opportunity helps libraries stay relevant and engage people who may not otherwise interact with them. Outreach programs can increase brand visibility, raise awareness of products or services, build customer relationships, and generate leads.

Bookmobiles, or mobile libraries, are vehicles designed for flexibility and have had many names throughout history. Bookmobiles still exist, but they transport much more than just books — especially in low-income neighborhoods where transportation to a true brick-and-mortar library can often be challenging. Some library bookmobiles carry DVDs, games, magazines, and music. And you can usually request specific titles for pick-up, hot spots, technology, and more.

Introducing Meg Medina and National Library Week

The theme and campaign for National Library Week 2024 (April 7–13) is Ready, Set, Library! Librarians and other staff can find 11 x 17 in. posters in the American Library Association (ALA) store. Members pay $9.90 for as many posters as they wish to print.

Author Meg Medina, the 2023–24 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature and winner of the John Newbery Medal and Pura Belpré Award, will serve as the 2024 Honorary Chair for National Library Week. Medina has won several other awards and received even more nominations for her books. When not writing, she works on community projects that support girls, Latino youth, and literacy.

Things to Do Related to Library Outreach

National Library Outreach Day recognizes the dedicated library staff who make libraries accessible to everyone, wherever they are. Services range from mobile access to information and resources through bookmobiles to community pop-up services. These professionals work hard to provide these services and improve and increase them year after year.

For over one hundred years, bookmobiles have brought library access to those who might not otherwise have it. Bookmobiles are mobile libraries designed to travel from one neighborhood to another. They hold various books and periodicals and usually run on a schedule. Many also offer computer access.

Bookmobile librarians check out books much as they would at a local library. You can return books at the next scheduled stop or the associated library. However, this service is merely peripheral to outreach services as a whole. These services include:

• Library tours and open houses
• Author talks and readings
• Student visits
• School partnerships
• Presentations and projects
• Book displays

Libraries change continually, as do their outreach services — all for the betterment of the community.

What Is an Outreach Librarian?

With libraries, outreach can be considered a service for infrequent users, nonusers, or those traditionally underserved. Outreach librarians work hard to provide equitable delivery of library services to all people by developing programs, policies, practices, and behaviors that make the library available to many.

Outreach librarians work in dynamic and changing environments where they develop new and innovative services. They often work outside the library with various community groups or in the field with specific populations. Depending on the programs they offer, they can have unique or variable work schedules. These librarians are people-focused, social, and passionate. They tend toward creativity and think outside the box.

Outreach librarians also need strong communication and collaboration skills to help connect with new groups and work with multiple organizations. They must be skilled at rapidly assessing their environment and identifying their library’s strengths and opportunities to improve their services. Since most libraries are busy, they must also be comfortable and competent with multitasking.

Extension/Outreach Department Services in Action

The outreach department of libraries develops and maintains a collection that may include:

• Standard print books
• Large print books
• Audiobooks
• DVDs
• A memory care collection
• Book discussion kits
• A portable video magnifier

But that’s not all. There’s a lot more to library outreach than you might imagine.

In-Home Library Service

If you reside in a specific county or region and love to read but can’t access the library, you might qualify for the outreach department’s in-home library service for the homebound.

Corrections Support

The outreach department may receive County Jail Interinstitutional Aid, like at the New York State Library, to buy educational and recreational reading materials. Additionally, outreach staff might collaborate with educational coordinators to deliver presentations and information about library and reentry services to incarcerated individuals.

Outreach department staff may maintain select listings of area reentry resources and mail them to incarcerated individuals as requested. The Making Moves reentry resources on the Rochester Public Library website can also help.

Community Outreach

Outreach librarians love to get out into the community! They’re thrilled to provide outreach to community organizations serving their target populations. They distribute information about library services and programs at community events. And you can even request library outreach for an event by filling out your library’s online form.

Books by Bike

Many libraries offer mobile services, such as the Rochester Public Library’s Books by Bike program. This program has the goals of:

• Increasing the library’s ability to offer library services during outreach events in the community.
• Increasing visibility in the community and market libraries in general.
• Promoting sustainability (e.g., biking as a clean mode of transportation).

Books by Bike has often been active in the community. Outings have included events like local farmers markets, community festivals, parades, and more. This program has helped library staff reach people who might need help traveling to the library or need to be made aware of its many services.

During Books by Bike outings, library staff can create new library card accounts and perform other circulation transactions, such as charging or returning library materials. They can also give away books — mainly to children — and provide general library information.

Talking Book and Braille Library

The New York State Talking Book and Braille Library (TBBL) is free for eligible residents of Upstate New York who can’t use ordinary print materials because of a visual, physical, or reading disability.

If you have access to a computer and an internet connection, select and download the complete digital collection yourself through BARD (Braille and Audio Reading Download). This service is simple to use and provides immediate access to every book in the digital audiobook collection. For more information and downloading instructions, see the BARD web page. Downloading these books is the best way to obtain them.

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Many adults and older children believe an infant’s brain is a blank slate until the child starts gesturing or speaking. But reading regularly with young children stimulates optimal patterns of brain development. It creates vital pathways in the brain, thus building language, literacy, and social-emotional skills that can bring lifelong benefits.

Moreover, the connections within the temporal, frontal, and occipital lobes allow us to learn how to read. In turn, reading helps develop robust and constructive brain activation patterns. So learning to read early in a child’s life is essential to their growth and future success. Therefore, reading a wide range of books with children initiates physical activity in their brains, activating the sections that process words and form meaning.

If a child is engaged in reading and interacts with an adult, parent, older child, or other caregiver, it can create a close bond. But what if the household lacks the appropriate reading material?

The answer is simple: Visit a nearby library. From small to huge, virtually every public or school library boasts a robust children’s collection. What’s more, parents can take the books home to read at bedtime or any other time.

Brain Development

Neuron-building begins in the womb. The brain must grow at about 250,000 nerve cells per minute (on average) throughout the pregnancy to develop the over 100 billion neurons of a healthy newborn baby. Once infants reach eighteen months, they have already begun building neurons in their brains.

Most neurons have three parts, as follows:

The Cell Body

The cell body contains the nucleus, which includes our genetic information. It also involves cytoplasm, the fluid that houses the majority of cellular material inside the neuron.

Axons

Axons are long, narrow connecting lines that spread from the cell body to send electrical impulses to other neurons. These impulses mean that axons are responsible for transmitting information throughout the body. Axons also expand into smaller branches that connect with other neurons’ axons.

Dendrites

Dendrites also extend from a neuron’s cell body but are responsible for receiving messages from other neurons. They resemble tree branches, collecting information to bring back to the neuron. Each dendrite’s end is a contact point, allowing one neuron to connect with another. These are called synapses, and dendrites have many.

Reading and Brain Development

Do you know that 90 percent of brain development occurs between birth and age five? According to the Harvard University Center on the Developing Child, as the brain develops, its neural pathways form in sequence: first, sensory pathways, then language, and finally, higher cognition levels.

An Early Literacy Planning Tool based on Every Child Ready to Read2® has six different (yet overlapping) components:

• Oral Language
• Phonological Awareness
• Print Awareness/Print Concepts
• Letter Knowledge
• Vocabulary
• Background Knowledge

Neither the VPT (VIEWS2 Planning Tool) nor the Early Literacy Planning Tool is meant to be exhaustive and comprehensive. These tools offer a way for librarians and storytime providers to understand early literacy components and how to incorporate them into storytime planning and delivery to help children in the community with their literacy development. Storytimes should be fun, interactive, and intentional to impact the community the most.

Until the preschool years end and children start their formal schooling, there are three distinct age categories:

• Birth to 18 months
• 18 to 36 months
• 36 to 60 months

After this time, the young child’s brain no longer operates in a chaotic pattern but builds a much more cohesive structure.

How a Child’s Brain Is Affected Early in Life

Why would the brain create more synapses than necessary — only to discard the extras? The answer comes from the interplay of genetic and environmental factors in brain development.

During the first three years, a child’s brain can have up to twice as many synapses as it will encompass in adulthood. Genetic factors powerfully affect a child’s early development. For instance, genes direct newly formed neurons to their correct locations in the brain, playing an essential role in their interactions. However, although they arrange the brain’s fundamental wiring, genes do not entirely design it.

Instead, genes let the brain fine-tune itself based on the input it receives through the external environment. A child’s senses report their environment and experiences to the brain, stimulating neural activity. For example, speech sounds activate language-related parts of the brain. If the amount of input increases (e.g., more speech heard), synapses between neurons in that area will be activated more often.

EveryLibrary

Repeated use strengthens a synapse, but those seldom used stay weak and are more likely to be eliminated through the “pruning” process. Synapse strength contributes to the connectivity and efficiency of the networks that support learning, memory, and other cognitive abilities.

So, a child’s experiences determine what information enters and influences how their brain processes it. Genes might provide a blueprint for the brain, but a child’s experiences and environment do the building.

We‘re wise to examine the evidence provided by neuroscience for several reasons. For instance, it may help us learn exactly how experiences affect children. This knowledge can aid efforts to help those at risk and undo the effects of early adversity wherever possible.

Librarians’ Role in Early Literacy

Parents reading one-on-one to children is a highly prized activity for both. But eventually, the children will extend their curiosity to larger, more broadly interactive settings.

That’s why storytime is an essential activity for children. It can ignite their imagination, bolster their language and literacy skills, and cultivate their emotional intelligence. Librarians, especially those who work with kids, have a distinct understanding of young children and brain development.

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Preschool socialization can be challenging, so it takes a well-seasoned librarian or aide to know what’s developing inside their minds and ask the right questions to understand even a minuscule amount of what might be happening.

These even-tempered adults welcome impatient children, allowing them to leave their seats periodically and move around. They also have a keen instinct for knowing when it’s time for the kids to return and settle down.

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Near the end of World War II, broadcast television was on the rise in medium-to-large cities. But those in small towns and rural areas couldn’t watch it due to signal loss and other technical difficulties. Then, in the late 1940s and early 50s, former military technicians who had worked with radio technology during World War II began to examine the problem: how to extend broadcast signals over a distance.

Eventually, several pioneers built massive receiving antennas (often atop mountains or tall buildings) and wired them to people’s homes for excellent reception. Thus, community antenna television (CATV) began, later becoming cable television.

Between broadcast television and the soon-to-emerge cable networks, Americans nationwide were increasingly watching news events that would revolutionize society. Among these was the burgeoning civil rights movement in the 1950s and 1960s.

Civil Rights at the Forefront

During World War II, most African Americans worked for meager wages as farmers, factory workers, and domestic help. By the early 1940s, war-related work was in high gear, but most Black Americans weren’t allowed better-paying jobs. So, after thousands of Black Americans threatened to march on Washington to demand equal employment, President Roosevelt issued Executive Order 8802 in June of 1941, opening defense and other government jobs to every American regardless of race, creed, color, or national origin.

The 1950s and Before

As the Cold War began, President Truman initiated a civil rights agenda and, in 1948, issued Executive Order 9981 to end discrimination in the military. These events set the stage for grassroots initiatives to institute legislation for racial equality while also bringing energy to the civil rights movement. And they did — with the help of Black citizens like Rosa Parks (1955) and the Little Rock Nine (1957).

On September 9, 1957, President Eisenhower signed the Civil Rights Act of 1957 into law. It was the first significant civil rights legislation since Reconstruction. It allowed federal prosecution of anyone who tried to prevent someone from voting. It also created a commission to investigate voter fraud.

The Voting Rights Act of 1965 would take the issue one step further to authorize federal law enforcement to ensure that citizens of all subcultures, US states, faiths, and other statuses were allowed to vote.

Into the 1960s

The early 1960s saw the famous Woolworth’s lunch counter sit-in, a boycott following the protests of the previous decade. The Freedom Riders were an interracial group defending equal rights. And by this time, other cultural groups were fighting for their rights — not just African Americans. For example, there was the Vietnam “police action” and the accompanying war protests, women’s rights, and the ongoing Cold War.

White male property owners aged twenty-one and above were given the right to vote in 1776. The Fifteenth Amendment to the Constitution later lifted racial barriers to voting in 1870. Still, states continued to practice voter discrimination, denying Black voters the right to election participation.

Yes, the right to vote was extended to white women in 1920. But it wasn’t until 1965, after years of intimidation, that President Johnson signed and Congress passed the federal Voting Rights Act of 1965. The Act ensured that no federal, state, or local government could impede people from voting because of their race or ethnicity.

President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 on July 2. Around the same time, Martin Luther King, Jr. formed a peaceful civil rights march in Selma, Alabama. Then, on March 7, 1965, the civil rights movement in Alabama took a particularly violent turn as six hundred peaceful demonstrators participated in the Selma to Montgomery march to protest the killing of Black civil rights activist Jimmie Lee Jackson by a white police officer and encourage legislation to enforce the Fifteenth Amendment.

Many feel that national television news coverage of the civil rights movement helped transform the United States by portraying the violence of segregation and the dignity of African American’s pursuit of equal rights. In the Southern US, local television news coverage had immediate and significant effects, with local television news broadcasts in Virginia in the 50s beginning to address segregation in ways substantially more balanced than the print media. Contrastingly, a popular television station in Jackson, Mississippi, pushed hard to defend segregation and deny access to opposing voices, local and national. There was still a long way to go.

The Role of Black Entertainment Television (BET)

BET launched on January 25, 1980, joining a small handful of fledgling cable networks, including Home Box Office (HBO), Showtime, C-SPAN, ESPN, Nickelodeon, CNN (Cable News Network), TNT (Turner Network Television), and others. That same month, Robert L. Johnson left his position at NCTA (National Cable Television Association) and, with his wife, Sheila Johnson, launched the first TV network “that allowed Black people to see themselves, their stories, and their culture on television,” according to BET President Scott Mills.

In the forty years that followed, BET successfully led in elevating Black voices and experiences and inspiring generations of writers, actors, and creatives to tell their stories.

“For forty years, BET has been a unifying space for Black people to be seen, heard, showcased, and celebrated,” stated BET President Scott Mills. “Content for Change” symbolically launched on Juneteenth 2020 — a day that traditionally marks the end of slavery in the United States.

When cable giant Viacom bought Black Entertainment Television for $2.34 billion at the turn of the millennium, it made BET founder Robert L. Johnson the first Black billionaire in the United States. Since then, cable TV’s fortunes have diminished considerably. Viewers have abandoned traditional television in droves, and Black-owned media organizations in the United States, which were already scarce, have dwindled.

When BET started, its mission was to entertain and create an opportunity for Black stories and voices on television. Fast-forward 40 years, and, for one, the world has massively changed since BET’s creation, but the reality is the condition of the African American community is not great. Whether social justice, education, income, or healthcare, by most metrics, the African American community is poorly situated compared to other communities. (Still) we believe BET can play an essential role in altering the trajectory of the African American community.

In television, syndicated reruns are often a mix of popular old-time shows — unlike cable networks, like BET, that focus on a historically underserved population.

Archival Documentation and Other Resources

Many university libraries and government collections have recorded items about civil rights — digital and non-digital. We can’t list them all, but we have chosen a nice variety, some with other archives and their materials included.

• The National Archives
• Campbell Library, Rowan University
• University of Alabama Libraries
• Brandeis University Archives and Special Collections
• University of Oregon African American History
• Civil Rights Digital Library, University of Georgia

Search online to find other repositories.

Visit www.everylibrary.org to learn more about our work on behalf of libraries.

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Any technique or process that makes library operations faster is considered information technology. Thus, you can define it as “any form of technology that speeds up the rate at which information is created, edited, disseminated, and stored for future usage.” Of course, today’s many and varied technologies must be learned, whether self-taught, with one-on-one help, or in a class. And that’s where librarians enter the picture.

Moreover, it wasn’t until COVID-19 arrived that librarians and patrons alike began to use and appreciate digital technologies. The colossal New York Public Library (NYPL) was an early leader in providing digital e-books. As the NYPL staff put it:

The Library provides patrons worldwide with powerful online tools to help them discover its extensive resources and services. On nypl.org visitors can browse the Library’s immense collections, download e-books, and view more than 900,000 items from our award-winning Digital Collections.

SimplyE, the Library’s free e-reader app, lets users borrow instantly from NYPL’s collection of over 300,000 e-books.

Libraries throughout the US and globally followed suit. Today, people feel comfortable knowing that if they’re sick or place-bound, they can still read the latest publications and return them from their homes.

What Comprises Basic Information Technology?

When considering what technology a library needs, remember what your community also needs and its points of pride. It would help to communicate with your school district(s), city and community leaders, and library patrons to determine what technology the library could offer to support the region. For example, a bare-bones foundation for a technology setup might include the following:

• Staff and patron computer(s) (desktop or laptop)
• Additional computer monitors
• Printers (which often have built-in document scanners)
• Availability of wireless internet for patrons
• Switches and routers
• Reboot-and-restore software
• Computer-adjacent telephones
• Automation software
• The library’s website(s)
• Dedicated email address
• A social media presence (e.g., Facebook, Instagram, TikTok)
• Microsoft or Google Suite
• E-readers, tablets, or iPads and their content
• Antivirus software
• Headphones
• Audiovisual equipment (e.g., large screen monitor or television)

Once these items have been acquired and implemented, you’ll see staff and patrons flocking to them — and wanting more.

Digital online technologies have improved communication, enhanced efficiency and productivity, and created cost savings. They have also allowed the creation of online libraries, databases, and search engines, providing instant access to knowledge on nearly any subject.

Still, libraries and staff must also consider the disadvantages of modern technology. For one thing, there are privacy concerns and security risks. For another, they create digital divides among social groups, become “wedded” to the new equipment, and often cause health problems (mainly due to excessive screen time).

Another more insidious challenge is the rapid information dissemination through IT, spreading misinformation and fake news. It can be challenging to discern the credibility of online sources.

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Fortunately, today’s comprehensive and well-staffed information centers can help with everything from learning to use a mobile phone to creating a new app. They are also the go-to places for recommending or selecting the latest and best equipment for the entire library.

Library Technology Post-Pandemic

A 2021 report by the Public Library Association (PLA) details how libraries extended their technology services and resources in the face of drastic limitations. First-time survey data show that over half of public libraries reported circulating technology (such as hotspots, laptops, and tablets) for patron use outside the library.

A similar portion offered publicly available streaming programs (e.g., storytimes and author events) in the previous twelve months. They also began supplying diverse digital content, user resources, and staff training. Today, with public wifi being ubiquitous, many libraries provide 24/7 internet access by leaving on or extending their wifi signal to allow visitors to log on to the web from outside the facility.

Besides broadband access, libraries play a critical role in teaching and advancing digital literacy:

• Over 88 percent of all public libraries offer formal or informal digital literacy training.
• More than a third (36.7 percent) of public libraries have trained digital literacy staff.
• Upwards of one in five libraries provide classes or informal help with new technologies, like coding/computer programming, robotics, and 3D printing.

PLA President Melanie Huggins said, “Investing in affordable, high-speed internet for our communities and libraries is essential to building an inclusive digital future.”

Even so, although 3D printers (held in 20 percent of libraries), virtual reality headsets (13 percent), and smart boards (7 percent) are new on the scene, libraries are among the few public places maintaining access to older technology, such as copy machines, printers, and fax machines, still needed by many people.

The Library of the Future

Throughout the pandemic, most public libraries were determined to continue with their primary goal: providing services to residents “seeking knowledge, learning opportunities, and connections to information.” Doing so meant focusing on online resources as much as feasible. Since the 1990s, public libraries have been adding to their holdings to ensure that they can allow patrons to check out e-books and other digital media, reach the internet via free wifi and computer stations, and tap into “Ask a Librarian” services offered via phone, chat, or email.

Every library has a vision, and every librarian and patron probably has a different one. Increasingly, many are concerned with the future of artificial intelligence (AI). Others want computers that can handle big data. And others, still, are seeking augmented reality.

But sometimes, it’s not the tech at the forefront but the patrons and their communities. Many don’t recognize fake news when they see it and will need well-schooled instructors to help them spot it on social media and learn to search for and validate sources using academic websites and reliable fact-checking sites like Snopes.

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