Embudo Valley Library and Community Center in Dixon, NM, and Westernport Library, MD, receive Honorable Mention in LJ's Best Small Library in America 2026.

After being declared unconstitutional in U.S. District Court last year, Arkansas Act 372 will now be allowed to take effect. The act, signed into law in 2023 by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders, prohibits minors from accessing materials that are considered “obscene”; librarians and booksellers could be charged with a Class A misdemeanor, facing jail time or fines of up to $10,000. Despite an earlier injunction, on July 30 a three-judge federal appeals panel sided with the state, reversing the lower court decision that found the law in violation of the First Amendment.

Many research institutions, particularly but not exclusively those with a public or land-grant structure and mission, are actively looking for opportunities to deepen the connections between research conducted by their faculty and its impact on community health, prosperity, and well-being. I sat down with Kornelia Tancheva, Hillman University Librarian and Director of the University Library System at the University of Pittsburgh, to glean her insights into the role of research libraries in public-impact knowledge creation.

To celebrate the joys of reading, browsing, and discovering new titles and to learn from our colleagues practicing readers’ advisory service in bookstores, LJ talks with Ken Concepcion, owner of Now Serving, a cookbook and culinary shop in Los Angeles, CA. He discusses current cookbook trends and how Now Serving selects titles and offers a list of titles to hand-sell.

The article linked below was published today by Nature. Title Reimagining Research Papers as Interactive and Reliable AI Agents Authors Jiacheng Miao Stanford University Joe R. Davis Stanford University Yaohui Zhang Stanford University Jonathan K. Pritchard Stanford University James Zou Stanford University Source Nature 16 September 2026 DOI: 10.1038/s41586-026-11044-y Abstract Here we introduce Paper2Agent, an […]

The post Reimagining Research Papers as Interactive and Reliable AI Agents (New Journal Article) appeared first on Library Journal infoDOCKET.

From an International Panel on the Information Environment (IPIE) Release: Three in four experts on the global information environment now expect conditions in their country of expertise to worsen over the coming year, according to a new survey from the International Panel on the Information Environment (IPIE). This is the highest level of pessimism recorded […]

The post New Report: Expert Pessimism About the World’s Information Environment Hits Record High, New International Panel on the Information Environment (IPIE) Survey Finds appeared first on Library Journal infoDOCKET.

The article linked below was recently published by the Journal of Intellectual Freedom & Privacy. Title Survey of Intellectual Freedom Procedures in the United States Authors Amanda Izenstark University of Rhode Island Jo Knapp Johnson & Wales University David Bernardo Providence College Source Journal of Intellectual Freedom & Privacy (Office for Intellectual Freedom, an Office […]

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From a DPLA Post: We’re excited to share that Cleveland Public Library (CPL) now maintains the digital collection of American cultural heritage. This vital program brings together over 50 million books, photos, maps, videos and more, contributed by more than 6,000 libraries, archives, and museums from across the country, making them discoverable in a single […]

The post DPLA: Cleveland Public Library Takes the Helm of The National Digital Collection appeared first on Library Journal infoDOCKET.

Generative AI triggers a major "information shock"—a fundamental disruption on par with the printing press or digital computer that forces fundamental changes in how we create, store, retrieve, use, and evaluate information. Dave makes the case; Beth and Mike push back.

Information schools are navigating serious structural challenges — including mergers into larger university units and the difficulty of preserving disciplinary identity within administratively complex institutions. The hosts propose that iSchools come together to collectively address the organizational challenge along with curriculum, leadership, and integration of AI issues.

Libraries aspire to be a place where everyone belongs — but what does that commitment look like today when it is being both tested and expanded? In this episode, we explore how libraries are redefining sanctuary: partnering with nonprofits and social service agencies, navigating uncertain immigration policy, and balancing the needs of the most vulnerable with maintaining a welcoming and safe space for families and the broader community.

When I was growing up, way back in the 1950s, Miss Whitehead, the children’s librarian at the Parkman branch of the Detroit Public Library, had a permanent display that she stocked with a rotating collection of books. She called it “Oldies but Goodies.” Much as I loved shiny new books, I found some of my best reading in that display and have never lost my great affection for what we now call backlist titles. Here are five of my favorite oldies but goodies.

Library Journal began 150 years ago, with reviews in the very first issue. Over a century and a half, what the review section was called and how and what it covered changed, tracking the needs and interests of librarians. In celebration of the Book Review’s work across thousands upon thousands of reviews and in acknowledgement of the panoply of reviewers who wrote them, we invited four collection development librarians, each with review experience, to discuss the art, craft, use, and importance of book reviews.

This month, we feature literary fiction, novels in which the author’s aesthetic undertaking and thematic point are central to both the artistic creation and the reading experience. These books invite readers to pay attention to the craft of writing and ask them to experience the story by engaging with its social, artistic, and philosophical meanings. 

Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult is the top holds title of the week. LibraryReads and Library Journal offer read-alikes for patrons waiting to read this buzziest book.