Social Responsibilities Round Table of the American Library Association
“Inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of ‘the beloved community’ in his speech ‘The Birth of a New Age,’ the Folger invites audiences into a space where poetry sparks connection, conversation, and imagination. This season celebrates the power of literary fellowship—welcoming everyone to listen, learn, share, and see the world through new perspectives—and showcases voices that embody King’s enduring legacy of reflection, creativity, and transformative change.”
Mayor Zohran Kwame Mamdani today announced that the Fiscal Year 2027 Executive Budget permanently baselines $31.7 million for New York City’s three public library systems: the Queens Public Library, the Brooklyn Public Library and the New York Public Library.
“Food insecurity is on the rise across Massachusetts, impacting roughly 1.1 million Bay State households, a rate that the Greater Boston Food Bank says is a record and has doubled since 2019.”
Results of last year’s library elections show strong support for existing work, but also caution about new initiatives.
The Library-Based Food Access program is free and operates like a full-service grocery store, providing a rotating selection of meats, fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy and other essential staples.
The Chicago Public Library is the second library system in the nation behind Baltimore, Maryland, to launch the innovative idea, which served over 700 families in its first eight weeks.
Political action committee EveryLibrary has released its 2025 annual impact report, detailing its recent efforts to create pro-library model legislation and encourage coalition-building related to librarianship.
“Patrick Markee spent two decades walking through New York City’s tunnels, armories and intake centers. His book asks: what if homelessness isn’t a personal failing, but the result of policy choices?”
New York City housing advocate Patrick Markee’s new book, Placeless: Homelessness in the New Gilded Age, looks at homelessness through the lens of housing affordability.
“New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) and New York Public Library (NYPL) officials are making good on their promise to add affordable housing atop public libraries sited on city-owned land.”
LEAD Elementary School Librarian Shannon McGovern said, “The [kids] are so excited about getting all of the new books, they’ve been talking about it since the first day I told them.”
More than 40 volunteers from Team Teal and SAP joined nonprofit Access Books Bay Area to refurbish the library at LEAD Elementary school in San Mateo. Volunteers prepared 1,170 books by stamping, alphabetizing, applying bar codes, wrapping, and shelving them.