We celebrate the wondrous activity of reading with this list of 144 titles, books that delighted LJ reviewers, columnists, and editors.

This database includes intuitive tools that help students learn how to approach literary works, make assessments, and formulate arguments. 

Philanthropic foundation Carnegie Corporation of New York on December 9 announced a new $5 million pool of grant funding available for public libraries nationwide. The new initiative—Libraries as Pillars of Education and Democracy—“will help public libraries deliver critical services that promote socioeconomic mobility, civic participation, and social belonging,” according to an announcement. The $5 million will be awarded to 10 to 15 library systems in regions serving 500,000 people or more, with each system receiving up to $500,000 in funding over 24 months.

From a UMass Amherst Announcement: Curtis Brundy has been named of University Libraries, effective April 1. Brundy is currently Associate University Librarian for Scholarly Communications and Collections at Iowa State University. From a Letter to the UMass Community: Curtis comes to UMass Amherst from Iowa State University (ISU), where he has been serving for the […]

From a USRN E-Mail: The U.S. Repository Network (USRN), a joint initiative of SPARC and the Confederation of Open Access Repositories (COAR), just wrapped up its 12-month Discovery Pilot Project to evaluate and improve repository practices at 23 public and private institutions. The project revealed that 15 of the 23 institutions had OAI-PMH harvesting that […]

California Orange Cuts Library Branch Hours in Latest Cost-Cutting Measure (via OC Register) Georgia Cobb County Schools Bans 2 More Books, Including Kidnapping Victim’s Memoir (via WSB-TV) Texas San Antonio Public Library Hires Library Director From Small Pennsylvania Town (via Express News)

The preprint linked below was recently shared on arXiv. Title Towards Best Practices for Open Datasets for LLM Training Authors Stefan Baack, Stella Biderman, Kasia Odrozek, et al. Source via arXiv DOI: 10.48550/arXiv.2501.08365 Abstract Many AI companies are training their large language models (LLMs) on data without the permission of the copyright owners. The permissibility of doing […]

ENSHITTIFICATION. It’s a real thing—the purposeful degradation of the quality in systems in order to maximize profits. And we saw ICT as a boon to society, liberating not oppressing. Sigh. Listen in as we explore enshittification and the implications of all this profit-seeking across all types of information systems.

Dave explores NotebookLM’s podcasting feature. NotebookLM is an AI system from Google that lets you create a workspace around documents that summarizes, creates study guides, and much more. One of the features is creating an “Audio Overview” that transforms your notes and documents into a two person podcast. Dave was impressed, see what you think.

The election is over, and the reactions are emotional and raw. America is still as divided politically and socially as the day before. What’s in store for us as individuals, families and communities? What might the next few years look like for libraries and librarians and those who use and rely on library resources and service?

The Canada Reads 2025 longlist arrives. Poets & Writers publishes its 20th annual look at debut poets. Longlists are announced for the Republic of Consciousness Prize, United States and Canada, which honors books published by small presses. Sustainable Marketing: The Industry’s Role in a Sustainable Future by Paul Randle & Alexis Eyre wins the Leonard L. Berry Marketing Book Award. Harlequin is eliminating its Canary Street Press and Graydon House imprints. Plus, Page to Screen and interviews with Neko Case, Pagan Kennedy, and Charles Baxter.

Kirkus publishes its spring 2025 preview. Mystery Writers of America names Laura Lippman and John Sandford as its Grand Masters for 2025. Matt Bomer will narrate a new audiobook of Hanya Yanagihara’s A Little Life. Melville House plans to publish a paperback version of the Jack Smith report shortly after Donald Trump’s inauguration on Jan. 20. Fantasy Magazine will be relaunched this spring. Plus new title bestsellers and interviews with Mike Mignola, Scott Turow, and Pico Iyer.

Brighten winter by poring over a shelf with books full of green and growing things.

Trying Veganuary or resolving to eat less meat? Here are dozens of new cookbooks to check out.