The treasure found in boxes
Vol. 3, Issue 12
“To a bibliophile, there is but one thing better than a box of new books, and that is a box of old ones.” --Will Thomas, “Some Danger Involved”
BOOK NEWS & NOTES
Libraries need help: President Donald Trump issued an executive order last year that intended to dismantle the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), but that effort was stopped by the courts. Although his 2026 budget proposed eliminating all IMLS funding, Congress eventually passed a spending package that restored funding for library programs. The 2027 federal budget, released last week by the White House, proposes cuts to funding for the IMLS and the school library program, Innovative Approaches to Literacy. The American Library Association is again calling on all library and museum patrons to contact their lawmakers in Washington, D.C., and urge them to support federal funding for the nation’s 125,000 libraries and more than 35,000 museums. (American Library Association)
Committed to books: UNESCO has designated Medellín, Colombia, as this year’s World Book Capital. In the past 70 years, Medellín has seen a 542% increase in bookstores. Readers in the city can find books in over 110 bookstores and 25 libraries. “Books tell more than stories. They are a source of creativity and learning. Medellín has become an international reference for urban and cultural transformation, where books and libraries play a crucial role in bringing positive social change,” UNESCO director-general Khaled El-Enany said. Medellín is the 27th city to bear the title of World Book Capital. To date, no U.S. cities have achieved this designation. (UNESCO)
Librarian fired in the Volunteer State: A library board in Tennessee sacked its top librarian last week for refusing to move 132 books about race, gender and sexual orientation from the children’s section to the adults’ section in county libraries. The Rutherford County Library Board claimed the books were inappropriate because they contained LGBTQ+ themes, female empowerment, diversity, witches and social justice. Library system director Luanne James said moving the books would not only violate her and the county residents’ First Amendment rights, but also compromise her professional obligations. In a statement, James said, “Librarians should not be used as a filter for political agendas. I stood up for the right to read, standing for the citizens of Rutherford County. I believe my firing is an unlawful act of viewpoint discrimination. This action hurts library patrons, not just the librarian.” (Nashville Scene and News Channel 5 Nashville)
Booker shortlist is out: The six finalists for the 2026 International Booker Prize were announced last week. The annual award honors a work of fiction that was originally written in a language other than English, translated into English and then published in the U.K. and/or Ireland. The winning author/translator will be announced on May 19 and will split a $66,000 prize. (NPR)
Death by a thousand cuts: For those who don’t work in the media industry, you may not know that more than 3,000 journalism jobs were lost in 2025. One major casualty of these cuts was book coverage. Currently, the only daily newspapers that still provide dedicated book coverage are: The Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune, Financial Times, The Guardian, The Minneapolis Star Tribune, The New York Times Book Review, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal. There are also occasional stories about books in the Los Angeles Times and the New York Post. Even The Associated Press, which syndicates its content to more than 1,300 newspapers and broadcasters, ended its publication of weekly book reviews last year. For authors, this means fewer opportunities to discuss their work with potential readers. And for readers, this means less access to professional book reviews, interviews, trend tracking and analysis. (Book Work)
Stormy weather tomes: With the arrival of spring comes rainy days spent curled up with a good book. If you enjoy reading dark and stormy thrillers, bestselling author Lisa Unger has put together a list of some of her favorites. (The New York Times)
Coppery classics: What is your favorite book with some version of the color “copper” in the title? Let me know here and I’ll create a list for fellow Society members.
Bookmark love: What's between your pages? Take a photo of your bookmark or placeholder and tell me why you love it. Include your name and city/state/country. I may share the image/thoughts in a future issue.
What I’m reading: “Gumshoe” by Rob Leininger, “The Once and Future Queen” by Paula Lafferty, “Meet the Neighbors: Animal Minds and Life in a More-Than-Human World” by Brandon Keim and “Cake: A Slice of British Life” by Andrew Baker
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READER POLL
PREVIOUS POLL
ODDLY TITLED TOMES
25-WORD REVIEWS
Rating System:
* * * * * One of the best books I've read in a while
* * * * A wonderful book, recommended
* * * Good book, worth the read
* * This book was fine, but not my favorite
* This book wasn’t for me
A good winter mystery, “The Sinner” allows its female protagonists to struggle with their personal lives while excelling professionally. I enjoy Gerritsen allowing character growth. --Nikki Clark
Rating: * * * * stars
Dreaming of the perfect garden? Monty Don explains how to create it – or at least the perfect garden for you. Highly recommend the audio version. --Jade Walker
Rating: * * * * 1/2 stars
PUBLIC SERVICE ANNOUNCEMENT
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LITERARY HOLIDAYS
April is: National Card and Letter Writing Month, National Literature Month, National Poetry Month and School Library Month
April 4 is National School Librarian Day
April 5 is National Read a Roadmap Day
April 6 is National Library Day
April 7 is Right to Read Day
April 8 is National Library Workers Day
April 9 is National Library Outreach Day
April 10 is National Bookmobile Day, National Encourage a Young Writer Day, National Poem in Your Pocket Day, Support Teen Literature Day and Take Action for Libraries Day
WRITERLY BIRTHDAYS
April 4 - Maya Angelou, David E. Kelley, Elizabeth Levy, Frank Luther Mott, Thomas Mayne Reid, Johanna Reiss, Pamela Ribon, Robert E. Sherwood, Dan Simmons, William Strachey, Ned Vizzini and Stanley G. Weinbaum
April 5 - Robert Bloch, Allen Ginsberg, Deborah Harkness, Arthur Hailey, Anthony Horowitz and Peter Matthiessen
April 6 - Isaac Asimov, Leigh Bardugo, David Bloom, Florence Van Leer Earle Coates, Idris Davies, Vince Flynn, Edwin Arlington Robinson and Chuck Stone
April 7 - Donald Barthelme, Marjory Stoneman Douglas, Daniel Ellsberg, David Frost, Iris Johansen, Henry Kuttner, Joël Robuchon, Mickey Rose, Walter Winchell and William Wordsworth
April 8 - John Fante, James Herbert, Seymour Hersh, Barbara Kingsolver and Nnedi Okorafor
April 9 - Charles Baudelaire, Joolz Denby, Margaret Peterson Haddix, Sam Harris, Henry Hewes, Ken Kalfus, Joseph Krumgold, Bill Leonard, Leonard W. Levy, Fern Michaels and Carl Perkins
April 10 - David Angell, Stuart Dybek, John M. Ford, Roger Gaillard, David Halberstam, William Hazlitt, Rosemary Hill, Anne Lamott, Margaret Pemberton, Joseph Pulitzer, George William Russell and Paul Theroux
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MOMENT OF GRATITUDE
Thanks to Neil Macc, Unsplash, the American Library Association, Pam Otis, UNESCO, Nashville Scene, News Channel 5 Nashville, Dustin Pace, Instagram, The Booker Prizes, NPR, Literary Hub, Book Work, Silent Book Club, Jason Reynolds, CBS Sunday Morning, YouTube, Lisa Unger, The New York Times, The Written Word, the National Book Foundation, Holidays Calendar, National Today, National Day Calendar, A Wandering Scribbler, Good Good Good, Writers Write, Keeping Up With the Penguins, Brainy Quote, The Literary Lifestyle, Wikipedia, The Joy of Old Books, Canva and Deposit Photos for art and story suggestions. Note: Generative AI was not used during the ideation, creation or publication of this newsletter.
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