In The News

The Queue: Library News for the Week Ending January 2, 2026

Among the headlines this week: a librarian's take on the race to make digital books available to AI, but not readers; 'American Libraries' shares its year in review; a pre-filed bill in Alabama has library advocates concerned; and a look back at Dolly Parton's Imagination Library over the years.

Happy New Year! With the holiday this week, this news roundup is predictably light. Nevertheless, I found librarian Monica Westin's thoughtful piece, The Dream of the Universal Library for Asterisk Magazine to be an excellent kickoff to a new year in which discussions around AI and digital access to books will no doubt feature prominently.

Westin looks back at the litigation over Google Books and the Internet Archive's Open Library in context with the current AI gold rush, questioning why the digital reading environment has turned out to be so complicated.

"These lawsuits on fair use exceptions to core copyright law remain the dominant frame for public conversations about digital book access. But it’s the wrong way to think about it," Westin writes. "We don’t have to overhaul copyright law, or parameters of fair use, to solve the problem of access to most digitized books. We do need a practical framework to make them available through new licensing exceptions and governance in cases where they are commercially unavailable."

It's a discussion that needs to be advanced in 2026, Westin concludes, especially as authors and publishers look to license their works for AI training.

"Just this September, Anthropic agreed to pay $1.5 billion to authors and publishers after a judge found it illegally downloaded millions of copyrighted books from pirate libraries like Library Genesis," she points out. "If we can negotiate grand bargains to keep feeding the machines books, surely we can design a rational, lean, humane license that lets living, breathing readers borrow a digital copy of a work that they can’t buy."

A Canadian Perspective on the Rising Cost of Library Ebooks

On the subject of digital reading, from western Canada, the Times Colonist reports on the growing cost of licensing digital content, and the bind it puts libraries in.

"Libraries across Vancouver Island are finding it harder to make ends meet as usage of digital collections—which can cost libraries up to five times as much as a physical book to maintain—continues to increase," the report notes, adding that digital circulation has increased by 49% since 2021 at the Greater Victoria Public Library system. But despite long waits on the holds list for digital content, Susan Kim, a GVPL board trustee, told the outlet that she doesn’t want people to be "pressured out of borrowing ebooks" from the library. "We would never want to discourage or limit e-reading or e-listening—supporting literacy in all its forms is central to our role as a public library,” she said.

American Libraries Looks Back at 2025

Amid the slew of year-in-review articles (including our own) American Libraries editor and publisher Sanhita Sinharoy shares an excellent "recap of news that shaped a tumultuous year for libraries and library workers."

Book Riot Recaps the Year in 'Literary Activism'

Over at Book Riot, Kelly Jensen leads off her weekly censorship news column with a look back at the year's top 'Literary Activism' stories, pulled from "the top 750 posts on Book Riot for the year" and "organized around themes."

New York Governor Apparently Vetoed Her State's Freedom to Read Bill Because It Would Have Confused People

As Words & Money reported on December 23, New York Governor Kathy Hochul vetoed the state's Freedom to Read bill. In subsequent reporting, we now know a little more about why, although very little. "Hochul wrote in a veto memo that school librarians already have a considerable degree of control over what their libraries contain, and they currently cannot restrict access to books just because school officials disagree with their content," according to City & State New York. (News flash: yes, actually, they can). "She also said the state previously issued guidance about curating widely representative materials, so Hochul expressed concern the bill 'will do more to confuse than to clarify' the obligations of librarians."

Report: Louisiana Libraries Saw Increased Usage in 2024

Via the Gonzales Weekly Citizen, Louisiana libraries saw usage growth in 2024, according to the 2024 edition of Public Libraries in Louisiana: Statistical Report, which compiles usage and operational data from the state’s 68 public library systems. "Physical visits to public library locations increased by 8.56% in 2024, with total visits reaching 11,293,808. That represents an increase of nearly 891,000 visits from 2023 and more than 4.6 million visits compared with 2020, during the height of the pandemic," the report notes.

Librarian and Freedom to Read Advocate Amanda Jones is a Finalist for 'Louisianan of the Year'

Nola.com reports that librarian and freedom to read advocate Amanda Jones has landed yet another honor: Louisianan of the Year. "Libraries have become an unlikely flashpoint in the culture wars in recent years, and librarians have borne the brunt of some vicious attacks. But one Livingston Parish librarian decided she wasn’t going to let supporters of book bans take control of the narrative. And in 2025, she won a rare court victory," Nola.com reports. "For standing up against censorship and in defense of librarians everywhere, Amanda Jones is a finalist for Louisianan of the Year." Bravo.

More on Life After Baker & Taylor

News on 6 in Tulsa, Oklahoma reports on the transition local libraries are undergoing after the collapse of Baker & Taylor. “In 2025, we purchased about 115,000 books. Half of those came from Baker and Taylor. Baker and Taylor is closing down. So we switched to a new vendor. But they are managing a really big transition,” Library Public Relations Manager Toni Allen told the station. “So it will be a little bit of a slowdown, processing books, getting new books on shelves.” As we've seen in other reports, the library is urging patience.

Concerns Over Looming Alabama Library Legislation

From local affiliate WBMA, a piece of library legislation looming in 2026 is generating concern. "Senate Bill 26, a pre-filed bill in Alabama, is stirring debate over its potential impact on local libraries. The bill proposes to give county and municipal governing bodies increased control over library boards, allowing board members to be removed at any time by a two-thirds vote. Additionally, library boards would be required to submit an annual report to state leaders detailing board membership and any actions taken to review or remove materials from collections," the report states. "However, opponents warn it could lead to censorship by influencing which books remain on library shelves."

And Finally This Week...

Dolly Parton is a national treasure. And this pictorial from the Knoxville News Sentinel of her Imagination Library program over the years made me smile. Happy new year!