Scouts ‘surprised and deeply saddened’ by Hegseth’s proposal to cut ties; The Hill, November 25, 2025

 ELLEN MITCHELL , The Hill; Scouts ‘surprised and deeply saddened’ by Hegseth’s proposal to cut ties

"Scouting America responded on Tuesday to a reported memo from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth seeking to cut ties with the organization, saying it was “surprised and disappointed” by the potential policy change, as the military has given its support to the Scouts since 1937. 

“The Scouting movement has had a strong relationship with our nation’s military going back more than a century,” according to the group. “From the tremendous support of the West Virginia National Guard at our National Jamborees to Scout troops that provide stability for the children of military families deployed around the globe, our nation’s military has walked side-by-side with Scouts for generations.”

It also noted that “an enormous percentage of those in our military academies are Scouts and Eagle Scouts.”

Hegseth is reportedly upset with the group for promoting diversity, equity and inclusion. His memo, first reported by NPR, accuses Scouting America — formerly known as the Boy Scouts of America — of attacking boy-friendly spaces and for being “genderless.” The memo has yet to be sent to Congress.

“The organization once endorsed by President Theodore Roosevelt no longer supports the future of American boys,” Hegseth wrote in the memo."

Rekindling Indigenous Knowledge; U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, November 29, 2024

 Jalyn Williams, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service; Rekindling Indigenous Knowledge

"Following a painful period of westward removals, the Delaware Tribe and Delaware Nation resettled in Oklahoma, and the Stockbridge-Munsee Community resettled in Wisconsin. They are the three federally recognized Lenape Tribal Nations in the United States. 

Partnering to find solutions

Together, the three Tribes resolved to create a fellowship program to provide opportunities for Tribal citizens, particularly young adults, to discover new facets of their heritage by visiting the places their ancestors lived and taking part in immersive educational programming focusing on the ecology and cultural resource management of the Lënapehòkink."

At a routine meeting with agency staff in 2022, Lenape representatives remarked on the difficulty of providing Traditional Ecological Knowledge about land they were removed from generations ago. While a grant from the National Park Service had funded trips for Lenape to visit their ancestral homeland in the Delaware Watershed, that program had been discontinued. 

The Tribes would have to seek a different route to Lënapehòkink...

Fortunately, Ryder directed the Tribes to a new funding source that could help – the America the Beautiful Challenge grant. Administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation in conjunction with the U.S. Department of the Interior and other agency partners, the program encourages applicants to develop diverse, landscape-level projects that showcase cumulative benefits to fish and wildlife, engage with and benefit underserved communities, and connect people with nature.

Ryder and her team provided technical assistance to help the Tribes apply for the grant and in November 2022, they received $723,200 in funding. The grant’s match requirement was covered by a contribution from Native Americans in Philanthropy, a network of Native and non-Native nonprofits, Tribal communities, foundations and community leaders committed to sharing resources in the Native tradition of reciprocity.

Together, the three Tribes resolved to create a fellowship program to provide opportunities for Tribal citizens, particularly young adults, to discover new facets of their heritage by visiting the places their ancestors lived and taking part in immersive educational programming focusing on the ecology and cultural resource management of the Lënapehòkink."

The Maryland library where you can get your blood pressure read; WTOP, October 16, 2023

 John Domen, WTOP; The Maryland library where you can get your blood pressure read

"These days, libraries offer a much wider range of services than just free books and tables to do research at. However, at one Maryland library, you can read a book — and then get a health screening, which is a bit like researching your own health.

The screenings happen every Monday at the Greenbelt Library in Prince George’s County, and are conducted by nursing students.

The library has a blood pressure clinic, connects patrons to community resources like vaccine clinics and hosts health education discussions, according to Sara Chapman, a clinical instructor at the University of Maryland School of Nursing...

This program will run on Mondays through Nov. 13 in Greenbelt, from 11 a.m. until about 3:30 p.m. It then pauses until the spring semester begins. The nurses there are students, after all, and they’re getting credit for their community and public health nursing class.

And while you wouldn’t think that sitting at a hallway table and getting your blood pressure checked is a typical library activity, the hope is that this can be expanded beyond the Greenbelt branch to other libraries around the county.

Quemar Rhoden, the central area director with the Prince George’s County Memorial Library System, said his team is “always trying to be more dynamic with our program offerings” while keeping the community’s needs in mind.

“The library is much more than books. It’s a place where people gather,” Rhoden said. “The community really trusts us. They trust us with some very personal matters, and it’s always our goal to offer more services that meet their needs.”

San Diego Public Library, Father Joe's Villages work to treat addiction with Suboxone; KPBS, October 12, 2023

Thomas Fudge / Science and Technology Reporter

Contributors: Carlos Castillo / Video Journalist,  KPBS; San Diego Public Library, Father Joe's Villages work to treat addiction with Suboxone

"There’s a new partnership aimed at helping people experiencing opioid addiction in San Diego. The School of Social Work at San Diego State University (SDSU) is teaming up with the San Diego Public Library and Father Joe’s Villages to provide access to Suboxone...

By promoting literacy and providing information, the old library mission of public service has evolved. The library has also become a place where those experiencing homelessness use the bathrooms, charge their phones, be dry and safe.

“Libraries have become dynamic and reflexive and respond to the needs of the community in real time as opposed to holding those traditional values and mission, and not expanding and growing with our communities,” said Jennifer Jenkins, deputy director for the San Diego Public Library.

The SDSU project sought to recruit at least 40 people to get Suboxone prescriptions and take it regularly. Urada said she hopes this will be a model for the rest of the library system and perhaps libraries in other states."

Coos Bay Library offers community fridge; The World, October 14, 2023

Bree Laughlin , The World; Coos Bay Library offers community fridge

"Now, Coos Bay Public Library patrons can obtain fresh produce six days a week during the library’s open hours.

Addis and his colleagues at the library partnered with South Coast Food Share and The Beet Food Systems Consortium, which are helping to support the project by providing the fridge and funding for food and operational costs.

The program has been so successful, Addis needs to restock the fridge multiple times per week. He also provides handouts with recipes and the health benefits of certain fruits of vegetables.

“The vast majority of people are just extremely appreciative. People are coming in and it's been getting more popular every day,” he said.

Everyone who enters the library is eligible for free produce. Patrons can ask an employee to unlock the fridge. They will receive the free healthy food items after being asked a few questions (name, address, # of people in household) that will only be used for statistics. The library does not share personal information."

Toledo Public Library to help Public Housing applicants; 13 Action News WTVG, October 13, 2023

 Lily Lowndes, 13 Action News WTVG; Toledo Public Library to help Public Housing applicants

"Allsion Fiscus, the Adult Services coordinator at TLCPL said the library has partnered with the Housing Authority in the past, but in a smaller capacity.

“Especially during COVID we realized that it was really important for the various agencies in the Toledo Lucas County Area to work together,” Fiscus said.

She said partnerships like this help spread resources to the community.

“In this particular instance, we can’t provide the housing, but we can provide the assistance to sign up for the housing,” Fiscus said. “We have our public access computers, we have our librarians, we have people who are trained to help people with technology."

New park to link Carnegie with its library; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 21, 2022

 LINDA WILSON FUOCO, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; New park to link Carnegie with its library

"In 121 years, there has never been a direct and easy way to get from the library high atop a steep hill to the Carnegie business district, below.

Until now.

Steps now meander down the hill, “creating a green space where there was none,” said Maggie Forbes, the library’s executive director. The now-attractive space is expected to be used as an outdoor classroom, a place for children and adults to read and play, and a venue for concerts...

Other Saturday celebrations include caricatures, face painting, crafts and activities with the Attawheed Islamic Center, the Double Dutch Swing Squad and Stage 62 performers. A new Carnegie business, The Dog Stop, is offering prizes...

Since 2003, citizens, organizations and foundations have donated $12 million to bring the library back from the brink of ruination. “Partners” and donors who helped it all happen include the Allegheny, Colcom and Hillman foundations, Heinz Endowments, Carnegie Borough, and the Pennsylvania Conservancy.

CarnegieCarnegie.org has further information. The web name is used to set this library apart from the many buildings operated by the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. The CarnegieCarnegie is a free-standing, independent library, not part of the Pittsburgh Carnegie library system."

Strategic plan focuses on creating diverse community, student success; The Oracle, February 1, 2022

Kellie Murray, The Oracle; Strategic plan focuses on creating diverse community, student success

"The USF Strategic Planning Steering Committee’s five-year plan, to be applied across all campuses, is driven by encouraging student and faculty success, increasing partnerships and diversity in the university community and a strong financial base.

Interim President Rhea Law presented the strategic plan, “In Pursuit of Excellence,” on Jan. 25 to the Florida Board of Governors (BOG), seeking and successfully obtaining unanimous approval. It is set to be implemented July 1. 

The plan consists of five main goals, 22 objectives, 68 measures of success and 131 granular measurements which are set to be completed by 2027, according to Co-Chair of the Strategic Planning Steering Committee Pritish Mukherjee."

Ethics and Guidelines at Vox.com; Vox, December 7, 2018

Vox Staff, Vox; Ethics and Guidelines at Vox.com

"As a part of Vox Media, Vox.com adheres to the Vox Media Editorial Ethics & Guidelines and to the following:

Vox has evolved and will continue to evolve as it builds a portfolio of modern editorial networks and partners across multiple mediums driving the future of journalism and entertainment. However, our commitment to the core values of integrity and passion will never change.

We believe in working with talented people, the judgment of our staff, and the transcendent importance of serving the interests of our audiences. Through the Vox Media editorial guidelines we aim to give our teams clear guidance about what to avoid and the public knowledge of what to expect. Simultaneously, we recognize the impossibility of reducing the complexity of real life to a simple checklist or rulebook and encourage conversation and dialogue with colleagues and supervisors about concrete situations as superior to trying to craft an ethics policy that would address every conceivable dilemma.

As the needs of our newsrooms and audiences change, our guidelines will adapt in kind to ensure that Vox Media’s work is always deserving of our audiences’ trust."

Conspiracy videos? Fake news? Enter Wikipedia, the ‘good cop’ of the Internet; The Washington Post, April 6, 2018

Noam Cohen, The Washington Post; Conspiracy videos? Fake news? Enter Wikipedia, the ‘good cop’ of the Internet

"Although it is hard to argue today that the Internet lacks for self-expression, what with self-publishing tools such as Twitter, Facebook and, yes, YouTube at the ready, it still betrays its roots as a passive, non-collaborative medium. What you create with those easy-to-use publishing tools is automatically licensed for use by for-profit companies, which retain a copy, and the emphasis is on personal expression, not collaboration. There is no YouTube community, but rather a Wild West where harassment and fever-dream conspiracies use up much of the oxygen. (The woman who shot three people at YouTube’s headquartersbefore killing herself on Tuesday was a prolific producer of videos, including ones that accused YouTube of a conspiracy to censor her work and deny her advertising revenue.)

Wikipedia, with its millions of articles created by hundreds of thousands of editors, is the exception. In the past 15 years, Wikipedia has built a system of collaboration and governance that, although hardly perfect, has been robust enough to endure these polarized times."

Jill Bourne: LJ’s 2017 Librarian of the Year; Library Journal, 1/4/17

John N. Berry III, Library Journal; 

Jill Bourne: LJ’s 2017 Librarian of the Year:

"When she arrived to direct California’s San José Public Library (SJPL) in 2013, Jill Bourne faced the effects of years of decimating budget shortfalls and service cuts. The system’s 23 branches had all been built or renovated in a previous and generous capital improvement program, but several of the new buildings were already shuttered. In the rest, hours had been reduced to four days per week. Library use was in a steep decline.

The effectiveness with which Bourne spearheaded her Library Access Strategy, opened the libraries, built new relationships with and support from San José’s civic leadership, and leveraged partnerships and fostered innovation—and is now reaching beyond the library to a new citywide Education and Digital Literacy Initiative—has won over a newly inspired staff and convinced our judges to name her the 2017 LJ Librarian of the Year, sponsored by Baker & Taylor."

PNC Presents--Transforming Pittsburgh, Again; Town Hall Series, Wednesday, 1/27/16 at 6 PM

Town Hall Series: PNC Presents--Transforming Pittsburgh, Again:

"Wednesday, January 27, 2016 - 6:00 - 7:30 p.m.

Venue: Senator John Heinz Regional History Center

Admission Info: Free Event...

Introducing PNC Presents, a new town hall series featuring conversations hosted by the Post-Gazette with the most fascinating people making news in Pittsburgh today. The inaugural event, Transforming Pittsburgh, Again, will welcome Mayor Bill Peduto and a roundtable of Pittsburgh luminaries to explore the future of our city’s revitalization. Audiences will be engaged, enlightened and entertained by the discussion and lively Q&A session.

Register for this event at www.post-gazette.com/pncseries or call at 412-263-1541.

Brought to you by: PNC + Pittsburgh Post-Gazette"

Ann Thornton: Collaboration, Expansion, and Library Cred; Library Journal, 7/6/15

Lisa Peet, Library Journal; Ann Thornton: Collaboration, Expansion, and Library Cred:

"Ann Thornton was appointed as the new university librarian and vice provost of Columbia University in May, replacing university librarian emeritus James Neal upon his retirement. Thornton has a long history with prominent New York City libraries, having previously served for nearly two decades at the New York Public Library (NYPL). Since starting out at NYPL’s Science, Industry, and Business Library as its first public training coordinator in 1996, Thornton has occupied a number of senior leadership positions. Most recently she served as Andrew W. Mellon director, where she was responsible for collection development, preservation, reference and research services, and exhibitions for the system’s four research libraries and 87 branch libraries. Before coming to New York, she worked at the University of Houston Libraries as a systems librarian.

Thornton had been in office just over two weeks when LJ caught up with her to talk about the differences and overlaps between the two renowned New York institutions, and her plans."

Serving Two Masters | Library by Design, Spring 2015; Library Journal, 5/21/15

Ian Chant, Library Journal; Serving Two Masters | Library by Design, Spring 2015:

"Joint-use libraries, especially partnerships between public libraries and colleges, are rare but not unheard of. In an era of belt-tightening, pooling resources with a partner that shares many of your institution’s goals can be a tempting proposition for schools and cities alike. It’s complex, but as seen at the Tidewater Community College/City of ­Virginia Beach Joint-Use Library, opened in 2013, it can also be extremely rewarding.

While their missions are broadly the same, academic and public libraries differ in important details of their practices, from collection development to peak hours of operation. Where populations with varying needs collide, tensions can arise between students seeking study time and families coming for story time. Those differences mean that many such operations, says Virginia Beach Public Library (VBPL) director Eva Poole, don’t live up to their potential, becoming “roommates rather than partners.” That’s just what the staffers at the joint-use building are working to avoid, and the building was designed to make that teamwork easier to accomplish."