Houston Public Library appoints first diplomat in residence; Axios, June 2, 2026

 Shafaq Patel , Axios; Houston Public Library appoints first diplomat in residence

"The Houston Public Library announced it is hosting a diplomat in residence, a role library officials say is believed to be the first of its kind at a public library system in the country. 

Why it matters: In the new role, former U.S. Ambassador Chase Untermeyer will help build relationships between the library, Houston's consular corps and international communities and organizations, Nicholas Sawicki, executive director of the Houston Public Library Foundation, tells Axios.

Context: Untermeyer's public service career spans more than five decades, including serving as the U.S. ambassador to Qatar and assistant secretary of the Navy. 

How it works: Sawicki says they're working on programming, but library leaders envision partnerships that could bring international authors, filmmakers, scholars and other global voices to library programming.

Between the lines: The appointment was inspired by diplomat in residence programs commonly found at colleges and universities, Sawicki says.

The position is voluntary, unpaid and is currently a two-year term."

New library branch opening inside Eastwood Mall; WKBN, June 13, 2025

Chelsea Simeon, WKBN; New library branch opening inside Eastwood Mall

[Kip Currier: With lots of heavy news occurring these days, this upbeat story about the opening of a public library branch inside Eastwood Mall in Niles, Ohio is an encouraging surprise today!

I grew up across the state border in nearby Pennsylvania and have many fond memories of family visits to Eastwood Mall where we enjoyed an occasional patty melt or ice cream sundae at the long-closed Sweet William restaurant there. (As this Niles Historical Society account of the mall underscores "Hungry shoppers could stop in Sweet Williams.")

Public libraries and their customers/patrons will increasingly feel the impacts of Trump 2.0 cuts to library services with Trump's abolition of the Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS) that provided fiscal assistance. Many information centers have counted on IMLS grants to help them carry out their service missions. 

Patrons also count on having access to many things at libraries: not just books, but also computers, databases, programs, and much more. So, it's great to see that this new branch library "plans to offer Internet-accessible computers, printers and Wi-Fi for public use, as well as programming for children, teens and adults."

Remember that the next time someone asks what libraries provide or says that libraries aren't needed when so many people today have access to smartphones. Libraries are one of the only things left in this world that are guided by an egalitarian ethos of "Free To The People", just as that saying inscribed at the entrance to the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh continues to remind us.

Keep in mind, too, all the great things that libraries provide "free to the people" the next time you vote. Support candidates who support libraries and the many life-enhancing materials and services that people and communities can access through service-centered, well-maintained libraries.]

[Excerpt]

"Warren-Trumbull County Public Library customers will soon have access to books and other library materials while shopping at the Eastwood Mall.

A new branch — the Eastwood Mall Library — is tentatively scheduled to open Sept. 2 at the mall, according to a news release from W-TCPL. 

The branch will offer access to books, technology and programming for people of all ages at a central, accessible location...

Along with materials available for checkout, the library plans to offer Internet-accessible computers, printers and Wi-Fi for public use, as well as programming for children, teens and adults."