Public Libraries

‘We’re all hitting the same wall’: Maine’s community libraries seek funds to stay open

http://bangordailynews.com/2014/05/12/news/down-east/maines-community-libraries-seek-funds-t...

“In this tough economy many libraries are working with a lot less financial support but are holding their own,” said Valerie Osborne, a consultant for the Northeastern Maine Library District who works from the Bangor Public Library. “The budget season isn’t over yet, so I suspect we will hear of more cuts in the next six weeks,” she added.

BREAKING: The New York City Flagship Plan is SCRAPPED

From the New York Times:

In a striking about-face, the New York Public Library has abandoned its plan to turn part of its research flagship on 42d Street into a circulating library and instead will renovate the Mid-Manhattan library on Fifth Avenue, several library trustees said.

“When the facts change, the only right thing to do as a public-serving institution is to take a look with fresh eyes and see if there is a way to improve the plans and to stay on budget,” Tony Marx, the library’s president, said Wednesday in an interview.

The renovation, formerly known as the Central Library Plan, would have required eliminating the book stacks under the building’s main reading room and was to have been paid for with $150 million from New York City and the proceeds from the sale of the Mid-Manhattan, at 40th Street, and the Science, Industry and Business Library in the former B. Altman building, on Fifth Avenue at 34th Street.

Teen Makes Robotic Hand for Younger Friend on Library's 3D Printer

Feel good story via American Profile.


Matthew Shields flashes a smile and high-fives Mason Wilde with the prosthetic on his right hand. Born without fingers on that hand, Matthew, 9, now uses his Robohand to open doors, carry books and catch a ball—thanks to Mason, 17, who made the device with a 3-D printer at the Johnson County Library in Overland Park, Kan.

“It definitely made me proud,” says Mason, a junior at Louisburg (Kan.) High School. Matthew’s mother, Jennifer Shields, noticed last fall that her son’s birth defect was making the third-grader self-conscious and affecting him socially. But even with health insurance, the single mother knew she couldn’t afford a professionally made prosthetic.

Researching online, Jennifer found Robohand, the mechanical hand invented by South African carpenter Richard van As, who lost four fingers in a circular saw accident, and theatrical props maker Ivan Owen, in Bellingham, Wash. The pair posted the free digital design last year on thingiverse.com. “I looked at the plans, but had no idea how to do it,” recalls Jennifer, 43.

Her teenaged son Mason, however, eagerly accepted the challenge. A straight-A student who aspires to be an engineer, he previously had read about three-dimensional printer technology. “I downloaded all the files and spent about three hours scaling the hand to fit Matthew,” Mason says.

Happy from a Hungarian Public Library

I suggest you a video: Pharrell Williams: Happy (We are from a Library), made in Bródy Sándor Public Library in Eger, Hungary. Our library is a happy and cheerful place. Check it :) Marianna Zsoldos music librarian http://www.brody.iif.hu

Milwaukee PL to sell famous 'Bookworm' painting by Carl Spitzweg?

From Milwaukee's JSOnline:

"The Milwaukee Public Library board will meet Tuesday to discuss the possible sale or permanent loan of one of its treasures, "The Bookworm," the most famous canvas by German romantic painter Carl Spitzweg.

The board will consider an active offer from an undisclosed party for the work, which is valued at $400,000, said Paula Kiely, director of the Milwaukee Public Library."

Chicago Public Library Unveils its New Website

What do you think of the new website ? Here's the old one.

You can comment below or on their Help Us Improve Our Website page.

New Book: Visual Tour Of America's Most Fascinating Public Libraries

Via Fast Company: In 1994, photographer Robert Dawson began an odds-and-ends project. Whenever he traveled, he'd take pictures of public libraries. Then, a handful of years ago, he started taking trips across the United States just for the libraries--like the shed that served a one-person county in Nebraska, or the Texas library that housed a "petroleum room" with all sorts of George Bush-themed collectibles. He documented everything from a library found in a suburban strip mall to the the air-conditioned institution that functioned more like a refugee camp in sweltering Detroit July.

All told, Dawson journeyed through 48 states, fascinated and inspired by the common role libraries played in society. Libraries, he found, didn't only serve as a refuge for the poor who didn't have any place else to go, but gateways that opened up all corners of the world to anyone inquisitive enough to take a stroll among the shelves. The result is his new book: The Public Library, A Photographic Essay, published by Princeton Architectural Press. ISBN 978-1-61689-217-3. The book includes 150 photos, plus essays by Bill Moyers, Ann Patchett, Anne Lamott, Amy Tan, Barbara Kingsolver, and many more.

Nice slideshow on the author's website.

South Carolina librarians could be doubling as bouncers

http://chronicle.augusta.com/latest-news/2014-04-02/sc-librries-get-tough

Lawmakers are moving forward with an effort to create a tougher legal environment for unwelcome library visitors. On Tuesday, the Senate Judiciary Committee voted 19-0 to advance S. 813, which says someone who refuses to leave a public library after previously being warned is guilty of a misdemeanor.

“I’m very concerned about the safety and the operation of our public library system,” said Sen. Marlon Kimpson, D-Charleston.

“Having said that, I’m also concerned that the public has the right to use to library.”

Boston Public Library...in Lego!

Stop by Boston's Central Library in Copley Square by April 5 to see this Lego masterpiece before it moves to its permanent home at the Legoland Discovery Center in Somerville.

The model is a result of the BPL winning a contest sponsored by Lego. It received more votes than any other landmark in the city.

St. Paul Public Library's Workplace Program

Check out this amazing video from the St. Paul MN Public Library about their Mobile Workplace program. Libraries have a long history of serving their communities by providing access to resources and information. When the St. Paul Public Library saw a growing need for computer and job search skills, it created a new way to bring its community the tools and access they were searching for. The program primarily caters to newcomers of the Somali, Hmong and Karen (Burmese) populations. Hat tip to Stephen Abram Stephen's Lighthouse.

 

 

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