jessamyn

history vs accesibility, one town’s problem

Is removing a stacks wing to make a public library more accessible the same as turning a church into condos? A storm is brewing over the Amesbury Public Library in Massachusetts.

The Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners has kept a list of libraries around the state that have destroyed or altered their stack wings to improve their buildings. The commission has endorsed these demolitions because they have allowed libraries to provide access to the disabled, meet earthquake codes, eliminate fire liabilities, and use limited sites more effectively. [linkoday]

nudes!

Posted on 02Aug04 by jessamyn

The American Nudist Research Library turns 25 this year. See also the Toni Egbert Naturist Law Library.

Live nudes would seem to provide more reliably strong effects than photographs of nudes. The American Nudist Research Library has nudes of both varieties, a bounty that should be of interest to scientists. And it may be instructive to librarians elsewhere who lament that people don’t visit libraries the way they used to.

thank you, nancy pearl

Posted on 02Aug04 by jessamyn

Nancy Pearl retires from Seattle Public Library this week to spend more time reading, and other things.

the decline in reading, another take

Posted on 02Aug0410May06 by jessamyn

The Christian Science Monitor takes on the media conclusions to the NEA “reading in crisis” report, finding some other folks to place the blame on.

Publishers and writers can blame TV, the Internet, and the media all they want, but the problem lies squarely with them. They need to activate their marketing and literary imagination in order to promote their books, as well as the act of reading, in new ways. They, more than anyone, need to be organized keepers of the reading flame.

voting programming @ your library

Posted on 02Aug04 by jessamyn

Incidentally, one of the things I took away from the DNC was the importance of stressing the importance of voting, especially local voting. While I’m pretty critical of the ALA’s register to vote @ your library campaign — which should be called the “print out and mail this form at your own expense but only if you have an email address, otherwise you’re completely SOL @ your library” campaign — there are local elections where voting makes a huge difference and apathy can cost you money, no two ways about it. Pop Goes the Library has some good program ideas for mixing pop culture and democracy at your library.

Election years have unlimited potential for library programming ideas. From displays of books on the electoral & campaign process to town hall meetings to voter registration drives, libraries have the opportunity every few years to play an active role in being a go-to informational clearinghouse for voters.