libraries

a final list of the libraries I’ve been to this week

We’ve been stopping by any library that seemed open as we’ve been on our civil rights tour of Central Alabama. Here is a final list of where I’ve been. ~~I’ll update this to call it a complete list once my trip is over.~~

Pelham Public Library, Pelham, AL
Hoover Public Library, Hoover AL
Richard M. Scrushy Library, Vestavia Hills AL
Birmingham Public Library Central Branch , Birmingham AL
Southside Branch Library, Birmingham, AL
Mervyn H. Sterne Library, UAB, Birmingham AL
Lister Hill library of the Health Sciences, UAB, Birmingham AL
Reynolds Historical Library, UAB, Birmingham AL
Rufus A. Lewis Regional Library, Montgomery AL
Selma Dallas County Library, Selma, AL
Tuscaloosa Public Library, Tuscaloosa, AL
Gorgas Library, UAT, Tuscaloosa, AL
Hoole Special Collections Library, UAT, Tuscaloosa, AL
Rodgers Library for Science and Engineering, UAT, Tuscaloosa, AL
Bounds Law Library, UAT, Tuscaloosa, AL

hive mind and libraries

Posted on 14Dec05 by jessamyn

The Hive Mind: Folksonomies and User-Based Tagging. A pretty impressive first post by a reference librarian. Make sure you read down to the “libraries that tag” part of this essay. Bruce Sterling says “pretty bold word s coming from a librarian.” Huh?

camel bookmobile

Posted on 04Dec0504Dec05 by jessamyn

They Kenyan National Library Service provides a Camel Mobile Library Service to rural and nomadic Kenyans. The Guardian has a longer story. [thanks jenny]

books building bridges

Posted on 30Nov05 by jessamyn

Books Building Bridges is a group of librarians, booksellers, activists and others who use literature and community events as a way of helping bridge the gaps between people in Iraq and the U.S. They create curricula, produce teaching guides and sponsor events among other things. Inspired by the book The Librarian of Basra the self-described “small but intrepid” group is always looking for people to lend a hand, or just to get on board.

Books Building Bridges is a community-building project developed in order to acknowledge and foster a common human desire for learning, authentic connection and a healthy society while transcending political divisions in the United States and the geographic and social distance between the United States and Iraq. Books Building Bridges was inspired by Jeanette Winter’s book, The Librarian of Basra, which chronicles the work of Basra librarian Alia Muhammed Baker who, with her community, saved 30,000 volumes from being destroyed during the current war with Iraq.

jail library group at UW

Posted on 14Nov05 by jessamyn

Speaking of library activism and useful results, I was recently made aware of the Jail Library Group of the University of Wisconsin’s School of Library and Information Science. You can view their slideshow [with its familiar presentation format] to learn more about what they do, from a talk they gave at the WI Library Association conference last month.