Category Archives: Libraries
Birth of the American Library Association
Today in 1876, during the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia, 103 librarians, 90 men and 13 women, responded to a call for a “Convention of Librarians” to be held October 4-6 at the Historical Society of Pennsylvania. At the end of … Continue reading
Posted in Libraries, This day in information
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Little Free Libraries Around the World
From the Boston Globe: The emergence of the “Little Free Library” demonstrates not just the agility of individuals, but the stiff-jointed hoariness of government. Even as public libraries and their advocates bemoan their increasing irrelevance in a digital culture, they … Continue reading
Posted in Books, Libraries
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How Librarians Reacted and Adapted to Google
Librarians went through four stages on the way to embracing the internet, say researchers. The four-step transition begins with librarians “dismissing the technology as something that wasn’t going to spread and be widely used,” says Andrew J. Nelson, professor of management … Continue reading
Posted in Google, Internet, Libraries, Search
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The Google Libray
Source: Google’s Best Perk: The Library in Building 42
Posted in Books, Google, Libraries
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New York Public Library Dedicated
Today in 1911, the New York Public Library was officially dedicated. The ceremony was presided over by President William Howard Taft and was attended by Governor John Alden Dix and Mayor William J. Gaynor. The following morning, New York’s very public … Continue reading
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World Digital Library Launched
Today in 2009, The World Digital Library was launched. From the the library’s website: “U.S. Librarian of Congress James H. Billington proposed the establishment of the WDL in a speech to the U.S. National Commission for UNESCO in June 2005. The basic … Continue reading
Posted in Digitization, Libraries, Maps, This day in information
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The Digital Public Library of America Launched
The Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) brings together the riches of America’s libraries, archives, and museums, and makes them freely available to the world. It strives to contain the full breadth of human expression, from the written word, to … Continue reading
Posted in Digitization, Libraries, Preservation
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Preserving and Digitizing Timbuktu’s Medieval Manuscripts
Sarah Laskow in The Boston Globe: Though today Timbuktu is a remote and dusty city of 54,000 at the edge of the Sahara, 500 years ago it was a major commercial crossroads and a great center for scholarship. Copied onto … Continue reading
Posted in Digitization, Libraries, Preservation
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The Future of Liabraries (Infographic)
“The internet has already had a major impact on how people find and access information, and now the rising popularity of e-books is helping transform Americans’ reading habits. In this changing landscape, public libraries are trying to adjust their services … Continue reading
Posted in Forecasts, Infographics, Libraries, Predictions, Quotes, Stats
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Why Does Timbuktu Matter?
“Timbuktu sits on the edge of Saharan desert. It was a trading entrepôt in the age when the camel was the only means of transport and it became a centre of commerce in the region; trade in books come to … Continue reading
Posted in Knowledge compilations, Libraries, Preservation
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The Story of Information 