Librarysoul

Although I’ve been in the profession only a decade, I’ve seen plenty of hyped-up ideas cycle through over the years. In 2006, every library had to have a blog. By 2008, every library had to have a Facebook page and a gaming program or collection. Right now, makerspaces are all the rage. And by 2014 it’ll be something else. These things aren’t necessarily bad. In many cases, they’re quite good and useful, and they point libraries in positive directions. However, hype can also blind librarians to what is a right fit for their institutions.

Cllr Roxanne Mashari ousted Cllr James Powney to become the new lead member for environment and neighbourhoods

In what could be its most radical makeover in a century, the State Library will be transformed from a mere repository of books into a hot-wired hub of the digital age. Mark Baker reports.

By: Patrick Gill Dear Michael Rosenblum, You recently wrote an article for the Huffinton Post Media section asking “What’s a Library?” Though you proceeded to write about the death of libraries, I ...

As librarians, we know the value of our community services, and our patrons appreciate their importance as well. But in an increasingly digital world, we see the role of libraries as community and cultural centers at times undervalued, and occasionally under fire. When shrinking municipal budgets combine with the nonstop technological revolution, public library services that focus on building community face-to-face, inspiring and educating patrons about art, literature, and music, and helping patrons engage in civil discourse can seem quaint. But it is precisely those shrinking budgets and the onslaught of technologically mediated life that make public libraries’ cultural and community offerings more important than ever....

Editor's note:  The following post was written by Professor Jill Hurst-Wahl and Matthew Gunby, recent graduate of the LIS degree program at the iSchool. The current conversation around the value of...

The New York Public Library’s newest branch is going to sparkle like fine crystal.The W. 53rd St. center will be an airy, vibrant structure with multiple public spaces, modern computer labs, an audio-video collection, and walls of books, library officials said Monday as they unveiled new renderings of the three-story facility designed by Enrique Norten’s TEN Arquitectos.Meanwhile, the city is sucking dry its existing libraries.

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The Donnell branch of the New York Public Library has been reconceived to fit at the base of a high-rise hotel and designed to emphasize places to congregate rather than those for books.

Two separate incidents made me a little bit sad over the last couple weeks.

If you read this space with any frequency, you'll know that Flavorwire is perhaps unnaturally fond of the beautiful library. Recently, Book Riot mused over which Doctor Who library is the best -- o...

This is a longer read than usual, but here is the text and some of the images from the keynote address I gave at The Acquisitions Institute 2013.  The slides are available too (PPT downlo...

By the 1900's libraries will be dead. Discover why!

"Moving Past the Deficit Model and Demonstrating Our Worth" Texas Library Association Annual Conference. Fort Worth, TX (via Skype). Abstract: Our communities, be they an academy or a city, are not...

San Juan Capistrano’s new librarian has the know-how to take on a changing library landscape By Brian Park It’s no small task replacing a local legend, but that’s exactly what San Juan Capistrano’s...

Libraries: the Best Bang for Your Buck (via Observer-Dispatch) Recently an Observer-Dispatch editorial noted that: the public library …. is a treasure. We...