Ken Detzner, Florida’s Secretary of State supports public libraries, calling them “a place of learning, a hub for educational resources, and a community center.” According to an ROI study conducted by the Haas Center for Business Research and Economic Development, University of West Florida, libraries deliver value to the areas they serve by supporting economic … Read more
The Phoenix Public Library has recently launched a seed library at the Harmon Library. This new program allows patrons to check out more than 100 varieties of fruit, vegetable, and perennial seeds with their library cards—three packets at a time. Patrons can “return” seeds by donating what they’ve harvested to the collection. This program joins … Read more
According to “Younger Americans’ Library Habits and Expectations,” a study from the Pew Research Center, younger Americans ages 16 to 29 are much more likely than older Americans to use public libraries. In fact, approximately 60 percent of younger library patrons have done so in the last year vs. 45 percent of those 30 and … Read more
The Newton Free Library is building a database of Boston-area music. It already has some 250 CDs in its collection, available to its patrons and others within the 43 other libraries affiliated with the Minutemen Library Network. “The Newton Free Library is always looking for new ways to connect our patrons with the arts and … Read more
Nationwide, libraries are losing funding, information is streamed into private homes, and increasingly, libraries are becoming static places. Chattanooga, however, is at the forefront of overcoming those challenges. In mid-November, more than 100 library directors and administrators from all over the U.S. kicked off an annual two-day summit hosted by the Library Journal—a gathering whose … Read more
Librarians Without Borders (LWB) originated as a student project of Founder and Co-Executive Director Melanie Sellar, who attended library school at the University of Western Ontario. The organization’s tagline is Putting information in the hands of the world. Now nearly 10 years old, LWB’s mission is to “improve access to information resources regardless of language, geography, or … Read more
Walmart stores are literally everywhere—within easy driving distance for many Americans. But what happens when a Walmart closes? Officials in McAllen, Texas faced this situation and decided to transform the huge empty space into the largest single-floor public library in the U.S. Designers and developers removed walls and ceilings, creating an open and dramatic modern … Read more
Libraries in New York State—like their counterparts across the country—are experimenting with new ways to draw patrons in and engage them in reading, creating, and strengthening their ties to the community. In short, they are working to become more relevant. The Pittsford Public Library, for example, hosts drop-in sessions on mastering the Kindle, the iPad, … Read more
To meet Oklahoma’s demand for services to non-native English speakers, the Oklahoma Department of Libraries (ODL) recently launched a citizenship and immigration pilot project that enables libraries to provide useful information about immigration and citizenship benefits. In collaboration with library-based literacy programs, the project promotes awareness and understanding of citizenship while reinforcing English language skills. … Read more
This series of blogs will summarize and highlight important portions of our recent white paper, The New York City DOE/CUNY Library Collaborative: Bridging the Gap Between High School and College, which you can view here.
Read moreBridging the Gap Between High School & College: Part 3