On Jan. 11, Rapper Noname Wants You To Register For A Library Card
The independent artist started a book club with the intention of promoting works by authors of color; now she's encouraging community engagement, too.
public libraries
Your Local Library May Have A New Offering In Stock: A Resident Social Worker
Libraries have never been just about books; they're also crucial hubs of community support. Some are even expanding that role, and supporting their librarians, by bringing in trained social workers.
For Remote Communities In Scotland's Outer Hebrides, Mobile Libraries Are A Lifeline
Library vans ply lonely roads and deliver books, including works in Gaelic, to hundreds of isolated residents. Seeing the mobile librarian is sometimes the only human contact they will have for days.
Once Centers Of Soviet Propaganda, Moscow's Libraries Are Having A 'Loud' Revival
"A library can be a loud place," says a city official in charge of Moscow's 400-plus public libraries, which have begun attracting visitors with coffee shops, theater rehearsals and lectures.
Amnesty For Little Book Lovers: New York City Libraries Shelve Kids' Late Fees
On Thursday, the city's public library systems are forgiving fines on overdue materials checked out by readers age 17 and under, reopening library doors to young readers once blocked by unpaid fees.
In Omaha, A Library With No Books Brings Technology To All
The privately funded, $7 million Do Space provides free access to computers, high-end software, 3-D printers, and laser cutters. It's a learning and play space, as well as an office for entrepreneurs.
In The Heart Of Seoul, A Trove Of North Korean Propaganda
Many South Koreans have never heard of it, but a library in Seoul holds a vast collection of North Korean curiosities — textbooks, videos, fiction, even ginseng soap. Much of it can't be checked out.
Norway's National Library Discovers Rare Atlas — With A Little Help From Reddit
The Cedid was one of the first printed atlases from the Muslim world. There were 14 known copies in existence — until a Norwegian reference librarian with a fondness for /r/MapPorn noticed something.
New York Public Library Makes 180,000 High-Res Images Available Online
Maps, posters, manuscripts, sheet music, drawings, photographs, letters, ancient texts: Thousands of items in the public domain are now offered as high-resolution downloads. No library card necessary.
N.H. Public Library Resumes Support Of 'Tor' Internet Anonymizer
Homeland Security had warned the library supporting Tor could allow criminals to move child pornography anonymously. The library voted to continue its support of Tor, saying any freedom brings risk.