Haruki Murakami's surreal library adventure coupled with Chip Kidd's book design makes for a unforgettable 1-2 punch. The book itself is a knockout. The front cover is comprised of two panels that emanate from the rear cover, fold over and are held together by a tab, '107'. Each panel is illustrated on its verso. A large animal on one, a smile on the other. Animal eye illustration on verso of front panel. Note the flip side of the '107' tab at middle Separate the panels, lift and start reading. A young boy visits the public library on his way home from school...
After helping the Ferguson Public Library we need to go to Philadelphia
Principal Marjorie Neff sits in her school's closed library, which was closed last year due to budget cuts. TOM GRALISH / Staff In one week we have helped raise over $300,000 for the Ferguson Public Library. The outpouring of support has been epic and a wounded community has been guaranteed a safe place to turn to in its time of need. Now we must turn our attention to the public school libraries of West and Southwest Philadelphia. Here in its entirety is an op-ed that ran in the Philadelphia Inquirer last Sunday and it begins like this: "In 1991, there were 176 certified librarians in...
A Parade of Thanksgiving Goodness at the Digital Public Library of America
Thanksgiving Day Raphael Tuck & Sons, 1907 Did you know that over 2400 items related to Thanksgiving reside at the DPLA? From Thanksgiving menu's from hotels and restaurants across this great land to Thanksgiving postcards to images of the fortunate and less fortunate taking part in Thanksgiving day festivities. Here's just a taste of Thanksgiving at the Digital Public Library of America. Enjoy and and have a Happy Thanksgiving! Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, 1932 Photograph by Alexander Alland Japanese Internment Camp - Gila River Relocation Center, Rivers, Arizona. One of the floats in the Thanksgiving day Harvest Festival, 11/26/1942 Annual Presentation...
The Ferguson Public Library as an epicenter of healing
Ferguson is a mess. The schools are closed, part of the town is smoldering, people are angry and justice got away. But the Ferguson Public Library remains open! Since that fateful August day when a trigger-happy police officer forever altered the fate of the town the Ferguson Public Library has been open and has played a significant role in helping the community get back on its feet. From an ABC News story that aired on August 20, 2014 Ferguson Library Becomes Refuge for Adults and Children Amid Strife: Amid all of the strife engulfing Ferguson, Missouri, this month, there is one spot in...
German university unveils what may be the world’s oldest Qur’an
With about 95% certainty the team at the Coranica Project, part of the University of Tübingen, have placed a manuscript of the Qu'ran to between 649-675 AD. Using carbon-14 dating on select samples of the manuscript parchment researchers conclude that the manuscript, which is written in Kufic script, one of the oldest forms of Arabic writing, originated between 20-40 years after the death of Islam’s Prophet Muhammad making it one of the earliest known copies. The Coranica project, is a collaboration between the Académie des Inscriptions et Belles-Lettres Paris and the Berlin-Brandenburgischen Academy of the Sciences and Humanities. It is sponsored by the German Research Foundation (DFG) and...