It came to the Milwaukee Public Library in 1972 from the collection of René Von Schleinitz. It was the only item from his "significant collection of German steins, figurines and genre paintings" to go the library. The rest was donated to the Milwaukee Art Museum, including other images of his featuring readers and scholars. Now the library is seriously considering an offer of $400,000 from an undisclosed party for the painting. It is called Der Bucherworm "The Bookworm" and was painted by Carl Spitzweg around 1853. It is by far Sptizweg's most famous work and has become one of the most well-known biblio-images...
The latest in e-reading: Pay by the page at Total BooX
Total Boox is hoping to make its mark on the e-reading market by offering a new pay as you go model. Think of it as a toll both for e-books and as with most drivers these days you pay for your pass upfront. Here's how it works: If you read 10% of the book you pay 10% of the full retail price, etc. I'm not sure what to make of the tagline - Read Books Rather Than Buy Them - perhaps Buy The Words Not The Books is more appropriate. I'm also a bit skeptical regarding its direct to consumer application since for most books one...
The Most Challenged Books in our Schools and Libraries for 2013
At first glance you might think it was a list of some of the better selling books but these are the top 10 most frequently challenged books at American libraries and schools for 2013. The list is compiled by the American Library Association's Office for Intellectual Freedom and from the over 300 challenges across the country in 2013 these are the top 10. 1. Captain Underpants (series) by Dave Pilkey Reasons: Offensive language, unsuited for age group, violence 2. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison Reasons: Offensive language, sexually explicit, unsuited to age group, violence 3. The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian...
A man, his camera and the library: Robert Dawson and the American Commons
A public library can mean different things to different people. For me, the library offers our best example of the public commons. For many, the library upholds the nineteenth-century belief that the future of democracy is contingent upon an educated citizenry. For others, the library simply means free access to the Internet, or a warm place to take shelter, a chance for an education, or the endless possibilities that jump to life in your imagination the moment you open the cover of a book. - Robert Dawson It is being billed as the most comprehensive visual survey of American libraries ever...
A stone barn is now the library at Cumbria University
Built in 1929 this stone barn used to house the student union at University of Cumbria's Ambleside Campus. Now with the help of John McAslan + Partners the stone barn has been transformed into the campus library. "Informed by the campus's setting in a National Park, the architects endeavored to minimize alterations to the existing barn's stone exterior and added an extension with a pitched roof and large windows overlooking a new courtyard." And it looks like they did a real nice job. ...