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A man, his camera and the library: Robert Dawson and the American Commons April 8, 2014 – Posted in: Libraries, Photography, public libraries

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…

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The Future For Public Libraries: Specialized Features Not Starbucks March 29, 2014 – Posted in: Libraries, public libraries

My head is still spinning from Panos Mourdoukoutas’ post at Forbes last week suggesting that there should be a Starbucks in every local library. Granted it appeared in Forbes and they slant corporate but it might just be the most near-sighted, wackiest story I have read in some time. Of course he starts out proclaiming his love for his local library but before it’s over he says “Simply put, Starbucks and local libraries supplement each other…

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Holy Library! Quebec church transformed into a house for books March 21, 2014 – Posted in: Libraries, Library Architecture, public libraries

Originally built in 1964 by architect Jean-Marie Roy this church in Quebec has been masterfully transformed into a library by Dan Hanganu & Côté Leahy Cardas Architects. The library has been named after Monique Corriveau a local writer who wrote ten children’s books, one for each of her kids! Enjoy.     Church Converted in Library in Quebec – Fubiz™. photos © Stéphane Groleau

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Library of Congress by the Numbers, 2013 January 26, 2014 – Posted in: Libraries, public libraries

Aerial view of the Thomas Jefferson Building, the oldest structure in the Library of Congress complex The Library of Congress processed 150+ million items and as you will see that is only part of what they accomplished throughout a very active year.  It is mind boggling! Here is what went on at our nations oldest cultural institution in 2013: Responded to more than 636,000 congressional reference requests and delivered to Congress approximately 23,000 volumes from…

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In the Stacks: Leslie Jones at the Boston Public Library December 31, 2013 – Posted in: bookshops, In the Stacks, Photography, public libraries

Gertrude Fisher takes unusual position to read the latest novel of her husband M.S. Merritt. November 26, 1932 Though he worked as staff photographer of  Boston Herald-Traveler from 1917 to 1956 Leslie Jones considered himself more of a camera-man then a photo-journalist. And when all was said and done he had amassed  “a stunning pictorial document of the history of Boston in the 20th century.” The Old Bookstore, Cornhill March 1930 His collection of almost 40,000 negatives…

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