"I am obsessed with all the authors in the library of pop culture." - Lady GagaIn her inaugural piece for V Magazine Lady Gaga wants you know that she has done her homework."Glam culture is ultimately rooted in obsession and those of us who are truly devoted and loyal to the lifestyle of glamour are masters of its history. Or, to put it more elegantly, we are librarians." says Gaga.She acknowledges the "tremendous amount of studying" she has done over the years in her "library" that featured "Everything from vintage books and magazines I found at the Strand on 12th...
Obama on Poetry
Here are the President's opening remarks for the celebration of poetry and prose hosted by the President, the first lady and the President's Committee on the Arts and Humanities that took place at the White House on Wednesday night. Clearly, the President understands the cultural importance and value of poetry and it is a partisan shame that it is all overshadowed by the ridiculous controversy stirred up by his opponents.Gerri Willis, a host on the FOX Business Network had this to say of the event "Of all the pressing issues right now, I don't think poetry should be one of...
The Fight for the NYPL: The Next Madison, Wisconsin?
The iconic main branch of the New York Public Library is about to celebrate its 100th birthday. Unfortunately, any celebration will be muted and short-lived as the libray and its supporters brace for the fight of their lives.New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg's latest budget proposes a $40 million cut to the library budget; it is the most severe cuts ever faced by the library in its 100+ year history. And one cannot think of a worse time. For most, the economy is in the tank while for most libraries usage is up across the board.We should consider Libraries a sacred...
On This Day the Nazi’s Burned a lot of Books
May 10, 1933 was a bad day for books. The Nazi's designated the day as the one to burn all the "nation-corrupting books and journals" that existed within Germany. The goal was to rid the country of “un-German spirit."Germans view the "pillar of shame" (Schandpfal), a display of "un-German" books and periodicals mounted on a tree stump in the Cathedral Square in Münster. May 6, 1933. "You are doing the right thing at this midnight hour—to consign to the flames the unclean spirit of the past. This is a great, powerful, and symbolic act. . . . Out of these ashes...
In the Stacks: The National Archives
The National Archives and Records Administration (NARA) is the repository for the documents and materials of the federal government. They only retain about 1-3% of all the material produced by the government but as you can imagine there is some amazing stuff within those walls and, as is the case with all past libraries / collections / archives featured on In The Stacks, one visit is never enough.Poster: "In a War-Torn World, Let Good Books Help You", 1941 - 1945Last week the National Archives announced that they have teamed with five other national archives and five national and international research...