Let it be Lowenbrau at the library? Residents of Magdeburg, Germany wanted a library in their economically decimated downtown, so they built one themselves. And made it out 1,000 recycled beer cartons. The project began in response to the closing of the neighborhood's branch library. Faced with high unemployment and an 80% vacancy rate for central city real estate, the community needed a gathering place to maintain civic pride. The pop-up beer carton library was created with the help of a tiny Leipzig firm KARO Architekten. It survived for only two days, but the citizens remained inspired. Downtown dwellers continued...
The Great Art Deco-Designed Brooklyn Central Library In Vintage Photos
Mount Prospect Park, 1939.New [main branch of Brooklyn Public] Library is in [far right] background.Image courtesy of BPL.Brooklyn Public Library in New York City was established in 1896. Between 1901 and 1923, philanthropist Andrew Carnegie donated $1.6 million toward the development of twenty one branches.January 13, 1941. Entrance, Brooklyn Public Library (Ingersoll Memorial),Prospect Park Plaza, New York. Acetate negative by Samuel H. Gottscho.Ground was broken for a Brooklyn central library on Prospect Park Plaza (Grand Army Plaza) in 1912. The design of the original architect, Cornell-educated and Beaux-Arts-trained Raymond Almirall, called for a domed, four-story Beaux Arts abomination. Spiraling cost...
From The Tippy-Top Floor Of The Plaza Hotel to NYPL: Eloise Makes A Move
New York Public Library better ramp up security: a gum chewing six-year-old holy terror is about to take up permanent residence in their archive. Yes, Eloise is prepped and ready to write on the walls and skate down the halls, thanks to the only man who'll ever own up to being her father, illustrator Hilary Knight. On November 3, 2009, Knight donated his personal papers, including sketches for over 60 books, theatrical posters, contracts, and publicity materials to the Library.Knight is the co-creator of Eloise, along with author Kay Thompson. Thompson has long held the spotlight as Eloise's literary mother,...
About That Halloween Book Burning
Well now that Halloween has come and gone Book Patrol wanted to follow up on our previous post regarding the planned Halloween book burning at the The Amazing Grace Baptist Church in Canton, North Carolina.The good news is that book burning never took place. It rained and the police were present. Interestingly enough, as you'll see below, the congregation actually prayed for the rain to come. They also declared that the "Book Burning was a great success." The bad news is that they claim to have destroyed the books anyway.Here is a version of the evening's festivities from someone who...
Book Vandals and the Dust Jackets of Joe Orton
Maury County, TN Library Director Elizabeth Potts shows one of several bookswhich have had “dirty” words marked through. Others have editorial comments added.Library books attacked by censors and vandals have recently been in the news. This is not strictly news; library patrons with blue pens and scissors have been a bane of librarians for centuries.Neatnik Censor Attacks Books NeatlyAccording to the Columbia, Tennessee Daily Herald, someone has been crossing out dirty words in books. Employees at the Maury County (TN) Library are not amused.“It bothers me because nobody is holding a gun to their head making them read these books,”...