In 1953 Hungarian architect and furniture designer Marcel Breuer designed the Grosse Pointe Central Library in Detroit. From the Detroit Free Press article:Getting Breuer to design the library in the Pointes was considered a coup. He crafted a small but elegant structure, two stories tall, with a front façade that was partly unadorned brick to echo the traditions of Grosse Pointe building materials, and partly a series of tall windows that created a transparency inside and out.In 2007 the" community's library board plans to demolish the Grosse Pointe Central Library and replace it with a newer, bigger structure"No renovation, no...
I Love Libraries
That is the title of a web initiative being undertaken by the American Library Association (ALA). It will be a portal for library advocacy and be available through the ALA website and I believe will be able to be accessed through all member websites.I sat in on a focus group held during the mid-winter meeting. Though in its early stages the concept is a good one and if executed successfully will be an asset to our libraries.The highlight: listening to the feedback from a few members of the ALA emerging leaders program who were in the focus group. They were...
Libraries Need Computers – Libraries Need the Gates Foundation
The first shower of news from the ALA Mid-winter Meetings here is in Seattle was the Gates Foundation pledging another 5 years of support so "public libraries serving low-income communities continue to provide free, high-quality computer and Internet services and training to their communities".Some interesting numbers from the release:-14 million people rely on library computers to further their education, look for work and to get health and government information.-almost 40 percent of Americans are still lacking Internet access at home.-the Gates Foundations has contributed over $325 million to date to library technology initiatives to overcome the "digital divide"Our hats go...
The Model Librarian
Talk about special collections.I am not sure if they have any fashion shows scheduled for the American Library Association mid-winter meetings which kick off here in Seattle today.But here is one we came across featuring the Librarians from Sweden.What a cool looking library.Thanks to blog of the Kenyon Review lead
Here Come the Librarians!
If you don't see your favorite librarian in the next couple of days there is a good chance he or she is here with us in Seattle.Thousands of librarians from all over the country are ascending to the Emerald City for the American Library Association (ALA) mid-winter meeting.The most literate city in America welcomes you to library heaven and we can't wait until you see our new downtown library!There are over 2000 meetings and events and over 100 different discussion groups, covering all the major topics affecting the trade today.There will be book parties and book related events all over...