Book art piece found at the National Library of Scotland Is there a Banksy-style book artist roaming the streets of Scotland? Last month, the book art piece above was found at the National Library of Scotland. It was the fourth piece found since March in a book-friendly location in Scotland. All references are devised from the work of Scottish mystery writer Ian Rankin and include a note professing some book love. First it was the Scottish Poetry Library where a 'poetree' was discovered on a bookshelf. The 'poetree,' comprised of intricately cut pages, had a note attached referencing...
Oregon opens an investigation into those blue book donation boxes
Photo: Randy Rasmussen/The Oregonian The Charitable Activities Section of the Oregon Department of Justice has opened an investigation into Reading Tree and Thrift Recycling Management, the two companies behind many of those blue 'Books for Charity' boxes that have been popping up all around the country. Close to 100 boxes have begun to infest the state of Oregon alone.In late May of 2009 we did a piece on Book Patrol, About Those Blue Book Donation Boxes, outlining the shady nature of these boxes. At the time of the post over 15,000 boxes where in place around the country.We discovered that:51%...
How Green is Your Library?
No matter what steps your library is taking to become greener it will be hard to beat The Grove Library Project in Western Australia. The entire project, designed by architects Cox Howlett + Bailey Woodland, utilized environmentally sustainable design from soup to nuts. Features include:climate-sensitive building design (e.g. thermal maze, in ground heat exchange, double glazing and use of natural lighting);energy and water-efficient fixtures and fittings (e.g. dimmable lighting control and waterless urinals);rainwater harvesting;onsite treatment and reuse of wastewater;renewable energy (solar panels and wind turbine); and stormwater treatment."The aim is not only to generate water and energy savings, but also...
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...
Letters for a New Library
To commemorate, celebrate and promote the opening of the new public library in Troy, Michigan in 1971 children's librarian Marguerite Hart sent letters to a slew of notable figures asking them to "write a letter to the children of Troy about the importance of libraries, and their memories of reading and of books."Hart received 97 letters in return "from individuals who spanned the arts, sciences, and politics across the50 states, Canada, the United Kingdom, India, the Mariana Islands, and American Samoa." From Saul Alinsky to Vincent Price, from Isaac Asimov to the Pope, the letters provide a cultural snapshot of...