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Articles on Public libraries

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As the pandemic continues to pose new challenges, libraries are finding ways to better meet the needs of their communities. Klaus Vedfelt/DigitalVision via GettyImages

Being a librarian isn’t just about books – it’s about helping everyone get access to information and resources

A scholar of literature for children and young adults shares her insights on how to better connect children with literature and libraries with their communities.
The Los Angeles Regional Food Bank held a distribution event at the LA county library’s headquarters on Jan. 22, 2021. Brittany Murray/MediaNews Group via Long Beach Press-Telegram via Getty Images

Why more public libraries are doubling as food distribution hubs

These efforts are growing due to the coronavirus pandemic. They involve partnerships with school districts, food banks and other institutions.
Nikki Luman works part-time for a public library in Sycamore, Ohio. AP Photo/Tony Dejak

143,518 US public library workers are keeping their communities informed, connected and engaged – but their jobs may be at risk

During economic downturns, local governments tend to cut spending on libraries, even as the need for their services grows.
Public libraries can use their status as community hubs to engage the public in scenario planning for the future. Mosman Library/Flickr

How public libraries can help prepare us for the future

We commonly think of libraries as repositories of knowledge accumulated over centuries. But the public library also connects people in ways that can enable communities to plan for their future.
China’s five-storey Tianjin Binhai Library occupies an area of 33,700 square metres with floor-to-ceiling bookshelves which can contain up to 1.2 million books. Roman Pilipey

Friday essay: the library – humanist ideal, social glue and now, tourism hotspot

In our world of pervasive consumerism, libraries continue to be founded on humanism. Their core purpose as accessible places is vital – yet they are also now popular tourist destinations.
The State Library in Victoria illustrates that libraries are so much more than just places that contain books. from shutterstock.com

Technology hasn’t killed public libraries – it’s inspired them to transform and stay relevant

In the digital age, libraries got creative about how to translate services they’ve always offered into new formats. And they’ve transformed their spaces to have a variety of community uses.
There are many ways the not-for-profit GLAM sector - public galleries, libraries, archives and museums - could be protected from potential copyright damages claims. from www.shutterstock.com

Why the not-for-profit cultural sector needs tailor-made copyright safe harbours

Australia’s plan to extend ISP ‘safe harbour’ copyright immunities to cultural institutions avoids more nuanced thinking about the nature and social value of culture, art and education.
The much heralded ‘death of the book’ has nothing to do with the death of reading or writing. It is about a radical transformation in reading practices. Marcella Cheng/NY-CC-BD

Essays On Air: Why libraries can and must change

Essays On Air: Why libraries can and must change The Conversation, CC BY23.3 MB (download)
The much heralded 'death of the book' has nothing to do with the death of reading or writing. It's about a radical transformation in reading practices, as explained in this episode of Essays On Air.
New technologies are taking books and libraries to places that are, as yet, unimaginable. Shutterstock

Friday essay: why libraries can and must change

The history of the library is replete with mechanical marvels. More than collections of books, libraries are social, cultural and technological institutions that house the very idea of a society.
Unstacked allows us to see what others’ are searching for among the 6 million items in the State Library of NSW’s collection. Unstacked/the State Library of NSW

Unstacked: revealing the hidden gems of the State Library of NSW

A new website allows you to see what other people search for in the State Library of NSW’s vast collection of artefacts – and discover things you’d never think to look up in the first place.

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