Menu Close

Articles on Libraries

Displaying 81 - 100 of 125 articles

Hurricane Maria denuded forests in Puerto Rico, revealing once-hidden homes and communities. A graffiti-sprayed saying is now popping up across the island, noting that “Behind the trees live people.” Lucas Jackson/Reuters

I’m a librarian in Puerto Rico, and this is my Hurricane Maria survival story

A Puerto Rican librarian with a personal relationship to hurricanes describes the brutal reality of life on this Caribbean island more than a month after Maria and Irma left their mark.
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.
How can students think critically about information in today’s age? UBC Library Communications/flickr

The challenge facing libraries in an era of fake news

Since the 19th century academic librarians have helped students navigate the complex world of information. In today’s unpredictable information environment, how might they rethink their role?
E-books are likely to reach 20% of library holdings by 2020, but writers aren’t receiving renumeration from these sources. Is this changing any time soon? Picjumbo

Should writers be paid for their e-books lent by libraries?

When you borrow a paper book from a library, authors get a small royalty, which is their second most important source of income. Yet if you borrowed an e-book tomorrow, the author would get nothing.
Australia’s librarians are a vital component of our research institutions. Shutterstock

A library without librarians is a just a shed full of books

The research libraries attached to Australia’s art galleries are one of the nation’s great cultural assets. But the National Gallery of Australia’s library is losing crucial staff as ‘efficiency dividends’ hit home.
The National Library of Australia safeguards one of Australia’s most important living archives. Paul Hagon

Treasure Trove: why defunding Trove leaves Australia poorer

Australia has one of the world’s best reference libraries, available freely to anyone with an internet connection. Severe funding cuts will cripple Trove’s capacity – and that should worry everyone.
Banned Books Week highlights books that have been challenged or permanently removed from library shelves. 'Shelves' via www.shutterstock.com

How do libraries get away with banning books?

While legal precedent makes banning books difficult, it still happens.
Since 1982, over 11,000 books have been challenged by individuals seeking to have them banned from schools or libraries. 'Book' via www.shutterstock.com

I’m a librarian who banned a book. Here’s why.

When only six people showed up for a panel designed to raise awareness of banned books, the pot needed to be stirred a bit.

Top contributors

More