“Warwick Free Public Library Full of History:” “Even earlier, when it had a different name and was not yet ‘public,’ the library was housed in the store of William Cobb, who served as librarian for 30 years and died in 1853. Coincidentally, or not, Cobb’s house, just down the street from the library, is now home to the current librarian.
At Woodstock, the audience was the main act: “Another Warwickian, fresh out of high school and working on Wall Street, shared how a co-worker told her he was leaving work early to go to Woodstock and she told him, ‘You’ll be fired.’ He went and was fired.”
“Something for everyone” – “The Complicated Role of the Modern Public Library”: Check out this fascinating article in the current (November) issue of Humanities magazine.
Where Libraries are the Tourist Attractions: “To attract visitors from home and abroad, many libraries have advanced, even quirky amenities. They have rooftop gardens, public parks, verandas, play spaces, teen centers, movie theaters, gaming rooms, art galleries, restaurants and more. The new library in Aarhus, Denmark, has a massive gong that rings whenever a mother in a nearby hospital gives birth” – from the 8-10-19 New York Times.
The Library Land Project: Here’s what happens when two fan(atic)s decide to visit every public library in Massachusetts (Boston Magazine, 4-24-19).
https://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/2019/ 04/24/visit-every-library-massachusetts-library-land/.
A (Visual) History of the American Public Library: A stunning exploration of how a critical piece of social infrastructure came to be, from Citylab (citylab.com).
A great discussion of the powerful role that libraries play in our communities can be found on a 99% Invisible podcast from 3-19-19. The program features Eric Kline, the author of Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life. https://99percentinvisible.org/episode/palaces-for-the-people/
An episode of This American Life from 12-28-18 focuses on ways that public libraries meet very specific needs. Libraries are compared to the Room of Requirement from the Harry Potter series. For you non-Potters out there, the room magically becomes exactly what a young wizard needs when they want it. You can hear the full episode here .
Also worth a listen is the ” The Librarian is LIVE” episode of The Librarian is In! It’s another great discussion on the inherent value of libraries and the social capital they provide for communities.