“…all part of life’s rich tapestry.”

From article in the Guardian.uk, written by Bella Bathurst: “Worksop has a resident book-eater. “We kept noticing that pages had been ripped from some of the books,” says Peter Collins. “Not whole pages, just little bits. It would always be done really neatly, just the tops of the pages. And then we’d see these little [...]

IMPAC Dublin Award Finalists

3 Irish Authors short listed for the 2011 International IMPAC DUBLIN Literary Award. The short list will be confirmed by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Gerry Breen at 11.00am on 12th April 2011 in the Mansion House, Dublin 10 novels have been shortlisted for the International IMPAC DUBLIN Literary Award, from a total of 162 [...]

Happy Drop Everything and Read Day (D.E.A.R.) !

National Drop Everything and Read Day What is National D.E.A.R. Day? D.E.A.R. stands for Drop Everything and Read. National D.E.A.R. Day is a special reading celebration to remind and encourage families to make reading together on a daily basis a family priority. Can I celebrate D.E.A.R. Day on another date? Yes, of course. Every day [...]

Could Online Book Sharing Spell End for Libraries?

From Guardian.co.uk: Could an online booksharing scheme spell the end for the traditional library? A scheme where residents post their own books online to swap, then meet to complete the transaction has worried some library campaigners Testing out Sutton council’s new online bookshare scheme. Photograph: Sarah Lee for the Guardian With more people using the [...]

Librarian Movers and Shakers: Interview Series

For the past decade Library Journal has been honoring librarians who’ve gone above and beyond the call of duty, singling them out via the “Movers and Shakers Award” for their innovation, service and ways they’ve otherwise raised the profile of quality library service. This post is the first in a series of interviews I conducted with the 2011 [...]

Of library catalogs and such

We’ve just switched our library catalog over to Bibliocommons, a much more interactive, 21st century social networking-friendly system than our previous catalog – iBistro. It was rolled out to the public around March 1, but we had time to play with it before the inevitable questions started. And dear reader, I am in love! I’m the [...]

How HarperCollins plans to squeeze libraries

Please keep this in mind when purchasing books. HarperCollins publishers plans to put the screws to libraries regarding use of the publisher’s eBooks. They propose to allow each title only 26 circulations, then charge the library all over again for use of this title. Granted, the second charge will be less, allowing for the paperback issue [...]

In Case You Ever Doubted The Coolness of the Profession

<a href="”

Summer Concert Event: Creole Stomp

Where has the summer gone? The days are already getting shorter. I noticed that last evening at 8:15 p.m., when the sun was already starting to set. There was even a bit of a blissfully cool chill in the evening air, most welcome after all that horrible heat. I’m not sorry to see the summer [...]

Tim Coates – British Public Library Advocate

Unlike the name Nancy Pearl, Tim Coates may not be a name that rings any bells. But for anyone very interested in the fate of public libraries it may be a name to add to your inventory. Here’s a bit from his bio: ” Tim Coates is a former bookseller who has become a well-known [...]