Tag: public libraries

What Middletown Read: database of historic public library circulation statistics

Ever wondered what people in the 1890s were checking out and reading from their local public libraries? Well thanks to the What Middletown Read project, you can now go online and find out who was visiting the Muncie, Indiana Public Library and what they were reading in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. During Muncie Public Library’s 2003 renovation of…

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LA Times: Shepard Fairey, et al, brighten West Hollywood Public Library

A little bit of good news about public libraries coming out of West Hollywood today. WH will be opening a new public library in October this year and a group of artists are creating street art-style murals for the building. The artists include Shepard Fairey–he of the Obama “Hope” poster and the ubiquitous Andre the Giant “Obey” stickers– and Retna…

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NY Times: Anger as a Private Company Takes Over Libraries

NYTimes.com: As L.S.S.I. Takes Over Libraries, Patrons Can’t Keep Quiet. This is an interesting article from the New York Times about a private company from Maryland that has slowly taken over several public library systems in California, Oregon, Tennessee, and Texas. The article discusses how the Santa Clarita, California City Council recently voted to allow Library Systems & Services (LSSI) to…

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