vintage photos

Library staff are vital in helping people locate and check out books. Here we see a 1941 image of two different librarians struggling to keep up with the crowd of youngsters at the Brooklyn Public Library’s children’s room.  We wouldn't know how that feels during summer reading, would we?  Check out this beautifully curated collection of vintage library photos from Mental Floss, highlighted in ALA Direct 07/02/14.

books about libraries or librarians

Joelle Herr writes: “All of the library love in preparation for National Library Week got us thinking about our favorite books about libraries and librarians, so we decided to put together a list of them. Featuring cats, bookmobiles, archivists, time travelers, even Dracula—these 15 books will inspire a renewed appreciation for a place that is, in the words of Jamie Ford in his novel The Songs of Willow Frost, like a candy store where everything is free."  Check out the full list here.

sweeping away search history

Molly Wood writes: “Your search history contains some of the most personal information you will ever reveal online: your health, mental state, interests, travel locations, fears, and shopping habits—information most people would want to keep private. Unfortunately, your web searches are carefully tracked and saved in databases. Fortunately, Google, Bing, and smaller companies provide ways to delete a search history or avoid leaving one.” Watch the video (2:27) or read the article.  Originally posted in ALA Direct, 04/09/14.

libraries are dying?

Library built by ex-slaves, Allensworth CA

In honor of National Library Week, CNN featured several stories and photos of libraries across the globe, including Libraries are dying?  Think again.  Take a quick peek at this article, which includes photos of some of the world's top library destinations.  The next time you're on vacation, be sure to visit the local library and see what it has to offer!  (Thanks to Marian for sharing this story).

the white house gets creative

Handmade is the trend right now, and the White House is getting in on the action!  President Obama announced that the White House is planning to hold a Maker Faire later this year, the first ever at 1600 Penn.  A Maker Faire is an event created by Make Magazine to "celebrate arts, crafts, engineering, science projects, and the Do-It-Yourself mindset" (Wikipedia).  Many libraries have Maker Spaces (yep, you guessed it--spaces where you can make stuff), and some even have mini- Maker Faires already (wouldn't that be awesome here in Rowan County?).  Read more about this new trend here on InfoDocket.

break in a hardcover the right way

The folks at LifeHacker bring us insight on how to open a book with Whitson Gordon's recent article, Break in a Hardcover Book (Without Ruining the Spine).  Happy Tuesday everyone!