This new library-in-a-shipping-container plans on using growing Internet access in Africa to create a new model for making available both electronic information and physical books. It’s a conundrum that library advocates have struggled with for years: in many areas in the developing world, libraries run on donations, which means they often end up with irrelevant books that never even get removed from their boxes. People still come to libraries in these places for a quiet place to read and study, but certainly not because of the resources they provide. Recently, a crop of initiatives have launched that aim to make libraries more relevant again. Librii, a project from Libraries Across Africa that’s seeking $50,000 in funding from Kickstarter, is one of them. The project, which began as Librii director David Dewane’s thesis idea at the Rice School of Architecture, bills itself as "a digitally enhanced, community-based, revenue-generating library on the frontiers of broadband connectivity." In simple terms, the founders envision low-cost libraries (a single library in Ghana to start) that take advantage of the burgeoning fiber optic infrastructure in Africa to provide Internet access, curated content, educational programs, and of course, physical books.Read Full Story Continue reading at 'Fast Company'
[ Fast Company | 2013-03-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Author and library campaigner Alan Gibbons has called for Terry Deary (pictured) to debate the... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Moray Council in Scotland has announced the closure of seven libraries as it looks to make... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Library supporters have responded with anger to author Terry Deary"s comments that "... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Broadcaster Joan Bakewell has described library closures in areas including Liverpool and... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Horrible Histories author Terry Deary has broken ranks with the many authors who have spoken out... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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David Carey, president of Hearst Magazines, sat down with AllThingsD's Peter Kafka to kick off Day 2 of D:Dive Into Media here in Dana Point, California, with the interview centering on Carey's take on how digital magazines are working out in a world that seems less and less intrigued by... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2013-02-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Libraries across the country celebrated National Libraries Day on Saturday (9th February), the... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Whether they call themselves publishers or distributors, whether they promise elaborate marketing plans, or the basic production tasks necessary to get an ebook up for sale, there are a growing number of companies selling (and acquiring) backlist books. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-02-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The growing use of libraries by children and young readers has once again been emphasised by... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A library in north London which was occupied by squatters will now be run by volunteers from the... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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In 1948 some 70,000 books were looted from Palestinian libraries by the state of Israel. A new documentary considers their fate and the implications of intellectual occupation. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-02-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Liverpool City Council is considering closing half its libraries as it looks to make another... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Government's official response to the Culture, Media and Sport's Select Committee... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-02-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Google's long had a contentious relationship with France. But it seems the Mountain View-based company has come up with a way to squash that problem: by throwing money at it. Taking to the company's official blog today, Chairman Eric Schmidt announced the creation of a €60 million Digital... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2013-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Brazil's is demanding that every school in the country house a library by 2020. To meet that goal, 128,020 libraries will have to be built—or 39 per day—if the goal it to be met. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2013-01-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Society of Chief Librarians (SCL) has admitted that libraries "must do more with less... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A new research centre at Glasgow university will examine "the changing nature of... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The American Library Association has created a scorecard that asks library workers to grade publishers on the way that they are offering ebooks for lending. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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City of York Council has been given £100,000 by the cabinet office to help it form a mutual... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2013-01-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Midpoint Trade Books has signed a distribution deal with Digital Leaf, a London-based children’s book and app publisher. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2013-01-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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