Last Monday night, Mark Zuckerberg published a post announcing Facebook's new initiative to bring Internet access to the developing world. The blueprint for internet.org mapped out how Facebook and a host of phone company allies might connect an additional 5 billion people online through more affordable access, increasing data efficiency, and investing in local business infrastructure. It came with a video that depicted IRL social interactions in developing countries, along with a soundtrack cut from a JFK speech and soft, inspirational piano tones. As the Atlantic's Alexis Madrigal deftly pointed out, no one can call this ignoble, or unreasonable, even. Simply put, increased Internet access is a good idea––though the other message Facebook was trying to sell, the one that equated the company with peace and progress, was hokey at best. But there's another facet of Internet access that Internet.org does not address, and that's Internet inequality right at home, in cities that otherwise rank as some of the most "connected" places on the planet. New York City is already well–known for its ample (and growing) income inequality. But on Wednesday, Manhattan borough president Scott Stringer put out a report showing that the city's public schools and libraries vary widely when it comes to its broadband speeds. The report revealed that over 75% of New York City schools had maximum download speeds of 10 megabits per second, 100 times slower than the 2020 goal outlined by President... Continue reading at 'Fast Company'
[ Fast Company | 2013-08-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
Communities secretary Eric Pickles has described worries about the future of public libraries as... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-12-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The launch of a government review into ebook lending in public libraries has been met with a... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-09-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Just as president Obama comes out in favor of gay marriage, a new book takes a close look at American same sex couples, from Walt Whitman to Greta Garbo to Jasper Johns. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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News Corp. Chairman Rupert Murdoch is talking nonsense, according to Google. Murdoch, a Twitter user for only the past several weeks, used the service to fire a barrage of accusations Saturday night against President Obama and Google. Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-01-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Tue, 16/08/2011 - 11:17 The government and local authorities are not fulfilling the statutory duties laid out in the Public Libraries and Museums Act 1964, according to the man who drafted it. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Fri, 05/08/2011 - 12:43 The Women's Institute has launched an e-petition in support of public libraries. The petition calls for the value of libraries to be recognised at both local and national levels and asks the government "to honour both its... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Zinio announced today its partnership with Recorded Books, making thousands of digital magazines accessible in public libraries throughout the US, Canada, Australia and UK. Continue reading at Folio Magazine
[ Folio Magazine | 2011-06-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Bookseller Staff Publication Date: Mon, 06/06/2011 - 08:59 The outgoing Children's Laureate Anthony Browne has warned society "will pay the price in the long term" for closing school and public libraries. In a letter to his successor, Browne urged them to campaign against their... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-06-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Tue, 24/05/2011 - 08:38 Annie Mauger, chief executive of CILIP, is to call on the Women's Institute to campaign for public libraries when she addresses the organisation's annual general meeting in Liverpool on 8th June. The WI, which has a 210,000... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Thu, 12/05/2011 - 09:13 The Crime Writers Association (CWA) is asking each of its members to do at least three events a year for their local library as part of a campaign to support the public library service in the face of widespread cutbacks. "We... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Written By: Benedicte Page Publication Date: Wed, 13/04/2011 - 11:06 Library campaigner Tim Coates called on publishers to get involved in the fight to save public libraries, warning that the 500 currently threatened with closure will be followed by many more without action to protect the... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2011-04-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Beginning in March, ebooks from HarperCollins may be lent by public libraries only 26 times before the license expires. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2011-02-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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