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 ]
Libraries are increasingly being targeted by local and state legislators and protestors trying to ban books and block LGBTQ content. How is that affecting the people who work in them? Scratch nearly any kind of story—political, social, economic, cultural, and so on—and you’ll find a labor... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2023-04-14 03:00:00 UTC ]
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Officials in Llano County considered closing the entire library system in lieu of returning challenged titles to its shelves. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-04-13 23:55:21 UTC ]
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What states spend the most money on their public libraries and what states see the most use per person? Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-04-06 11:21:40 UTC ]
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Among the week's headlines: bomb threats over Juno Dawson's 'This Book Is Gay' highlight the increasing threat level librarians and teachers are facing; Missouri lawmakers vote to defund the state's public libraries; and PEN America's Nadine Farid Johnson tells Congress that the country is... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Among the week's headlines: Congress passes a 'parental rights' bill; Illinois advances its bill to prohibit book banning; Missouri lawmakers seek to pull funding from public libraries in the state; and Julie Stivers has been named School Library Journal's 2023 School Librarian of the Year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-24 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Data from the IMLS show gate counts and circulation have been falling for more than a decade. U.K.-based library advocate Tim Coates says print books hold the key to reversing the trend. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-03-10 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Amid criticism, Puffin revises its plan to soften some of the language in Roald Dahl's classic works; North Dakota passes a new law that wou ban sexually explicit materials in public libraries; and Library Futures releases a policy paper on digital ownership. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-02-24 05:00:00 UTC ]
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A photo essay celebrating the versatility of public libraries prompted an outpouring of enthusiasm from card-carrying book lovers. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-02-19 10:00:09 UTC ]
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A celebration of community libraries and their expanding role, and a look at the Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Paul Harding. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-02-17 17:56:54 UTC ]
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A Kenyan nonprofit is restoring iconic public libraries, leaving behind a segregated past and turning them into inclusive spaces. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2023-02-04 10:00:30 UTC ]
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Growing up, the library was not just Amanda Oliver’s favorite place but also her “first beloved destination, first embodied center… it was absolutely sacred.” However, soon after Oliver began her career as a librarian at a Title I school and then in the D.C. public library system, she witnessed... Continue reading at Electric Literature
[ Electric Literature | 2023-01-05 12:00:00 UTC ]
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What gets included in public libraries has been discussed more and more these days. Here is why Christmas trees should stay out. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-12-07 11:33:00 UTC ]
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Here are the most popular, in-demand books across US public libraries between July and September 2022. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-11-02 10:39:00 UTC ]
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This week's book censorship news, plus a look at US public libraries declaring themselves upholders of the First Amendment Rights of all. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-10-14 10:40:00 UTC ]
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In a predictable—but nevertheless horrifying—extension of the ongoing wave of book bans across the country (not to mention the bomb threats to a children’s hospital for providing gender-affirming healthcare), Motherboard has reported that at least a dozen public libraries across the country have... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-09-30 16:07:29 UTC ]
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The anonymous messages come as conservatives wage a culture war over events and books with LGBTQ or racial justice themes. Continue reading at HuffPost
[ HuffPost | 2022-09-23 21:22:11 UTC ]
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What public libraries in flooded regions of Missouri and Kentucky are doing for their communities + how you can support them. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-08-16 13:01:51 UTC ]
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The groundbreaking 2022 Urban Library Trauma Study Report looks at trauma, stress, and burnout in public libraries and offer recommendations Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-07-15 14:17:00 UTC ]
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On Saturday, Rogers Communications said it had restored service for the “vast majority” of customers affected by the outage that left many Canadians without access to the internet. “As our services come back online and traffic volumes return to normal, some customers may experience a delay in... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2022-07-09 16:16:23 UTC ]
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A candidate for Massachusetts's Secretary of State is traveling to public libraries to secretly video their Pride displays. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-06-09 14:14:42 UTC ]
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