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 ]
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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The Art of Losing (Farrar, Straus and Giroux) by French novelist Alice Zeniter has won the prestigious Dublin Literary Award, a prize which comes with a handsome glass trophy and the world’s largest purse for a single novel published in English—a whopping €100,000. Nominations for the Dublin... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2022-05-24 16:21:57 UTC ]
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Last Thursday's Independent Book Publishers Association's “The Battle for Free Expression: Indie Publishers and Libraries in the Fight Against Censorship.” panel offered insights from digital media, public libraries, academic research, and online education on the rise in book banning. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-04-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
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New legislation in Kentucky gives complete control of public library board appointments to county judge executives. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-04-19 13:08:55 UTC ]
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The poll found that 71% of voters oppose efforts to remove books from public libraries, including majorities of voters across party lines. Furthermore, 74% of parents of public school children expressed “a high degree of confidence” in school librarians to make good decisions about which books... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-03-25 04:00:00 UTC ]
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At Public Libraries Online, Jane Pek discusses her debut novel, The Verifiers, which follows Claudia Lin, an amateur sleuth who investigates the potential suitors of lovelorn New Yorkers. “When I read, above all it’s about becoming invested in the character,” Pek explains. “Once I’m invested,... Continue reading at The Millions
[ The Millions | 2022-03-09 21:30:56 UTC ]
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US public libraries are more popular than ever, but library workers are mostly not paid a livable wage: new research into library data. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-02-09 11:45:00 UTC ]
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Among the most popular books in US public libraries between October and December 2021 were nonfiction about mental health. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-02-04 11:41:00 UTC ]
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In a 25-page brief, Maryland lawyers contend that the AAP is seeking to find a copyright violation where none exists, and reiterated their contention that the state has both the authority and a compelling interest to protect public libraries from "unfair" market practices. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-02-03 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Essay Photo by Miko Guziuk / Unsplash In his newest book, What Is American Literature? (Oxford University Press, 2022), award-winning cultural commentator, translator, and editor Ilan Stavans, the publisher of Restless Books and the Lewis-Sebring... Continue reading at World Literature Today
[ World Literature Today | 2022-02-02 19:59:22 UTC ]
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The pandemic is showing the holes in social safety nets across the U.S., but public libraries aren't the answer to those problems. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2022-01-12 11:42:00 UTC ]
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Leading library service provider OverDrive this week reported that a total of 121 public libraries and consortia across seven countries and from 37 U.S. states surpassed one million digital lends in 2021, a significant jump from 2020, when 102 libraries hit the mark. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-01-12 05:00:00 UTC ]
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