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 ]
A coalition of some 44 public libraries across Washington state is organizing a six-month boycott of Blackstone Publishing's digital audiobooks after the publisher announced last month that it would withhold new release audio titles from libraries for 90 days. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-07-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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S&S officials confirmed that as of August 1, public libraries will be able to license S&S e-books for two-year terms, on a one copy/one user model, with most “new release” e-books priced between $38.99 and $52.99. Previously, S&S e-books were sold on one-year licenses, though at a... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-07-01 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The libraries cited unsustainable costs in ending the service. Cinephiles took to social media with their reactions. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2019-06-24 23:21:19 UTC ]
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If you want to get Susan Orlean riled up, just ask her about the economist who suggested the government could eliminate public libraries and "save taxpayers lots of money" now that we have Amazon for books and Starbucks as a gathering place. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-06-20 10:00:09 UTC ]
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If you want to get Susan Orlean riled up, just ask her about the economist who suggested the government could eliminate public libraries and “save taxpayers lots of money” now that we have Amazon for books and Starbucks as a gathering place. This modest proposal was published on Forbes.com... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-06-20 10:00:00 UTC ]
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She served on President Obama's Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Continue reading at The Huffington Post
[ The Huffington Post | 2019-05-05 17:50:42 UTC ]
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The Library Campaign (TLC) is appealing to Arts Council England (ACE) for funding and support in recognition that public libraries are “the bedrock of the nation’s entire culture strategy”. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2019-01-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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One man was cited for posting far-right memes on Facebook, railing against immigrants, gays and Muslims and claiming that former President Obama was trying to convert the nation to Islam. The other was admonished multiple times for improper conduct and for making “discourteous, demeaning and... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-09-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Former President Obama has shared his summer reading list, and it shows a drive toward understanding and empathy. Obama posted some of his book recommendations on Facebook on Sunday. The former president praised five books he's enjoyed in the last months, including a novel by a Canadian literary... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-08-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Public libraries should be replaced by Amazon stories, argued Panos Mourdoukoutas in an article published on Forbes’ website Saturday. "At the core, Amazon has provided something better than a local library without the tax fees," wrote Mourdoukoutas, an economics professor at Long Island... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-07-24 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers need to speak up and champion reading in the face of the erosion of the book stock in England’s public libraries, says Tim Coates. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The partnership will make Penn Foster’s extensive library of courses, degree, and certificate programs available to public library patrons nationwide through Baker & Taylor’s Axis 360 platform. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-06-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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President Obama during a news conference in 2012. The former president has shared his recent reading list. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Former President Obama is out of office but he’s keeping up on politics and social issues with the books he’s reading. Obama shared a list of books he's been reading on Facebook on Saturday. The list is long on intellectual nonfiction and short on anything that could be described as a beach read.... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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President Obama during a news conference in 2012. The former president has shared his recent reading list. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2018-06-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The Week in Libraries, May 11, 2018: Among the headlines this week, net neutrality is given one month to live; And it was a good week for public libraries in Ohio. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-05-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Waterstones boss James Daunt has slammed the widespread closure of public libraries as a "disgrace", arguing that the decline will have a damning effect on the future of British society. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2018-01-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Photographer Terry Richardson, whose often risqu images have been featured in A-list fashion magazines as well as in ad campaigns for leading fashion brands, is under investigation by the New York Police Department, according to a report that appears in this morning's Daily News. The paper's... Continue reading at Advertising Age
[ Advertising Age | 2018-01-03 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The $35 hardcover features hundreds of photographs of President Obama plus a foreword by the former president, and Amazon and BN.com report that the book is out-of-stock. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2017-12-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The British Library is leading an 18-month project to determine the possibility of a single digital presence for UK public libraries, backed by more than £260,000 worth of funding. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2017-08-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
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