On Politics: Eric Adams' library cuts would sever a vital lifeline

One of the great embarrassments of New York, the richest city in America, is how money can’t be found to keep public libraries open every single day.It is, truly, a matter of priorities. Other far-reaching, progressive policy proposals can come with enormous upfront costs — municipal or statewide single-payer healthcare comes to mind — but there’s really no reason why the city can’t pay to keep libraries open every Saturday and Sunday.Mayor Eric Adams, in his executive budget, has proposed to keep the cuts to the library system that he ordered starting last year. If he has his way — and given his deteriorating relationship with the City Council, he might not — the library system will lose $58.3 million. If the cuts go through, library service citywide would be curtailed to five days a week, according to the presidents of the Brooklyn, Queens, and New York Public Libraries.Since 2015, when Bill de Blasio boosted funding to the library system, six-day service has been the norm. This is not ideal, but it is better than five, which would see crucial weekend service evaporate entirely. Most library branches in the city are already closed on Sunday. Thanks to midyear budget cuts in November, seven-day service — available sparingly before then — is gone. The cuts would also mean delaying the renovations of certain branches.Democrats in the City Council might successfully oppose Adams. This dynamic recalls the “budget dance” that was common during Michael Bloomberg’s mayoralty.... Continue reading at 'Crains New York'

[ Crains New York | 2024-04-29 15:50:14 UTC ]

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Wanted dead or archive: how film-makers repurpose old footage

Werner Herzog did it with Grizzly Man, Adam McKay did it with Vice – from archival libraries to old film canisters from charity shops, the past is waiting to be brought to lifeA child sits on a rock ledge buckling his shoe. The camera zooms towards a mysterious dark shape behind him as the boy... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2020-07-03 09:00:16 UTC ]
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Amazon Prime Video Has the Deepest TV Streaming Library—But Not the Highest Quality One

Buzzy original series may drive attention to streaming services, but the bulk of most major streamers' programming catalogs are their libraries of licensed TV shows. And those licensed titles often account for the highest-quality content available on the service, according to data from streaming... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2020-07-02 10:30:51 UTC ]
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Hilary Leichter: Bookstores Need to Be More Accessible

Drew and Christopher chat with Hilary Leichter in three different Damn Libraries for another first of its kind digital episode—our first Zoom guest! We discuss Hilary’s novel Temporary which leads to talk about things like gig work, her love of pirates, and how the book started as a short story.... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-06-26 09:33:39 UTC ]
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OverDrive to acquire RBmedia library business

OverDrive—the digital learning platform for libraries and schools—has announced it is acquiring RBmedia's library business. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-24 09:38:04 UTC ]
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Attention: Please stop microwaving your library books.

As libraries begin to reopen around the country, patrons are excited to get back to borrowing books—but they’re also still nervous about COVID-19, which is understandable. At least some of them have been “getting creative” in their attempts to protect themselves, prompting at least one public... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-06-23 18:08:53 UTC ]
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Libraries to reopen on 4th July as lockdown eases

Libraries in England will be able to reopen from 4th July as the country's lockdown measures continue to ease, Boris Johnson has announced. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-22 22:02:41 UTC ]
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Librarians and the Power of Social Media

A reader considers how social media has given libraries a new tool for community engagement, outreach, and promotion. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-06-22 10:32:03 UTC ]
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Middle Grade Magic: Great Books for 7th Graders

With most schools and libraries closed across the country closed, parents are left scrambling in a lot of ways: distance ... Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-06-19 10:39:09 UTC ]
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Alphabet partners with local library to deliver books to students

Schools and libraries have been closed for months, but some kids aren’t going to get away with playing video games all summer. Kelly Passek -- a middle school librarian in Montgomery County, Virginia -- is sending out summer reading via drones. After... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2020-06-12 18:18:26 UTC ]
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The Internet Archive is ending the National Emergency Library over lawsuit from publishers.

Internet Archive’s National Emergency Library initiative, which made more than 1.3 million books available online for free, will end early as publishers sue for copyright infringement. The nonprofit began offering free books during March as the coronavirus pandemic forced Americans to quarantine... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-06-12 14:06:26 UTC ]
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Internet Archive Will End Its Program for Free E-Books

The nonprofit has said its National Emergency Library was a public service to people unable to access libraries during the pandemic, but publishers and authors accused it of theft. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2020-06-11 19:56:08 UTC ]
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Libraries Strive to Stay ‘Community Living Rooms’ as They Reopen

Safely lending books is just the beginning. Libraries are figuring out everything from how to remain welcoming spaces to how to respond to changing reader behavior. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2020-06-11 09:00:22 UTC ]
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10 Books Set in Museums

Museums are a lot like libraries and bookstores: quiet, contemplative spaces filled with wondrous objects that can light up your imagination and transport you to a different time and place. Now, like so many other cultural institutions amid the COVID-19 pandemic, most are shuttered for the time... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2020-06-09 11:00:00 UTC ]
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We need to call out the lack of support and erasure of Black British voices

Using terms such as BAME and PoC makes it harder to call out the lack of support and erasure of Black British voices (often working class and male) from festivals, prizes, agencies and organisations set up by non-Black PoC in the name of ‘diversity’ and ‘inclusion’. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-06-09 05:56:06 UTC ]
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What Makes a Good Summer Reading Program?

We're talking to library staff about how libraries are working to plan for summer reading programs despite the limitations caused by a global pandemic. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-06-08 10:33:48 UTC ]
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Authors, Austerity and the UK’s Save Our Libraries Campaign

The UK's Save Our Libraries campaign, spearheaded by librarians and authors, began nearly 10 years ago - but has it achieved its goal of stopping closures? Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2020-06-08 10:31:39 UTC ]
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Libraries Offer Access to Graphic Novels in Pandemic

Facing closures and budget shortfalls, libraries look for new ways to support graphic novels amid the ongoing pandemic. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-06-05 04:00:00 UTC ]
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All By Ourselves

As states push to reopen, many libraries are having to figure out their own way forward. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-06-05 04:00:00 UTC ]
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In the Field: Stopping the Covid Slide

Suzanne Tonini, collection development supervisor for Denver Public Schools, shares how her the city’s public schools and libraries are continuing to meet students’ educational needs amid the pandemic. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-06-05 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Changes Loom as Public Libraries Begin to Reopen

Observers in recent years have argued that if public libraries didn’t already exist in America, we wouldn’t be able to invent them. In the wake of the Covid-19 crisis, the question now is: Can we reinvent them? Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-06-05 04:00:00 UTC ]
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