JULY 26, 2016 10:15 AM
CHRISTINE HINZMANN / PRINCE GEORGE CITIZEN JULY 26, 2016 10:15 AM Mayor Lyn Hall attended the grand opening of the Little Free Library that Jessica Bonin created at the corner of 10th Ave. and McBride Crescent where people are welcome to take a book and leave a book. - Citizen photo by Christine Hinzmann Using an old kitchen cupboard and a few recycled shingles, Jessica Bonin, a teacher librarian at Spruceland Traditional elementary, has opened the first Little Free Library in Prince George on 10th Avenue at the corner of McBride Crescent. Take a book, give a book, it's a chance to swap out your well-loved books for some new-to-you ones. The idea has been about a year and a half in the making for Bonin who said it finally all came together to get things started Monday from 2 to 4 p.m. Mayor Lyn Hall stopped by the grand opening to offer his well wishes and soon will be dropping off a couple of copies of Frozen Flame, a History of the Prince George Fire Department so the books can circulate throughout the neighbourhood. "This is unbelievable and it's good for any neighbourhood because what it does, particularly at this time of year when kids are out of school, kids are always looking for things to do, it's close to a playground and kids are walking by and it gives them a chance to pick up a book," said Hall. "I'd like to see more neighbourhoods do it." During the launch of the Little Free Library, Bonin offered cold water and some mini cupcakes, while a few chairs were strategically placed in the shade so people could browse a book or two before making their choices and a colouring station offered children a chance to make their own bookmarks. Curtis Abriel, a local musician, stopped by with daughter Aubrey, 2, before heading down to the playground. "This is just a fantastic idea," said Abriel. "Aubrey and I read books all the time and once you've read them all it's nice to mix it up and hopefully we can start a network of children's book because it's so important to read to your kids. We've got a little library at our own house and it would be nice to pass along those books we've read enough and get something new to read." The Little Free Library was founded in 2009 in Hudson, Wisconsin by Todd Bol, whose mom taught in a one-room school house. That inspired Bol to fashion all the cabinets he built to house the free books in the likeness of an old school house. He nailed the little library to a fence post at his house and then made more to give away and soon there were Little Free Libraries all over his community. There are now more than 40,000 of them around the world. Bonin said she found the information posted online and soon became enamored with the idea. "It was just time to get it done and I've made a Facebook page called Little Free Libraries of Prince George and I'm hoping more people will do it so eventually we can have pictures of all the cool little libraries that we can celebrate that are all over Prince George," said Bonin. For more information about the movement, visit littlefreelibrary.org Are you having trouble with a certain feature of Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, some other computer application or perhaps a device? Does getting started on downloadable books, movies and magazines seem too much to handle on your own? Do you need a quick tutorial or refresher? If any of these scenarios sound familiar, then the Yankton Community Library’s “Book a Librarian” program is for you! This program allows you to schedule 15 minutes with a library staff member to go over a technology problem you are having or quickly learn a new skill.
This program is designed for people who have mastered the basics of these social media sites and computers but want to expand their knowledge and skill set. It is also for those who want to access more library services through our downloadable items using Zinio, OverDrive, and Recorded Books. Those seeking help will be able to schedule one short session per week and must call at least one day in advance. Please call the library, tell us your specific need, and we’ll schedule a staff person that can help you. This program is free of charge. For more information, please contact the library at: 668-5275. Source: http://www.cityofyankton.org/departments-services/library BY ROBINSON MEYER, JUL 13, 2016
Carla Hayden is the first woman and African American to serve as Librarian of Congress. The United States of America has a new librarian-in-chief. Carla Hayden, a former Chicago children’s librarian who rose to preside over the American Library Association and oversee Baltimore’s enormous free library system, was confirmed by the Senate Wednesday to lead the Library of Congress, the nation’s largest library and its oldest federal institution. Hayden is the 14th Librarian of Congress, and the first woman and AfricanAmerican to serve in the role. Book lovers across the country hailed her confirmation: We're over the moon that Dr. Carla Hayden has just been approved as the 14th Librarian of Congress! She's making history & it's so exciting! — Reading Rainbow (@readingrainbow) July 13, 2016Hayden replaces James Billington, an academic historian appointed by President Ronald Reagan who spent almost three decades at the institution’s helm. Billington renovated the Library’s main building and doubled the size of some of its collections (while also enlarging its pocketbook), but he neglected networked technology near the end of his tenure. He retired last year. As I wrote then, Billington’s lengthy tenure means that Hayden will be the first Librarian of Congress appointed during the internet age— and the first librarian who seems to understand its power. Hayden is credited with modernizing the Enoch Pratt Free Library, Baltimore’s 22-branch city library system. (She also successfully kept the library openthroughout the Freddie Gray protests last year.) As president of the American Library Association in 2003 and 2004, she frequently and publicly criticized Section 215 of the USA Patriot Act, which allowed federal law enforcement to access public-library borrowing records. Hayden has sat on the National Museum and Library Services Board since 2010. She holds a doctorate degree in library sciences from the University of Chicago. Though these may sound like job requirements, Hayden is the first professional librarian to run the Library in more than 60 years. (After Billington’s retirement, many professional librarians called for a librarian to take over the institution, instead of a historian or public intellectual.) She inherits a library that desperately requires an update. A report from the Government Accountability Office last year found that the Library, once a leader in adapting to the internet, had fallen behind the times and needed to update its aging computer systems. Hayden was confirmed 74-18 by the Senate. All of the dissenting senators were Republicans, including Senators Mark Kirk, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, and Tom Cotton. And though she was unanimously endorsed by the G.O.P-controlled Senate Rules Committee, an anonymous Republican senator blocked the vote to confirm Hayden’s appointment for more than five weeks. By contrast, James Billington was unanimously confirmed by a Democratic-majority Senate in 1987. The Washington Post reported the block on Tuesday. Hayden’s time as Librarian will be limited to 10 years, as mandated by a law passed by Congress last autumn. When measured by number of books and other collected materials, the Library of Congress is the second-largest library in the world. Containing more than 160 million items, it is more than double the size of the third-largest institution, the Library and Archives of Canada. The British Library is the world’s largest. By law, the Library of Congress receives two copies of every copyright-protected work published in the United States. These items form the basis of its collection, but its core offerings can be traced back more than two centuries, to the country’s founding fathers. After invading British troops burned the first Library during the War of 1812, the federal government purchased former president Thomas Jefferson’s personal collection—more than 6,000 books—to form the basis of its new one. Some of those tomes are still catalogued in Washington, D.C., today. SOURCE: http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2016/07/carla-hayden-is-librarian-of-congress/491267/ |