Library News

Rare Israeli Bedouin audio archive sheds light on nomadic society By AFP Jerusalem - Leading Bedouin scholar Clinton Bailey has amassed hundreds of hours of recordings about the nomadic society's poetry, history and legal system, in a career that began while jogging through Israel's Negev desert.

Charles Darwin notebooks 'stolen' from Cambridge University By AFP London - Two of Charles Darwin's notebooks containing his pioneering ideas on evolution and his famous "Tree of Life" sketch are missing, believed stolen, the Cambridge University Library said on Tuesday.

Ghana library showcases black and African literature By AFP Accra - A small group of visitors waits eagerly at the entrance to a single-storey building in Ghana's capital Accra, looking to explore the literary treasure inside.

12-year-old bookworm launches favela library in Brazil By AFP Rio De Janeiro - Lua has a hungry look on her face as she holds her new book on Nelson Mandela, one of thousands the precocious 12-year-old has amassed for her new library in a poor Brazilian favela."I don't read books.

Apple pulls plug on iTunes, what happens to the music library? By Markos Papadatos Apple Music has pulled the plug on iTunes after 18 years in service. The pondering question is as follows: "what happens to all of one's music?"

A library in Haiti: a community effort By AFP Cit - Book by book, and with donations large and small -- some from people who are illiterate -- a library is taking shape in one of the poorest places in destitute Haiti.

Self-service features come to libraries Special By Tim Sandle London - Library-as-a-service is a self-service initiative, taking advantage of new technology, to automate lending and to access services. Digital Journal visited Chipping Barnet library to see the service in action.

One of the world's oldest libraries in Morocco reopens By Sravanth Verma The Al-Qarawiyyin library, founded in 859, in the city of Fez, Morocco, will soon throw open its doors once again to the public.

B.C. town nearly loses Internet, mining company saves the day By Megan Hamilton Stewart - The tiny town of Stewart, B.C. was looking at the prospect of a cold, gloomy winter without Internet service when the local non-profit service provider closed its doors after two decades. Then the local mine and several other businesses stepped in.

British Library rejects Taliban trove fearing terror laws By AFP Paris - Academics have criticised the British government for creating a "climate of fear" after the national library declined to store the world's biggest collection of Taliban-related documents over concerns it could be prosecuted under terrorism laws.

Obama's presidential library to be in south Chicago By AFP Washington - Barack Obama announced Tuesday that he had chosen Chicago's troubled south side as the location for his presidential library.

Nepal quake leaves century-old library in ruins By AFP Kathmandu - Janaki Karmacharya sits on a plastic chair under the tarpaulin that now serves as her office and despairs at the wreckage of her once magnificent library in the heart of Kathmandu.

Op-Ed: Libraries: More bridges between culture and education collapse By J.N. Paquet Nowadays, libraries are unfortunately losing their appeal to the new generations. How can a visit to the library compete with playing Minecraft on an iPad?

Darwin’s Beagle library digitalized By Tim Sandle Singapore - An online reconstruction of the books that Charles Darwin took on the ship Beagle, has made the library from Darwin’s famed voyage more accessible.

Newbery Medal winner Susan Patron talks writing and future plans Special By Markos Papadatos Veteran librarian and Newbery award-winning children's book author Susan Patron ("The Higher Power of Lucky") chatted with me about her writing career, her tenure at the Los Angeles Public Library and her future plans.

Japanese company to digitise rare Vatican library manuscripts By AFP - Ancient manuscripts in the Vatican library penned from East Asia to the Pre-Colombian Americas will be digitized by a Japanese company as part of a global project to make the collection available for free viewing by the public.Japan's NTT DATA will dig...

Makerspace allows library users to become creators Special By Paula Kirman Edmonton - Avid library users are typically consumers of books, music, films, and other media that can be borrowed or examined for personal use.

Anne Frank's Diary vandalised in Tokyo libraries By AFP Tokyo - Scores of copies of Anne Frank's "Diary of a Young Girl" kept in public libraries across Tokyo have been vandalised, officials said Friday, sparking alarm amid a rightward shift in Japan's politics.Pages in at least 250 copies of the diary, or publicat...

Anne Frank's Diary vandalised in Tokyo libraries By AFP Tokyo - Scores of copies of Anne Frank's "Diary of a Young Girl" kept in public libraries across Tokyo have been vandalised, officials said Friday, sparking alarm amid a rightward shift in Japan's politics.Pages in at least 250 copies of the diary or publicati...

How the school librarian touches every child Special By Kelly Jadon Paper books, libraries and librarians -- not outdated, are even more culturally necessary today for both parents and children.

Lafourche voters keep library funds intact By Karen Graham Lafourche Parish voters spoke out at the ballot box on Saturday, rejecting a measure to rededicate real estate tax monies toward the construction of a much needed new detention center. The hotly-debated issue was contentious and nasty at times.

Louisiana lawmaker wants to defund library in favor of new jail By Scott Tuttle Come Saturday, members of a southern Louisiana community of 97,000 known as Lafourche Parish will vote on a controversial ballot proposal aiming to reallocate $800,000 a year from the local library budget to the funding of a new $25 million jail.

Lafourche Parish to vote on funding jail with library money By Karen Graham Given the choice, would voters opt for a new 600-bed jailhouse, or vote to keep funds in a library system that has been well-managed for years? That question has been put on the ballot in one Louisiana parish today, and the outcome will be interesting.

Filipino man's home doubles as public library By Abigail Prendergast Hernando Guanlao - an older, albeit high-spirited man - opened up his home as a library to the public in the Filipino province of Manila 12 years ago. Now, he is looking to expand his successful endeavor beyond Manila toward other parts of the country.

Special tour inside Crossroads Art Center Special By Scott Ungerecht Baker City - The Crossroads Art Center in Baker City, Oregon provides a welcoming atmosphere for people who want to actively participate in the arts, whether taking a class or admiring the display of new art.

Library book returned after 80 years By Leigh Goessl A library book borrowed 80 years ago has found its way back to the Navan library, located in the Republic of Ireland. Library officials are mystified as to how the book found its way back to its facility after so many years.

Librarian discovers Jorge Luis Borges note tucked away in a book By Tucker Cummings Toronto - A librarian's routine day at work took an exciting turn when he discovered a surprise tucked between the pages of a dog-eared copy of Plato's "Republic": a greeting card signed by famed author Jorge Luis Borges.

Police sent to home of 5-year-old girl for overdue library books By Leigh Goessl Charlton - A 5-year-old girl burst into tears after police arrived at her house to collect two overdue library books she had in her possession.

Photo Essay: The Clinton Presidential Library and Museum Special By Kay Mathews Little Rock - The William J. Clinton Presidential Library and Museum opened seven years ago this month and its vast archival collection, architecture, and exhibits have made, and continue to make, it a travel destination for visitors from around the world.

Amazon announces Kindle users can borrow e-books from libraries By Andrew Moran New York - Amazon announced Wednesday that Kindle customers can now borrow more than 11,000 ebooks from libraries across the United States. Local libraries are now announcing implementing the system and informing their visitors.

Library Image