Library Stuff

“Mayor Michael Bloomberg proposed deep cuts to city libraries in his 2014 budget that some worry could close Queens Library facilities, force layoffs and slash the number of hours facilities would be open a week. City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside), chairman of the Council’s Cultural Affairs and Libraries Committee, blasted the proposed cuts. “Our libraries cannot sustain cuts of these proposed levels at a time when they are experiencing some of the highest number of visitors in history and providing much-needed resources to the public,” he said.” (via TimesLedger)

“Federal Heritage Minister James Moore has taken the country’s chief archivist to the political woodshed for charging taxpayers for private Spanish lessons. But it’s unclear whether that means Daniel Caron, the head of Library and Archives Canada, is returning the money, nearly $5,000.” (via Ottawa Citizen)

“Four years after the MIT faculty adopted their Open Access Policy, a significant new milestone has been reached: Papers made openly available through the Open Access Articles Collection have been downloaded over 1 million times. Total downloads from the collection of just under 9,000 papers reached 1,045,518 by the end of April.” (via MIT Libraries)

“This year marks the 70th anniversary of Britannica’s film production wing, which means that by this point our archive is quite the treasure trove. Some of these films are outdated, some are irrelevant, and some are cultural artifacts—kitschy products of their time. We have decided to start sharing the most entertaining ones here on the blog as “Britannica Classic Videos.” (via Britannica Blog)

“The young couple burst through the great bronze doors of the main Brooklyn Public Library 15 minutes before closing time one recent Sunday with an unusual request: Was there somewhere they could recite their vows? It was a blustery day, and the two — a military man and his fiancée, according to librarians — wanted a place they could finish their nuptials away from the chill at Grand Army Plaza. Fortunately, the library had not long before opened a $3.25 million addition to its central branch, complete with conference rooms available to anyone with an adult library card. Librarians showed the couple to Room 5, the lack of a reservation notwithstanding.” (via NYTimes.com)

“The White House on Thursday introduced new rules that seek to make government data more open and accessible to researchers and the public, through an executive order signed by President Obama and an open-data policy released by the Office of Management and Budget and the Office of Science and Technology Policy. The president’s executive order says that the default state of government data must be open and machine readable, and that agencies must protect “privacy, confidentiality, and national security” when releasing information in such open formats.” (via The Chronicle of Higher Education)

“After a nearly eight-month delay, lawyers for Google and the Authors Guild were back in court this morning. In oral arguments scheduled before a panel of the Second Circuit Court of Appeals, Google was set to argue that Judge Denny Chin’s 2012 order granting the Authors Guild’s motion for class certification should be reversed. The long-running case over Google’s library book scanning has been stayed since September, 2012, pending the Second Circuit’s review of Chin’s decision.” (via Publishers Weekly)

“This afternoon, in a White House ceremony in the East Room, First Lady Michelle Obama will join Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) Director Susan Hildreth to present the 2013 National Medal for Museum and Library Service to 10 museums and libraries from across the country. The National Medal is the nation’s highest honor conferred on museums and libraries for service to the community and celebrates institutions that make a difference for individuals, families, and communities.” (via IMLS)

“Duke University Libraries is establishing a new unit, Duke Collaboratory for Classics Computing (DC3), that will use digital technologies to analyze some of the world’s oldest documents and artifacts. Funded by a $500,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the DC3 will be led by Joshua D. Sosin, associate professor of classical studies and history at Duke, who will also assume a joint appointment within the libraries.” (via ARL®)

“The old-fashioned campus library that ­focused ­primarily on storing books, journals and ­periodicals has evolved. In its place: open spaces for ­collaborative learning, whiteboards for taking notes and sharing ideas, and plenty of technology. Books are still vitally important, but the many media options available now enhance learning and engage students, many of whom need help from the latest ­technology to better enjoy reading and writing their own stories.” (via EdTech Magazine)