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Libraries: Championing Human Heritage and Memory Since Ancient Times

August 27, 2017

Ruins of the Library of Celsus at Ephesus under a dusk sky. One of the biggest libraries of the ancient world, it was built to hold up to 12,000 scrolls. Image: (cc) Austrian Archaeological Institute

Need Market Research? Ask a Librarian!

August 23, 2017

I’m just going to say it straight out: Small business owners that are not using the library for market research are either throwing money away, leaving money on the table, or both.

5 Important Ways Libraries Are Getting Kids Excited About Science!

August 21, 2017

When word got out that libraries across the country were giving away eclipse glasses in advance of the August 21 solar eclipse, our phone started ringing off the hook. Teachers and parents, in particular, were eager to jump on the chance to engage kids in some real-world science and perhaps even inspire a life-long interest in astronomy. The fact that the eclipse promised to be a unique and memorable experience also made it all the more appealing to grab a pair of solar viewers and join the fun.

Summer Has Your Kids Bored? Try the Library

August 16, 2017

Summer vacation is still going strong for families around the country! Naturally, this means that kids have a lot of time to fill, translating to parents struggling to come up with activities that don’t involve hours spent staring into television or iPads. Well, help has arrived! Consider checking out your local library for stimulating summer activities!

One Idea That Helps Libraries Alleviate Our Social Fears: The Freedom to Read

August 13, 2017

In a country that seems more divided than united, libraries know how to serve the information and learning needs of the public. When they are properly funded, libraries provide people with the resources to become more knowledgeable, and less ignorant.

A Business Traveler’s Guide to Working at the Library

August 10, 2017

If you’re a business traveler you understand that working out of hotels, the car, and coffee shops can be challenging. Between sending emails from a poorly-lit hotel room with sluggish wifi, balancing your laptop between your knees and the steering wheel, and making business calls over the roar of milk steamers, working on the road can be less-than-ideal. But there’s an alternative. Public libraries offer a well-lit, quiet workspace with free access to wifi, meeting rooms, reference librarians and more. And public libraries can be found all over the place, so locating your temporary workspace is as easy as finding the nearest library branch. Here’s a business traveler’s guide to working at the library.

Libraries for Life: A Story of How They Serve People at Every Age (Part 2)

August 06, 2017

This is part 2 of Christine’s story. Click here if you would like to go back to part 1.

Libraries for Life: A Story of How They Serve People at Every Age (Part 1)

August 06, 2017

From birth to death, libraries strive to improve the well-being of individuals and communities. Instead of demonstrating how and why through an impossibly long list, here’s a story I hope you enjoy…

Libraries, Structured Randomness and the Creative Process

August 03, 2017

Creativity occurs at the intersection of different ideas.

Make the Most of Library Storytime: 6 Tips for New Parents

July 30, 2017

So you’re a new parent — Congratulations! By now I’m sure you’ve read all the books (and magazines, and blogs, and webpages…) about the crazy-wonderful magic that’s happening in your baby’s brain; like how reading aloud to your child creates a firestorm of neural connections during their earliest years. Or maybe you’re the parent of a toddler or preschooler, and your pediatrician told you that reading aloud every day will strengthen your parent-child bond and help get them ready for kindergarten. Either way, your public library has something for you: Storytime! I’m sure you have an idea of what storytime is: librarian reads picture book to kids, kids are entertained. But there’s so much more to it than that! Not to worry, here are tips for first-timers:
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