Libraries in Fantasy Literature

Douglas Westerbeke writes about libraries in fantasy literature . Ashly Moore Sheldon has written a more general articles about libraries in literature if you love libraries.

-DD

Book Curses

Sarah Laskow describes the history of medieval book curses .

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Libraries as Community Catalysts

Debbie Schachter suggests how a library can be a catalyst for community solidarity and action.

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Ancient Books

Sarah Laskow searched for the oldest books in major libraries - and their stories .

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Public Libraries

Ian Anstice validates public libraries in financially struggling times.

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Bibliotherapy

Ceridwen Dovey reviews literature which indicates reading can make you happier .

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Home Libraries and Their Owners

Australian Clem Bastow muses on what home libraries say about their owners .

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Libraries Are Quiet Study Areas

Brian Mathews interviews Scotty Walden and discovers that he uses libraries as an area to study football plays. According to Walden:

I always viewed the library as a peaceful place where I could clear my head. As an undergrad I utilized the library at least 3-4 nights a week. I am one of those students/people that is better when I can get away from other people and noise to work. I found that I could concentrate and be much more productive in the library rather than my dorm room, student center, etc.

So, when I got the offensive coordinator job I reverted back to my study habits, which was to go to the library so I could have clear thoughts and clearly organize the offense. I think everyone learns different and libraries provide many different learning paths. Some people like me work well alone in a quiet place, while others work great in small or large groups which libraries also provide.

Walden notes that he learned self discipline and religious faith at home, and that these elements are key to his success as a coach.

-DD

eBooks and Libraries

Brian Mathews recently posted about the pressure on library directors to discard the printed books and move toward an all electronic library . A comment on the post noted that some Canadian Libraries have already lost valuable historical data due to a similar government demand.

-DD

The End of Academic Library Circulation?

"The End of Academic Library Circulation" is a provocative article about the decline of the book as a research tool. If Will Kurt's predictions in ACRL Tech Connect are accurate, loans of physical books from academic libraries will approach zero by 2020, a mere eight years away.

I sheperd a small library outlet with perhaps 400 books and 15 computers. Students and faculty have learned that they can conveniently get "enough" information to supplement their undergraduate textbooks by querying the university databases and various websites. The small reference collection is rarely tapped by students for weekly assignments. But students and faculty do borrow self-help and devotional books, items they want to read over several weeks.

-DD

The Joy of Books

Paul McNamara shared some video clips celebrating books in his January 10 article "'The Joy of Books' Tap Dances Over Your Kindle."
-DD