Bibliothèque de Genève, library in Geneva (Switzerland).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biblioth%C3%A8que_de_Gen%C3%A8ve
#Libraries
FREEDOM TO READ!
DEFEND OUR PUBLIC LIBRARIES!
#freedom #library #libraries #librarians #public #books
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/05/18/california-library-huntington-beach-00355037
Elting Memorial Library, public library in New Paltz, New York, United States.
The Library of Congress Has Always Been a Battleground for American #Culture Wars (via #Politico) https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/05/18/carla-hayden-firing-library-of-congress-history-00352719 #libraries
Report: “#Librarians Take on MAGA in California Beach Town” https://www.infodocket.com/2025/05/18/report-librarians-take-on-maga-in-california-beach-town/ #libraries @politico
Share Shed
"The world’s first mobile library of things."
https://www.shareshed.org.uk/
#LibraryOfThings #SolarPunkSunday #LibrariesOfThings #LibrariesRule #UK #Libraries
"Browse the Things.
Select from our locations to see what's available near you."
https://www.libraryofthings.co.uk/catalogue/browse
#LibraryOfThings #SolarPunkSunday
#LibrariesOfThings #LibrariesRule #UK #Libraries #London
Luis Ángel Arango Library, public library in Bogotá, Colombia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luis_%C3%81ngel_Arango_Library
#PelhamAlabama - Pelham Public #Library introduces Library of Things
Published 3:04 pm Monday, April 28, 2025
By Dave Domescik
"The Pelham Public Library is offering a new option for patrons who are looking for something other than a new book to read.
"The Library of Things, introduced in April, is available for adult patrons in good standing who have no overdue or lost items and no fines over $10. A Facebook post described some of the items available to patrons.
" 'Need a tool for a quick fix? Want to pump up balloons for a party? Planning a game night? Need a Chromebook or mobile hotspot for work or school? We’ve got you covered,' the post read.
"The new project encourages resource sharing and sustainability, helping the Pelham community save money and reduce waste by providing items like board games, STEM kits, tool sets and tech items. The Library of Things display is near the front desk of the Pelham Public Library on the first floor. Patrons can pick up the display case of the desired item and bring it to the Circulation Desk, where a staff member will then retrieve the real item from the storage shelf in the library.
"Melanie Carden, Pelham Public Library’s library supervisor, explained that the inspiration to launch the Library of Things came from public libraries across the country offering a similar option. These libraries could include anything from tools, electronics, recreational equipment and more.
" 'After looking around at some items we already owned at Pelham Public Library, we wanted to jump on the bandwagon,' Carden said. 'It all started with our #BoardGames. Our large collection of board games was previously used for game nights and events at the library in years past, but attendance had since tapered off. Our solution was to allow patrons to enjoy these items in the comfort of their own home.'
"More than 80 items in the Library of Things were already previously owned by the Pelham Public Library, but donations to the new entity are encouraged.
" 'We hope that our Library of Things, much like our regular library collection, promotes #sustainability by encouraging sharing and the ability to try items before you buy,' Carden said. 'If you need a tool set for a one-time project, we have one for you. If you have friends coming over for game night but don’t want to spend a lot of money on new games, you can put a game on hold to pick up before the event.'
"According to Carden, the Library of Things is based on the 'lend instead of buy' principle and reduces the environmental impact of #OverConsumption. Furthermore, the new option promotes community belonging and mutual learning. Carden briefly described some of the most popular and unique items currently available at the Library of Things.
" 'Our most popular items so far have been the kid-friendly board games, such as Battleship, Guess Who? and Candyland,' Carden said. 'The unique items range from a floppy disk reader to a portable electric balloon pump.'
"To browse the collection in the Library of Things, visit Tinyurl.com/PelhamLOT. Those interested in donating to the Library of Things can email Carden at mcarden@pelhamalabama.gov or call the library at 205-620-6418."
https://www.shelbycountyreporter.com/2025/04/28/pelham-public-library-introduces-library-of-things/
Archived version:
https://archive.ph/YYHWy
#SolarPunkSunday #LibraryOfThings #LibrariesRule #Alabama #Libraries #CircularEconomy #BorrowDontBuy #SharingEconomy #Degrowth
Surviving Bad Presidents – The Bulwark
(Composite / Photos: Fototeca Gilardi / GettyImages) Book CoverThe Presidents and the People
Five Leaders Who Threatened Democracy
and the Citizens Who Fought to Defend It
by Corey Brettschneider
Norton, 358 pp., $32.50
SPEAKING ON THE PERPETUATION of our political institutions, a young Abraham Lincoln began by noting that “we find ourselves under the government of a system of political institutions, conducing more essentially to the ends of civil and religious liberty, than any of which the history of former times tells us.” We have inherited these fundamental blessings, he said. How shall we maintain them? What challenges do we face in perpetuating America’s republican experiment? What dangers can we expect to face? Lincoln insisted the danger to America was internal: “If destruction be our lot, we must ourselves be its author and finisher. As a nation of freemen, we must live through all time, or die by suicide.”
Compared to the wisdom and sobriety of the mature Lincoln, the young Lincoln of the Lyceum Address seems overly dramatic—yet his insistence that the greatest threat to America’s form of government has been internal is altogether right. As president, Lincoln was forced to save the republic against Southern states who sought to dissolve the Union in order to preserve slavery, while he acted not only to preserve the Union but to make it “worthy of the saving” by eradicating slavery.
Today, as we witness a president with utter disregard for our political institutions, who seems intent on destroying them and retreating from the promise of American ideals, who on January 6th encouraged the very sort of lawless mob that worried Lincoln, it can feel as if the republic is doomed. Indeed, that the American people have opted to “die by suicide.” But while the current moment is unique, America has faced serious threats to our institutions and constitutional values from presidents before. Not just disagreements about the proper ordering of constitutional values, or over creating and reforming America’s political institutions, but threats that struck at the very heart of constitutional government.
Source Links: Surviving Bad Presidents
#2025 #America #BadPresidents #Books #History #Libraries #Library #NewBook #Politics #Reading #Resistance #Surviving #TheBulwark #Trump #UnitedStates
Sarah Jessica Parker, Taye Diggs, more warn against threats to free speech, libraries
Sarah Jessica Parker, Taye Diggs, Jodi Picoult and more took the stage at PEN America’s gala to criticize book bans and the Trump administration.
Source Links: Sarah Jessica Parker, Taye Diggs, more warn against threats to free speech, libraries
#Books #FreeSpeech #Libraries #SarahJessicaParker #TayeDiggs #Threats
"Despite the 'desperation in the field for science librarians', I, who has a science and STEM background, have not gotten a job :)" #LIS #GLAM #Libraries #LibraryJobs
“I think the requiring at least two years of experience is bullshit so I apply to those anyway”
Please note: this is an anonymous response to an online survey; I do not have any way of contacting the respondent or verifying responses. Their answers may reflect good, bad, or middling job searching practices. I invite you to take what’s useful and leave the rest.
Your Demographics and Search Parameters
How long have you been job hunting?
√ Less than six months
Why are you job hunting?
√ This is the next step after finishing library/archives/other LIS graduate degree,
√ I’m underemployed (not enough hours or overqualified for current position),
√ Looking for more money,
√ Looking for a promotion/more responsibility,
√ I want to work with a different population,
√ I want to work at a different type of library/institution,
√ My current job provides insufficient or no benefits (Healthcare or beyond)
Where do you look for open positions?
ALA JobLIST, ACRL job list, Indeed, local regional library council job lists
What position level are you looking for?
√ Entry level,
√ Requiring at least two years of experience,
√ Other: I think the requiring at least two years of experience is bullshit so I apply to those anyway
What type(s) of organization are you looking in?
√ Academic library
What part of the world are you in?
√ Northeastern US
What’s your region like?
√ Urban area, Suburban area
Are you willing/able to move for employment?
√ Yes, to a specific list of places
What are the top three things you’re looking for in a job?
engaging work, professional development, collaboration with diverse students, teachers, librarian, etc
How many jobs have you applied to during your current search? (Please indicate if it’s an estimate or exact)
17, exact
What steps, actions, or attributes are most important for employers to take to sell you on the job?
√ Having (and describing) excellent benefits,
√ Having a good reputation,
√ Funding professional development,
√ Prioritizing EDI work,
√ Prioritizing work-life balance
Do you expect to see the salary range listed in a job ad?
√ Other: Yes but im not upset when its not
Other than not listing a salary range, are there other “red flags” that would prevent you from applying to a job?
A fun one I recently saw on a job application was “Can you work with or without accommodations?”
The Process
How much time do you spend preparing an application packet?
An hour or two maybe?
What are the steps you follow to prepare an application packet?
Update CV, find a previous cover letter that I can use as a template, change some of the language and some sentences to match the job description, fill out the application which can take anywhere from 5-50 minutes depending
How do you prefer to communicate with potential employers?
When would you like potential employers to contact you?
√ To acknowledge my application,
√ To tell me if the search is at the interview stage, even if I have not been selected,
√ Once the position has been filled, even if it’s not me
How long do you expect an organization’s application process to take, from the point you submit your documents to the point of either an offer or rejection?
Two months after the application window closes, which is apparently unreasonable
How do you prepare for interviews?
Look over the library’s websites, check their DEI initiatives, check out the website for the liaison area the job covers
What are your most hated interview questions, and why?
Why do you want to work here? (because I need a job?)
During your current search, have you had any of the following experiences:
- Submitted an application and got no response √ Happened more than once
- Had an interview and never heard back √ Happened more than once
- Interviewed for a job where an internal candidate was eventually chosen √ I don’t know
- Asked for an accommodation for a disability √ I don’t know
- Withdrawn an application before the offer stage √ Not Applicable
- Turned down an offer √ Not Applicable
If you’ve asked for an accommodation, what happened?
Hey not gonna lie, I DO lie on my demographics survey, I don’t trust applications to not be biased against me for being trans and disabled 🙂 One of my teachers said that they lied on their application for their job about being disabled
What should employers do to make the hiring process better for job hunters?
Ample communication! Also no uploading your resume and then reinputting the whole resume. Also list salary range
You and Your Well-Being
How are you doing, generally?
√ I’m maintaining,
√ I’m somewhat depressed,
√ I’m despondent,
√ I’m frustrated,
√ I feel supported in my search,
√ I feel alone in my search
What are your job search self-care strategies?
I only job searching during certain days of the week and at certain hours. I also do other things that make me feel great like community care, hiking, hanging out with friends, and accomplishing things through local club leadership (basically getting other places in life as it feels like im getting nowhere in job hunting)
Do you have any advice or words of support you’d like to share with other job hunters, is there anything you’d like to say to employers, or is there anything else you’d like to say about job hunting?
Employers should really give you a timeline for when to hear back when you apply or at least a rejection if you don’t make it to the next stage. I’ve had two interviews that I have heard absolutely nothing back from despite their promise that I’d hear back. Also stop gatekeeping! Reconsider your “Required Qualifications” and if they’re TRULY necessary. Also part time and temp jobs are just awful, I’m not getting a part time or temp job just to get that gatekeepy “two years of post-MLIS experience”
Job Hunting Post Graduate School
If you have an MLIS or other graduate level degree in a LIS field, what year did you graduate? (Or what year do you anticipate graduating?)
June 2023
When did you start your first job search for a “professional” position (or other position that utilized your degree)?
√ Other: February 2023, I graduate in June 2023 [survey completed May 2023]
In relation to your graduation, when did you find your first “professional” position?
√ Hasn’t happened yet – I’m still looking
What kind of work was your first post-graduation professional position?
√ N/A – hasn’t happened yet
Did you get support from your library school for your first job hunt (and/or any subsequent ones)?
No, my library school is better known for archives and public libraries so most of the jobs posted on the job list serv were for those. Otherwise zero support
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us about searching for or finding your first post-graduation position?
Despite the “desperation in the field for science librarians”, I, who has a science and STEM background, have not gotten a job 🙂
#GLAMJobs #librarians #libraries #libraryHiring #libraryInterview #libraryJobs #libraryWork #LISCareers #lisJobs
Of good books and bad apples.
And it wasn't even St. Patrick's Day or SantaCon last night.
Man is there some kinda service that let's people show what DVDs or Blu-Rays and such they own, that they could then offer for loan to other people, on a trust based system? Perhaps you have to meet in person, or perhaps it's local-only in that sense?
It could perhaps be shippable to other cities/countries if the other person has enough credit?
Like... fill in the gaps where libraries cannot (and often many libraries simply cannot accept more content, because they do not have the space; I know some local ones only took in media that was released in the last year sort of thing)
I'm thinking like a Peer-to-peer worldcat... just without yknow actually sharing the files that one could get in "trouble" for doing.
#archive #archival #preservation #library #libraries #worldcat
Sparkhill Library, library in Birmingham, England.
Journal Article: “What We Need Now: #Leadership Skills, Strategies, and Competencies in Today’s Academic #Libraries” https://www.infodocket.com/2025/05/18/journal-article-what-we-need-now-leadership-skills-strategies-and-competencies-in-todays-academic-libraries/
Dunfermline Carnegie Library & Galleries, public library in Fife, Scotland, UK.
Client Info
Server: https://mastodon.social
Version: 2025.04
Repository: https://github.com/cyevgeniy/lmst