News on Libraries

First lady Michelle Obama (2nd-L), NEA President Dennis Van Roekel (L), Education...

2010-03-03T02:46:24Z

First lady Michelle Obama (2nd-L), NEA President Dennis Van Roekel (L), Education Secretary Arne Duncan (2nd-R) and Librarian of Congress, James A. Billington participate in Read Across America day at the Michelle Obama attends NEA's Read Across America Day at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. on Tuesday March 2, 2010. Photo by Stephen J Boitano-Globe Photos, inc.

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Arne Duncan Joins Michelle Obama For NEA's Read Across America Event

2010-03-02T11:32:00Z

WASHINGTON - MARCH 02: First lady Michelle Obama (2nd-L), NEA President Dennis Van Roekel (L), Education Secretary Arne Duncan (2nd-R) and Librarian of Congress,James A. Billington participate in an event to promote reading at the Suzanne Zeimis picks out a book at the lSilver Lake area branch of the library in Los Angeles. A hobbled economy has left the nation's second-largest city starved for cash, and 72 library branches are open for just four hours on Fridays to save money. More than 1,000 people work at the libraries, but the staff might be slashed by 20 percent...

San Fran library hires social worker for homeless

2010-02-20T14:00:30Z

<div id="subtitle">Libraries dealing with homeless try new approaches; San Francisco hires a social worker</div><div><p>Every day, when the main library opens, John Banks is waiting to get inside. He finds a spot and stays until closing time. Then his wheelchair takes him back to the bus terminal where he spends his nights.</p><p>Like many homeless pub...

France buys memoirs of great lover Casanova

2010-02-20T02:45:10Z

<div><p>PARIS (Reuters) - France's national library has bought the memoirs of celebrated Venetian lover Giacomo Casanova, which were initially thought to have perished at the end of World War Two.</p><p>The 3,700 fading yellow pages of Casanova's "Histoire de ma Vie" (Story of my Life) were discovered...

Google Book Battle

2010-02-18T14:17:43Z

Robert Staats, managing director of VG Wort, speaks with reporters after attending a hearing about Google's online library, Thursday, Feb.18, 2010 in New York. Supporters of Google's effort to create the world's largest digital library on the Internet told a federal judge Thursday that it would benefit society, while opponents said it wou...

Casanova's steamy memoirs given to French library

2010-02-22T08:50:02Z

<div id="subtitle">Casanova's steamy memoirs handed to France's national library after historic journey</div><div><p>The manuscript given to France's national library Thursday begins simply, yet seductively: "The story of Jacques Casanova ... written by himself."</p><p>"Himself" is the 18th century lothario...

Iraqs Jewish Archive

2010-01-16T21:30:39Z

This Nov. 15, 2009 photo shows an employee of the Iraq National Library inspecting the tractate from the Babylonian Talmud at the library in Baghdad, Iraq. Saad Eskander, the library's director, is leading efforts to return another, extensive collection o...

Libraries more wired, financially stressed

2010-02-22T20:38:46Z

<div id="subtitle">New study shows boom in Internet access at libraries, but not in funding</div><div><p>The state of the country's public libraries: Higher demand, tighter funding and much more connected.</p><p>"The Condition of U.S. Public Libraries, Trends 1999-2009," compiled by the France agreed Tuesday to work with Google in a programme to digitally scan French library books but insisted it would not surrender legal control of its cultural heritage to the US Internet giant.</p><p>Culture Min...

France plans its own rival to Google Books

2010-02-22T21:34:38Z

<div id="subtitle">France plans to build homegrown rival to Google Books, in collaboration with publishers</div><div><p>France's culture minister on Tuesday unveiled a plan for adapting the country's literary patrimony to the digital age by developing what he hopes will prove a uniquely Gallic competitor to Google Books.</p>&...

Last Days of Birmingham Central Libraray

2010-02-22T23:10:16Z

For about three years it appeared that ?The Friends of the Birmingham Central Library? ?s campaign to save the old library was a successful one but as the news broke that it was not considered to be given the listed status, the dream turned to dust.<br><br>Birmingham Central Library, the current main library in the area was opened to the public in 1974 and is said to be the

Google gets digital foothold in France

2010-02-23T13:21:59Z

<div><p>Despite fierce resistance to Google's plans to digitise the world's books, observers say it is well placed to start scanning Europe's cultural treasures -- beginning in France, where the US giant got a digital foothold this week.</p><p>The Internet search giant on Monday began peeling open the...

Condo owner signs deal with SMU over Bush library

2010-02-24T01:00:59Z

<div id="subtitle">'George can have his library now,' condo owner says after ending Bush library dispute with SMU</div><div><p>A former condominium owner and Southern Methodist University officials have settled a four-year property dispute involving the site of George W. Bush's presidential li...

Library group offers text search to 4.6M books

2010-02-24T02:50:04Z

<div id="subtitle">Group of 25 major research libraries offers full-text search to 4.6 million digitized volumes</div><div><p>A group of major national research libraries says users now can search the full text of 1.6 billion pages from 4.6 million digitized volumes.</p><p>Last year, the University of Michigan and 24 other research librar...

LibrarianÕs collection highlights people, events Ôhistory has left outÕ

2010-02-24T03:57:47Z

<div><p> When Barbara Coleman started the African-American special collection at the West Las Vegas Library in 1999, she wanted to hold on to local history.</p><p>Ten years later that collection — a largely unknown resource in the valley — is getting national attention. The medley of books, photos, clippings and other archival material was one of 20 public library c...

McCartney to take home Gershwin Prize for popular song

2010-02-24T04:09:02Z

<div><p>Ex-Beatle and music legend Paul McCartney will receive the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, a US Library of Congress honor that has been bestowed on stars like Paul Simon and President Franklin D. Roosevelt is seen in front of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum Monday, Nov. 2, 2009, in Hyde Park, N.Y. Archivists at the library are waiting for congressional action to make pub...

12 charged after library books worth $87K stolen

2010-02-24T07:09:41Z

<div id="subtitle">12 people charged with stealing books after $87,000 worth taken from public libraries in Md.</div><div><p>Authorities threw the book at 12 people Tuesday, accusing them of checking out pricey textbooks from a public library system outside Washington to sell for quick cash.</p><p>The