Jan 7th, 2009 · Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter is under fire for making drastic cuts to the city services. The Democrat recently announced the closure of 11 city libraries, seven fire houses and 68 swimming pools, hoping to curb the Philadephia's budget shortfall. Nutter explains the closures and tells why his plan is the best way to get his city's budget back on track.
Oct 16th, 2008 · Across the country, communities are turning abandoned big-box stores like Kmart and Wal-Mart into churches, schools and libraries. Julia Chistensen, an artist and professor, visited many of these sprawling structures to see how they are being repurposed.
Jun 27th, 2008 · Library of Congress research librarian Julius C. Jefferson, Jr. is leading a panel discussion called "An Endangered Species: The Black Male Librarian" at this weekend's meeting of the American Library Association. He'll tell us why it's important to have black men in the stacks and what can be done to recruit more of them.
Jun 14th, 2008 · A brigade of rescuers formed a human chain to protect a cache of rare manuscripts from rising waters at the University of Iowa. Film material used for cinema classes were also saved by the group. NPR's Andrea Seabrook talked with Nancy Baker, the university's director of libraries, who organized the rescue. According to Baker, hundreds of community volunteers showed up to help with the three-day effort.
Apr 22nd, 2008 · Technology has made it possible to make books accessible to anyone, anywhere. But in the effort to digitize the world's books, there's a fight brewing over who should control tomorrow's virtual libraries, and how open they should be. Some libraries are choosing to pay to digitize their collections rather than accept offers from Google and Microsoft to do it for free.
Feb 18th, 2008 · The Detroit Free Press reports that some public libraries in Michigan are trying to lure teens using something other than books. They have stocked shelves with hundreds of video games for borrowing -- saying the complex games help teens build cognitive skills.
Jan 10th, 2008 · Here's a story about grass-roots filmmaking with no eye toward a Hollywood deal. For his first full-length feature, Jay Craven convinced Michael J. Fox to work for free. And Craven screens his movies himself, driving from community centers to libraries to theaters throughout New England.
Sep 21st, 2007 · Some doctors in Britain are telling patients "take out a book and call me in 10 days." The country's health system has joined with libraries to allow doctors to prescribe books as an alternative to drugs for those suffering from mild forms of mental health problems such as depression.