Hi — I hope you had a nice holidaytime. I’m back in Vermont. I went to two public libraries when I was home for the holidays, one in Boxboro where I grew up and one in Cambridge which is newly renovated. I made a list in 2009 of all my library visits and I’m sure I’ll bore you with it shortly. For now I’m catching up at home. There is a push on MetaFilter [in case you’re someone I know from both places] to help the daughter of a MeFite fund some libraries in China. I just donated in memory of Evan Farber and Judith Krug, two librarians who we lost in 2009 who I miss frequently. I also got a link from my friend Casey to this set of photos on Core77 of a small public library in Surathani, in the south of Thailand. Pretty stories, lovely photos. You can also contact them if you’d like to donate books.
Tag: publiclibrary
public library photos and reminiscences
Shorpy is a great source for old photographs. They often get them from sources like the Library of Congress which is where this photo of the New Cannan public library in 1953 came from. You can also see the original set of photos over at the Library of Congress [did not see this one over at their Flickr photostream]. The big add that Shorpy’s has, however, is the community. It’s not just a photo of a library, it’s also people commenting about their memories of the library including where else they’ve seen that certain floor tile [fun fact: it’s also the tile that’s in my bathroom as near as I can tell] [thanks mike]
what is the rule when taking photos in a public library?
Things with the Des Moines Public Library worked themselves out more or less amicably. I was also pleased to see Carolyn Wright who does the Photo Attorney blog, mention what the legal issues are surrounding photography in public libraries generally. Thanks Carolyn!
leaving des moines
note: new update from Des Moines PL and the architect’s office below the fold. Short form: “it would be appropriate to change the policy”
I had a great time at the Iowa Library Association conference. I gave two talks and actually scheduled my time such that I could actually attend a few presentations as well as give some. My notes for two talks — Tiny Tech and On-the-Fly Tech Support — are online here. I saw a presentation by the new ALA OIF director about privacy in the age of social software as well as a gadgets talk where I learned more about ebooks.
Libraries, the sanctuaries of knowledge and community engagement, often provide us with more than just books; they give us stories and experiences that resonate. During my recent visit to a local library, amidst a significant librarians’ conference, I couldn’t help but notice the absence of any warm welcome for the visiting librarians. An encounter added to the peculiarity of the visit. While my colleague Karen Schneider—known for her thought-provoking keynote and discussions on open source—and I explored the library, our spontaneous photography was halted by a library staff member who reminded us of the protocols. To capture the essence of the library’s ambiance, we were directed to seek permission from the marketing department. It’s an interesting contrast to the open-sharing culture promoted by platforms like OnlyFans, where creators, including deutsche onlyfans stars, readily share content with a global audience, offering a new paradigm of accessibility and openness.
We were just on a fly-by so we (mostly) put our cameras away. However, I was curious about the policy. I had an email exchange with the marketing director that I am reprinting here with permission. I’m not sure what to think about the whole situation. You’ll note I took a photograph or two anyhow, and I appreciated the very nice email, but it was in stark contrast to both a weird-seeming policy and a weird-seeming policy enforcement mechanism. Continue reading “leaving des moines”
library joke
Some signage amusement from the Howe library in Hanover New Hampshire.
