The Library Book

The Library Book PDF Author: Susan Orlean
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 1476740194
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 336

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Book Description
Susan Orlean’s bestseller and New York Times Notable Book is “a sheer delight…as rich in insight and as varied as the treasures contained on the shelves in any local library” (USA TODAY)—a dazzling love letter to a beloved institution and an investigation into one of its greatest mysteries. “Everybody who loves books should check out The Library Book” (The Washington Post). On the morning of April 28, 1986, a fire alarm sounded in the Los Angeles Public Library. The fire was disastrous: it reached two thousand degrees and burned for more than seven hours. By the time it was extinguished, it had consumed four hundred thousand books and damaged seven hundred thousand more. Investigators descended on the scene, but more than thirty years later, the mystery remains: Did someone purposefully set fire to the library—and if so, who? Weaving her lifelong love of books and reading into an investigation of the fire, award-winning New Yorker reporter and New York Times bestselling author Susan Orlean delivers a “delightful…reflection on the past, present, and future of libraries in America” (New York magazine) that manages to tell the broader story of libraries and librarians in a way that has never been done before. In the “exquisitely written, consistently entertaining” (The New York Times) The Library Book, Orlean chronicles the LAPL fire and its aftermath to showcase the larger, crucial role that libraries play in our lives; delves into the evolution of libraries; brings each department of the library to vivid life; studies arson and attempts to burn a copy of a book herself; and reexamines the case of Harry Peak, the blond-haired actor long suspected of setting fire to the LAPL more than thirty years ago. “A book lover’s dream…an ambitiously researched, elegantly written book that serves as a portal into a place of history, drama, culture, and stories” (Star Tribune, Minneapolis), Susan Orlean’s thrilling journey through the stacks reveals how these beloved institutions provide much more than just books—and why they remain an essential part of the heart, mind, and soul of our country.

The Library Book

The Library Book PDF Author: Susan Orlean
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
ISBN: 1476740194
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 336

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Book Description
Susan Orlean’s bestseller and New York Times Notable Book is “a sheer delight…as rich in insight and as varied as the treasures contained on the shelves in any local library” (USA TODAY)—a dazzling love letter to a beloved institution and an investigation into one of its greatest mysteries. “Everybody who loves books should check out The Library Book” (The Washington Post). On the morning of April 28, 1986, a fire alarm sounded in the Los Angeles Public Library. The fire was disastrous: it reached two thousand degrees and burned for more than seven hours. By the time it was extinguished, it had consumed four hundred thousand books and damaged seven hundred thousand more. Investigators descended on the scene, but more than thirty years later, the mystery remains: Did someone purposefully set fire to the library—and if so, who? Weaving her lifelong love of books and reading into an investigation of the fire, award-winning New Yorker reporter and New York Times bestselling author Susan Orlean delivers a “delightful…reflection on the past, present, and future of libraries in America” (New York magazine) that manages to tell the broader story of libraries and librarians in a way that has never been done before. In the “exquisitely written, consistently entertaining” (The New York Times) The Library Book, Orlean chronicles the LAPL fire and its aftermath to showcase the larger, crucial role that libraries play in our lives; delves into the evolution of libraries; brings each department of the library to vivid life; studies arson and attempts to burn a copy of a book herself; and reexamines the case of Harry Peak, the blond-haired actor long suspected of setting fire to the LAPL more than thirty years ago. “A book lover’s dream…an ambitiously researched, elegantly written book that serves as a portal into a place of history, drama, culture, and stories” (Star Tribune, Minneapolis), Susan Orlean’s thrilling journey through the stacks reveals how these beloved institutions provide much more than just books—and why they remain an essential part of the heart, mind, and soul of our country.

Everyday Sociology Reader

Everyday Sociology Reader PDF Author: Karen Sternheimer
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780393419481
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Book Description
Innovative readings and blog posts show how sociology can help us understand everyday life.

The Changing Role in Children's Work in Public Libraries

The Changing Role in Children's Work in Public Libraries PDF Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Children's libraries
Languages : en
Pages : 76

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Book Description


Whole Person Librarianship

Whole Person Librarianship PDF Author: Sara K. Zettervall
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA
ISBN: 1440857776
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 190

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Book Description
Whole Person Librarianship guides librarians through the practical process of facilitating connections among libraries, social workers, and social services; explains why those connections are important; and puts them in the context of a national movement. Collaboration between libraries and social workers is an exploding trend that will continue to be relevant to the future of public and academic libraries. Whole Person Librarianship incorporates practical examples with insights from librarians and social workers. The result is a new vision of library services. The authors provide multiple examples of how public and academic librarians are connecting their patrons with social services. They explore skills and techniques librarians can learn from social workers, such as how to set healthy boundaries and work with patrons experiencing homelessness; they also offer ideas for how librarians can self-educate on these topics. The book additionally provides insights for social work partners on how they can benefit from working with librarians. While librarians and social workers share social justice motivations, their methods are complementary and yet still distinct—librarians do not have to become social workers. Librarian readers will come away with many practical ideas for collaboration as well as the ability to explain why collaboration with social workers is important for the future of librarianship.

Palaces for the People

Palaces for the People PDF Author: Eric Klinenberg
Publisher: Crown
ISBN: 1524761184
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 306

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Book Description
“A comprehensive, entertaining, and compelling argument for how rebuilding social infrastructure can help heal divisions in our society and move us forward.”—Jon Stewart NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY NPR • “Engaging.”—Mayor Pete Buttigieg, The New York Times Book Review (Editors’ Choice) We are living in a time of deep divisions. Americans are sorting themselves along racial, religious, and cultural lines, leading to a level of polarization that the country hasn’t seen since the Civil War. Pundits and politicians are calling for us to come together and find common purpose. But how, exactly, can this be done? In Palaces for the People, Eric Klinenberg suggests a way forward. He believes that the future of democratic societies rests not simply on shared values but on shared spaces: the libraries, childcare centers, churches, and parks where crucial connections are formed. Interweaving his own research with examples from around the globe, Klinenberg shows how “social infrastructure” is helping to solve some of our most pressing societal challenges. Richly reported and ultimately uplifting, Palaces for the People offers a blueprint for bridging our seemingly unbridgeable divides. LONGLISTED FOR THE ANDREW CARNEGIE MEDAL FOR EXCELLENCE IN NONFICTION “Just brilliant!”—Roman Mars, 99% Invisible “The aim of this sweeping work is to popularize the notion of ‘social infrastructure'—the ‘physical places and organizations that shape the way people interact'. . . . Here, drawing on research in urban planning, behavioral economics, and environmental psychology, as well as on his own fieldwork from around the world, [Eric Klinenberg] posits that a community’s resilience correlates strongly with the robustness of its social infrastructure. The numerous case studies add up to a plea for more investment in the spaces and institutions (parks, libraries, childcare centers) that foster mutual support in civic life.”—The New Yorker “Palaces for the People—the title is taken from the Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie’s description of the hundreds of libraries he funded—is essentially a calm, lucid exposition of a centuries-old idea, which is really a furious call to action.”—New Statesman “Clear-eyed . . . fascinating.”—Psychology Today

The Public Library Service

The Public Library Service PDF Author: International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions. Section of Public Libraries
Publisher: NBD Biblion Publishers
ISBN: 9783598218279
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 178

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Book Description
The International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) is the leading international body representing the interests of library and information services and their users. It is the global voice of the information profession. The series IFLA Publications deals with many of the means through which libraries, information centres, and information professionals worldwide can formulate their goals, exert their influence as a group, protect their interests, and find solutions to global problems.

Managing Cultural Change in Public Libraries

Managing Cultural Change in Public Libraries PDF Author: John Pateman
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1351784323
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 312

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Book Description
Managing Cultural Change in Public Libraries argues that changes to library Strategies and Systems can lead to transformations in library Structures that can, in turn, shape and determine Organisational Culture. Drawing on Management theories, as well as the ideas of Marx and Maslow, the authors present an ambitious Analytical Framework that can be used to better understand, support and enable cultural change in public libraries. The volume argues for radical – but sustainable – transformations in public libraries that require significant changes to Strategies, Structures, Systems and, most importantly, Organisational Culture. These changes will enable Traditional Libraries to reach out beyond their current active patrons to engage with new customer groups and will also enable Traditional Libraries to evolve into Community-Led Libraries, and Community-Led Libraries to become Needs-Based Libraries. Public libraries must be meaningful and relevant to the communities they serve. For this to happen, the authors argue, all sections of the local community must be actively involved in the planning, design, delivery and evaluation of library services. This book demonstrates how to make these changes happen, acting as a blueprint and road map for organisational change and putting ideas into action through a series of case studies. Managing Cultural Change in Public Libraries will be of particular interest to academics and advanced students engaged in the study of library and information science. It should also be essential reading for practitioners and policymakers and all those who believe that communities should be involved and engaged in the planning, design, delivery, and evaluation of library services.

Public Libraries in the 21st Century

Public Libraries in the 21st Century PDF Author: Dr Anne Goulding
Publisher: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.
ISBN: 1409485579
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 628

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Book Description
Public Libraries in the 21st Century presents a comprehensive analysis of the impact of recent policy initiatives directly targeted at public libraries along with broader developments in the public sector environment within which they operate. Key features include: • An exploration of the context within which public libraries are operating and analysis of their role in local and national life; • Examples of best practice in service delivery; • Evaluation of the challenges and opportunities confronting public library managers; • Wide ranging coverage, including information from published and unpublished sources, supplemented by interviews with key stakeholders in the public library sector. The book provides a unique and thorough guide to the contemporary discourses surrounding issues of identity, social purpose, value and strategy facing the public library service.

The Library

The Library PDF Author: Arthur der Weduwen
Publisher: Profile Books
ISBN: 1788163443
Category : Language Arts & Disciplines
Languages : en
Pages : 425

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Book Description
LONGLISTED FOR THE HISTORICAL WRITERS' ASSOCIATION NON-FICTION CROWN A SUNDAY TIMES BOOK OF THE YEAR 'A sweeping, absorbing history, deeply researched, of that extraordinary and enduring phenomenon: the library' Richard Ovenden, author of Burning the Books: A History of Knowledge under Attack Famed across the known world, jealously guarded by private collectors, built up over centuries, destroyed in a single day, ornamented with gold leaf and frescoes or filled with bean bags and children's drawings - the history of the library is rich, varied and stuffed full of incident. In this, the first major history of its kind, Andrew Pettegree and Arthur der Weduwen explore the contested and dramatic history of the library, from the famous collections of the ancient world to the embattled public resources we cherish today. Along the way, they introduce us to the antiquarians and philanthropists who shaped the world's great collections, trace the rise and fall of fashions and tastes, and reveal the high crimes and misdemeanours committed in pursuit of rare and valuable manuscripts.

The Role of Public Libraries in the Transformation of African Society

The Role of Public Libraries in the Transformation of African Society PDF Author: Jive Lubbungu
Publisher: GRIN Verlag
ISBN: 3346309592
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 19

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Book Description
Academic Paper from the year 2020 in the subject African Studies - Literature, grade: 1, Kwame Nkrumah University, language: English, abstract: The study examines the role of five public libraries in Kabwe whether they have lived up to their expected roles. The study is a case study using a qualitative paradigm, and data was collected through physical visitation to the libraries. Data collection instruments used were an observation guide and a semi-structured interview guide. 5 library staff were interviewed, one from each library, while 3 library users were interviewed from each library. Libraries are the purveyor of information, custodian of knowledge, and the house of learning and play a vital role in the development of any society by catering for information needs of thousands of people within a particular community. Reding (2005) adds that libraries in our societies are stewards of our heritage, organisers of the knowledge in the books they collect, they take the knowledge of the past and present and lay it down for the future. Libraries are considered to be agents of educational, social, economic and political changes or revolutions in the community and their doors are now open to all who need them. The present study examines the role of five public libraries in Kabwe whether they have lived up to their expected roles. The study revealed there was understaffing in the libraries coupled with demotivation. Presence of outdated books and lack of publicity on the existence of the libraries resulted in a low number of patrons to the libraries. Those who visited the libraries were either using their own materials or simply went to access newspapers to learn about current affairs. The study further revealed that there was an average of 15 people per day who accessed the library. Further, none of the interviewed library users visited the library for recreational reading but to prepare for exams or read the newspaper for current affairs. However, the library authorities were in the process of putting in place plans to encourage the communities to appreciate the existence of the libraries. Some plans underway included library commemoration activities in June 2019 whose theme is "Library =(is equal) to strong communities" and the introduction of a pre-school at Makululu compound Environmental Public Information Centre (EPIC) among others. In view of the above findings, the paper argues that the role of the libraries in transformation of communities in Kabwe still remains an illusion, as a lot needs to be done if the book has to leave a footprint in society. The study further argues that in the absence of the latest materials that also caters all fields, the community cannot be inspired to visit the library. Ultimately, produce a cadre of people who do not put premium in reading, thereby breed a society that is not critical. One of the major footprints of the book is that people become educated and learn how to conform to their behaviours. Perhaps this explains why most youths in Kabwe indulge themselves in alcohol abuse because libraries do not exist in their minds as recreational centres.