There have been so many interesting articles and videos I have come across since beginning this blog, and while I’d like to blog about all of them, I just don’t have the time! The aim of this page is to share with you interesting blog posts, articles and videos about books, libraries and librarians.
62 of the World’s Most Beautiful Libraries
This article by Jill Harness for Mental Floss features photographs from 62 of the most beautiful libraries in the world, arranged by continent. Many of them are simply stunning.
Librarian Shaming
One of my favourite websites is PostSecret, a community art project where people anonymously mail in handmade postcards with their secrets on them. Several postcards are chosen each week, and cover a variety of topics. I’ve been reading PostSecret for years, but recently I came across a variation on this theme called Librarian Shaming. This website involves librarians sharing their secret “confessions”. Just like PostSecret, you find an eclectic mix of confessions – some of them are sweet (“I get so excited about new books, I HUG THEM”) others are funny (“I sat inside the bookdrop and couldn’t get out!”) still others are sad (“I read much more BEFORE I worked at the library – now I don’t enjoy it as much”). There are also a lot of confessions about dog-eared books and late returns!
Little Free Library
I can’t tell you how much I love this idea! A little free library is a take a book, leave a book gathering place, where people can share their favourite literature. There is a little library in Melbourne which uses the same idea – it operates on an honesty system, and encourages people to leave a favourite book when taking one.
Neil Gaiman: Why our future depends on libraries, reading and daydreaming
As someone who loves speculative fiction, I feel embarrassed to admit I have never read any of Neil Gaiman’s adult fiction (although I’ve read a couple of his children’s/young adult work). Reading this article written for The Guardian makes me want to read his fiction even more. In the article, he explains why he believes libraries are so important, and why reading fiction, particularly for pleasure is important. It’s definitely worth a read – maybe I won’t feel quite so guilty for reading for pleasure when I am supposed to be doing other things (like the vacuuming!)
Underground New York Public Library
I have a secret to confess. If I’m out and about and I see someone reading, I can’t resist trying to catch a glimpse of the book title! Well, apparently I’m not alone in this – there is a whole website dedicated to what people are reading on their everyday commute – the Underground New York Public Library. What a great way to get a picture of which books are popular at the moment? If you see something you like, the website provides links to allow users to borrow or purchase the book.
