Extremism @ the Library

July 14, 2014

Radical literature that calls for destroying the status quo and hate speech that assaults various demographic groups may well be uncomfortable to read, but study of the human condition wouldn’t be honest or complete if it didn’t take a hard, thorough look into humanity’s darker corners. On the other hand, maintaining collections for that kind … Continue reading Extremism @ the Library


Su Kim Chung (right) and items from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas Libraries Special Collections

Bookend: Vintage Vegas

July 14, 2014

Su Kim Chung is head of special collections public services at UNLV Libraries—home to the Center for Gaming Research, which includes a world-renowned Gaming Collection that documents the history, economics, and regulation of the gaming industry; and the Oral History Research Center, which collects oral narratives from local residents. Several of UNLV’s digital collections provide … Continue reading Bookend: Vintage Vegas



Digital Resources in School Libraries

June 18, 2014

With the advent of the digital revolution and the opportunities and challenges that this disruption provides, the school librarian is one of the most prepared professionals to make momentous choices on behalf of students. These choices comprise a broad range of options that include hardware, software, age appropriateness, access, pricing models, collaboration with classroom teachers … Continue reading Digital Resources in School Libraries



Libraries Stream toward Roku Lending

June 16, 2014

It’s been two years since the Ephrata (Pa.) Public Library began lending Roku devices—digital video players that people plug into their televisions so they can view on a larger screen digitized programming that is archived online, such as the content of PBS.org, and on other streaming platforms like Netflix. The lending program has proved wildly … Continue reading Libraries Stream toward Roku Lending


Ebook Discovery

June 16, 2014

Libraries and publishers are in the business of connecting readers and authors. Bestsellers make up the majority of traffic in public libraries, but how can libraries, publishers, and others in the ecosystem team up to help readers discover the best fit for their tastes? This is the brass ring that supports a diversity of thought … Continue reading Ebook Discovery


School Library Ebook Business Models

June 10, 2014

Much attention has been paid to library lending, the availability of ebook titles that public libraries can purchase, and the business models associated with ebook acquisition. When we consider school libraries and ebooks, we discover a very different situation—greater access to the ebooks that school libraries collect, a greater variety of business models, and a … Continue reading School Library Ebook Business Models


A New Way of Looking at Public Library Engagement in America

June 10, 2014

The Pew Research Center’s Internet Project has intensively studied the changing world of public libraries for the last three years. The first stage of our research explored the growing role of ebooks, including their impact on Americans’ reading habits and library habits. Our second stage examined the full universe of library services, as well as … Continue reading A New Way of Looking at Public Library Engagement in America



Clockwise from left: Linda Mehr; a page from the script of From Here to Eternity, with director Fred Zinnemann’s notes; Zinnemann directs actors Montgomery Clift and Donna Reed in the scene detailed in the script. (Photo: The Margaret Herrick Library)

Bookend: Star Power

June 1, 2014

Standing in the Cecil B. DeMille Reading Room, Mehr holds one of the library’s prized possessions: director Fred Zinnemann’s shooting script for the Academy Award–winning 1953 film From Here to Eternity, filled with his handwritten production notes.