More young people using UK libraries
Wednesday, 12 April 2017
New research has found the number of young people using UK libraries has increased over the past five years, reports the BBC. The Carnegie UK Trust study of 10,000 people...
Protesters ‘ridicule’ plan to turn London library into combined gym and self-service library
Wednesday, 5 April 2017
About 250 campaigners attended an April Fool’s Day rally to ‘ridicule’ Lambeth Council’s decision to turn Carnegie Library, London, into ‘a healthy living centre with a self-service neighbourhood library’, reports...
UK authors call new UK libraries fund ‘a smokescreen’
Wednesday, 29 March 2017
In the UK, a number of authors have called the government’s new £3.9m (A$6.3m) fund to support innovation in public libraries ‘a sop, a smokescreen and a whitewash’ that does...
UK extends PLR to ebooks, digital audiobooks
Wednesday, 1 March 2017
The UK government is expanding the Public Lending Rights payment program to include ebooks and digital audiobooks from next year, reports the Bookseller. The overall funding allocated to the PLR...
Firm that developed US African-American museum hired for Obama library
Wednesday, 22 February 2017
The exhibition design for the planned presidential library of Barack Obama will be led by Ralph Appelbaum Associates, the same firm that worked on the recently opened National Museum of...
UK library usage down 30% since 2005
Wednesday, 8 February 2017
In the UK, new government figures show adult public library usage is down by almost 30% since 2005, reports the Bookseller. The culture, media and sport department’s ‘Taking Part’ report...
US librarians critical of changes to internet policy, fear funding cuts
Wednesday, 8 February 2017
In the US, librarians have criticised the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) decision to revoke an Obama-led initiative to provide discounted broadband services to low-income consumers, reports Publishers Weekly. The lifeline...
Ransomware attack shuts down St Louis library computer systems
Wednesday, 25 January 2017
In the US, a ransomware attack has shut down borrowing services at libraries in St Louis, Missouri, with 700 computers across 16 libraries infected, reports the Guardian. Hackers are demanding...
‘The Girl on the Train’ tops US libraries’ most-borrowed lists
Wednesday, 18 January 2017
In the US, Paula Hawkins’ The Girl on the Train (Black Swan) has been identified as the most checked-out book at eight of 14 metropolitan libraries surveyed by news publication...
Child, Hawkins top UK libraries’ most loaned; titles borrowed drops 14.6%
Wednesday, 14 December 2016
In the UK, Lee Child’s Make Me (Bantam) has topped the list of the most borrowed library book this year-to-date according to Nielsen LibScan statistics, reports the Bookseller. In a...
Chicago Public Library offers free content to commuters
Wednesday, 7 December 2016
In the USA, travellers using Chicago’s railways can browse a variety of free digital content using a smartphone or other digital device, reports Time Out Chicago. The new initiative between...
British Library acquires Wodehouse archive
Wednesday, 7 December 2016
The British Library has acquired the PG Wodehouse archive, a collection of papers formerly held by the PG Wodehouse estate, reports the Guardian. The archive includes many of Wodehouse’s letters,...
Ireland to roll out 23 more ‘staffless’ libraries
Tuesday, 29 November 2016
Ireland will expand its ‘staffless’ library scheme to a further 23 libraries in 2017, reports the Irish Times. Under the ‘My Open Library’ initiative, libraries will remain operating without staff...
EU ruling on e-lending concerns European publishers
Monday, 14 November 2016
The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), the chief judicial authority of the EU, has ruled that lending of digital books in libraries should be treated the same...
Authors, unions join first national protest against UK library cuts
Wednesday, 9 November 2016
In the UK, librarians, authors and major unions joined a protest march at the British Library to campaign against cuts to library services, reports the Guardian. An estimated 1800 protesters...
Roth donates personal book collection to Newark library
Thursday, 3 November 2016
US author Philip Roth has bequeathed his personal book collection to Newark Library in New Jersey, reports the New York Times. The collection comprises close to 4000 volumes and will...
US copyright register removed by Librarian of Congress
Wednesday, 26 October 2016
In the US, creators and media organisations are ‘surprised and dismayed’ at the sudden removal of US register of copyrights Maria Pallante—the first dismissal from the position in 119 years,...
House of Lords questions UK government on library closures
Wednesday, 19 October 2016
The UK government has had to defend widespread closure of libraries in England during a debate in the House of Lords, reports the Bookseller. Founder of the Big Issue magazine...
British Library partners with 21 major libraries for national knowledge network
Wednesday, 12 October 2016
In the UK, the British Library has launched a knowledge network with 21 major libraries across the UK to combine local expertise and organising power. The Living Knowledge Network, which is...
Kansas City library officials ‘outraged’ over arrests made during library discussion
Wednesday, 5 October 2016
In the US, the executive director of the Kansas City Public Library Crosby Kemper III said he is ‘outraged’ that state prosecutors are pursuing charges against a man who was...
Danish publishers withdraw ebooks from libraries
Wednesday, 28 September 2016
Danish publishers have withdrawn their ebooks from libraries in opposition to to the lack of restrictions around digital lending in the country, reports Digital Book World. Several Danish publishers, including...
UK’s oldest public lending library faces closure
Wednesday, 21 September 2016
The oldest public lending library in Britain could be closed because of local council funding cuts, reports the Mirror. Warrington Central Library in Cheshire, which first opened in 1848, is...
Pew report: more than half of Americans visited a public library in the past year
Wednesday, 14 September 2016
In the US, a new Pew Research Center survey has found that more than half of all Americans aged 16 and over used a public library in the past year,...
‘Gruffalo’ author protests cuts to Scottish school librarians
Wednesday, 7 September 2016
Children’s book author Julia Donaldson has written to the Scottish First Minister demanding a Scottish council reverse its plan to axe school librarians, reports the Scotsman. Donaldson, the author of...
Missouri library launches ‘1000 Books before Kindergarten’ initiative
Wednesday, 24 August 2016
In the US, St Louis County Library in Missouri has launched a new program called ‘1000 Books Before Kindergarten’ to encourage parents to start reading to children early and often,...
‘Significant decrease’ in library use by UK adults
Wednesday, 17 August 2016
In the UK, a new report commissioned by the department of culture, media and sport (DCMS) has revealed a ‘significant decrease’ in the proportion of adults engaging with public libraries,...
Israeli high court rules in library’s favour over Kafka manuscripts
Wednesday, 10 August 2016
Israel’s Supreme Court has ruled that Franz Kafka’s manuscripts are the property of the National Library of Israel and not the heirs of Kafka’s friend and editor Max Brod, reports...
Rowling to lend Harry Potter archive to British Library for exhibition
Wednesday, 10 August 2016
In the UK, J K Rowling will lend the British Library items from her personal Harry Potter archive for an exhibition marking the 20th anniversary of the book’s publication, reports...
Regional BBC channels, libraries partner for grassroots ‘Book of the Month’ club
Wednesday, 3 August 2016
In the UK, 40 local BBC radio stations are partnering with local libraries to create a grassroots on-air ‘Book of the Month’ club across the country, reports the Bookseller. The...
Irish librarian receives suspended sentence over rare book theft
Wednesday, 3 August 2016
A former librarian who stole hundreds of rare books from the National Library of Ireland in Dublin has received a suspended sentence, reports Independent.ie. John Nulty pled guilty to having compulsively...
