"From Search to Strategy: What Student #AI Use Means for the Future of Academic #Libraries" a CNI Interviews podcast from @educause follows up on a CNI presentation from Harvard on how students are integrating AI into their research workflows while continuing to rely on libraries for trusted sources and deeper scholarly inquiry.

🎧Listen at: https://er.educause.edu/podcasts/the-cni-interviews-podcast/2026/from-search-to-strategy

Reading for pleasure is linked with structural brain changes and a laundry list of positive effects, including improved mental health and reduced risk of cognitive decline. A survey of evidence for the benefits of cracking a book also notes that starting young is linked to better attention, memory, executive function, academic achievement and fewer mental health problems. The key, says neuropsychologist Barbara Sahakian, is pleasure. “Read for enjoyment, as you will read more often and longer.”

https://www.newscientist.com/article/2589065-reading-for-pleasure-boosts-memory-attention-and-mental-health/

#Books #Reading #Health #Libraries #Bookstadon #Librarians #Read #Psychology #Science #Nature

Libraries are a lifeline, new research finds

Public libraries play a vital role in communities, helping people connect, access support and improve wellbeing through everyday interactions.

https://www.gla.ac.uk/news/headline_1290826_en.html

Books about Public libraries at PG:
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/subject/19136

#books #literature #libraries

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ONE OF THE SPECIAL READING ROOMS (Genealogy and Local History) Title: Handbook of The New York Public Library Author: New York Public Library Interior view of a large library reading room, early 20th century. Long tables with individual lamps line the space, patrons reading and a librarian standing near a card catalog. Bookshelves fill the walls, with a skylight ceiling and hanging chandelier illuminating the room.

Did you know that we make custom archival boxes right here at the National Library of Australia?

Using carefully calculated measurements, our Collection Care team creates custom archival boxes designed to fit collection items perfectly.

This bespoke box was made for a beautiful gold album from the Holloway family collection, helping preserve it for future generations.

Find out more about how we preserve collection material: https://brnw.ch/21x5xRI #globalmuseum #libraries

⭐ JOB POSTING⭐
Curator of Fine Art and Research Professor.
The St. Louis Mercantile Library at the University of Missouri - St. Louis has an opening for the position of Mercantile Library Endowed Curator of Fine Art and Research Professor.
This is a Non-Tenure Track Faculty position with an annual salary range of $55,000 - $65,000.
Read the full job description and requirements and apply online
👇
https://erecruit.umsystem.edu/psc/tamext/STLOU/HRMS/c/HRS_HRAM_FL.HRS_CG_SEARCH_FL.GBL?Page=HRS_APP_JBPST_FL&Action=U&SiteId=11&FOCUS=Applicant&SiteId=11&JobOpeningId=60822&PostingSeq=1 #globalmuseum #museumjobs #museums #Libraries #art

📢 Vacancy – Library Engagement Manager

We are looking for an experienced, proactive individual to develop and maintain DOAJ’s relationships with libraries and library consortia internationally, ensuring we secure the sustainable investment we need to continue delivering our mission.

🗓️ Closing date: 12:00 UTC, Friday 11th of September 2026
#DOAJVacancy #OpenAccess #DOAJTeam #Libraries

Details: https://blog.doaj.org/2026/08/31/vacancy-library-engagement-manager-2026/

It's the end of the month and I've used my last checkout to get streaming movies and series and books and music through my library's app....

....do I have patience to wait a couple of days for the checkouts to renew for the new month???

Orrrrrr.....

Do I begin my Library Card Scavenger Hunt and start going to all the other libraries that share reciprocation with my library AND GET ALL THE LIBRARY CARDS AND ALL THE MOVIES AND BOOKS AND SERIES AND MUSIC THAT I CAN HANDLE!!!!!!

https://reciprocard.com

#libraries

The urge to keep all the tabs open is not a recent thing.
Pictured: a 300-year-old library tool that enabled a researcher to have seven books open at once, yet conveniently nearby (Palafoxiana Library, Puebla)
@unmlawlibrary #globalmuseum #library #libraries #reading #history

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300-year-old library tool. Palafoxiana Library, Puebla

Exciting News, Friends!

a panel I moderated, "A Critical Conversation on AI in Librarianship" is now available

https://libraryjuiceconnections.org/events/critical-conversation-ai-in-librarianship/

We talk about the
☑️ current state of #AI in #libraries,
☑️ how #librarians can be part of wider #resistance movements,
☑️ how we can promote thoughtful interactions with technology, and
☑️ what the future might hold

I also compiled a bunch of links that were shared during the event.

Hope you find it helpful!

@cwebber MLIS 2004, worked in Special Collections at a university library.

There seems to be a lot of handwaving as to what constitutes "rare". These are not incunabula. They are not even all literature. The only actual examples I have seen included things like outdated manuals (which, of course, have historical value). Books are destroyed all the time. But I loath the idea of lost knowledge.

TLDR; I haven't seen anything with enough details to know how to feel about it.

#libraries

Discovered while doing ethnographic research for a public library district. I was touring one of their branches when this caught my attention.

It’s genius. Smartest solution I’ve seen for this common problem.

Librarians could save the world if we’d let them. 😉

#DIY #Libraries #Library #Ethnography

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A wall outlet peeking through a makeshift wooden box that has been screwed into place on a bookshelf. Books line the shelf on each side of it.

Gizmodo asks “Will We Ever Solve the Problem of Losing Data?”

I love this answer: “I know of one data storage form that can be permanent: a library. Or rather, a world full of libraries. Libraries aren’t perfect storage devices (nothing is), but they are fiercely committed to self-repair. A good library is a collection of people, technologies, and practices that pass an obligation—to remember the things we must remember—from the last generation to the next.”
https://gizmodo.com/will-we-ever-solve-the-problem-of-losing-data-2000792386 #libraries

Librarians in Arkansas can now face up to a year in jail for distributing materials deemed "offensive" or "obscene": https://bookriot.com/arkansas-act-372/?utm_source=Mastodon

(h/t @BookRiot)

#bookstodon #libraries

Lothar Nunnenmacher from @Lib4RI discusses the development of their unified search tool that integrates diverse data sources, including DOAJ #metadata, to help researchers navigate complex #OA publishing options #libraries #DiamondOA #APCs
▶️ Read more here https://blog.doaj.org/2026/07/02/why-accurate-doaj-metadata-matters-insights-from-lib4ri/

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Head shot of Lothar Nunnenmacher

THEY DID IT AGAIN!!!

My local library built out another seed library at a second branch!!!

The first one has been such a success that they've begun to install seed libraries at other branches. This one is smaller but is well used (see the "check out" list) and can be grown easily by placing more holders on the wall.

I like this approach. The main branch is using an old card catalogue. This branch is using wall holders. There's no right way to do it, just what works best for your area.

Word from the librarians are that they're mostly self sustaining. Many folks check out seeds for free, plant/grow/harvest their plants, and let some of those plants go to seed as well - returning those seeds back to the library (or checking in their seeds).

One seed turns into hundreds of seeds. The more this is used, the more it grows.

#solarPunk #seedLibrary #foodSecurity #Libraries

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A close up of a seed packet showing that it contains Pea seeds, when they were collected, and tips on how to grow them.

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A full picture of the entire seed library. Its build up onto the wall with multiple wall containers holding seed packets. More wall containers can be added to grow it out. Next to the seed library is a community resources board.

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A closeup of the seed donation form and the seed checkout form. Check out seeds for free, grow/harvest/recover seeds from your resultant plants, and return extra seeds back to the library for other's to do the same

📢 Today and tomorrow, 21-22 July 2026, our Director of Curriculum, Dr Toby Hodges, is participating virtually at the Library of Congress AI Literacy + Learning for Libraries, Archives, and Museums (LAMs) Summit. He will give a brief overview of current activities and suggestions for how summit participants can get involved in the AI Carpentry project. 🌟

The gathering, in Washington, DC and virtually, brings together leaders and stakeholders working at the intersection of responsible AI and libraries, archives and museums. The goal is to work toward developing resources that support the responsible implementation of AI across knowledge institutions that prioritise trust, authenticity, and the public good--building on and connecting to existing efforts. 👏

🗓️ Over the two days participants will:
• Day 1 — Share work and outcomes from AI literacy and learning initiatives across the sector.
• Day 2 — Engage in structured activities to develop shared resources and guides.

After the event, the summit organisers will summarise the key outcomes and share the resources publicly.

#Carpentries #ResponsibleAI #AILiteracy #LAMs #Libraries #Archives #Museums

15 Beautiful Libraries in the U.S. You Should Visit

More than just places to read, these U.S. libraries are testaments to history, architecture, and the enduring power of knowledge.

https://www.thecollector.com/beautiful-libraries-united-states/

#libraries #travel

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This is the George Peabody Library at the Peabody Institute in Baltimore, Maryland. The photo shows four balconies with white columns and detailed railings. In one of the recesses, there are lights and bookshelves filled with books.

Are there any profs or librarians with access to the B1G Academic Alliance Geoportal that can confirm whether a digital copy of the 1927 Amherst, Va Sanborn Fire Insurance map is in the collection?

The search results suggest perhaps so - and the map is fully in the public domain now (per the LOC) - but I can't seem to find a digital copy. LOC hasn't scanned it yet.

Link: https://geo.btaa.org/resources/999-0011-virginia

Please share if you know someone with insights.

#libraries #librarian #librarians #maps

RE: https://mastodon.social/@FluentInFinance/116903148148155375

your credit cards are #welfare #Medicare4All #UBI #freeCollge #municipalInternet #freePublicTransport 24/7 #libraries that we could all enjoy but, instead, that money is going to #Visa and #Mastercard

3️⃣/3️⃣

🤝 This collection exists because libraries, archives, and universities across Canada chose to digitize and openly share their collections. Together, they've created a free resource for researchers, students, teachers, family historians, and curious readers around the world.

@internetarchivecanada @andrea #CanadaDay #Libraries #DigitalLibraries #OpenAccess

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A full two-page watercolor spread from the Katchewanooka Herald depicting a farmyard scene. On the left, a horse-drawn cart carries three passengers — a man in a top hat with a whip, a woman in a red dress, and a child — while several men and boys stand reverently watching nearby. In the center background stand a white clapboard house and a large barn or shed. To the right, two large brown and white longhorn cows graze, accompanied by pigs, dogs, cats, and a chicken. Between the two scenes, two small cats face each other with the handwritten caption "Alas she's gone." The paper is aged with creases and torn corners.

This week, #ALAAC26 marks the 150th anniversary of the American Library Association. 📚🌐

While the web isn't nearly that old, the #WaybackMachine lets you revisit conferences past through archived snapshots of the event's website. ⤵️
https://web.archive.org/web/20260000000000*/http://alaannual.org/

👋 Attending ALAAC26? Stop by the booth of our Literacy Partner Better World Books to chat with us and snag a sweet Wayback Machine sticker!

#Libraries #InternetHistory

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Image with text at the top that reads: "Wayback Machine Then and Now" then "ALAannual.com". Below are Wayback Machine captures of the American Library Association conference website from January 10, 2011, and March 27, 2026.

Save the date!

#Code4libBC will be in #Vancouver November 26-27 this year.

#Code4lib #LibTech #libraries #VPL #c4lbc

can't make this one up 👏

#basketball #nba #books #libraries #comics

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A copy of Sir Charles Barkley and the Referee Murders - a comic book by Hamilton Comics. It shows sir charles in a ghastly yellow detective's overcoat.

RE: https://hachyderm.io/@skinnylatte/116792075961548489

Actual cookbooks are better than online recipe slop sites.

Physical cookbooks are great.

Cool thing though, if you want to search for digital recipes online but don't want slop sites, use your local library's app and just check out an eCookbook.

It's even ad free!

(You can also go checkout a physical cookbook as well! They have an entire section at your library for them! 641.5x under the dewey decimal system!)

#solarpunk #libraries #libraryeconomy #food #cooking #cookbooks

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A screenshot from the Hoopla library app showing multiple eCookbooks. Included examples are the Betty Crocker Cookbook, the Moon Cycle Cookbook, the Easy PCOS Diet Cookbook, and the Unofficial Disney Parks Cookbook.

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A screenshot of the dewey decimal system sub categories under 641.5x cookbook category. They include beginner cooking, morning meals and brunch, light meals and snacks, main meals, quick meals, on down to ethnic cookbooks.