World’s Most Astonishing-Looking Public Libraries?

Following up on its photo-sets of gorgeous bookstores,  gorgeous academic libraries, and gorgeous privately-owned libraries, FlavorWire earlier this week posted these 25 photos of gorgeous public libraries.

Photos of a few of these public libraries have been posted to The Atlanta Booklover’s Blog over the past few years, but most of them haven’t been featured, so take a look-see at what public libraries (most of them recently-built) look like in towns other than Atlanta, Georgia.

Library Photo du Jour

We don’t know where this library is, but we sure do like the way they spruced up one of their staircases!

Found at Elizabeth Flock’s Facebook page (March 7, 2012) via ALA’s I Love Libraries Facebook page (March 9, 2012)

Surprising Look of a New Library in Norway

The Huffington Post has a slideshow of a new public library in Norway that doesn’t look like most libraries you’ve seen. “Cozy” it’s not, but then it probably wasn’t meant to be.

Atlanta’s Downtown “Outdoor Reading Room”

One of our favorite local book bloggers recently discovered the “reading room” at Woodruff Park downtown.

Here’s Tim’s report.

Portland, Oregon’s “Mini-Libraries”

Tiny self-service book stalls are turning up in several neighborhoods of book-friendly Portland, Oregon.

We’re not exactly sure why these self-service little “lending libraries” are so popular, given the fact that public libraries located near these mini-libraries are stocked with so many more titles than the roomiest of the mini-libraries could ever hope to provide, but we agree that the minis are certainly charming.

In any case, here are the details, courtesy The Oregonian’s website.

Found via Baby Got Books

Many U.S. Public Libraries Continue to be Threatened with Funding Cuts

The Huffington Post has begun a series of articles about the steady diminishment in funding for public libraries in all parts of the United States (and elsewhere).

Why Libraries Must Get Rid of (Some) Books

Do libraries really destroy books?

Aren’t libraries expected to keep everything forever?

Well, yes, librarians are forced to get rid of (some) books. They always have, and always will.  Not because librarians enjoy disposing of books. But because no library is vast enough to store, perpetually,  every book it ever acquired – much less every book ever published.

“Weeding” library materials is one of the most difficult, and delicate, jobs a librarian must do. But there’s no librarian – at least in the non-digital library world – who manages to evade this necessity. Responsibility, really.

Librarians call this difficult, dreaded task weeding: getting rid of the least useful stuff so library users can more easily find the (currently) most useful stuff.

This article, posted to a National Public Radio blog, describes, better than most,  a fact of library life that many library users find difficult to understand and accept.

Found at The New Yorker’s Book Bench

Bookish Poem du Jour

Today’s featured poem at The Writer’s Almanac is Joyce Sutphen’s “Bookmobile.”

Smallest U.S. “Public Library”

This recycled British phone booth containing a revolving small selection of books free for the borrowing  is a new feature of a small town in New York.

BookTryst has posted additional details about the creation and maintenance of this already-popular “lending library,” including a link to a video posted by a local television news station.

Once Upon a Childhood

Writer Nicki Leone’s fond remembrance of her first library has been posted at BiblioBuffet.