LISNews: Hawkish On Libraries Since 1999

"Calling library closings the "absolute worst decision" in his 20 years in elected office, Mayor Nutter took time in his budget address Thursday to apologize for the cuts he made in 2008.

City Council "was right on this issue . . . and I've been determined to correct my mistake ever since," Nutter said after proposing a $2.5 million increase for the Free Library.

The new funding would let the library system hire 43 people and keep all neighborhood libraries open six days a week. Since the 2008 budget cuts, most of the branch libraries have been open only five days."

http://articles.philly.com/2014-03-08/news/48009426_1_library-closings-free-library-library-...

Library's WikiSeat challenge inspires creative thinking
Why sit in any old seat, when you can build your own?

The Mountain View public library is challenging its patrons with a unique project: build your very own tripod seat, in a month or less.
Called the WikiSeat challenge, the month-long project aims to inspire both fun and function through the task of building a seat. Participants of all ages and abilities receive only a basic starting piece for the seat at the beginning of the project — a small, three-pronged metal bracket to give the seat a sound tripod structure — and from there, they are to build their seat in whichever way they desire.
http://www.mv-voice.com/print/story/2014/02/21/librarys-wikiseat-challenge-inspires-creative...

This story from the Seattle Public Library is a bit dated, but worth reading.

When Seattle Public Library lifted its ban on guns in early November, officials there said they had done so because patrons had complained.

Internal library emails reveal that there was just one patron complaint in several years – a man with a Yahoo email account who didn’t identify himself as either a patron or Seattle resident.

That man, Dave Bowman, lives in Seattle and has a library card (which he uses, he noted in an email to KUOW), and said that he demanded the policy change on behalf of all gun owners. He described himself as “neither a conservative, nor liberal, but a libertarian.”

“I noticed one day that the library’s rules stated that firearms were not allowed on library property except by law enforcement,” Bowman said by email to KUOW. “I knew this rule was in violation of state law (and common sense) and brought it to their attention.”

Joe Fithian, the head of security for the library, replied to Bowman: “Much the same as eating and sleeping or being intoxicated are not against the law, (guns) are against our rules of conduct.”

But Bowman refused to back down and within two months, the library announced to its staff that it would drop the gun ban. Staff members could ask questions, but administrators were firm: On Nov. 4, the library would allow guns.

Do you allow guns at your library? Are there specific restrictions? Please comment below.

http://www.nationaljournal.com/next-america/perspectives/libraries-as-america-s-techno-glue-...
At a time when more information is moving online and into digital formats, our patrons highly value free access to books and the range of resources and programs available at the library. To accommodate the high demand for digital services, we added several Internet-equipped computers to the computer lab and expanded library space for laptop users. As a library director, I see students, parents, and readers turn to the library when they need homework help, children's books, historical information, or research assistance.