Month: March 2019

This Library History Story Will Tug at Your Heartstrings…

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Many thanks to Dr. Suzanne Stauffer for sharing this touching podcast about the compassion that librarians showed in the life of a young girl who was homeless.  It includes a powerful reunion between librarian and patron, as well as the song “Library Magic” by The Head and the Heart:

 This American Life: Growing Shelf-Awareness

“Lydia Sigwarth spent a lot of time in her public library growing up – all day, almost every day, for six months straight. Producer Stephanie Foo returned to that library with her, after years away. (13 1/2 minutes).“

Best,

Brett

BobVila.com Features Gallery of Historic Libraries

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In a recent piece, Donna Boyle Schwartz of BobVila.com regales readers with photos of some of America’s most beautiful libraries, along with interesting historical tidbits in the captions.

Schwartz notes “the very stones and bones of the buildings themselves tell a unique and amazing story, in many cases inextricably entwined with the history of the surrounding community and the United States as a whole. Libraries serve as the architectural anchors and cultural centers for many of America’s downtowns…”

Good to see library history receiving this recognition.  Enjoy the full piece at The 25 Most Beautiful Libraries in America

Best,

Brett

History of Intellectual Freedom–Free Webinar

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Hello everyone,

Just ran across this ALA webinar from 2016 which is now available for free:

http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/webinar/history

” Join intellectual freedom educators and advocates Emily Knox, Joyce Latham, and Candace Morgan as they discuss the history of intellectual freedom and censorship, covering issues from the Roman Empire through today. ” Sponsored by the Freedom to Read Foundation.

Seems like it might make a good teaching tool for library history courses…

Best,
Brett

Freedom Libraries: The Untold Story of Libraries for African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement

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Here at the blog, we’re excited to share this update about an upcoming book by Mike Selby: Freedom Libraries: The Untold Story of Libraries for African Americans during the Civil Rights Movement:

https://www.cranbrooktownsman.com/opinion/access-to-libraries-a-step-towards-freedom/?fbclid=IwAR2LtOCOenvuE4-g1GHe0UjBOv5JkYcVQT4-oYiylMKfd5yo53arJ3GewlM

As you can see by the sneak peak in the article above, the fascinating content matter of the book coupled with Mike’s superb story-telling abilities will easily make this title a must-have for library history enthusiasts.

We’ll update you again when Rowman & Littlefield  releases the book in the near future…

Best,

Brett

P.S. You’ll remember that Mike wrote a splendid post for us last year about the Cranbrook Public Library:

https://lhrt.news/2018/03/15/a-beautifully-crafted-library-history/

Teacher’s Corner

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Happy Spring!

We recently started a new column here at LHRT News and Notes, “Teacher’s Corner”, to serve as a reservoir of sample syllabi, presentations, and assignments for library history courses. The materials are submitted by library history professors for adaption by colleagues at other institutions.

Our first contribution comes courtesy of Dr. Patrick Ragains at the University of Nevada’s Reno College of Education/ Extended Studies:

https://lhrt.news/teachers-corner/

We’re seeking more contributions! If you teach a library history course and would be willing to share some of your course materials, please email to Brett Spencer, dbs21@psu.edu

Best,

Brett