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Reading Away Library Fine Debt

September 3, 2021 News Editor 0

Kids who have fines in the Los Angeles County Library system can read away their debt thanks to the Great Read Away, a program that lets young library card holders read instead of paying. The program works on several levels. For one, it allows children from less affluent backgrounds the opportunity to erase late fee charges, something library administrators felt was keeping some young readers out of the library. A library debt of ten dollars […]

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What is Dr. Anthony Fauci Reading? Why Does It Matter?

December 16, 2020 News Editor 0

What are celebrities reading right now and why does it matter? The New York Times takes another look at celebrity bookshelves with entries from Susan Rice, Jeff Bezos, Jemele Hill, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Governor Gretchen Whitmer, Rosie Perez, Chris Rock, our own Dr. Fauci and more. As the Times points out, books offered many of the high points in a year dominated by an epidemic: As 2020 winds down and we look back at our pandemic […]

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Two Cities/One Book for Mutual Understanding

February 4, 2020 admin 0

This year, the China/United States trade war is an ongoing economic conflict between the world’s two largest national economies. Despite this, cities in China and the United States have partnered together to create Two Cities/One Book, a collaborative project between San Francisco and Shanghai. Over the past several years, San Francisco Public Library worked with the Shanghai Pudong Library to produce the book, which presents an opportunity for San Franciscans to read and discuss the same book, at the same […]

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Americans go to the Library More than the Movies

February 2, 2020 News Editor 0

There have been many discussions in recent years about whether or not libraries are still necessary to our culture. With the rise of  tech culture and the Internet where, at a glance, the information of the world is at everyone’s fingertips, who even needs a building dedicated to knowledge and learning in their town? A new poll says the answer is: almost everyone. From Smithsonian Magazine: The debate over whether public libraries are on their […]

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Solving the Misinformation Pandemic

January 27, 2020 News Editor 0

It’s National News Literacy Week and it’s all about solving the misinformation “pandemic,” says Allan Miller, founder and CEO of the News Literacy Project. From CNN: “We all bear responsibility here,” Miller said. “I would like to see a new kind of ethos of personal responsibility around … how we share and consume news and information, so that people begin to become part of the information solution, instead of being part of the misinformation problem.” […]

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Stop Being Mad: Send Love

January 16, 2020 Linda L. Richards 1

Is there something in outrage that is easy? Something that feels good? Is love a more difficult place to get to, yet ultimately more fulfilling, because it can lead us to understanding? So many angry people on both sides of all of these big questions, and they appear to revel in it; to horde their anger, allowing it to fuel them. That isn’t healthy for anyone or anything (health/the heart/the world). And it doesn’t help. […]

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National Press Club Named to The Washington Post’s Press Freedom Partnership

January 7, 2020 admin 0

The Washington Post announced today that the National Press Club would be one of two organizations added this year to its Press Freedom Partnership, an ongoing initiative that aims to highlight organizations working vigilantly to promote press freedom and raise awareness of the rights of journalists worldwide. Launched in November of 2018, The Washington Post Press Freedom Partnership has recognized leading organizations in the Press Freedom community and provided them with support — including advertising […]

Five Ways to Promote Child Literacy

August 18, 2019 admin 0

Do you have children in your life and you’re hoping to raise a reader? According to Dr. Steven Witt, Graduate Education Director at Concordia University Wisconsin, there are a number of things people can do to help their children grow towards literacy. Visit the public library every week Witt notes that research shows that giving access to books is one of the most important factors in successfully teaching children to read. To the benefit of […]

First Antiracist Bookfest Begins Saturday

April 24, 2019 Linda L. Richards 0

The first ever Antiracist Bookfest kicks off this Saturday, April 27th at American University in Washington, DC. From the Web site: The #Antiracist Bookfest is the first and only book festival that brings together, showcases, and celebrates the nation’s leading antiracist writers and helps to prepare the writers of tomorrow. This year’s festival primarily features authors of anti-Black racism and its intersections. Panels are topically organized with two authors and a moderator, followed by book […]

Want to Be A Better Friend? Read A Book!

April 23, 2019 Linda L. Richards 0

Want to be nicer, kinder and more empathetic? There’s a shortcut: be a reader. A study at London’s Kingston’s University noted that, despite the solitary nature of reading, being an avid reader leads to stronger and more positive people skills. From Peace Quarters: One might think that those who prefer to watch television would display more sociable behavior. It would make sense. Because of the massive influx of books out there, it’s more likely that […]