The Yorktown, IN Public Library appears to be a total loss. The water in the homes, and businesses has been standing a long time, it didn't just come and go.
Credit: Meteorologist Eric Graves
Losing lots of staff. Budget meeting for the city today. Reduction in physical item checkouts vs digital has caused a required reduction in staff and ~40 people are losing their positions in the library according to the city’s website.
Not admin, but customer service based staff. Circulation and library aides specifically. The reduction in administrative costs or a change in hours could likely cover all of these positions, but it’s easier to cut the people that are actually serving our communities.
They’re talking about charging $20 for people within Bexar County, but outside of city limits, too.
For those of you who utilize the library, you may want to make an effort to have your voices heard.
For those of you that don’t, you may want to reconsider. There are a lot of services within the library that your taxes already pay for and come at no additional cost. Use them.
Recently Libby kicked me off of one of my library cards. It's the library card I've had since I was 5. Being kicked off is no surprise, I haven't lived in that town since I was about 18- and that was about 15 years ago.
But, now, my parents don't live in the town anymore amd there's no way of renewing my card. Yes, I have a new card to my new library in my new town. But, I can't help feel like I've lost a significant relationship or community with my OG library. I loved the building, the memories, and the catalog.
I called them tonight to check. There's no option for non-residents. As Monica would say "it's the end of an era."
I finally visited BJK library in long beach yesterday, and oh my god, is that place a jewel. Such an incredible building, great kids center, wonderful architecture and tons of great classes and courses.
The homeslessness side of things is interesting, at least for me, morally. I couldn't help but feel sad that such an amazing building and resource was being so underutilized by the non-homeless population. Its not that there were "homeless everywhere" or even that people were messy or rude or whatever...there were a lot more homeless than non (10-1 prob), but everyone was chill, it wasnt crowded at all, and everyone was just trying to find some peace and enjoyment in a beautiful safe space with access to really critical things (like power to charge devices etc). I was there with my 3 and 4 year olds and there were no issues at all...but at the same time, the vibe DID honestly make me not want to spend time there (which is MY issue, not that of others...but i assume it feels the same for many here?)
anyway...its just tough and weird and a real conflict of emotions. The homeless there are all our peers and brothers and sisters so to be angry or opposed to them having access to a quintessential public space like a library makes me sick and is a sad way to feel about other humans. But I did spend a lot more time than i would have liked thinking about how nice the library was (and the park next door) would have been with more families and people and fewer little groups of and how its a shame its not being used by more people. I also though spent an equal amount of time feeling real joy that there was a space this nice and well run and beautiful that everyone can enjoy. Its actually really fucked if you think about "ok so whats the solution"...there really isnt one (other than ofc fixing homelessness etc etc but thats another enormous discussion.)
what do you all think? feel?
btw - i think the fence is great and really well executed. not nearly as shitty and oevrbearing as i thought it would be
Librarian says 'Sir, this is a Library!'. The Man whispers 'Sorry, can I have a Whiskey Sour'.
Can anyone suggest me Library with good sittings and not so depressing lightings in Biratnagar?
Hi everyone! I would consider myself a reader and tend to read between 35-60 books per year. I was even an English major in college. Despite all of that, I have read very few classics 😬 None of my high school teachers taught them and most of my college classes focused on short-form content (poetry, plays, short stories) or modern books. I’ve been intimidated on where to start because there are SO many classics that everybody raves about.
If you had to give me a list of the first must-read classics everybody should read in their teens and early twenties, what would they be?
EDIT:
I just saw a post on this sub complaining about people asking for tips and not actually discussing literature. If this post falls into that category let me know and I’ll delete it!
Located in the heart of Boynton Beach, Florida. It is a public library for the city of Boynton Beach in south Florida which is a suburb of West Palm Beach and part of the Miami metropolitan area.
It is a nice complex building which features a combination of town's services including the city hall and the library. The library has two stories.
The new building was completed sometime during COVID in 2020.
It features a bookstore that is run by the friends of Boynton Beach City Library, a special collection dedicated to Florida's history, seed library, a separate room for teenagers, a special display for movie blockbusters and many more.
Feedback is appreciated!
I stepped foot last week inside a library in the southernmost part of the country when I was on a family cruise.
It's a nice library with so many things to offer. This library is run by the wonderful staff.
Anyone willing to let be use their example? or any idea how to answer this?
This question is challenging for me as I have only handled cash as a cashier and I am so confused on how to answer this question.
I feel very stressed i want some are like public libraries to study for weekends ans all what could i do
Here’s the thing about libraries that I think we undersell: it’s not just that individual access to books and ideas is good for you (though it is!). It’s that a community full of people who read widely, think critically, and have equal access to information becomes a fundamentally harder target for authoritarianism.
Misinformation spreads faster in communities starved of reliable, free information. Isolation deepens when there’s no third space left that doesn’t require a purchase to belong. And a public that can’t access history, civics, or ideas outside their algorithm is a public that’s easier to manipulate.
There’s also a simpler, more literal version of this: every dollar you don’t spend at Amazon is a dollar that stays in your community instead of streaming out to a billionaire’s warehouse empire. Libraries let you read, watch, and learn without that money ever leaving town.
On a personal note: I was beyond privileged to get a sneak peek inside the newly renovated Belmont Library before it opens to the public — the last major project of Multnomah County’s library bond. This branch has been closed for over a year and I have been counting down the days.
It. Is. Gorgeous. 🎨 New art throughout, an expanded kids area that takes over the entire historic building, community rooms, a reimagined teen space — it’s genuinely a library built for the next century, not just a minor refresh.
And just so we’re clear: the biggest foe to creeping authoritarianism is a well-informed public. Every time you use your library card it’s a small act of resistance.
Go use yours.
What do you have checked out right now?
And that he is the most popular author after Stephen King in libraries?