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When a laundromat becomes a library

Lisa Stark

April 02, 2019 |

PBS NewsHour |

Broadcast TV News |

5-15 Minutes

Response Location: United States, New York, New York

Librarians in New York City are attempting to "promote literacy in ordinary locations." By adding books and staff to laundromats in low-income communities, they are providing opportunities for children living in "book deserts."

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Stock photos trade in stereotypes–but they just got more diverse

Ben Paynter

March 27, 2019 |

FastCompany |

Multi-Media |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

The stock photo community is taking steps to offer more diverse options with a partnership by Getty Images, Dove, and GirlGaze to produce 5,000 newly available photographs of 179 women from 39 countries. The photos are their own collection on Getty's website and has customizable tags written by the subjects in the photo (recent ones include “blackgirlmagic,” “confident,” and “bosslady.” Already searches for terms like “strong women” and “women leaders” are up 187% and 202% respectively, and Getty plans to donate 10% of each licensing fee to promote further work in this area.

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This Library Takes an Indigenous Approach to Categorizing Books

Sydney Worth

March 22, 2019 |

Yes! Magazine |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Canada, Vancouver

Reconsidering the ways in which subject headings sort and present knowledge can help address systemic racism. The X̱wi7x̱wa Library at the University of British Columbia is rethinking the way libraries organize and place value on different forms of knowledge. By eschewing the Dewey Decimal Classification, which obscures and relegates indigenous literature to folklore, the library catalogs work geographically and by the name of the indigenous community. Librarians assist visitors, creating a welcoming atmosphere and forming relationships with communities and individuals.

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Rebuilding Cities, With Culture at the Core

Tanvi Misra

March 12, 2019 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

Under 800 Words

Response Location: Colombia, Medellín

City planners and governments often overlook culture when trying to rebuild cities blighted by war, disasters, or other types of urban distress. But not Medellín, Colombia. After the drug trade made Medellín a violent place, the local government turned to the concept of "citizen culture" to restore the city. By building libraries and parks, enabling art, and creating transportation access in the comunas in the hills above the city, the government invested in people-centric policies that also made economic sense.

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Collaborating on co-locating: Chicago's innovative approach to mixed-use facilities

Katie Pyzyk

February 14, 2019 |

Smart Cities Dive |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, Chicago, Illinois

Some of Chicago's public housing buildings now house a public library on the base floor. The co-location design is a result of a collaboration between the Chicago Public Library and Chicago Housing Authority intended to reduce inefficiencies, cut costs, and better integrate public housing into the city's fabric.

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Libraries Want to Change Your Relationship With Public Data

Linda Poon

February 11, 2019 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States

Libraries serve as trusted stewards of information in the public domain. Looking beyond the traditional management of printed records and archives, libraries across the United States and Canada aim to make data sets released by city governments accessible to the public. Multiple initiatives serve as models for the collection and maintenance of public domain data, including the creation of user-friendly digital portals and digital literacy programs.

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In Baltimore, the future of film culture is an old-school video store

Brandon Soderberg

January 30, 2019 |

The Outline |

Text |

Over 3000 Words

Response Location: United States, Baltimore, Maryland

Where rental stores couldn’t compete, non-profits step in to preserve physical media in the digital age. Despite promises of unlimited access to media, online streaming services have actually reduced the variety of films available to their subscribers. In contrast to the vagaries of digital streaming business models, Beyond Video in Baltimore looks to members, donors, and volunteers to grow and maintain a lending library—already larger than the Netflix catalog—invested in promoting film culture and history.

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Library Systems Embracing Their New Roles As Social Service Hubs

Emily Nonko

January 22, 2019 |

Next City |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: United States, San Francisco, California

Public libraries are increasingly using their positions as accessible centers for information to address homelessness and mental health issues - in San Francisco, a team of Health and Safety Associates have helped place at least 130 patrons in stable housing. While adding social workers to their staff has helped libraries provide social services, the libraries have also focused on hiring people who have experiences homelessness or financial instability to fill those roles and act as peer mentors as well.

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How community library is serving an under-served Lagos community

Abdussalam Amoo

January 17, 2019 |

EduCeleb |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Nigeria, Ojokoro, Lagos

A community library built in Lagos, Nigeria by a nonprofit called Pyramid Educational Advancement (PEA) is filling a literacy gap in the area due to the low number of government-owned public libraries. Aside from simply providing a space to read and the books to learn from, PEA offers services like reading clubs for all ages, career counseling, and friendly competitions. Since it opened in 2014 the library has been such a success that PEA is now opening three other local and the Nigerian government is replicating some of their services in their own libraries.

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Calgary's New Public Library Opens with Ambition and Style

Tim Querengesser

November 07, 2018 |

Bloomberg CityLab |

Text |

800-1500 Words

Response Location: Canada, Calgary

In Calgary, the new Central Library does more than just provide a beautiful space in which to read books. It also provides a place to access technology and acts as a connection space between the more and less affluent areas surrounding it. Though the architecture and design are impressive, some might say the most lasting impact is that “ this space unambiguously welcomes anyone from either side of the tracks.”

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