Library News: Won't You be My Neighbor?

Oh, Hi.  It's nice to see you again.  (change out of button-up and into worn-out Megadeath t-shirt)  You know, our libraries are fascinating and wondrous places where all kinds of things can happen. (takes off shoes for more comfortable shoelessness)  Every day, something special is happening in your library, like someone looking for a job or finding a book they read as a kid. (fixes a mixed drink of whiskey, red wine and orange power drink in a goldfish bowl) Let's see what happened in our libraries this week so far, shall we? (lights the porch on fire)


The Newcastle library and art gallery have been closed down indefinitely after local officials widened security from protesters over the removal of some fig trees and other growth.  The fig trees responded by screaming silently as they were fed into a wood chipper. Silly trees. abc.net.au

Lewis Black, comedian, has been named to the honorary board of the Kurt Vonnegut Memorial Library in Indianapolis.  Black plans to help the library by fundraising through performances and such, as well as dressing in shiny boots and time traveling.  ibj.com

Governor Jerry Brown of California signed in a bill this week that will restrict public library privatization.  The bill will force companies to show they are saving the taxpayers money if they take over public services.  Taxpayers could give less of a crap as long as the paper is there in the morning and the new Nicholas Sparks book is on the shelf. mercurynews

The Folger Shakespeare Library is celebrating the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible, one of the more influential books in history.  King James was not around to comment on the widespread craziness like those weirdos in Westboro. washingtonpost

The Los Angeles County Museum of Art is in the process of moving a 340 ton boulder for an art instillation. They should hire out a company to do this, if they can prove they can do it cheaper than a bunch of museum folk, that is.  nytimes

Alec Baldwin donated around $10,000 to the Central Falls library to keep it afloat in these hard economic times.  This is a long way to go to use a library out of state. whdh

Amazon Working on a Subscription Library?

Amazon is reportedly in talks with major publishers to offer a subscription-based ebook service to their Kindle and app ereaders sort of like their audio book service Audible or their Amazon Prime movie service.  Customers would pay an annual fee to access a library of materials, but publishers have not been responsive.  Huffpost 

It seems we are going back in time folks.  When libraries first started, you would bring a chicken to the building, offer it up to the monks, priests or guys in powdered wigs and get to read some stuff.  Make no mistake, kids, these libraries still exist (such as the Library Company of Philadelphia and the New York Society Library) and have for a while.  Here's what I want to know:  If this library service takes off, do you see a privatization of libraries on the way?  This has already happened in some libraries, so don't tut-tut me that it can not happen.  If online companies such as Amazon offer to staff and fill your library, tell me your city council would not bend their ears for just a moment.  Seems a subscription based library on the cheap cheap, even in ebook form, could have libraries going down an interesting road.