Hacker Spaces: 3D Printing comes to Public Libraries

What is 3D Printing? 3D printing, or additive manufacturing, is the process of making solid objects from digital files. A printer is used to melt down raw materials such as plastics, metal alloys or synthetic silk-like substances. The printer then deposits the raw material onto a platform in much the same way a traditional printer [...]

Ottawa Public Library Teens Donate to Help Improve Literacy in Guatemala

Librarians without Borders has received a generous donation from one of the Ottawa Public Library‘s (OPL) Teen Advisory Groups (TAG). Based out of OPL’s Centennial branch, this group of socially conscious teens raised $175 to help support the literacy needs of students a half a world away. Being heavy users and supporters of the Library, TAG members [...]

Central Libraries of Canada, the United States and the World

Over the past 20 years there has been an incredible surge of public library construction.  Dozens of cities across the world have recognized the importance of central libraries as cornerstones of healthy and vibrant communities.  Populations continue to grow; technology improves by leaps and bounds and demands for library services increase with each passing year.  [...]

The Children’s Library of the Future

Children’s libraries have always been in the inspiration business – many a young mind has found their natural sense of wonder nurtured by attentive library staff.   But kid’s imaginations grow quickly.  It isn’t always easy to implement new methods of teaching and new services that will keep children interested.   In 2009 the Aarhus [...]

The Church of Scientology and Library Challenges

The Church of Scientology (CoS) was conceived by science fiction author L. Ron Hubbard (1911-1986). It’s fundamental tenets are based on Hubbard’s “Dianetics” system, a self-help program and body of spiritual practices (Lewis, 2009). The group was first incorporated as a religion in 1953 in Camden, New Jersey and has been embroiled in controversy ever [...]

International Children’s Book Day: Help a Worthy Cause

I’ll admit this one almost passed me by, but today is International Children’s Book Day.  Since 1967, the International Board on Books for Young People (IBBY), has been holding a yearly event to improve literacy and foster the love of reading in young people worldwide.  This year Scholastic Canada has come on board with a [...]

Librarians Without Borders: International Service Learning in Guatemala

Event in Ottawa – Librarians Without Borders: International Service Learning in Guatemala Thursday, March 24, 2011, 5:30 pm Ottawa Public Library Rideau Branch, 377 Rideau In a few short months, myself, along with 25 other progressively minded librarians will be travelling to the Miguel Angel Asturias Academy in Xela, Guatemala.  The group is primarily made [...]

Forgotten Author Profile: Sarban

In some divergent reality, the name Sarban could have been spoken of in the same breath as John Wyndham or Philip K. Dick. In an alternative universe, he could have become one of the giants of post World War II science fiction. But like many of his fictional characters, Sarban was a person out of [...]

Reader’s Advisory: Fantasy Hockey Pool Resources

Anyone who’s seen my wall of spreadsheets knows that perhaps I take my hockey pools a tad too seriously.  Over the years I’ve developed a fairly decent methodology for drafting, managing and (mostly) winning my pools. As with most speculative or odds-based games, intuition and gut-feelings play a major role in the decision-making process.  Sports speculation [...]

Information Seeking Behaviour and The Big Lebowski, These are a Few of My Favourite Things

It’s been a while since my last post, but it’s also been a while since I’ve read an peer-reviewed academic journal article that cited The Big Lebowski.  Thus, the subject of this missive is the brilliant article “New shit has come to light: Information seeking behavior in the Big Lebowski”  by Karen L. Janke and Emily Dill. [...]