Library has always been a magical place to me since I was five years old, and it played a compelling role in my childhood development. How librarians know where to find what information from the temple of mystery was amazing to me at that time, and I get to understand comprehensively of library’s vital value to people and community when I studied in universities and visited libraries around the world, especially after few years’ involvement in library as a volunteer. A library is a place where people can access information freely, and it is a public space for community. My career aspiration is to become a professional librarian and assist patrons to access information in the most effective way in digital age. I grew up in a rural small town of China at early ’80s, where people didn’t have much connection to outside world to get direct knowledge other than reading books and newspapers. But it was hard to find books around. There were no public library in town; the only library was education bureau’s internal library servicing teachers. I was allowed to get in there with my mother sometimes because she was a teacher. I still remember the aroma and style inside, and the happiness after borrowing books. My longing for library environment extended to my life and career path. The library of my…
with public libraries after the Great Chicago Fire in 1871. Encouraged by the Britain Parliament, people of Chicago earned the right for free public libraries and the establishment of the Chicago Public Library in 1872. Now, the Chicago Public Library (CPL) has 80 branches around the city, and the newest one is the Chinatown Branch Library, opened in 2015 and designed by Skidmore, Owings & Merrill in collaboration with Wight & Company and the Public Building Commission of Chicago (PBC). The…
I chose Belk Library of Appalachian State University for my ethnography project. The reason that I pick library for this project was that I knew everyday men, women, children, elder, and people of different nation came to this place for studying, relaxing, or for some other reasons. Therefore, I thought by choosing library, I would have an opportunity to observe the behaviors of people of different genders, ages, and nation of this culture. It was a great experience working as a cultural…
been a nice day to go library and get some books. Being a geeky teenage girl, I love to read anything from a mystery to a good thriller. My day started off great! A big bowl of Frosted Flakes, a bright early morning and a little bit of television. Nothing could go wrong… or could it? “Oh crap, where’s my library card”.I yelled in frustration. I began to search through all my pockets and in between my father’s car seats.After fifteen minutes with no success, I turned towards my father, Oscar,…
Libraries of the future public libraries are moving into a direction of redesigning library space, moving away from set traditional ways and welcoming the digital age for their communities. As we take a closer glance into the future it entitles people wanting to gaining access to information at a rapid rate. However, the challenges public libraries will face are securing adequate funding to support such major changes. Eliminating the Dewey systems application Consenus (2009) examined the…
Public libraries are trying to keep up in a world where technological changes are rapid and constant. In order to stay relevant, public libraries must understand and embrace change and new technologies. Public library spaces will continue to be reinvented in order to better meet the needs of users. But where the most amount of change is expected is in digital content. As the library changes, the catalog must change. These changes need to consider not just current needs but the future needs of…
The Grosse Pointe Public Library is in Grosse Pointe, Michigan and is a famous piece of architecture created by Marcel Breuer. This building diverges from his usual design style, in that this interior caters to the preservation of the books. The facades are designed in such a way that allows the light to shine in certain spots. The front façade of the building has large vertical windows and is slightly slanted forward to allow for shading certain times of the day. In the afternoon the front…
the Macnider family helped create the Mason City Public Library? Mason City is located in Iowa and the Mason City Public Library is now located on 225 2nd St SE. The Library is important in the history in Mason City because of the first attempts of a library, the first attempts of a public library, how May Hanford Macnider helped the library progress, the current library, and what was changed in the current library. In 1871, the first library was opened. That library was a subscription…
We have learned that an idealistic library is the place where you go when you want to learn something new, use its free resources and when in need of silence. On most college campuses a library is known for being a place for independent academic study and not an environment in which you should talk to others. College students that are found inside libraries participating in their own independent studies are usually there because they want to be there, not because they are highly persuaded to be…
Binghamton’s Carnegie Library nestles snugly in the shadows of city hall and the Security Mutual building on Exchange Street. Although no longer in use, the ‘old library’ (as the residents refer to it) stands as a reminder of Andrew Carnegie’s philanthropy, as well as the city’s former glory. The building’s architecture is entirely Classical, utilising Greek and Roman traditions to create an inviting exterior for the city’s library. The library’s Grecian influence is obvious at first glance, as…