Monthly Archives: July 2015

Librarians on (motor) bikes

Alan Flores, leader of Biblio Turisimo

Alan Flores, leader of Biblio Turisimo

This year Biblio Turismo is celebrating its tenth year in 2015.

Biblio Turismo is where a group of Australian librarians travel to rural public libraries spreading the word of literature and children’s books and novels. Most travel by motorbike.

This year they will  leave from Campbelltown Public Library on 24 October and will ride to Portland, Victoria by the Great Ocean Road returning via Ballarat and the Snowy Mountains to Canberra on the 31st.

For further information visit their blog

The Value of Public Libraries in Barcelona

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Barcelona Province Municipal Libraries Network is pleased to introduce The value of public libraries in society: the case of the Municipal Library Network showing the ability of libraries to generate benefits both individuals and the communities where they are located. For its development has received the support of a team of over 30 professionals.

The Management of Library Services (GSB) works to know the ability of libraries Municipal Library Network of Barcelona Provincial create value for citizens and to provide them with tools to enhance their value social and economic development.

Spanish Version

Catalan Version

Cooking for Copyright Day

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FAIR (the campaign for Freedom of Access to Information and Resources) has announced Cooking for Copyright Day on Friday 31 July, using classic Aussie recipes for lamingtons, pavlovas, canteen biscuits and soldier cake tins to drive the copyright reform agenda.

The campaign focuses on the fact that in Australia copyright in published works lasts 70 years after the death of the creator, but for unpublished works, copyright lasts forever. This means old diaries, letters, photographs, even recipes are locked away.

National and State Libraries Australasia, the Australian War Memorial, University Libraries, Public Libraries, Archives and Historical Societies are all participating in the FAIR Cooking for Copyright campaign, developed by the Australian Library and Information Association in partnership with the Australian Libraries Copyright Committee.

Sue McKerracher, spokesperson for FAIR, and CEO of the Australian Library and Information Association, said, ‘We’d like the same copyright terms for unpublished works as for published works. Then our libraries, museums and historical societies could put these treasures on the web for family historians, researchers, and everyone else who is fascinated by our social history.’

FAIR has delved into library and museum collections across Australia and posted more than 20 handwritten recipes to its website – effectively contravening the current copyright law. It’s asking Australians to cook one of these recipes – or choose an old favourite – and post a photo to Facebook or tweet with the #cookingforcopyright hashtag.

Sue McKerracher again, ‘We will put all the images together, create a buzz on social media, and deliver them to the Attorney General, who has the unenviable task of unravelling the current copyright regime.’

Five libraries nominated for the award as the world’s best public library

Five libraries are competing to win “Systematic – Public Library of the Year Award 2015”. The award was established by the Danish Agency for Culture and was sponsored this year by the IT company Systematic with a US $5,000 donation.

Libraries from New Zealand, Sweden, Australia, Kenya and Spain, respectively, are in the running for the honour and US $5,000 prize money at stake, when the Danish Agency for Culture and Systematic unveils the world’s best public library 2015. This will take place at the annual meeting of the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA) in Cape Town, South Africa on 16 August 2015.
The award is a part of the Model Programme for Public Libraries project of the Danish Agency for Culture and Realdania.

The purpose of the programme is to develop the library of the future, taking into account, among other things, digital development, user demands, local culture, and the desire to accommodate diverse population groups with an open and functional architecture.

The library must be a newly-built or refurbished in buildings that have not previously been used as a library. The opening of the new library must have taken place between 1 January 2013 and 15 June 2015.

The five nominated libraries:

Devonport Library, New Zealand

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The nomination of the Devonport Library is based on its strong historical and cultural roots relating to the lifestyle of the Maori people. The building is shaped with respect for its surroundings. Wood as the main material reflects the locality of the library and contributes to the creation of a very sustainable construction. The library has had an extended and rigorous consultation process, involving a broad cross-section of the community.
Architects: Athfield Architects

Kista Public Library, Sweden

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The nomination of the Kista Library is based on its significant position, located in a multicultural setting. The interior is created through different conceptual ideas that create an intensive, spatial diversity, based on the particular use of the space. The library focuses on hiring staff with a wide range of expertise and language skills, a rich programme of digitisation from the traditional to the creative, and a high involvement with interactive social media.
Architects: Wester + elsner Architects

Library at the Dock, Australia

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The nomination of the Library at the Dock is based on its diverse range of learning opportunities from user-driven activities to formal learning. These are incorporated throughout the library’s highly flexible layout and are supported by technology. The building fits well into the environment, reflecting the industrial heritage of the area and blending into the high-rise development and open spaces around it. Furthermore, the construction has taken sustainable solutions into consideration.
Architects: Clare Design

Narok Library, Kenya

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The nomination of the Narok Library is based on its ambitious cultural project. The library has computers and internet connectivity, which is of huge value to the community helps to create digital citizens, opening the area up to the outside world. The library is working closely with the Kenyan Ministry of Agriculture to give technical advice on livestock farming. The form of the building creates a fine outdoor space for activities and meeting places.
Architects: George W. Mwangi, Narok County Works Office

Sant Gervasi – Joan Maragall, Spain

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The nomination of the Sant Gervasi – Joan Maragall Library is based on its high architectural value. The shape of the building is integrated beautifully into the townscape, creating new urban spaces between the existing city and the new library. Because the building has been arranged as a construction of smaller cubes and most of the building has been placed below street level, the library’s design is at an admirably human scale.
Architects: BCQ arquitectura barcelona
Read more about the nominated libraries and the library of the future at the Model Programme’s homepage