Ban Publicizes Gravel’s Pink, Blue, and You!

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Élise Gravel creates wonderful children’s books. A recent one, discussing gender stereotypes (Pink, Blue and You! / Le rose, le bleu et toi!) has been facing some outcry in the US, with parents complaining to libraries, etc. However, attempts to ban this book may perhaps bring it more recognition. Yesterday, Manon Massé (Québec Solidaire) got a motion adopted by all parties in Québec’s National ... continue reading

Unread Books, Unused Resources, and Unknown Possibilities: a Need for Libraries

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In a short article expressing the need for libraries, Nigel Warburton traces the value of Umberto Eco’s unread books to Richard Ovenden‘s description of libraries as a dynamic process. I appreciate how the article understands that what exists within the library should not be appraised on a transactional basis. It explicitely calls out libraries as symbols of a commitment to the common good. I would add ... continue reading

Libricide!

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Harper’s Conservatives have been cutting away at Library and Archives Canada but now a number of articles are pointing out how they’re trashing and burning irreplaceable science documents. The Tyee has a detailed piece here http://thetyee.ca/News/2013/12/23/Canadian-Science-Libraries/ and Boing Boing here http://boingboing.net/2014/01/04/canadian-libraricide-tories-t.html These acts are so shameful and ... continue reading