public library

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Library Comes Up With Purrfect Way to Forgive Lost Books

Worcester Public Library in Massachusetts is granting amnesty if you bring in cat pics

(Newser) - A Massachusetts library has implemented a temporary—and arguably purrfect—forgiveness program for those who've lost or damaged materials they've borrowed. The New York Times reports on the "March Meowness" initiative currently happening at the Worcester Public Library: For this month only, borrowers whose library cards have...

Michigan Couple Face Jail Over Late Dr. Seuss Book

They say it isn't criminal to take so long paying late fees

(Newser) - A Michigan husband and wife are beside themselves after having been warned they could face up to 93 days in jail and a $500 fine over two unreturned library books. It all started in the summer of 2014, when their son checked out a Dr. Seuss book for the couple'...

Guy Gets Banned From Every Library on Earth

 Guy Gets 
 Banned From 
 Every Library 
 on Earth 
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Guy Gets Banned From Every Library on Earth

Man was 'not trying to conceal' his lewd behavior: criminal complaint

(Newser) - Let's hope he's not a big reader. A 20-year-old man has been barred from "all the libraries on the face of the earth" for some rather inappropriate alleged behavior at one of them. Tyree S. Carter reportedly masturbated in a Wisconsin library one morning earlier this month;...

Great, Now Bedbugs Are Hiding in Library Books

They apparently like the spines of hardcover books

(Newser) - Just when you thought you were safe from bedbugs as long as you never stay in a hotel, go shopping for clothes or to the movies , or, you know, work in an office ... now it turns out you also must refrain from borrowing books. Yes, library books are the latest...

Out of Abandoned Texas Walmart, a Vast New Library

McAllen Public Library a whopping 125K square feet

(Newser) - When McAllen, Texas, found itself with an abandoned Walmart on its hands, it didn't just bring in another store: It used the building to create a new library. And that library just so happens to be the largest single-story library in the country—and the winner of the International...

Ghostbusters Fans Take Over NY Library
 Ghostbusters Fans 
 Take Over NY Library 
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Ghostbusters Fans Take Over NY Library

Improv troupe performs scene based on movie; stunt was library's idea

(Newser) - The ghosts arrive first, and they're barely in their seats when the Ghostbusters show up to chase them out of the reading room at the New York Public Library. Both the Ghostbusters and their prey spread laughter throughout the Fifth Avenue landmark before receiving a round of applause as they...

Libraries Embrace E-Book Lending

Compatibility issues and reticent publishing industry slow progress

(Newser) - More than 1 million e-books books were checked out of libraries this year—25% more than all of last year—as libraries offer more and more digital lending. Borrowers can check the book out online—obviating the trip to the library—and can read them on a computer or Sony...

Libraries a Cheap Refuge, But Top Target for Budget Cuts

Popular books see huge waiting lists, while unemployed line up to use computers

(Newser) - Whether you’re looking for a job, or just a cheap respite from the horrors of the economy, the public library has become the place to be, the Wall Street Journal reports. But even as attendance swells, the same financial crisis that brings patrons has left many branches cash-poor. One...

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