Writing a complete history of libraries is no easy task. One must address questions of definition, purpose, accessibility, and function. Not only are there no single answers to these questions, but ...

Most of us think about Rosa Parks refusing to give up her seat or Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington when we think about the civil rights movement. Lesser known is the issue of library ...

Countless histories can be found on library shelves, including histories of libraries themselves. Reading library history can help us not only avoid repeating history but also better understand how ...

The Library: A Fragile History is ambitious in its scope and detail-oriented in its execution. The book traces the entire history of libraries, inclusive of private, state, public and academic ...

Widespread screening events are expanding the audience for “Free for All: The Public Library,” an Independent Lens documentary that explores the crucial role of American libraries throughout history ...

This month, after we celebrated the independence of our nation, seems like a perfect opportunity to brush up on a little American history as it relates to the rise of public libraries. Where did the ...

The modern presidential library is more than a roadside attraction. It’s a multifaceted venue where interested parties can thumb through the archives and gaze upon the personal effects of former ...

In 2026, the Supreme Court Library in Kings County will begin its 177th year of service to the bench and the bar, and its ...

My mother’s parents emigrated in 1949 from southwest Ireland to Boston, where I grew up seeing them every day. The first stories I ever heard were my grandfather’s retellings of Irish myths. As I grew ...

Imagine you wanted to find books or journal articles on a particular subject. Or find manuscripts by a particular author. Or locate serials, music or maps. You would use a library catalog that ...