Today on In Case You Missed It: We take a look at the Boston Public Library's novel method of keeping its archives clean. Hint: it involves pushing them through a portable vacuum cleaner. The Depulvera book cleaning machine, as it's called, can s...
With e-book libraries, Amazon Prime Reading and the plethora of online services available putting free publications in your various devices, it's a wonder that people still pay any money for books anymore. But a new website called Honest Few is found...
Europe has ruled (PDF) that e-books can be lent out just like their physical counterparts. That is, as noticed by Ars Technica, one copy can be "checked out" by one person at a time. After the lending period expires, that user can no longer use the b...
You know what libraries need? Trains. Trains that can carry books from one part of the library to another. That way librarians can wear conductor hats and say, “all aboard!” and “choo choo!” while stamping books. That is just what the New York Public Library is getting thanks to its multi-million dollar renovation.
The library is introducing a “book train” to bring books from its storage facility up to the main buildings for readers. The conveyor system is practical, but it also is sure to charm visitors. It will allow over 90 percent of research requests to be filled on-site within minutes.
The train “consists of 24 individual red cars that run on rails and can seamlessly and automatically transition from horizontal to vertical motion.” Each car can hold 30 pounds of books at a time. They run on 950 feet of vertical and horizontal track, transporting books across 11 levels of the New York Public Library at a rate of 75 feet per minute.
Here’s a cool video of a similar system installed at the National Library of New Zealand:
This will give you a reason to get off the internet and go to the library.
Apple is still trying to figure out how to improve the usability of iTunes. Today, the company released an update that tweaked the interface a bit, adding a sidebar and media selection tool that make navigating through libraries a bit easier. That si...
King George III was quite the map collector, and his massive catalog of cartographic relics is being digitized by the British Library. In total, the collection encompasses over 50,000 maps, including the Klencke Atlas which is the second largest atla...
Hoopla, the app that lets you borrow videos, books and music from your local library digitally, has been on a roll this year when it comes to adding comics. Now, it's making a play for your living room by adding Chromecast support for videos. You'll...
Simple called “Library,” this minimal modular shelf system was designed to maximize wall storage specifically for small spaces. The design is based on a very simple principle in geometry: a hypotenuse is the longest side of a right-angled triangle, the side opposite of the right angle. Users can put containers between every two wood pipe sections to be held in place by gravity. The containers can be mixed and matched, removed or added so other objects can be placed on the extra rungs. Additionally, a workplace surface can be added to any section making it a great place to keep a laptop when space doesn’t allow for a proper desk. With its simple construction and easy adaptability, there are an endless amount of modular components than can be created for a variety of uses.
GigaOM reports the largest library ebook distributor, OverDrive, has partnered with top eBook seller Smashwords to bring 80,000 authors and 200,000 ebooks to U.S. libraries.Smashwords already has...
GigaOM reports the largest library ebook distributor, OverDrive, has partnered with top eBook seller Smashwords to bring 80,000 authors and 200,000 ebooks to U.S. libraries.Smashwords already has...
Today on In Case You Missed It: We take a look at the Boston Public Library's novel method of keeping its archives clean. Hint: it involves pushing them through a portable vacuum cleaner. The Depulvera book cleaning machine, as it's called, can s...
With e-book libraries, Amazon Prime Reading and the plethora of online services available putting free publications in your various devices, it's a wonder that people still pay any money for books anymore. But a new website called Honest Few is found...
Europe has ruled (PDF) that e-books can be lent out just like their physical counterparts. That is, as noticed by Ars Technica, one copy can be "checked out" by one person at a time. After the lending period expires, that user can no longer use the b...
Apple is still trying to figure out how to improve the usability of iTunes. Today, the company released an update that tweaked the interface a bit, adding a sidebar and media selection tool that make navigating through libraries a bit easier. That si...
King George III was quite the map collector, and his massive catalog of cartographic relics is being digitized by the British Library. In total, the collection encompasses over 50,000 maps, including the Klencke Atlas which is the second largest atla...
Hoopla, the app that lets you borrow videos, books and music from your local library digitally, has been on a roll this year when it comes to adding comics. Now, it's making a play for your living room by adding Chromecast support for videos. You'll...
