In the United States, libraries are caught between threats to their funding and a growing offensive against books deemed “inappropriate” by various fundamentalist groups. Behind the book removals, pressure is intensifying against librarians themselves, who are sometimes victims of harassment and intimidation. The “book war” has become a national political battle: the demands of religious […] … learn more→
Blog Archives
The Library Under Siege: How the Trump Administration Is Turning Bookshelves into a Cultural Battleground
Librarians have good reasons to ‘weed’ books from their shelves. Why is book removal so controversial?
Earlier this year, the removal of thousands of books to make room for renovations at Melbourne’s City Library prompted an outcry. Removing the books was “an absolute act of vandalism,” librarian Alice Bluer told The Age. The City of Melbourne argued the space was needed for other in-demand uses, such as “community meetings, study and co-working”. The collection would […] … learn more→
Many old books contain toxic chemicals – here’s how to spot them
In our modern society, we rarely consider books to be. However, certain books contain elements so hazardous that they require scrutiny before being placed on the shelves of public libraries, bookstores or even private homes. The Poisonous Book Project, a collaborative research project between Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library and the University of Delaware, is dedicated […] … learn more→
