10 Unusual Micro Libraries

Lists

The New York City phone booth libraries featured in WLT's July 2012 Outpost and in this interview with their inventor John Locke are an innovative immersion of books into urban settings, but these kiosk-style libraries are not exclusive to New York. Check out these ten unique micro libraries and community book shares that have brought books to cities, neighborhoods, parks, and even beaches.

1. Arma de Instrucción Masiva (Weapon of Mass Instruction)

Argentina

Photo by Carlos Adampol/Flickr

Arma de Instrucción Masiva is an invention of art-car maker Raul Lemesoff. Altering a 1979 Ford Falcon that used to belong to the Argentine armed forces, the book tank is loaded with private donation books that passers-by can pull from the car. The car tours through Argentina's urban capital offering free books to all. sites.google.com/site/armadeinstruccionmasiva/

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2. Bookyard 

Ghent, Belgium

Bookyard is an outdoor art installation and library designed by Italian artist Massimo Bartolini for the Belgian art festival Track: A Contemporary City Conversation. The exhibit will be open in 2012 until September 16, and readers can peruse the bookshelves, select books, and leave a donation of their choosing in a discrete box. Bookyard is located in St. Peter's Abbey Vineyard. http://inhabitat.com

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3. Open Air Library

Madgeburg, Germany

 

This outdoor library was first established in 2005 by a group named KARO. The group used beer crates for building material as well as wood and materials from an old warehouse for the library portion of the structure. This open air library now offers seating and a comfortable atmosphere for reading. www.gizmodo.com.au

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4. Little Free Library

20+ Countries, 40+ U.S. States

 

 
Top Left: Matt Bruensteiner Top Right: Jeremy Cusker Bottom Left: Joanna June Bottom Right: Ambioct

The Little Free Library started as a tribute designed by Todd Bol to remember his mother, a teacher who loved books and encouraged people to read. He built a box, made it waterproof, and filled it with books. It caught on in his community in Hudson, Wisconsin, and from there the idea sprouted into a now international community book-sharing project. Little Free Libraries can be found in over 20 countries, and in hundreds of colors, shapes and sizes. www.littlefreelibrary.org

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5. Levinski Garden Library

Tel Aviv, Israel

A collaboration between Arteam and Yoav Meiri Architects, the Levinski Garden Library is a social-artistic urban community project. The library has no walls or doors, and book shelves are transparent and illuminated from within causing the books to glow in the park at night. The library contains approximately 3,500 books in 14 languages. www.designingfortomorrow.org

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6. Phone Box Library

United Kingdom

Photo by SuperFurryLibrarian/Flickr

Phone box libraries have been popping up in the UK since around 2009. Local communities can apply to adopt a kiosk for repurposing as libraries, art installations, showers, and even public toilets. This is just one of many around the UK that has been converted into a library where community members can take, or leave, a book. http://inhabitat.com

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7. Libraries in the Park

Bogota, Colombia

Photo by Bilingual Librarian

This little library in the park is one of about 47 in various neighborhoods of Bogota, Colombia. They were established by the Paradero Para Libros Para Parques (PPP), a program created to promote literacy across the country. Patrons can check books out, and each stand is staffed by a volunteer for around 12 hours a week. www.bilinguallibrarian.com

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8. The Uni

New York City, NY; Almaty, Kazakhstan

Photo compliments of the Uni Project

The Uni is a project of Street Lab that aims to temporarily transform almost any available urban space into a public reading room and venue for learning. The prototype was initiated in Boston where its creators, Sam and Leslie Davol, were searching out underutilized spaces for the public that could serve their nonprofit's goal of getting books in people's hands.  The Uni is designed to be lightweight so that it can travel easily, going wherever the people are—even if that's halfway around the world. The Uni 2.0 just shipped to Almaty, Kazakhstan this week—it was designed by Howeler + Yoon Architecture in Boston, MA and fabricated by Bill Bancroft Furniture in Brighton, MA. The structure will be used in parks and plazas around Almaty to create a roving, outdoor reading room through a partnership with the U.S. Embassy in Almaty and a local children's library. The Almaty project is funded by the US State Department. www.theuniproject.org

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9. IKEA Bondi Beach Outdoor Bookcase

Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
 
Photo by Charlie Brewer/Flickr

This was a one day affair but nonetheless a clever community library implementation. On Bondi beach—one of Australia's most famous beaches—IKEA set up 30 of their bookcases to offer bookworms thousands of books to swap with one of their own, or offer a gold coin donation that went to The Australian Literacy and Numeracy Foundation. www.dailymail.co.uk

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10.  Public Bookshelves

Germany

Photo by Windgeist/Flickr

Spread throughout Germany, these bookshelves function as free-for-all libraries financed by donation and cared for by local volunteer groups. Each shelf holds around 200 books and it takes about six weeks for a complete turnover. http://news.yahoo.com

Newsletter from Rep. Billy Spivey

The Tennessee General Assembly

House of Representatives

CAPITOL HILL REVIEW

A weekly wrap-up of legislative news

                         

Contact: Representative Billy Spivey                      rep.billy.spivey@capitol.tn.gov  (615) 741-4170

 

Bills Eliminating Dozens Of Unnecessary Laws Passes House Of Representatives

 

Three bills that will eliminate dozens of unnecessary Tennessee laws have been approved by the Tennessee General Assembly this week and will now head to the Governor for his signature. The bills are a result of a summer project that saw House research analysts and legal staff examine portions of the Tennessee Code Annotated relative to their expertise and draft proposals to eliminate laws that were determined to be antiquated or unnecessary.

 

“One thing we hear from our constituents consistently is that there are too many laws on the books,” said House Speaker Beth Harwell. “I directed our staff to review our laws with the purpose of identifying archaic, unnecessary, and outdated language in an effort to ‘clean up the code.’ I sincerely appreciate the hard work of our House research team and legal staff. They spent several months poring over our laws and these three bills were the result.”

 

House Bills 325, 396, and 890 eliminate dozens of laws relating to transportation, finance, and commerce. In several cases, the bills also clarify certain language or delete repetitive or conflicting laws. Statutes pertaining to programs that have since been abolished by the federal government, reports that were assigned to come from entities that no longer exist, and several instances of repetitive language are examples of laws slated to be eliminated.

 

After years of writing and rewriting laws, many simply become redundant, while others are severely outdated. This effort, Republicans agree, will streamline state laws and make them easier to interpret for all interested parties.

 

Workers’ Compensation Reform Scores Legislative Victory

Bill will create fairness in the system for both employer and employee

 

The Workers’ Compensation Reform Act of 2013, an initiative that is part of Governor Bill Haslam’s legislative agenda for the year, easily passed the House of Representatives this week with a bipartisan vote from state lawmakers. 

Workers’ Compensation is an insurance program, adopted in Tennessee in 1919, that compensates employees for injuries they suffer on the job. Employers are required to carry workers’ compensation insurance to cover the costs of medical expenses and lost wages of employees when they suffer work-related injuries.

As passed, the Workers’ Compensation Reform Act (House Bill 194) reforms the workers’ compensation system in Tennessee to provide more certainty for businesses while also protecting the interests of employees across the state.

 

Once signed by Governor Haslam, HB 194 will reduce the time it takes to receive permanent workers’ compensation benefits and improve injury medical treatment. In addition, the process for resolving workers’ comp disputes will be streamlined, allowing injured workers to receive compensation and return to work quicker.

 

According to critics, the current workers’ compensation process in Tennessee is unpredictable, cumbersome for determining benefits, and employees are often unable to receive benefits and return to work in a timely manner.

 

The new reform meets the overall goal of ensuring the most efficient and fair workers’ comp system for both employees and employers. The new system will also help Tennessee become an even more attractive place to work and do business.

 

Pension Reform Plan Passes House

Changes will only affect new employees hired by the State of Tennessee

 

Legislation proposed earlier this month to reform the state’s pension plan, the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System (TCRS), passed the full House of Representatives this week in Nashville. The legislation represents a proactive approach by State Treasurer David H. Lillard and House Republicans to ensure the security of pension benefits for current employees, retirees, as well as future employees that will be hired in years to come.

 

The proposed changes, which will only affect new employees hired on or after July 1 of 2014, will change the current defined-benefits system to a hybrid plan that includes elements of defined-benefits and defined-contribution programs. A defined-benefit plan guarantees retirees a fixed pension benefit based on their years of service and earnings, while defined-contribution plans do not have guaranteed payment levels but rather specified contribution levels by the employer.

 

The pension changes, once signed into law by Governor Haslam, will not affect anyone that is currently a state employee, a teacher, a higher education employee, or an employee of a local government participating in the Tennessee Consolidated Retirement System.

 

 

Legislation Designed To Help Curb Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Card Abuse Advances

 

A Republican-sponsored bill designed to help curb abuse of purchases made using Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards will be heard on the House floor early next week in Nashville.

 

House Bill 119, if passed by the legislature, will prohibit use of a welfare recipient’s EBT card in liquor stores, adult cabarets, casinos, and other gambling facilities. In addition, welfare recipients who use EBT benefits illegally would be subject to disqualification from the program as permitted by federal law.

 

House Republicans agree the proposal is needed in Tennessee to ensure taxpayer dollars are not abused and to redirect EBT benefits to where they are intended to go – to help struggling families across the state. 

 

Anti-Income Tax Amendment Sails Through House Of Representatives

 

A constitutional amendment spearheaded by House Republicans to clarify that Tennessee’s Constitution prohibits a statewide income tax has been approved by lawmakers this week.

 

The amendment, Senate Joint Resolution 1, specifies that the legislature as well as counties and cities across the state shall be prohibited from passing an income tax on the people of Tennessee.

 

Now that it has been approved by the legislature, the amendment will be placed on the 2014 statewide ballot for a referendum vote by the people of Tennessee. If passed by referendum, the Tennessee Constitution will then be amended to officially ban a state income tax from ever being implemented in Tennessee.

 

House Republicans argue the resolution is needed after Democrat lawmakers have made multiple attempts in recent years to implement a state income tax.

 

In total, 8 Democrat legislators voted “NO” on banning a state income tax via Senate Joint Resolution 1. In addition, three Democrats also decided not to take a stand on the bill at all, even though they were in attendance for the vote.

 

Legislation Providing Hall Income Tax Relief for Senior Citizens Heads For Governor’s Signature

 

More senior citizens will qualify for Hall income tax relief under legislation approved by the 
Tennessee House of Representatives this week. House Bill 192 is part of Governor Bill Haslam’s legislative package to provide tax relief to citizens across the state.

 

The Hall tax is imposed on income derived from interest on bonds, notes, and stock dividends.   Since enactment of the Hall tax in 1929, the use of investment savings has grown as a primary source of retirement income. As such, the legislation approved this week raises the Hall income tax exemption level for citizens age 65 and older from $26,200 to $33,000 for single filers and from $37,000 to $59,000 for joint filers.

 

The action by Republican lawmakers builds on Hall tax relief efforts taken in 2011 which raised the exemption level for senior citizens from $16,200 to $26,200 for single filers and from $27,000 to $37,000 for joint filers. 

 

New Law Allows Prosecutors To Stop Statute Of Limitations When DNA Profile Is Known

 

Under legislation already approved by the State Senate, the Tennessee House of Representatives has passed a bill that will enable prosecutors to proceed with criminal charges against perpetrators even when they can’t be captured or identified by name, as long as the individual’s unique DNA profile is known.

 

At a news conference attended by leading state prosecutors and Republican Members of the General Assembly this week, the bill’s sponsors said the measure lets prosecutors “stop the clock” on the statute of limitations—that is, the time limit by which criminal actions must be commenced in criminal cases.

 

The legislation codifies the practice used in the case of Robert Jason Burdick, the so-called ‘Wooded Rapist’, whose crimes spanned more than a decade. His case was kept alive because a piece of skin he left at the scene of one of his earliest crimes provided law enforcement DNA evidence linking him to the crime. 

 

Even though the ‘Wooded Rapist’ wasn't taken into custody until several years after the crime, investigators were able to preserve the case through the DNA that was collected at the scene. As was the case for the ‘Wooded Rapist’, the use of DNA as a way of identifying defendants and preventing the statute of limitations from running out will help bring people to justice.

 

Now that the measure has been approved by both the House and Senate, it will travel to the desk of Governor Bill Haslam to be signed into law.

 

And in case you missed it…

 

Gun Carry Permit Confidentiality – House Bill 0009 passed the House of Representatives this week with full support from Republican lawmakers. As introduced, the bill makes confidential all information contained in and pertaining to handgun carry permit applications filed in Tennessee.

 

Beer Tax Reform Act – The house passed The Beer Tax Reform Act of 2013 this week on a bipartisan vote of 87-2.  Tennessee has the highest beer tax rate in the nation by 12 percent over the next closest state, and it has continued to grow yearly. This law will stop the growth of the beer tax by changing an antiquated tax structure from price based to volume based, as is done in 48 other states. The bill should help job growth in Tennessee and will have a long-term positive impact on Tennessee’s economy.

FLCPL Commemorates Dr. King's Historic Letter with a Public Reading

 

TN Electronic Library provides Free Access to Records through Ancestry.com

TEL’s partnership with Ancestry.com continues to grow! In addition to the historic birth and death records, there are now tax lists available to all Tennesseans via the Tennessee Electronic Library.

Tennessee Early Tax List Records, 1783-1895

This database contains early tax lists from 71 of the 95 counties in Tennessee. Tennessee law did not require that tax lists be kept permanently, so many of the early records have been destroyed. In 1836 many counties sent a copy of their tax lists to the state Treasurer, and most of those have been preserved in the State Library and Archives. The database contains many tax lists for some counties, and just one or two tax lists for others.

What You Can Find in These Records

The Tennessee tax lists included in this database typically list the names of white males over age 21 and will sometimes provide information about that person's land, slaves, and other property. They also include valuations. They can be useful both for locating an ancestor and providing an idea about his circumstances. Records available vary by county and year.

You can find this new addition to the Tennessee Records under the Genealogy tab on the TEL website. Remember that while other Ancestry.com resources require a subscription, these records are free for all Tennesseans. You will need to create a free guest account--watch this video for more information.

Visit the Tennessee Electronic Library at http://tntel.tnsos.org/

FoL Speaker Lineup Announced!

This season's lineup will be awesome! You spoke and we listened! Last year's audience requested more speakers dealing with caring for and learning more from their own family collections. We also managed to squeeze in a few specially requested speakers. Please come out and join us on the last Tuesday of each month to hear some wonderful speakers!

TumbleBooks

FLCPL welcomes you to try TubmleBooks! TumbleBooks is a free online library for children that features interactive stories, games and read-alongs. This service has been generously provided free of charge to our library patrons by the Junior Round Dozen. Click the link below to begin using TumbleBooks. There is no login required if you access the page from here. The link will remain permanently in the Kids Corner page of this blog.

TEL Provides Study Help for GED and other Tests

The Tennessee Electronic Library is a fantastic website with information and help on a wide array of topics. There are test preps for all types of standardized tests. Career help is available and beginning in April Tennessee residents may learn a new language online for no cost at all. Don't forget to visit, TEL's children's site as well at www.tel4u.org for homework help, interactive stories, and games.

 

The GED tests are changing dramatically next year—so current students are being encouraged to finish their studies before January 2014.

TEL has lots of GED resources, including electronic test prep books, online courses, and practice tests on each of the subjects covered.

Click on Test Prep on the TEL website to get started!

Camp Blount

Many may not know that there is a serious effort underway for the acquisition of the property in Fayetteville known as the Camp Blount site. I attended a meeting on behalf of the Library today to learn more about this effort and to find out what we can do to help. I learned much and am proud to say that the Public Library is behind this effort 100%.

One of my goals in becoming Director of the Library was to find ways to enhance the community's knowledge on local history. We are fortunate here in Lincoln County to have such a long and rich history and we need to do whatever is in our power to protect and conserve the remaining sites available to us. If/when this site is acquired it will be beautifully preserved and interpreted to reflect its importance not only during the War of 1812 but also the area's prehistory and later history. This will not only be an interpretive park area but will also be a site of significant archaeological importance.

So, in the coming months you can expect to find some displays in the Library pertaining to Camp Blount and 1812. You can also look for a speaker (or perhaps even a few speakers) during the Friends of the Library Speaker Series this season who will talk about the site and the efforts under way. As a historian, I am truly excited about the potential of this effort and we hope you will join us in our support of it. And, as always, we hope to see you at the Library!

Jillian Rael
Director

FLCPL visits Capitol for Library Legislative Day

This is an extended version of my weekly article in the Elk Valley Times, which will be out next Tuesday.

 

February 19 was Library Legislative Day in Tennessee, and the FLCPL was well represented for the first time in several years. Library board members, Margaret Nell Fowler and Vincent Kearns, myself as Director, and Jan Frazier of the Friends of the Library motored to Nashville to ensure that Lincoln County was part of the action. We met with Rep. Pat Marsh, who expressed a sincere concern for the state of public library funding. Many may not know that Tennessee is last among the 50 states in public library funding per capita and with the current threat of sequestration, I am concerned with the seemingly dismal future of such funding. Nonetheless, this was an opportunity to express our thanks for the state funding we do receive and to let our representatives know what we are up to here at our library. If you would like to voice your opinion on library funding or to tell our representatives why you feel our Library is important, the Library staff can help you acquire contact information for our state representatives.

The greatest concern for me as Library Director is that if state and federal funding is further cut the greater burden falls not only to local government but also the community. With funds stretched thin on the local level as well, the only way for a public library to survive is through the generosity of patrons and community members. Since I took over as Director I have been working continuously this past month to find ways to make the Library a community center and bring activities that both enrich our minds and entertain. It goes without saying that the Library budget is also stretched thin and if further cuts take place, we will have ONLY funds provided by local government and friends. Our pocket books are thin these days, but I hope we will find creative ways to allow our Library to not only endure but also grow. We have fantastic volunteers, but we need more! Most importantly, we need to ensure that children's programs are allowed to continue so that we can aid local schools in enhancing literacy and developing a love of reading in children at a young age. 

There are some new happenings here at the Library that I am so proud of which to speak. First, we have a new volunteer reader, Mary Fox, who will be reading to The Learning Center Daycare and Preschool on Wednesday mornings beginning February 20.  We need more volunteer readers to read on behalf of the Library at other places around town. Please contact me if you are interested.

Schools will soon receive information regarding an essay contest the library is hosting. There will be three age groups and the topic will be “My Public Library is Important to Me Because…” I want area youth to tell me why they believe Lincoln County needs a public library. Moreover, this exercise will enlighten me as to what area kids wish to see in their library. I also hope to open up a dialogue between the Library and local teachers so that I can find ways to better serve the community. Winners of the essay contest will receive an e-reader, and Library staff will aid in loading the READS program, and runners-up will receive a gift certificate to The Book Inn. We are truly excited to see what the kids come up with.

This year marks the 200^th anniversary of Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice and the Library will be celebrating with events hosted in conjunction with the Carriage House Players opening of their play in April. We are still working out the details but we hope to have some events for kids that include some of the cast of characters in costume. As a serious P&P fan, I cannot express my excitement over these upcoming events, and we hope to see you at the Library!

Jillian Rael

Library Director

Harry Potter Turns 15!

On February 13, Scholastic announced that the Harry Potter series will be getting new covers to celebrate the 15th anniversary

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-207_162-57569260/harry-potter-gets-new-book-covers-for-15th-anniversary/

Lewis & Clark rifle

This is an interesting video from the Firearms Museum, and really highlights a common issue in museums and libraries...people often overlook the most important things in a collection. It is an ongoing struggle to find new ways of presenting and highlighting items while also protecting them.

Happenings at the Library February 2013

Today we placed an order for a large number of new non-fiction titles for children and young adults. Everything from writing papers and speeches to living in Medieval Castles will be arriving soon! We also purchased a great deal of titles dealing with the Civil War, WWII and the American Revolution for young people.

The Director is also working to complete orders for the books thus far requested by patrons. So, in the coming weeks there will be lots to share!

Our new computers have arrived just today!!! It will take a while for them all to be up and running but all in good time. We are waiting for the last software licenses to come through and then the state techs will be here to set everything up for us.

Wednesday February 20th will be our first Story Hours and the topic will be Presidents. Story hours will be every Wednesday and topics vary tremendously. Ages 3-6 are at 10 AM and the Trailblazers will meet at 3:30 (ages 7-11).

March 1 is Read Across America Day and Dr. Seuss's Birthday! We will be having a special celebration here at the library at 10 AM. Miss Sue will be reading Dr. Seuss stories and we will make crafts. The Iron Kettle Restaurant in Lynchburg will be donating Cat in the Hat edible hats for the kids. We are going to have lots of fun and hope you will come and join us!

We are planning some extra special events in April as well. More details to come but I will say that in conjunction with the 200th anniversary of the release of Pride and Prejudice and the opening of the Carriage House Players production, the Library will be teaming up with the cast to host some really fun events for kids of all ages (that means kids at heart too!).

FLCPL Announces Mother Daughter Book Club Selection

The Fayetteville-Lincoln County Public Library announces the selection for the Mother-Daughter Book Club for March 2013. The M-D Club will have its first meeting on Tuesday March 19 at 6 pm in the Library Workroom (second floor). Future selections will be decided at this initial meeting.

Life As We Knew It by Susan Pfeffer

 

Life As We Knew It is a heart-capturing story about a teenager and her family whose lives are thrown into chaos. Miranda, about to be a senior in high school, has much going on in her life—aside from the moon-asteroid collision that will take place in the coming week. But once the asteroid hits, Miranda’s life as she knew it is gone, along with the rest of the world. Miranda and her family face new challenges, such as growing their own food, portioning out their resources, defending their home from marauders, overcoming family divisions, and working together despite their adversity. The book is written in the form of Miranda’s journal entries, giving the book a look into the emotional and personal struggles of the family. The book deals with many issues surrounding a global emergency, including: government, climate, food supply, and personal relationships. It also deals with the struggles surrounding an entirely new way of life such as family ties and boding, being trapped in a fixed space for an extended period, learning to do without, and having no contact with anyone but family for months at a time. Miranda and her siblings grow and mature quickly while also fighting to stay as they were before the catastrophe.

Susan Pfeffer draws in the audience with suspense, trials, conflicts, and shocks. The text captivates and holds the reader with Miranda’s emotions and thoughts. Every journal entry brings fresh understanding of just how tough it would be to grow into womanhood during tragedy and chaos. Miranda and her family come into their own by the end of the book, and even though the world is never the same, life goes on and the Earth, along with its inhabitants, adjust to its new beginning.

Review by Kelsi Murphy

Library Staff