In Germany, it is possible to submit requests and acquisition suggestions for media to libraries. This is often done via helpful forms. However, not all forms are publicly accessible; in some cases, a library membership is required. I am looking for libraries in Germany that offer this service without requiring membership.

I would like to create a list. Do you have any ideas? Permalinks would be ideal. Once I have the list, I’d be happy to share it here.

We are a small volunteer-run library. At the moment we have no ability to print spine labels and I've been thinking of getting a hand-held label maker for under $100. Does anyone do this and have recommendations for brands? (I understand thermal labels fade and so are not a good idea.)

I realize this seems like a weird question, but I received a brand new copy of The Handmaid's Tale from Amazon. The gift receipt said "Enjoy Your Gift"

I chatted with Amazon. Have them the order number. They asked me for names I thought might have given me the book.

Told me none of names provided and responded with the message above.

I cannot fathom that libraries have so much disposable income to randomly send books to people.

I'm open to any ideas. Sorry if I used the wrong flair.

I love libraries so much, I have paid for multiple cards out of district!

Boston Public Librarian and Professional Staff Association (PSA) MLSA 4298 member Eve has been with the Boston Public Library for 12 years and is deeply committed to her work. In 2019, Eve was diagnosed with breast cancer. Today, her diagnosis is stage 4 metastatic breast cancer; a terminal diagnosis.

Since her diagnosis, Eve has had to rely on the hours donated by our union to the Extended Sick Leave Fund (or, "sick bank") after she's used all of her own leave. She needs these hours to be able to attend doctor's appointments and pursue treatment without loss of pay.

In November 2024, Eve submitted a request to the union's Extended Sick Leave Fund Committee. They approved the request.

Boston Public Library denied it.

On Tuesday, January 14, members from PSA and AFSCME 1526--who represent library assistants, clerical, and mechanical personnel at the Boston Public Library--delivered a petition to President David Leonard and the Board of Trustees signed by over 200 staff members demanding Eve be granted her requested hours from the sick bank.

We received no response.

Denying her time from the sick bank will not make Eve's illness go way. It will not make her need any less time off for doctor's appointment, treatments, or days where she simply cannot get out of bed. It will just make sure that while she is worrying about eventually dying of cancer, she'll also have to worry about paying rent.

Please consider adding your name to the petition to show the first public municipal library in the United States that their actions are reprehensible and horrifying.

Link here: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/sickbankpetition?source=direct_link&

Union insta: https://www.instagram.com/bplpsa

I'm a coordinator for a small master's program and we just received a small bequeathment of books from the founder of the program. It's only 4 banker's boxes, but we want to use them to make a little lending library for our students.

First: I'm sure there must be at least a decent way of keeping track of who has which book that doesn't require much, if any, monitoring. If anyone can suggest a system I'd appreciate it. (Assume we have basically no budget and very little space for this)

Second: A fair number of these books have ephemera (notes, bookmarks, lecture materials, etc.). Is there a good way of preserving these/ their information?

I'm planning a Trans Day of Visibility celebration on March 31st in my library and am wanting to host a drag performance for tweens and teens 10-18. I'm thinking of booking 1-2 queens and having them do a couple of songs each, and then if they feel comfortable, allowing the teens to ask them questions about their experiences. We will also have button making and snacks following the performance. I'm really excited about this event but nervous because I've never planned anything like this before. Has anyone ever planned a drag performance before in their YS Department and do you have any advice?

My difficulties reading text are my problem.
My desire for having audiobooks in parity with ebook copies is my problem.
Wanting to read is my problem.
Libraries are not wrong, nor failing, I am.
I'm too illiterate for libraries.
I'm too inaccessible for libraries to accommodate.

Thank you libraries for all that you do for others.
Thank you podcast slop for being the main alternative.

Hello everyone I spend a good amount of time in my college library. The librarian was asking for ideas to spark conversation on our talk board and I wanted to give ideas to make people interested in reading. Any ideas? An example of what we had was what’s your favorite book couple.

I'm not a voracious reader by any stretch. Indeed, I may have a level of neurodivergence meaning I pick up books but rarely ever finish them. Most times I never go beyond a few chapters. But last month I finished my first book in over 6 years and it came from my local library.

My wife and 2 boys (7 and 9) love the local library and I visit with them and we know all the staff there. I really encourage my boys to read more, listen to more audiobooks all that stuff. But I've always felt embarrassed by fact I couldn't finish a book, dunno if I got bored or just wasn't smart.

But I finished a book. It was non-fiction. It genuinely kept me engaged from start to finish. And I feel a little less embarrassed about my brain. I'm reading a new book from the library and it is also nice. Fingers crossed!

I’m 15 and thinking about getting a library card in Central Florida, where book bans are strict.

My friend and I are debating this because a library card would give us access to books, music, films, and study spaces. However, we’re unsure if the restrictions make it worthwhile.

I enjoy classics, philosophy, and political theory (feminist and Marxist), and my parents don’t restrict my reading. My friend prefers romance and classics.

Is it worth it for us to get a library card in Florida?

(Sorry if this isn’t perfect, English isn’t my first language.)

Hello everyone, I hope this is the right place to ask. I have to organize about 2,000+ books. They belong to a small neglected library that closed about a decade ago. They have never been organized more than generally grouped as ‘science’, ‘history’, english, other language. Some authors are also grouped together if they have various volumes written. Currently, most books are also out of those categories and mixed in with others. Also there are piles and piles of books on floor. Many copies of the same books by the same authors. A lot of batches of donated books that never got incorporated. Where do I start? We don’t have a budget or any software. We are a very small group of volunteers that want to ‘revive’ the library. We have focused on trying to sort the books by general categories for now. But don’t know how to divide them further. We’re not sure if it’s going to stay as a reference only library or if we want it to become a ‘borrowing’ library. We might have some books that can’t be checked out and others that are ok to borrow (especially since we have so many multiples of some books!). If someone can give me a short to do list to go from complete chaos to a semblance of a library I would be forever grateful. Thank you.

Just why do people do this to a library book? I can't be the only one that finds this infuriating.

Hi Everyone!

I'm in a career transition (leaving Early Childhood Education) and considering a job as a Library Information Technician in Canada. I have great reading and writing comprehension, and I posses effective communication skills and I possess a strong and deep passion for reading!

However, I have learning disabilities that hinder my ability to do math, I can however do basic addition, subtraction and multiplication.

I'm asking librarians what math is required for day-to-day tasks. I read online that libraries use Boolean Algebra? And how difficult that is to learn/do? Or if that's something you even use? I'd love to hear some advice! Cheers!

I like getting books like marvel, dc, I have tried getting some books like the walking dead, the sandman, I read my first Harry Potter books from the library. So my question is what type of books would you get from the library or what would you like to see from the library.

I have a question for yall. I work at a library and specifically in the children’s area. We often get therapists coming in to give assessments on children and do their therapy sessions because it is a free quiet meeting place. Some of the kids have different levels of learning abilities and communicate in many different ways.

Recently a family has been coming in with a non verbal child who communicates by screaming. We usually give them 10-15 minutes in the library before the director asks them to leave. The director is met with the accusation that they are being discriminated against because their child is neurodivergent.

On the one hand, yes the library is a public place and is a wonderful free resource that is often used for people to have a quiet place to access the internet, read, study, and what ever else some libraries have.

On the other hand by letting someone use the library as a space for a child to scream we are taking away that quiet space for everyone else.

What are your thoughts? Should they be allowed to stay in the library with a child that screams if thats the only way the child can communicate? Or is it okay to ask them to leave?

Does anyone here participate in their local library's book club? What's your experience? I see several available through my local library but am a little intimidated to attend on my own. What can I expect?

Don’t get me wrong I love being able to study in a fucking library. BUT THIS fucking week has got me fucked up I’ve never been able to find/reserve a spot in the library to study. It is so fucking annoying like I need to study for urgent tests I need to pass, and there are fucking twats that reserve a seat till 8 and then I see them doom scrolling on TikTok or instagram. It gets my fucking blood boiling because my parents always tend to ramble and at home and the dog is always barking which is why I am never able to study nor focus. Like motherfucker I hate this godamn country it is so annoying and I can never get a godamn chance to study for a long period of time. Like if you’re gonna be a bitch and reserve a spot in the library till 8 atleast pretend to study rather than blatantly watch instagram or Netflix. And if you wanna take a break than don’t fucking book it till 8 cause they’re are a lot of other people who wish to study.

Hi everyone,

Just a small question- we do scavenger hunts in our children’s section, and we tend to give out small rewards if the hunt is completed, usually stickers or bookmarks. We tend to go a bit more all out during school holidays with small plushies etc. I’m trying to think of something new but not over the top to go with our stickers and bookmarks. I’ve looked on Amazon but can’t think of anything. Any ideas?

The Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grant is an annual grant to recognize, promote, and support innovative and meaningful community engagement efforts in libraries. Community engagement is the process of working collaboratively with community members – be they library patrons, residents, faculty, students, or local organizations – to address issues for the betterment of the community.

Applications for the 2024-2025 cycle are open as of December 2, 2024 and close on February 3, 2025.

https://www.ala.org/tools/programming/LTCEG

Theme for 2024-2025

Each year, the grant will focus on supporting a community engagement project with a specific theme. For the 2024-2025 cycle, libraries are invited to submit applications for a community engagement project that focuses on building neighborhood connections.

Some example proposals could include (but are not limited to):

1. a project that brings people together to discuss developing community tools such as "how to start a block party";
2. a program that collaborates with a local partner to host heritage or multicultural events;
3. projects that develop community identity by exploring local history through archives;

Libraries should work collaboratively with community members and at least one partner organization to develop a project that addresses a local issue and builds upon community assets. Please note that, while projects should be community-driven, they must be spearheaded by the library.

Applications for the 2024-2025 cycle are open until February 3, 2025. Apply here. Please review the information below.

ALA announced the creation of the Libraries Transform Communities Engagement Grant in 2019, an initiative made possible by a matching grant and ongoing support from former ALA president and longtime generous supporter Nancy Kranich.

I would expect to be notified before I ride a bicycle there in a weather event.

I’m the Volenteer “librarian” for a local collectors club. The group is a dying breed of 60+ yr olds but new blood is slowly trickling in. The library is mostly for identification purposes but also includes factory literature for the pieces themselves.

The books get carted to and from each month in stacks of milk crates, we have over 500. Not the best way but the former librarian did it for 30yrs and was a behemoth of a man. It’s not sustainable and frankly there isn’t an efficient system for categorizing either.

My question is are there systems to scan the books to an online library of sorts? But one the entire club could access from their home? That way members could go online to see what they want ahead of time and I only had to bring those books.

No, the place we rent space from for our meeting will not offer us a place to store the books.

ANY other ideas would be greatly appreciated. My plan is to “good campsite rule” the librarian position as a whole.

Thank you in advance.

I recently reorganized the books I keep in my office at the academic library I work at as a librarian and pulled all the spines to the edges of the shelves. Some of you might find this visual satisfying. ❤️📚

Hi there, we developed a new classification of library/knowledge based on UDC, if you are interested, we would love to see your comments. Thank you very much.

1 Introduction

Currently, different countries in the world use different book classification methods to classify books, such as the Dewey Decimal Classification DDC, Universal Decimal Classification UDC derived from DDC, the Library of Congress Classification LCC, the Chinese Library Classification CLC, etc. These methods have their own pros and cons. For example, the Dewey classification method has a long history, but it does not support the classification of emerging sciences and technologies enough. For example: computer science, such an important area but is only placed in the general category; The Library of Congress classification method assigns a large amount of numbering to books from Europe and America, reflecting the strong position of American culture in world culture but not paying enough attention to the culture of other regions; The Chinese library classification method appears to be quite ideological, etc. All of these have failed to meet the classification needs of books in the modern information society, which is not beneficial to roll them out. Therefore it is imperative to create a new classification method.

Based on UDC, we have created a new classification method, referred to as HKC (Human Knowledge Classification), which is not only suitable for book classification, but also to meet the requirements of current information development, preparing for the future dissemination of human civilization.

The classification principle of HKC is human-centered, distinguishing the relationship between human and external objects, and classifying according to the relationship between human and themselves, human and gods, human and human, and human and nature:

Relationship between human and ego: one is the only person who is respected from heaven to earth. If one loses themself, the world will not exist and there will be no meaning for it. This category covers philosophy, epistemology, psychology, self-achievement, etc., which are purely individual experiences and feelings;

Relationship between human and gods: Considering the huge impact of religions on human society, and to not make too much changes to the original UDC classification method, a separate relationship was established, that is, the relationship between human and gods. A separate category was reserved for religion;

Relationship between human and human: growth up, one first comes into contact with parents and family, then schools, society, and nation. All these are intertwined with relationships between people. In fact, it is sociology;

Relationship between human and nature: This part of the content can be classified as natural science and technology.

2 HKC Details

The specifics of the HKC classification method is as follows, generally following the UDC classification method, and some classifications have been adjusted. The latest and more detailed content will be promptly published on the HKC website, please see: https://hkc.wiki

HKC uses the following principles for sorting classifications: chronological order, causal relationship, level of importance.

2.1 H0: The relationship between human and ego

Sorted causally.

000: Philosophy

010: Metaphysics

020: Epistemology

030: Logic

040: Aesthetics

050: Ethics

060: Psychology

070: Vijnanavada: This is a new classification added to the philosophy category. Buddhist Vijnanavada has a huge and irreplaceable role in understanding the world and knowing oneself.

2.2 H1：The relationship between human and gods

Sorted chronologically in the order of religions' emergences.

110: Hinduism

120: Judaism

130: Buddhism

140: Christianity

150: Islam

160: Bahá'í

170: National Religion

[Note] According to HKC's definition of religion, the problem raised by Matteo Ricci, an Italian Catholic missionary who came to China in the 17th century, can be solved. That is, "Is Confucianism a religion?"^[5], which has caused many debates in the academic world. In fact, the answer is very direct and simple: Confucianism is not a religion since it focuses not on the relationship between human and gods, but on the relationship between human and human.

2.3 H2：The relationship between human and human

Sorted causally. This category occupies 3 major categories numbered 3/4/5, which are society/culture/art. The UDC cultural and artistic classification numbering are 8 and 7, which have been adjusted here.

200：Society

Sorted in chronological order of contact between people.

210: Family

220: Society

230: Economy

240: Politics

250: Law

260: Nation

270: Globalization

280: Management

300: Culture

The UDC stipulates that this category is defined by each library themselves.

310: Education

320: Linguistics

330: History

340: Anthropology

350: National Culture

400: Art

Sorted in chronological order of emergence.

410: Music

420: Painting

430: Literature

440: Dance and Drama

450: Sculpture

460: Photography and Film

470: Games and Sports

480: National Art

2.4 H3: The relationship between human and nature

This category is divided into science and technology, and reserving a major category for future technologies.

500 Science

Sorted in both chronological order of emergence and causality.

510: Mathematics

520: Biology

530: Physics

540: Chemistry

550: Geology

560: Astronomy

600 Technology

Sorted in chronological order of emergence.

610: Medicine

620: Agriculture

630: Industry

640: Materials Science

650: Architecture

660: Transportation

670: Energy

680: Information and Communication

690: Aerospace

2.5 H4: The relationship between human and new civilizations

With the development of human technology, artificially created life forms and artificial intelligence life forms will appear. The civilizations developed by these two life forms will inevitably develop relations with humans. These two relationships cannot be included in any of the above relationships.

In addition, there is a kind of relationship-corresponding object in nature that is currently unknown to humans and it is uncertain whether it exists or not, that is, extraterrestrial life. This kind of relationship cannot be classified into any of the above categories: they are not humans and cannot be classified as human-to-human relationships; they are not gods, in a sense they are equal to humans, not gods who created humans, so they cannot be classified as human-to-god relationships; they are also not ruthless in nature, they are sentient beings but have different origins from humans, so they cannot be classified as human-to-nature relationships.

Based on these two reasons, a new kind of relationship was established: relationship between human and new civilization.

710: Futurology

720: Artificial Intelligence

730: Artificial Life

740: Solar Civilization

750: Galactic Civilization

760: Cosmos Civilization

3 Scope of Usage

Due to its high expandability, HKC can not only classify traditional books in libraries, but also classify the numerous electronic publications in the information society, and is more suitable for classifying future human knowledge.

...

More information please visit: https://hkc.wiki

The HKC json data can be found in github: https://github.com/phcp-tech/hkc

If you have any issues, you can talk with us here: https://discord.com/invite/jFhTM3df75

Where do you purchase your magazine subscriptions through, other than direct ordering?