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Daily Archives: July 10, 2019

Visit 28 of the Best Libraries in the World

Book Riot: “In his keynote speech for the American Library Association’s 2019 annual conference, Jason Reynolds spoke of libraries as “sacred” spaces. I’m inclined to agree. There are many of us for whom libraries are very close to sacred spaces of worship, and the architecture of many of them rivals some of the world’s most famous cathedrals, mosques, and Buddhist temples. I also find it no coincidence that many of the best libraries in the world have ties to holy places as well. While the library of my dreams is a fictional one (Beauty and the Beast), there are many in this world that give it stiff competition. Here’s some of the best libraries in the world: the oldest, the largest, and more.

How librarians, pirates, and funders are liberating the world’s academic research from paywalls

Vox – The war to free science: “The 27,500 scientists who work for the University of California generate 10 percent of all the academic research papers published in the United States. Their university recently put them in a strange position: Starting July 10, these scientists will not be able to directly access much of the… Continue Reading

Google’s 4,000-Word Privacy Policy Is a Secret History of the Internet

The New York Times – “The late 1990s was a simpler time for Google. The nascent company was merely a search engine, and Gmail, Android and YouTube were but glimmers in the startup’s eye. Google’s first privacy policy reflected that simplicity. It was short and earnest, a quaint artifact of a different time in Silicon… Continue Reading

Amazon Alexa will now be giving out health advice to UK citizens

MIT Technology Review – “The UK’s National Health Service hopes that its partnership with Amazon could help to reduce demand on its services. The news: From this week, when UK users ask their Amazon smart speaker health-related questions, it will automatically search the official NHS website, which is full of medically-backed health tips and advice.… Continue Reading

GPO Digitizes Public Papers of the Presidents

“The U.S. Government Publishing Office (GPO) and the National Archives’ Office of the Federal Register (OFR) have digitized volumes of The Public Papers of the Presidents for Presidents Herbert Hoover (1929) through George H.W. Bush (1990), with the exception of the Franklin D. Roosevelt presidency. The papers of President Franklin Roosevelt were published privately before… Continue Reading