Question 1 passes: Greenfield to get new library

The city will get a new library now that the ballot question passed. The $19.5 million library was approved by a vote of 3,294 to 2,108 Tuesday. Ed Berlin stood reading the tickets taped to the wall across from the Greenfield High School gym. Berlin saw that he won by precinct in the seven of the eight available, and turned to his fellow library supporters to say, calmly and quietly, “We did it, we did it, we did it.”

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Medford celebrates end of Medford Public Library building

The old Medford Public Library building will be coming down this fall, and Medford residents, city officials and library employees were able to celebrate and reflect on the building this past weekend.

On Saturday, the city held a party at the old library building at 111 High St. in Medford from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. for kids and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. for adults, and everyone was welcome to attend.

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Orange libraries to showcase community bookmarks next month

Pick up a bookmark at one of Orange’s libraries next month, and they might have some familiar faces on them.

Local firemen, dance students, a coach and library fans are just a few of the people pictured on a series of bookmarks the Orange public libraries have been creating this year.

In a project funded by the Friends of the Orange Libraries, library staff have been hosting photo shoots of different members of the community, printing their images on bookmarks, and will be giving the bookmarks out for free at both libraries — Moore-Leland Library on Athol Road in North Orange, and Wheeler Memorial Library on East Main Street — in September.

Read more on the Greenfield Recorder

ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom: Lynda’s Privacy Problem

The ALA Office of Intellectual Freedom Blog highlights Lynda’s relationship with LinkedIn and problems that may cause for libraries:

In 2015, Lynda.com was acquired by LinkedIn, the professional networking site used by job-seekers and employers, and has since been rebranded as LinkedIn Learning. Recently, an email from a local librarian to the Connecticut library listserv alerted the community to a problematic platform update to LyndaLibrary/LinkedIn Learning. Library users would be required to create a LinkedIn account to use the LyndaLibrary technology learning resources. That librarian expressed concerns about patron privacy on LinkedIn. Other librarians consulted their account representatives and when pushed on the patron privacy concerns, they failed to adequately address the privacy concerns. As a result, a few libraries have reported that they would not be renewing their contracts with LyndaLibrary/LinkedIn Learning.

Read more on the Intellectual Freedom Blog

Moving on up: $35.6 million Jones Library project now second on statewide waiting list

A $35.6 million renovation and expansion planned for the Jones Library is now second on the statewide waiting list for library projects.

The project, in line for $13.87 million in funding, moved up two spots when the Massachusetts Board of Library Commissioners (MBLC) in July awarded provisional funding for a $7.49 million project in Sharon and a $5.84 million in Littleton.

Continue Reading on the Daily Hampshire Gazette

Medford to start work on new $34 million library

Medford is preparing to begin construction of a $34 million public library that officials said will allow them to meet a longstanding need for more space and improved facilities. In October, contractors are set to begin demolishing the existing 60-year-old library to make way for the new 44,000-square-foot facility, to be built on the same High Street site.

Read more on the Boston Globe

St. Louis and Boston Public Libraries Used Twitter Book Stacks to Face Off Over Stanley Cup

During the 2019 Stanley Cup, there was another rivalry going on in addition to the one on the ice between the St. Louis Blues and Boston Bruins, which ended in the Blues winning last night. The friendlier sparring occurred between the cities’ respective libraries, the St. Louis Public Library and Boston Public Library, who were battling it out on Twitter.

Continue Reading on Forbes