Carla Hayden, a real librarian - most recently CEO at Baltimore's Enoch Pratt Free Library - is the first African American, and the first woman, to be nominated to the highly prestigious position - the Librarian of Congress.

There is ‎a short video in this link to introduce her to us. Congratulations Ms. Hayden!

https://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/2016/02/24/meet-president-obamas-nominee-librarian-congress?utm_medium=email&utm_content=email569-text1&utm_campaign=loc

Cred: the Great Mr. Colbert

This Portuguese design firm is trying to redirect our attention to how we live in our changing climate. 

Take a few moments to view the well produced video on the main page.

Their design concept a little 'Safdie-meets-mobile sun worshipper' but solutions do not come without dreaming. 

Now in production this residential design addresses constantly adjusting photovoltaic panels; enticing promises of production of excess energy to off-set initial costs and...'energetically' in my opinion, the luxury of modularity and fantastically, portability!

This deserves a discerning look. While a part of me naturally says, "All you need is money honey.", the dreamer in me wants this to work.

‎http://www.casasemmovimento.com/#home

ScreenGrabCred: casasemmovimento.com

Showcasing the "transformative nature of today's libraries" this ALA initiative helps you remind your community, no matter what it is or its size, about the evolving nature of your library‎.

Download FREE artwork, banners and 'window clings'. (screen grab of a poster below).

Get the word out to everyone about the relevance and importance of their library in their lives.

http://www.ilovelibraries.org/librariestransform/toolkit

Not since the heady days of 'The Dead Dog Café'‎ have I seen such a fun random ideas generator!

http://www.cbc.ca/books/mobile/touch/2016/02/got-writers-block-check-out-the-canlit-premise-generator.html

‎A story of fragility, humidity and the search for people to fund the preservation of their heritage.

Photos of books as a frantic attempt to preserve a record of an endangered collection.

The visual record is stunning in that it shows what was and what is now. If only people's will and funding had preserved the books when that effort may have been most effective. 

‎http://www.nationalist.ie/news/news/201971/Priceless-Cashel-book-collection-to-be.html

Twenty years of struggling to get this collection protected results in this priceless library moving to UofL. It is/ was a mainstay on the tourist sights for Cashel community. 

Two links here shows the extent of the work that now must be done. 
   

http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/gallery-see-the-rescue-of-cashel-s-magical-but-mouldering-library-1.2535495

We focus on the 'third world' struggle for equality in this realm of the interconnectedness of our world. But there are still places in North America ‎without access to the Electric Grid.
ScreenGrabCred: seia.org

http://www.seia.org/blog/grid-solar-filling-void-power-deprived?utm_content=28336810&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter

Hopefully, since this is being developed by people with 'Mozilla-sense', this will turn out well and be a as security enhanced as possible. We'll watch and see. It's in Kickstarter right now but this has to come eventually. 

All I care about is that the encryption for the device remains on the ‎device. 

If we are to be forced to go with this naive concept of safety of 'The IoT', please let's remember how important it is to retain control over our private lives and our data.

http://techcrunch.com/2016/02/16/ex-mozilla-team-unveils-sense-an-intelligent-secure-hub-for-the-smart-home/?ncid=rss&utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

‎This is an offer that is way too good to ignore.

One of the reasons Yale is doing this is to encourage digital artists to play with these and re-create. Nice!

I'm headed to these sites to see what I can see.‎

http://www.courant.com/entertainment/museums-galleries/hc-open-access-artworks-yale-0217-20160215-story.html

"Everything builds on what came before. ...creativity is combinatorial. "

These diagrams certainly changed my life the first time I saw them. I want to read this book!

https://www.brainpickings.org/2012/12/21/100-diagrams-that-changed-the-world/?utm_content=bufferd92fe&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

Instructive little video...

http://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-google-information-nsa-iphone-android-data-personal-2016-2

Row on out to this raft of books from around the world. Mix 'beach' reading' with adventure on the low seas.

Conceived in Minnesota by Ms. Peters on a raft designed by architect Molly Reichert, and ready to be experienced now in Los Angeles at famous Echo Park Lake‎.

http://thefloatinglibrary.org/the-project/

#in #SOA Sate of Architecture in India

This lengthy and ‎fascinating article outlines the deep, broad and complex idea of architecture as one would expect of this marvel-filled nation with it's roots in centuries of history; a fact that is at the forefront every designer's consciousness while designing for an ambitious and exciting future.

A very good read indeed.

http://www.archdaily.com/781892/the-state-of-architecture-in-india-an-interview-with-rahul-mehrotra-ranjit-hoskote-and-kaiwan-mehta?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Brazil does it...again with the books!

http://www.designindaba.com/articles/creative-work/miniature-reading-gets-brazilians-excited-about-books

Thought we couldn't improve on the brick.
Wrong.
This brick can, will, have a tremendous ‎impact on building technology, human comfort and energy savings.

http://www.archdaily.com/778158/in-detail-heat-dispersing-brick-developed-in-colombia

Illustrations : ArchDaily

Celebrating Thomas More's UTOPIA in ways that you won't easily believe seems an excellent thing to do and be part of this year if you are lucky enough to get yourself to Somerset House and all the other locations that form part of this amazing, year long, series of talks, exhibitions, happenings and explorations.

Imagine a future in the clouds, why public art should be labeled or a new type font. Just imagine.

I'd be there in a flash.

http://utopia.somersethouse.org.uk/

Emma Watson takes her UN Ambassador duties and her word... seriously.

http://m.huffpost.com/us/entry/emma-watson-book-club-recommendations_us_56b2d22fe4b08069c7a61ff7

Please read this. 
‎It's not difficult to protect your data and info.
At least, be as diligent as your next would-be hacker‎.
#in

https://nordvpn.com/blog/is-my-computer-hacked/?utm_content=bufferfe9b2&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

"You (really) ‎don't know what you've lost 'til it's gone". This piece by Mary O'Hara is her attempt to ring that huge bell we need to hear...our Libraries Are Closing! 

Are we crazy? Do we not realise that in India, where books and Internet access are held in such high esteem due to their rarity, that it's citizens are clamouring for libraries to be open and to actually have books in them?

We who have money and resources; educated librarians and the universities to train them disregard our privilege. We disdain library services. We ignore the young children who hunger for knowledge and let slip our gift of public libraries through our avarous fingers. ‎What are we thinking?

The vibrant, brilliance of a country's success rests upon an educated citizenry‎. 

Want your country to spiral down into disruption and encamped violence? Then close your schools, teach lies in those that are left open, encourage blind faith in history books and network TV News Readers and do away with your libraries. Your're done. We're all done!

http://www.theguardian.com/public-leaders-network/2016/jan/27/loss-libraries-entrench-inequality-poor-family?CMP=share_btn_tw

Strangely enough some people aren't yet aware of this‎.
But you should be.‎

https://blog.cyveillance.com/what-you-need-to-know-about-ransomware-and-exploit-kits/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=twitter&utm_content=post 1&utm_campaign=EKs

Credit screen shots: Cyveillance

Out of blog-character I know.

Not completely architectural on first flush. (see Bartlett's page and you'll understand).

This snow is just so dry.It makes me actually want to relive a little pieces of my childhood.

M.Bartlett's Page 

Some positive reinforcement about assessing your current spaces and researching for future fit-up trends.

From (Joint Information Systems Committee - UK https://jisc.ac.uk/about )

PLAN22 stresses the importance of planning and documenting your findings when communicating with your designer. This article ‎talks about learning spaces in the context of facilities designed for learning and it applies to libraries too.

Especially check out the resources offered at the end of the article.‎ "Designing learning spaces for a mobile era". Click on the 'design' link highlighted in the live article, it takes you to a printable guide.

https://jisc.ac.uk/guides/evaluating-and-designing-learning-spaces

Libraries are providing evermore digital-related services to communities.

If you are renovating or building a new library, make sure you do your research to ensure your designer knows what your library requires to provide your users and staff the building infrastructure they will need.

http://digitallibrarieshub.ning.com/blog/public-libraries-vital-role-in-digital-empowerment?xg_source=twitter