Latest news with #publiclibraries
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
GreatSchools receives grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York to integrate public library data into school information platform
New initiative will embed local public library information into GreatSchools' national school search platform, giving families a more complete view of community learning resources OAKLAND, Calif., July 23, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- GreatSchools, the nation's leading nonprofit school information site, today announced it has been awarded a $1.5 million grant from Carnegie Corporation of New York to support the integration of public library data onto This grant represents a significant investment in expanding how families understand and navigate their local educational ecosystems, allowing them to explore not only school options, but also trusted community resources that support learning beyond the classroom. With this funding, GreatSchools will lead the first national effort to embed public library data within a school information platform. The project aims to contextualize school data with nearby library information, helping families better understand the learning supports available in their communities. The initiative reflects a shared vision between GreatSchools and Carnegie Corporation to illuminate the broader educational ecosystem that helps children thrive. "Where you learn goes beyond the classroom. Thanks to Carnegie's support, we can now highlight the vital role of public libraries in kids' education," said Jon Deane, CEO of GreatSchools. "By integrating library information into our platform, we're giving parents a more complete picture of their local learning environment. This innovation will help families discover community resources and make more informed choices for their children's learning." Ambika Kapur, a Program Director of Education at Carnegie, emphasized the foundation's interest in bridging school and community resources. "Public libraries are essential yet often under-recognized centers of learning," Kapur said. "We are proud to support GreatSchools in pioneering a platform that connects families to both school and library information. By surfacing these community assets, this effort not only strengthens transparency in education data but also spurs innovation in how families engage with learning beyond school walls." Public libraries have long served as vital learning hubs, offering not only books but a range of essential services from family literacy programs and after-school clubs to college readiness resources, English-language learning, and civic engagement opportunities. Yet despite their value, these resources are often underutilized, particularly in communities with the highest education needs. As families navigate an increasingly complex learning landscape, GreatSchools aims to make it easier to understand and access these trusted public institutions. As part of this initiative, the organization will develop dedicated profiles for public libraries across the country, along with tools that allow library staff to share up-to-date information about their programs and services. GreatSchools will also publish parent-friendly content to help demystify what libraries offer and encourage families to take full advantage of these free, accessible learning resources. About GreatSchools:GreatSchools is the leading nonprofit providing high-quality information that supports parents pursuing a great education for their child, schools striving for excellence, and communities working to diminish inequities in education. We are the only national organization that collects and analyzes data from all 51 state departments of education and the federal government to provide analysis, insights, and school quality ratings for parents, partners, researchers, and policymakers. Nearly half of all K–12 families visit GreatSchools' award-winning website annually to learn about schools in their area, explore research insights, and access thousands of free, evidence-based parenting resources to support their child's learning and well-being. Learn more at and join us on LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook. About Carnegie Corporation:Carnegie Corporation of New York was established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding. Today the foundation works to reduce political polarization through philanthropic support for the issues that Carnegie considered most important: education, democracy, and peace. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE
Yahoo
22-06-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Chill out: Heat wave bringing temps near 100 to New Bedford. Here's where to keep cool
Be warned: The next few days will be scorchers, with temperatures running dangerously hot, and the City of New Bedford is opening cooling centers. The National Weather Service has issued an extreme heat warning for almost all of eastern Massachusetts and Southern New England, with dangerous heat expected through Tuesday night. Mayor Jon Mitchell urged residents to take sensible steps to help keep their family and friends safe. 'I encourage everyone over the next few days to check on elderly neighbors, children, pets, and those with health conditions that could put them at risk,' he said. 'A phone call or a visit could really make the difference for someone you care about. Please use common sense and take heat-related risks seriously.' According to the NWS, Monday's high is predicted to reach 90 degrees with light winds. Tuesday will be the peak of the heat wave, with a high of 95, but with a heat index as high as 106. The heat will continue into Wednesday with temperatures approaching 90, and winds of 6 to 10 mph. The temps will cool down later in the week, with highs in the mid-70s. New Bedford Eats: Loaded hot dogs, three beers and a burger, half-off appetizers The city's public libraries will open with air conditioning and staff on hand to help residents. Main branch: 613 Pleasant St., 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Casa da Saudade: 58 Crapo St., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday Howland-Green: 3 Rodney French Blvd., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday Lawler: 745 Rockdale Ave., 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday and Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday Wilks: 1119 Acushnet Ave., 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Beaches: Lifeguards will be on duty longer at East and West beaches, until 7 p.m. on Monday and Tuesday. Splash pads: City parks with splash pads to offer a break from the heat are Ashley Park, Beauregard-Pina Playground, Ben Rose Field, Brooklawn Park, Clasky Common, Harrington Park, Magnet Park and Montes Park. Beat the heat: Cool off at New Bedford splash pads — here's where to go People facing extreme heat should do the following, according to NWS: Drink plenty of fluids Stay in an air-conditioned room Stay out of the sun Check up on relatives and neighbors Do not leave young children and pets in unattended vehicles Wear lightweight and loose-fitting clothing outdoors Limit strenuous activities to early morning or evening This article originally appeared on The Herald News: New Bedford cooling centers open; area under extreme heat warning
The Guardian
02-06-2025
- General
- The Guardian
Parks, libraries, museums: here's why Trump is attacking America's best-loved institutions
The author and environmentalist Wallace Stegner called our national parks 'America's best idea'. Certainly, these jewels – 85m acres of parkland throughout all the 50 states – are beloved by the public. So are America's public libraries, arts organizations and museums. But that hasn't stopped the Trump administration from threatening or harming them. These institutions are under siege. They are hurt by deep funding cuts, the loss or bullying of public employees and, in some cases, by threats of extinction. Why would any politician – especially one as hungry for adulation as Donald Trump – go after such cherished parts of America? It seems counterintuitive, but this is all a part of a broad plan that the great 20th century political thinker Hannah Arendt would have understood all too well. Take away natural beauty, free access to books and support for the arts, and you end up with a less enlightened, more ignorant and less engaged public. That's a public much more easily manipulated. 'A people that can no longer believe in anything cannot make up its mind,' said Arendt, a student of authoritarianism, in 1973. Eventually, such a public 'is deprived … of its ability to think and judge', and with people like that, 'you can then do what you please'. That's what Trump and company are counting on. It's also part of the effort to divide Americans into two tribes – the elites and the regular folks, the blue and the red, the drivers of dorky hybrid sedans and the drivers of oversized pick-up trucks. The arts and nature, by contrast, serve to unite us. When you're admiring a redwood or gazing at the Grand Canyon, you're neither Republican nor Democrat. The same goes for listening to a beautiful piece of new music or choosing library books to read with your children. But division and grievance serve Trump better. And so, we have the attacks on marginalized people, on university research, and the performing arts, often in the guise of eliminating waste or discriminatory hiring practices. 'The Trump administration has launched a comprehensive attack on knowledge itself, a war against culture, history and science,' Adam Serwer wrote in the Atlantic recently in a much-discussed piece describing 'the attack on knowledge', putting in broad context Trump's defunding of universities and attempts to discourage international scholarship. What's really going on is a longterm power grab. In crippling learning, beauty and culture Trump and his helpers 'seek to make the country more amenable to their political domination'. When it comes to the parks, as the Guardian's Annette McGivney reported recently, the harm is well under way. Thousands of staffing cuts mean that many parks lack adequate supervision, that campgrounds are closed and that the care of precious natural resources is neglected. Again, it's by design, as the former national parks director Jonathan Jarvis told McGivney. 'There are ideologues who want to dismantle the federal government,' Jarvis said. 'And the last thing they need is a highly popular federal agency that undermines their argument about how the government is dysfunctional.' Mark Nebel, a longtime manager of a program at the Grand Canyon, and a true believer in the value of national parks, spoke about the personal toll. 'The Trump administration says this is all about efficiency, but it is nothing of the sort,' said Nebel, who became demoralized at the harm being done and abruptly resigned. Reducing government waste may sound good but it looks more like willful destruction. Among the many agencies that are under attack are the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services. These organizations provide crucial support for public libraries and museums, grants to artists and writers, and much more. They make us better as a people. They uplift us. Like the parks, they can bring beauty into our lives. And as the poet John Keats wrote, beauty and truth are inseparable. But truth is only trouble for the would-be autocrat. And truth itself is under attack, as Trump – a prolific liar – tries to control the message to the public by controlling the reality-based press. That's how successful propaganda works. Toward that end, his administration is trying to defund public media, including NPR and PBS, and – partly through lawsuits against media organizations including CBS News and ABC News – to intimidate journalists and their corporate bosses. A more ignorant, less enlightened, more divided electorate is far easier to manipulate. And the power grab, after all, is the larger aim. Once that power is fully secured, there is no one left to challenge the endless grift and self-dealing that is a hallmark of this administration – the sale of meme coins, the pay-to-play pardons of criminals and the cultivation of rich guys and their fat wallets. The diminishment of truth and beauty is part of a long game, but one that doesn't have to prevail. Margaret Sullivan is a Guardian US columnist writing on media, politics and culture
South China Morning Post
02-06-2025
- General
- South China Morning Post
Books about June 4 Tiananmen Square crackdown grow scarce in Hong Kong
Books about the Tiananmen Square crackdown have become increasingly scarce in Hong Kong's independent bookstores, with sellers citing widespread self-censorship fuelled by legal uncertainties surrounding the sale of politically sensitive titles under the national security laws. The disappearance of the books and the loss of the annual June 4 candlelight vigil in Victoria Park, combined with the city's changed political environment, had contributed to turning commemoration into a private experience, rather than a publicly shared one, observers said. Ultimately, this shift would alter how memories about the event were passed down by generations, one professor of communications said. As Wednesday's 36th anniversary of the crackdown approaches, the Post reviewed the archives of public libraries and university libraries and surveyed bookshops to assess the availability of books in Chinese or English on the topic. Public libraries used to house 149 titles, totalling 1,162 copies about the event, according to a list released by the Home Affairs Bureau in 2009 in response to a lawmaker's request. None of the titles are available on the public library's online catalogue, according to a recent search. In a reply to the Post, the Leisure and Cultural Services Department said public libraries reviewed and withdrew materials to ensure 'their compliance with the laws of Hong Kong'.
CBC
11-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Budget boost to N.L. libraries a welcomed surprise, says director, but questions linger
Public libraries across Newfoundland and Labrador got a surprise in this year's provincial budget — an extra $500,000 added to the funding. The province earmarked $13.5 million in April's budget announcement for the Provincial Information and Library Resources Board, a Crown corporation established under the Public Libraries Act to oversee the operation of public library services in the province. The budget has not yet passed in the House of Assembly. "It was very good news for us. We're very pleased to see it," said Fred Whitmarsh, director of library operations with Newfoundland and Labrador Public Libraries (NLPL). However, Whitmarsh says there's some uncertainty around the money. "We're still in the process of parsing it out because one of the things that's unknown … is this a permanent boost to the funding or is it one time money?" he said. Some of that funding could go toward facility maintenance and improving accessibility in libraries across the province, Whitmarsh said, as well as updating servers so they run smoothly. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, libraries put a pause on late fees. Whitmarsh said he'd like to see that become permanent. "The big thing for us is our collections, whether it's the physical collections on the shelves and the branches or some of the digital resources as well," he said. He said books are becoming more expensive, so libraries are being strategic in what they acquire, and he doesn't know why the government decided to increase the budget this year. "My personal perspective is that the library is wonderful, it's great. We can do great things with the funding," he said. According to a briefing note prepared for government officials, released via an access-to-information request in 2023, Newfoundland and Labrador Public Libraries saw a jump in clients using Libby, the library system that lets patrons access e-books and audiobooks, in recent years. Whitmarsh says the increase in people using the online services hasn't gone down. "You can't put that genie back in the bottle," he said. "We've seen a continued demand for those online services." In an email, Department of Education spokesperson Lynn Robinson told CBC News the budget increase is in recognition of the vital work libraries carry out. "Library staff and volunteers work diligently to support public library services and programming throughout Newfoundland and Labrador," Robinson wrote. "Funding for the [Provincial Information and Library Resources Board] supports the operation of the Newfoundland and Labrador Public Library system and fosters improved literacy in our province." NLPL was established in 1935 and provides public library services through a network of 94 locations across the province.
