Bicycling fashionistas in Copenhagen

When my wife and I visited Copenhagen this summer, we were impressed by the number of people who bicycled around town.  Indeed, the entire city seemed perfectly designed for bicycles with some streets having special lanes designated for just that.  Not only is bicycling good for the environment but it is also good exercise for [...]

José Vasconcelos Library

I stumbled across pictures of this magnificent public library in Mexico City while going through Flickr.  A big thank you to *CliNKer* for taking these beautiful pictures of José Vasconcelos Library and uploading them!

Rules to live by…

When I visited Florida I saw a sign with the following twelve rules, and I thought they were pretty good: If you open it, CLOSE IT! If you turn it on, TURN IT OFF! If you unlock it, LOCK IT! If you break it, REPAIR IT! If you can’t fix it, CALL IN SOMEONE WHO [...]

What to do with $350 million dollars?

According to an article by Deadline.com, Director James Cameron is set to make $350 million dollars off his blockbuster hit Avatar.  $350 million dollars is a lot of money, and it got me thinking:  What would I do with $350 million dollars?  What would you do with $350 million dollars? I think I’d keep $100 [...]

A 9,000-year-old brew anyone?

With the mercury rising across America, people are sweltering, seeking any refuge from the oppressive heat that they can find.  Under these conditions, what person would not want to cool off with a cold one? But what to drink, what to drink?  Bud Light?  Nah, too simple.  Corona?  Been there and done that.  Heineken?  Too [...]

Public libraries as daycare centers?

How ironic that in the same week Fox News Chicago bashes libraries the Chicago Tribune publishes a story lauding public libraries as summertime havens for out-of-school children. Original article. Though I commend the librarians for taking an interest in helping children and watching after their welfare, I think it’s irresponsible for adults to leave children [...]

With Illinois’ budget crisis some are wondering whether public libraries are necessary

In a recent segment by Fox News Chicago, the question was posed:  ”Are Libraries Necessary, or a Waste of Tax Money?”  With Illinois unable to pay its bills, people are wondering whether the $120 million dollars that Chicago allocates to the libraries is worth it? The Fox News team donned an undercover camera and took [...]

Bishop Olof Celsius The Younger a true bibliophile

In the annals of bibliophiles, Bishop Olof Celsius, The Younger (1716–1794), surely stands out, having married not for love, money, or power, but for books.  According to Per Wästberg, Anita Theorell, and Hans Hammarskiöld’s book, Resa i tysta rum: Okända svenska slottsbibliotek, Bishop Celsius married Andreetta von Stiernman in 1766 mainly for access to her father’s [...]

Does having more books at home give your children an educational “edge?”

I just stumbled across this excellent article by Tom Jacobs for Miller-McCune, “Home Libraries Provide Huge Educational Advantage.“ Mr. Jacobs refers to a study conducted by researchers from 27 nations and published in the journal Research in Social Stratification and Mobility. The study states that, “growing up in a home with 500 books would propel [...]

Visiting the Danish Royal Library aka The Black Diamond

Situated on Copenhagen’s beautiful waterfront the Danish Royal Library, also known as Den Sorte Diamant, or The Black Diamond, is a thing of beauty.  I loathed to leave this modern masterpiece.  The Black Diamond transitions beautifully into the old Royal Library, and this juxtaposition of modern and old is calming to a bibliophile’s soul, reminding [...]