As information becomes more digital, public libraries are striving to redefine their roles. A small number are working to create "hackerspaces," where do-it-yourselfers share sophisticated tools and their expertise.
Huffduffed from http://www.npr.org/2011/12/10/143401182/libraries-make-room-for-high-tech-hackerspaces
Tagged with npr tech library hackerspace
Despite the growth of e-readers and digital technology, New Yorkers are spending more time in libraries than ever.
That’s according to a new report out today from the Center for an Urban Future about the changing role of our city’s public libraries in the digital age.
This week on WNYC’s New Tech City, host Manoush Zomorodi delves into the topic and finds the contemporary library is about more than just digitizing documents and lending e-books to patrons on their Kindles and iPads.
The Brooklyn Public Library and the New York Public Library are even undergoing renovations of their physical buildings that will help them better cater to a 21st century clientele.
Plus, a visit to the New York Public Library Labs: a small department where developers and designers work closely with the library’s curators to turn documents, like maps and menus, into a new kind of searchable collection for the internet.
Exploring the latest developments in from the world of information technology, and how these affect our lives. Click On brings you stories of digital developments, internet innovations, and technological triumphs and trials. Mondays at 4.30pm on Radio 4. Find out more at bbc.co.uk/radio4/science/clickon.
Simon Cox and Rupert Goodwins explore the world of hackspaces, fab labs and homebrew hi-tech.