INTRODUCTION: Before I dive right into the main focus of this post, I’d like to share a few of my own personal thoughts on the subject. I grew up reading comics, and I have to say I never anticipated that super hero movies and comic book characters would become as Read more…
My original intent for this first blog of 2019 was for it to be on textile/fashion libraries with the hope of finding one related to one of the major legendary European fashion houses. While doing a basic Google search for a Gucci library, I stumbled upon a vintage digitized Gucci Read more…
While Hogwarts might be a figment of our fantastical imaginations, education in the conjuring arts has a very long and very real history, so I guess it is not a surprise that there are libraries for that! As I delved deeper into the conjuring arts, I was amazed not only Read more…
We hear quite a bit these days about human rights and how we all need to work together to keep these rights intact. What are human rights? One definition is “everyone has the right to life, liberty and the security of person” (Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights). Since the adoption of the UDHR in 1948, lawyers, victims, and advocates have been working to ensure the values enshrined in the document are upheld equally around the world. That’s when libraries can be the most helpful places to go to find materials to support this work.
Military Librarianship: It’s not just a job, it’s an adventure! When I first started this post, I intended to do an interview with a military librarian to represent this unique special librarian field. But I only had to dive into the research and reach out to a few contacts to Read more…
Well, perhaps not actual murder and mayhem, but in researching different types of library collections, I never expected to run across any devoted to criminology! However, there is an entire organization (the World Criminal Justice Library Network) whose membership includes dozens of these libraries in 26 countries.
I also discovered a paper written by Stuart Stone, the head librarian at the foremost criminology library in the UK, named after Leon Radzinowicz. The Radzinowicz Library is part of the Institute of Criminology at the University of Cambridge.
The Radzinowicz Library of Criminology.
Interestingly, this library actively collaborates with the Koestler Trust, a charity that works with prisoners and holds an exhibition of their artwork each year. The library always purchases and displays a few pieces. Funding for these acquisitions comes from overdue fines. As Mr. Stone so elegantly put it, “the delinquency of our own readers helps to contribute to the rehabilitation of others.” (Stone, 2016, p. 4).
After reading Mr. Stone’s paper, I wrote to him and, to my delight, he was kind enough to answer a few questions in a detailed email. Enjoy!
Continue reading for the full interview.