libraries

Attempts at eliminating or reducing property taxes are a trend across the country right now. But with less of that revenue, public services take a hit.

After nearly 200 years, Baker & Taylor, a major distributor of shelf-ready library books, will be closing in early January.

“[Librarians], in some cases, are shipping books with the understanding that they might not get them back on a normal timetable,” said Emanuel Maiberg, co-founder and journalist at 404 Media.

For Ola Akinmowo, libraries have always been a place of community care. Her library is no exception.

Checking in with the remaining reporters in Val Verde County, Texas, three years after its last daily newspaper folded.

Researchers have labeled 204 counties in America as “news deserts” — places that lack access to credible, reliable news sources. That includes Val Verde County, Texas.

Fixit Clinics and other groups have formed communities devoted to reducing waste and costs by fixing broken devices.

Public libraries have to pay more for e-books than physical copies, while academic libraries say that journal subscription prices are rising.

“We don’t have enough people to add new things,” like social services, says the director of the Marshall County Memorial system.

Publishers may want to turn the page on this moment, though, to get back to more store sales of books after COVID-19.