Thing 3: Social Bookmarking and Tagging

Carol's Delicious Bookmarks:
http://www.delicious.com/cbrey75?sort=alpha&order=asc

Thing 2: Search for Blogs -- Booking to the Future

A new article in American Libraries, "Booking to the Future" by Jamie E. Helgren reports on the findings of a survey of library professionals who provided predictions on the future of the paper book. Overall, almost two out of three (63%) respondents claimed that paper books would never disappear, and half that number (33%) predicted their demise in from 21 to 100 or more years. The remaining 4% anticipated that paper books would vanish within the next two decades. You can read the full story, complete with charts, at:
http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/features/11302010/booking-future

I have to agree with the study, even though I am getting an e-reader for Christmas! I believe that paper books will never completely disappear, based on the responses from patrons in my former position as the Director of the El Paso (TX) Public Library.

Biblioteca Benjamin Franklin

Last week I had the opportunity to visit one of the finest examples of an international library, the Biblioteca Benjamin Franklin in Mexico City. This Library, or Information Resource Center (IRC) as it is known to the U.S. State Department, was established in 1942 and still continues to "promote friendship and understanding between Mexico and the United States by providing access to information on their bilateral relationship." (from the Library website.) Through the work of its very capable staff, the Library serves the U.S. Embassy in Mexico, the  Mexican Government, the Media, professors, researchers, businessmen and women,  and anyone interested in learning more about the United States in Mexico.

Mexico and the United States will always be closely linked at many levels--economically, politically, culturally--due to their geographical boundaries. The work of the Biblioteca Benjamin Franklin will continue to build understanding between our two nations, which has become increasingly important with the current difficulties faced by Mexico related to drug trafficking and violence.

The Library maintains a very useful website, in English and Spanish--see the link below.

 http://www.usembassy-mexico.gov/eng/library.html

Welcome to The Traveling Librarian!

Welcome, friends, to The Traveling Librarian! As you can see from my brief bio, I do love to travel and spread the word about the importance of libraries and literacy. Through my travels I have had the opportunity to give books away to poverty-stricken families in Guatemala and Honduras, while other trips have resulted in speaking engagements on advocacy and promotion of libraries and literacy. I believe that through words and education, we can change the world!