Editor’s Note: Each week, we reflect on the top articles, blog posts, tweets, news, thoughts, and other tidbits we’ve found interesting or useful. Enjoy!

Amy C

I got a little bit obsessed this week with Library related infographics such as Anatomy of a Librarian, A Librarian’s Worth Around the World, Librarians as Tech Leaders, and I am a Social Librarian.

Like the idea of a library from space? Have a look at what the Outernet team are doing.

Samantha B

As a new library student, I’ve had a number of friends and family members ask me the question that seems to be a rite of passage in our field: Aren’t libraries becoming obsolete? Lori Broschat’s most recent post for her blog This Side of 50 offers a perspective on that question that many younger librarians (myself included) cannot experience. Titled “Not Your Grandmother’s Library,” the post discusses the contemporary library environment versus the library environment of her past. Because the observations come from both a non-librarian and a patron over fifty, the piece is a valuable resource for seeing our role through the eyes of the public we serve.

Also on the topic of the evolution of libraries, Library Journal released its list of New Landmark Libraries Tuesday, which recognizes exceptional public libraries that have opened between 2010 and 2014. The article naming the inaugural winners, published in 2011, describes the competition as a “quest to identify the the most inspiring and innovative public libraries.” If any of this year’s winners or honorable mentions are located near you, I recommend visiting to get a firsthand sense of the direction in which public libraries are heading. I’ll be checking out the Main Library at Goodwood in East Baton Rouge Parish soon.

Brenna

I stumbled upon this NPR article about a public library in Sri Lanka that was recently restored after being destroyed in a fire in 1981. Among the artifacts lost in the fire were 97,000 volumes, many of which were historical documents of the Tamil people as well as ancient texts and scrolls. I know, you inner archivist is sobbing. On the bright side, the library is up and running and apparently very popular!