public libraries

Cloudflare has introduced Forge, an open source pipeline that automatically generates software development kits, command-line interfaces, documentation and other developer assets. By releasing the tool publicly, the company aims to let teams standardize how they produce client libraries and docs from API definitions, reducing manual maintenance work as developer tooling ecosystems continue to grow.

The Library of Congress has opened nominations for awards honoring outstanding federal libraries, librarians and library technicians. The program recognizes excellence across federal library services in the United States, celebrating the staff and institutions that support government and public research work. Nomination details are available through the Library of Congress newsroom.

New figures show visits to public libraries across Ireland have risen by two million over the past two years, reaching almost 16 million visits in 2025, up from nearly 14 million in 2023. Borrowing has also spiked, pointing to a renewed appetite for free public cultural and reading spaces.

Cornell University is highlighting a curated library of images documenting the solar system, drawn from decades of planetary exploration. The collection offers researchers and the public visual records of planets, moons and missions, underlining Cornell's long-standing role in planetary science and space mission imaging.

A reader in Austria says they borrowed the newly released audiobook 'Threshing Day' for free from the Arbeiterkammer library, after finding the ebook waitlist at 56th place and not wanting to buy the hardcover. The post praises the public library service, and the anecdote is drawing attention to how Austrians can access brand-new titles without paying.

Four Swiss libraries, led by the University of Basel, have launched a platform called Books as Data, making roughly 140 million pages of digitised historical texts freely accessible online. The database, available in English at books-as-data.ch, opens centuries of printed knowledge to researchers and the public as machine-readable data.

A library in Middletown has expanded its offerings by adding books in nine languages along with its first video game collection. The move reflects a broader effort by public libraries to serve more diverse communities and attract younger patrons beyond traditional print lending, positioning the branch as a more inclusive and modern community resource.

A contributor has expanded a drug-profile resource into a harm-reduction library covering 563 substances, translated into 9 languages, and hosted on Cloudflare's free tier. The project shares its full technical stack openly, framing it as a community tool at the intersection of software development, mental health, and public health information.

EveryLibrary, a US library advocacy organization, is asking Americans to publicly demonstrate their support for libraries through likes, follows, and shares. The appeal, circulated with hashtags promoting reading, books, and public libraries, aims to build visible grassroots backing for library funding and awareness. Supporters are encouraged to spread the message across social media.

Simon Fraser University has released an open-access catalog compiling decades of killer whale recordings into a searchable online library. Listeners can identify populations, clans and pods by their calls alone. The collection highlights how the three Pacific ecotypes carry distinct dialects, and how clans within a single population differ vocally, giving researchers and the public a new tool for studying orca communication.

The Jackson-Madison County Library has been awarded a $19,762 grant to support technology improvements. The funding, announced by local outlet WBBJ-TV, is expected to help the Tennessee library expand or upgrade its technology services for patrons. Further details on how the money will be spent have not yet been released.

The Spencer Research Library at the University of Kansas is preparing an exhibition of historic Kiowa artwork. The showcase will give the public access to pieces from the library's collections, highlighting the cultural and artistic heritage of the Kiowa people. Details on dates and featured works have not yet been released.

Farmington Public Library in Maine has started a Garden Seed Lending Program, letting patrons borrow seeds for home gardening and return saved seeds after harvest. Seed libraries have grown in popularity as a way to promote local food growing, biodiversity and community self-sufficiency, and the Farmington initiative follows that model.

A pop-up book sale aimed at young readers is being planned in Cape Coral, Florida, with proceeds going to the Friends of the Cape Coral Library. The group supports the library through fundraising and programs. The Cape Coral Breeze reported the event, which gives youths a chance to pick up affordable books while backing a local volunteer organization.

Tunkhannock Public Library in Wyoming County, Pennsylvania, is holding its book sale, offering used books to the community. Local coverage from the Wyoming County Examiner announced the event. Book sales like this typically raise funds for library programs while giving residents a chance to pick up inexpensive reading material. Details on dates and prices are not included in the available coverage.

A widely shared reflection argues that the internet should be seen not merely as infrastructure but as a shared library of human knowledge to which anyone can contribute a page. The post asks what society would do without it, framing the network as an open, collectively built repository of information. Responses so far have been small but sympathetic, echoing concern for the open web.

The Parsippany Library is set to be converted into an 18-hole mini-golf course as part of a fundraiser event. The unusual transformation aims to draw community members to the library while raising money. The details of the event, including the date, beneficiaries and ticket arrangements, were not specified in available coverage.

CERN has released a VHDL library for FPGAs, making its hardware description code publicly available to developers and researchers. The move gives engineers working on field-programmable gate arrays free access to code developed at the European physics lab. The release is being picked up by the open-source hardware community, which welcomes greater sharing of scientific institutions' engineering work.

The Jacksonville Public Library is hosting a Movie Night, an evening film screening open to the community. Local coverage highlights it as a free, family-friendly way for residents to gather and enjoy cinema in a public space. Libraries across the country have increasingly used film nights and similar events to draw visitors and reinforce their role as community hubs.

Farmington Public Library in Maine hosted an author talk and book signing with Andrew Oliver, giving local readers the chance to hear from the writer and have copies of his work signed. The event was covered by the Daily Bulldog, which reported on the library's continued role in bringing literary programming to the Farmington community.

Ocean Shores Public Library is hosting its fourth annual Local Author's Fair this Saturday. The event brings together local writers to meet readers, showcase their books, and take part in author discussions. It has become a recurring fixture for the community's literary scene, and residents are being invited to attend and support local authors.

Fans of Icelandic musician Laufey, known as Lauvers, are signing up for library cards to take part in her book club, prompting a wave of new registrations reported by library advocates. The initiative ties the singer's reading community to public libraries, encouraging young fans to use local library services.