Libraries take to twitter

One of the services that are finding twitter useful is that of libraries.

Bookseller.com report that

An estimated 40-plus individual libraries and library services, including Manchester, Devon, Bradford, Edinburgh, Westminster and Leeds are now making use of the site. Many individual librarians are also choosing to register.

and so much so that the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) will be hold a training course, "Twitter for Librarians", this September.

Give libraries a role in providing local news

With local and regional newspapers dropping like flies,so to speak,Steve Abram comes up with a decent solution.

What about making libraries the new seat of journalism he asks?

So, if you're in a public library and your town is potentially dependent on the McPaper or a major national (If the NYT survives), what could you do? Can you use RSS feeds to assemble a local news source from smaller independents? Can you surf the local blogs and aggregate? Would your town miss local news in print? or have they already gone 'e'?
Seems like an opportunity. You might even be able to hire some of the folks being put on the street by the big conglomerates as they lay off folks.

Ht-Martin Stabe