Maria Popova’s Brain Pickings -> The Temple of Knowledge: An Animated Celebration of How Libraries Change Lives

Filed under FYI

One man’s love letter to finding higher horizons among the stacks.

“Knowledge sets us free, art sets us free. A great library is freedom,” Ursula K. Le Guin wrote in her beautiful essay on the sacredness of public libraries. “A library is a rainbow in the clouds,” Maya Angelou exulted in reflecting on how a library saved her life. It was thanks to the library that James Baldwin read his way from Harlem to the literary pantheon. “You never know what troubled little girl needs a book,” Nikki Giovanni wrote in one of her wonderful poems celebrating libraries and librarians.

Read complete article -> The Temple of Knowledge: An Animated Celebration of How Libraries Change Lives

Maria Popova's Brain Pickings, Libraries

marilyn monroe and joe dimaggio--6/12/2026 June 12, 2026
Today's encore selection--from The Fixer by Josh Young and Manfred Westphal. The tempestuous marriage of Marilyn and Joe: “Marilyn and DiMaggio were the gift that kept on giving for Confidential, which would also turn out well for [private investigator Fred ] Otash. After two years of dating, and with [studio executive] Joe Schenck's tight grip […]
the bee brain -- 6/11/2026 June 11, 2026
Today's encore selection -- from The Mind of a Bee by Lars Chittka. In work he performed in 1896, the American zoologist Frederick Kenyon showed that the brain of the tiny bee was infinitely more complex than anyone had imagined, with thousands upon thousands of connection points, and also showed, for the first time in […]

Recent Research Spreadsheets
Our students have compiled research in three topic areas. Below are the links to their research tables that can be downloaded for searching and viewing. For a state-by-state review of Mandatory Reporter laws, click here. For a state-by-state review of Background Check laws, click...
feigleycommunications
Legislative Drafting Students
Our students spend the summer working on the research project of the LDICP. Through their extensive research, massive databases of information on state statutes regarding the abuse of children have been created and will be posted here as their work is finalized. Here are...
feigleycommunications

Smorgasbord Summer Book Fair – #PsychologicalThriller Lisette Brodey, #Thriller #Familysaga Judith Barrow, #Supernatural #Suspense John W. Howell June 13, 2026
Welcome to the summer book fair with books from my recommended author files and those who have been featured with new books over the last few months. The first book today is by Lisette Brodey with the riveting suspense thriller … Continue reading →
Smorgasbord - Variety is the Spice of Life.

Sunny Ann Starling, July 2, 1943 - January 6, 2023 January 10, 2023
All-American patriot, artist, designer, entrepreneur, flower arranger, chef, and joyful servant, Sunny Lou Starling, was carried on the wings of angels to the arms of her savior, Jesus Christ, on Friday, January 6, 2023. She once said her mission was to “Gather and feed all you can, as often as you can, because you never know if […]
Unknown
WASP Final Flight February 28, 2022
WASP Deanie Bishop Parrish, 44-W-4"Failure isn't failure unless you let it be. It's simply a change in direction. Just count your many blessings move on. With God's help, anything is possible!"Deanie Bishop Parrish passed away peacefully in her home in Waco, Texas, on February 24, 2022, just one day shy of her 100th birthday. She met every challenge […]
Unknown

Four Fun Kodachrome Car Image Series No. 519 October 30, 2024
Editors Note: After posting over five thousand features and twenty five thousand images over the last thirteen years, the time has come to end posting weekly features here on The Old Motor. At this point, the site’s future hasn’t been decided, although it will remain online for the foreseeable future. There may be future updates...
David Greenlees
Four Fun Kodachrome Car Image Series No. 518 October 23, 2024
In this weekly series, we ask our readers to tell us the year, make, and model of all of these vehicles along with the location where the image was taken and anything else you find of interest in the photos. You can look back on all the earlier parts of this series here. The photos are via Americar....
David Greenlees

Shellubrication: 1950s June 28, 2025
From a discarded negative collection that belonged to a San Diego area barber. 120 format. View full size.
Cazzorla
Mill Town Aughts May 22, 2025
My great-grandfather was a Textile League ball player in the little mill village of Tucapau, South Carolina, in probably the late aughts. He didn't care what the mill job was as long as he could play on their team. The story in the family is that one of his upcountry cousins was also a Textile […]
hj808

Hungarian Wax Peppers October 18, 2024
Here’s an old Italian recipe for canning peppers, one of my husband’s favorites. Searching the internet, you’ll come across many variations — all probably good — but here’s a basic recipe to start you on your course. The kids and I canned these using the boiling method, though pressure canners might make the process easier. Not sure how, […]
gardenfrisk
Easy Microgreens June 13, 2023
Microgreens seem to be all the rage these days and for good reason: they are packed with nutrients and easy to grow! The USDA and University of Maryland found that leaves from microgreens had more nutrients than the mature leaves of the same plants. And great flavor. Plus, you don’t need a lot of space […]
gardenfrisk

Chicken Fajita Quesadillas June 13, 2026
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details. 30 minute chicken quesadillas with onions and bell peppers using leftover rotisserie chicken (huge time-saver!). So quick, so easy, so good! Why you’ll love chicken fajita quesadillas what is the best cheese to use for quesadillas? Always opt for a cheese with […]
Chungah
Lemon Butter Fish May 29, 2026
This post may contain affiliate links. Please see our privacy policy for details. Tender, juicy, flaky fish with a lemon-garlic sauce that will knock your socks off. A 20 minute dinner recipe – so fast, so easy, so good! Why you’ll love this lemon butter fish recipe key ingredients in lemon butter fish Butter Use […]
Chungah

US deploys troops to Kenya to support Ebola isolation facility June 13, 2026
Africa Command sent medical, communications and security personnel to Lakipia Air Base in Nanyuki, but the troops will not provide frontline health care. The post US deploys troops to Kenya to support Ebola isolation facility appeared first on Task & Purpose.
Nicholas Slayton
US to cut fighters, warships from NATO mission in Europe June 13, 2026
The plan calls for restationing a carrier strike group as well as moving F-15s and F-16s, according to a report. The post US to cut fighters, warships from NATO mission in Europe appeared first on Task & Purpose.
Nicholas Slayton

Spring Fling 2026 - Day 45: The Star Trek Original Series Sets Tour June 13, 2026
Friday, June 12The friends we were visiting in Vermont, Tracey and Jason, were at work so we decided to drive over to Ticonderoga, NY to check out a kitschy tour of the movie sets reproduced from blueprints used in the Star Trek original series TV show. I say kitschy because that's what it sounded like to […]
redlegsrides
Spring Fling 2026 - Day 44: More History Enroute to Friends in Vermont June 12, 2026
We left the RV at Otto's place in Jaffrey, NH and drove the Honda CR-V the 3 hours or so north into Vermont. Enroute, we visited a few places.First was the Saint-Gauden National Historic Park. Run by the National Park Service, the site is dedicated to the Gilded Age sculptor: Augustus Saint-Gauden. I'll be the first […]
redlegsrides

Come Find Me At Substack! June 25, 2025
Hi all, I should have posted this a while ago—I’m now on Substack. I love the platform and respect and appreciate the company’s adherence to principles of free speech.You can find The Heart of the Matter—my ruminations on politics, geopolitics, and media, plus the odd book and movie review—here. My author newsletter—only about my new book […]
Barry Eisler
American Exception March 7, 2025
Wow.As Blade said in the eponymous movie, “The world you live in is just a sugar-coated topping. There is another world beneath it—the real world.”American Exception is about the real world.It is deeply researched, coherently presented, cogently argued. By the time you’re done reading, you’ll wonder how you ever could have believed that things are […]
Barry Eisler

Kashevaroff Mountain April 6, 2019
Long before we were a sailing family, Alisa and I were a young couple in love with adventuring in Alaska. The opportunity to introduce Eric and Elias to the delights of outdoor living in the Great Land was one of the big bright sides of our return to Alaska. Earlier this winter, the boys and […]
Letting go March 20, 2019
So...this beautiful island is our home. See the barky? The boys just had their spring break. A week off from school and nothing to keep us from buggering off in Galactic. The weather was generally poor - nothing like the pics above for the most part - so we just snuck off to the west […]

Back From the Dead, Off& On Wins a place on FeedSpot list of 60 best Parkinson’s Blogs March 29, 2026
If only life were normally this undemanding. I didn’t post anything in 2025, and here I find this blog at #30 on a List of the 60 top Parkinson’s blogs Web-wide, compiled by aggregator FeedSpot. This recognition of my awesome blogging skills suggests that the less I publish, the better my blog will be. So I probably […]
Peter Dunlap-Shohl
PDS on PBS II Cross post from "Frozen Grin" April 5, 2024
Here is a link to a story about my struggle to draw with Parkinson's Disease. the story is from "The Daily Cartoonist" a Web journal concerning the world of professional cartooning. It was occasioned by the release of the documentary "Matters of Mind, My Parkinson's" which follows three families and their efforts to cope […]
Peter Dunlap-Shohl

Identifying Devil’s Club Plant August 10, 2023
Devil’s Club is a common wild plant in Alaska that’s large & covered in hidden sharp thorns, growing everywhere from remote forests to even well-groomed Anchorage city trails. Just because you’re “in town” doesn’t mean you won’t run into devil’s club. It’s smart to stay on the trails, particularly if you’re not confident spotting it. […]
Ashley
Pumpkin BOO-berry Muffins (Fun Halloween Toddler Snacktivity!) October 21, 2022
Here’s a delicious fall-time spin on classic blueberry muffins. If you’re a solo adult who likes good food, this recipe is for you. Or if you’ve got extra kitchen “helpers” around (read: kids who need entertainment), turn baking these Halloween muffins into a fun toddler snacktivity. Pumpkin BOO-berry Muffin Recipe Ingredients: 2 boxes Jiffy brand […]
Ashley

"Home" vs. "Away" May 20, 2022
I’m home now. I’m looking at the flea market couch I brought up from California; I had cushions made three times over the years till I got it just right. Now it’s just right. It’s been in my life 42 years. Tim has been in my life 34 years, but he had to be out of […]
CloudyinAK
Goodbye, Toronto May 10, 2022
I’m saying my goodbyes to Toronto. I’ve seen my last Hot Docs Festival film, and I’m just back from my last author program. I’ve probably had my last roti, checked out my last book at my local branch library, gone to my last art workshop. Horror of horrors, I’ve even watched my last play. The thing […]
CloudyinAK

Malnourished launches today January 21, 2020
It’s here. The big day. My memoir, the one I spent 15 years struggling over, launches today from Raised Voice Press. I’m feeling very exposed, very vulnerable. This is not at all similar to when Dolls Behaving Badly launched from Hachette Book Group. That was a novel, and while some of it was based on… […]
cinthiaritchie
Book review: Secondhand Summer by Dan Walker December 1, 2019
I had had Alaska writer Dan Walker’s YA novel SECONDHAND SUMMER on my list for a long time, and two weeks ago finally had the chance to dive in. I wasn’t disappointed. Walker’s book, geared for middle school readers (but still immensely enjoyable for adults), follows 14-year-old Sam’s move to Anchorage from the small fishing… […]
cinthiaritchie

Sitka Nature Show #361 – Starling Birch (encore) February 23, 2026
Download Radio Show The February 22nd show featured a conversation with Starling Birch, videographer and mountain adventurer. Originally recorded and aired in August 2023, we talked about the pleasure and pain of adventuring into the mountains. We also considered the motivations that drive us to put ourselves in often unpleasant and potentially regretful circumstances when […]
matt goff
Sitka Nature Show #360 – State of the Sound February 9, 2026
Download Radio Show The February 8th show featured a conversation with Lauren /Bell, Lauren Wild, and Ellen Chenoweth, organizers of the first (annual?) State of the Sound community event scheduled for later this month. We talked about the intentions for the event, what is planned, and how folks can participate. If you have questions or […]
matt goff

Sandra’s Overnight Artisan 10" Cast Iron Soft Bread-No Knead March 2, 2024
INGREDIENTS3-1/4 cups all-purpose flour1 teaspoon active yeast (not rapid or instant)1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt1-1/2 cups slightly warm water (tepid)--2 teaspoons canola oil (For top and bottom of dough ball so it doesn't stick or form crust while rising)-2 TB butter melted in ramekin, with brush (set aside)--10” Seasoned Cast Iron SkilletMETHODAdd flour to bowl. Add yeast […]
sandra
Sandra's Fresh Apple Pecan Cake (9x13") September 18, 2023
My husband loves this cakeso much he had two pieces 'after' eating lunch...Ingredients2 Eggs1 ½ cup Canola Oil2 cups Granulated Sugar3 cups A-P Flour2 teaspoons Ground Cinnamon½ teaspoon Ground Nutmeg½ teaspoon Kosher Salt1 ½ teaspoons Baking Soda4 cups Chopped Apples (peeled and cored): measure after chopping1 cup chopped Pecans: measure after chopping1 teaspoon Vanilla Extract⅔ […]
sandra