CityLab
23 August 2018
Text / Under 800 Words
New York, New York, United States
The New York Public Library Insta Novels program makes public domain works available to be read on Instagram. Featuring engaging artwork and a user friendly format, Insta Novels make literature available to users with a smartphone and provide a path to digital engagement for the library.
http://www.pressconnects.com/story/news/education/2016/06/03/reading-writing-and-results/85222754
John R. Roby
Press & Sun-Bulletin
4 June 2016
Text / Over 3000 Words
Literacy rates can be a problem, especially in low-income school districts. Amid a years-in-the-making revision of literacy instruction, the Binghamton school district is seeing a payoff.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/06/crowd-funding-clean-energy
David Bornstein
The New York Times
6 March 2013
Text / 1500-3000 Words
In Oakland, a company created an online crowdfunding platform that allows users to earn interest by financing clean energy projects and gives people with good social intentions a direct line of action. Across the world, there is a growing movement toward people-powered clean energy.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/28/crowdsourcing-a-better-world
Tina Rosenberg
The New York Times
28 March 2011
Text / 1500-3000 Words
Americans often want to connect to a cause beyond writing a check. Crowdsourcing is creating new forms of philanthropy globally, giving donors more choice and a stronger connection to the projects they fund.
http://nationswell.com/meet-folks-upgrading-civic-engagement
Rob Gurwitt
NationSwell
11 December 2013
Text / 1500-3000 Words
Very few people go to city council meetings. MindMixer, a tech startup company, increased civic participation in states across the U.S. with online platforms for city officials and the community to discuss ideas.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/21/from-young-adult-book-fans-to-wizards-of-change
Courtney E. Martin
The New York Times
21 March 2012
Text / 1500-3000 Words
Global social and economic problems are difficult to change. However, fan-activism fuels the interests of fans of popular young adult fiction. Books such as Harry Potter and the Hunger Games have inspired activist groups that raise awareness of global hunger, reading, and relief supplies to impoverished nations, among others. Being a fan has served as a bridge to become politically active and solve the world’s problems.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/07/10/summer-reading-how-to-shake-up-the-status-quo
David Bornstein
The New York Times
10 July 2013
Text / 800-1500 Words
Social innovation rarely comes from “eureka” moments; it’s much more deliberate - it’s something that can be studied and learned. A short summer reading list for anyone interested in shaking up the status quo.
http://ksfr.org/post/it-takes-library-solutions-journalism
Lucia Duncan
Santa Fe Public Radio (KSFR)
4 October 2016
Radio / 5-15 Minutes
In New Mexico, public libraries are funded by municipalities. That means, if you live in an unincorporated town, there’s no funding stream for a local public library. But, in northern New Mexico, residents in several towns have joined together to create independent libraries that have transformed their communities.
https://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/01/opinion/legal-aid-with-a-digital-twist.html?_r=0
Tina Rosenberg
The New York Times
1 June 2016
Text / 1500-3000 Words
Software and apps are helping millions of Americans trying to solve civil problems on their own.
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/smart-idea-dump-your-waste-get-paid/articleshow/58200663.cms
Mayank Manohar
The Times of India
16 April 2017
Text / Under 800 Words
In order to encourage people to properly dispose of their waste, New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has installed smart vending machines for recyclable waste at Connaught Place and India Gate. In return for making the sustainable waste choice, users receive monetary rewards via e-wallet.
http://www.shareable.net/blog/how-libraries-are-boldly-innovating-to-meet-the-needs-of-changing-communities
Anna Pratt
Shareable
16 November 2016
Text / Over 3000 Words
Libraries in the United States have traditionally been centers to consume information, offering users books in quiet isolation. However, a new movement across the country is transforming libraries by providing internet access, creating spaces to study and learn, and meet with members of the community. There has even been the creation of pop-up happy hour libraries at bars, and bike book deliveries to distribute free books. These new libraries are re-inventing how communities learn and demonstrating that even the oldest institutions are elastic to communities' needs.
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