The once clear and sequential lines from author to publisher to distributor to retailer to end user are now blurred and promise to become re-invented. These changes throughout the publishing ecosystem also portend strategic re-alignment for libraries and their roles in society. Revolutions indeed.

— Alan S. Inouye, director of ALA’s Office for Information Technology Policy, in his inaugural post for Digital Book World’s new library-centric blog (via cloudunbound)

The dissolution of a library is unacceptable. Libraries serve as the cornerstone of our democracy and must be safeguarded. An informed public constitutes the very foundation of a democracy, and libraries ensure that everyone has free access to information.

The very existence of the People’s Library demonstrates that libraries are an organic part of all communities. Libraries serve the needs of community members and preserve the record of community history. In the case of the People’s Library, this included irreplaceable records and material related to the occupation movement and the temporary community that it represented.

We support the librarians and volunteers of the Library Working Group as they re-establish the People’s Library.”

— A statement from American Library Association (ALA) President Molly Raphael regarding the destruction of the People’s Library.