The Missing Chapter in America's Literacy Conversation Everyone is talking about the literacy crisis. After reading The Atlantic's recent article, I couldn't stop wondering why one part of the story keeps getting left out. aischoollibrarian.substack.com/p/the-missin...

A mail train left Toronto at 7:45 AM with a sign saying "Last Train.” Every few miles up the line, track gangs waited for the train to pass before they began re-gauging the track. Spikes for the new gauge had already been half-driven and the work was done by early evening. 2/3

That day, Toronto-bound NRC passengers changed to the Hamilton & Northwestern Ry. at Allandale, then the Credit Valley Ry. near Milton. Several broad gauge NRC locomotives were retired due to the re-gauging, including the "Toronto," the first locomotive built in Canada. 3/3

Jul 9, 1881: the Northern Railway of Canada re-gauges its track between Toronto and Gravenhurst from 5’6” (1676 mm) between the rails, which it had used since the railway began operating in 1853, to the standard gauge of 4'8.5" (1435 mm). 1/3

Rhode Island Restrictive Covenants Ban is “major step towards lowering grocery bills” ilsr.org/article/inde...

Slow librarianship, slow food, politics, pleasure, and moderation meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/20...

Field Notes: The Small Library Changes That Made a Big Difference youthservicesplaybook.com/2026/07/08/f...

Happy Nunavut Day

Happy 20th Anniversary to Stephen's Lighthouse stephenslighthouse.com/2026/07/08/2...

There are 6,000 Stories in the Naked City googlemapsmania.blogspot.com/2026/07/ther...

"Here's one of many Canadian myths, that like many Canadian myths, just happens to be true." -- Gordon Downie, introducing the Tragically Hip's Three Pistols. On this day, July 8, 1917, Tom Thomson died on Canoe Lake, Algonquin Park. youtu.be/9B6ZLM7yK8c

The Rise of Literary Tourism Explore the rise of literary tourism worldwide and how book lovers are traveling to iconic literary destinations. magazine.1000libraries.com/the-rise-of-...

How Access to Technology Became Access to Opportunity AI is reshaping the digital divide cardcatalogforlife.substack.com/p/how-access....

New boardwalk coming to popular Ontario destination www.blogto.com/travel/2026/...

How urban design leads to better wellness An extensive study of U.S. cities identifies walkable neighborhoods, urban greenery, and access to amenities as key contributors to residents’ health. news.mit.edu/2026/how-urb...

Happy Group of Seven Day. Seven Facts You May Not Know About the Group of Seven Did you know the Group painted more than just landscapes? readfoyer.com/article/seve...

Rice Lake granted legal rights under First Nation law The move turns reconciliation into environmental action on a lake facing invasive species, pollution and declining oxygen levels broadview.org/rice-lake-le...

Sneaky Dee's patrons 'elated' for venue's future after redevelopment plans withdrawn RBC pushed back against redevelopment plans for its property, was not aware of application www.cbc.ca/news/canada/...

Canada’s little‑known role in helping to spur American independence in 1776 theconversation.com/canadas-litt...

You can buy KFC founder Colonel Sanders' former Ontario home for $1.5 million www.blogto.com/real-estate-...

New bar made specifically for book lovers opens in Toronto next week www.blogto.com/eat_drink/20...

"Nearly all libraries—98.5%—maintained active community partnerships, from early childhood centers to senior organizations. As PLA President Dr. Brandy McNeil puts it, today’s libraries are “vital lifelines for neighbors navigating real-life challenges.” www.ala.org/sites/defaul...

Why Reading Outside Feels Different. Could reading under open skies improve focus, mood, and imagination? Explore the science and beauty of outdoor reading.. magazine.1000libraries.com/why-reading-...

ALA Council Just Passed a Bill of Rights for Librarians and Library Workers. We Need It. librarianbyday.net/2026/07/02/a...

See the Theodore Roosevelt Presidential Library—a Stunning New Cultural Institution Built Into the Badlands Designed by Snøhetta, the cultural institution honors the late president’s passion for conservation www.architecturaldigest.com/story/see-th...

Happy 250th Birthday to all our friends and family in the United States. Have a great July 4th celebration today.

Dutch children are unusually happy and healthy. Is it because of this walking ritual? www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle...

Taken from the perspective of a public librarian, someone who is asked questions by strangers all day long, this article has some good insights on what we would have called "the reference interview" pradyuprasad.com/writings/how...

More Than Programs: What Makes a Library Worth Coming Back To youthservicesplaybook.com/2026/07/01/m...

Noah Smith on negative emotional contagion marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevo...

"The city of Los Angeles tried to arrest Ron Finley for planting carrots. He grew up in South Central. Drive-throughs were on every corner. The dialysis clinics were multiplying. In 2003 he drove 45 minutes to buy a tomato." substack.com/@khalilahlip...

Why Sidewalks Are the Most Underrated Third Space Below, Michael Pollack shares five key insights from his new book, Sidewalk Nation: The Life and Law of America’s Most Overlooked Resource. nextbigideaclub.com/magazine/sid...

The Civic Value of Churches mailchi.mp/broadview/dt...

A Library Card Is More Valuable Than You Think And a beautiful story from the New York Times bestselling author Gary Paulsen changed how I think about spending time in libraries mattlillywhite.substack.com/p/a-library-...

Albertans least likely to put province ahead of Canada, poll finds ‘I think what we’re seeing in this survey is some kind of pushback, where people are saying, “No, we’re not, we are strongly attached to Canada”’ nationalpost.com/news/canada/...

Happy Canada Day everyone

For all my friends in Newfoundland and Labrador, we come alongside you to honour the sacrifices of those who lost their lives on this day in 1917 at Beaumont-Hamel during the battle of the Somme. #LestWeForget

On this day, in 1855, the Firefighter's Riot of Toronto happened, when two crews of rowdy firefighters arrived at the same fire and fought each other; the building burned. It was a precursor to the infamous Circus Riot of July 12 that summer, and the founding of Toronto the Good.

Prime Minister Carney announces national competition to restore official residence at 24 Sussex Drive www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/news...

Once men sang together round a table in chorus; now one man sings alone, for the absurd reason that he can sing better. If our civilization goes on like this, only one man will laugh, because he can laugh better than the rest.” ― G.K. Chesterton substack.com/@gkcdaily/no...

A Good Life in a Prosperous Place The work of building a strong town is never finished — and that's exactly the point. clmarohn.substack.com/p/a-good-lif...

The Tuba Mindset What Sam Quinones taught me about addiction, community, and the slow work of building strong towns. clmarohn.substack.com/p/the-tuba-m...

The Economic Case for Vibrant Public Spaces 5 ways parks, trails and libraries are a path to shared prosperity medium.com/reimagining-...

The first Library in Durham Region to provide free memberships to Indigenous People living on any Ontario First Nations Reserve. [Whitby Public Library] whitbylibrary.ca/FirstNations...

"Does anyone like Google’s AI summaries? If so, they weren’t on the Judge’s bench in a specific Bavarian courtroom recently, where it was ruled that yes, Google is liable for the hallucinations of its search engine AI." hackaday.com/2026/06/14/b...

Charlotte church dedicates 30 acres of land for affordable housing for teachers, first responders youtu.be/mFeolCzVRpA?...

Libraries as Foundational Learning Anchors: Reflections from the NSLA Leadership Forum Building stronger readers, families, and neighborhoods through summer learning medium.com/everylibrary...

What Makes a Library, and How Does It Feel? publiclibrariesonline.org/2026/05/what...

Why “Book-Shaming” Won’t Solve the Children’s Literacy Crisis The nation’s official advocate for children’s books says most of them are “crud.” But matters of literary quality don’t explain why kids aren’t reading. www.newyorker.com/preview/arti...

Cities Lack Consistent Sidewalk Data. Could Crowdsourced Sidewalk Data Be the Key? The AI tool Project Sidewalk is pairing machine learning and community engagement to map – and improve — sidewalk accessibility. nextcity.org/urbanist-new...