One of Mahatma Gandhis favourite bhajans Vaishnav Jana To written and composed by the 15th century Gujarati poet-composer Narsinh Mehta lays emphasis on the ideals and virtues one has to follow in life. It was a must rendition at the Sabarmati Ashram during the days of Mahatma Gandhi. Ever since, the bhajan became popular, and many illustrious singers from M S Subbulakshmi, Gangubai Hangal, Pundit Jasraj and Lata Mangeshkar have rendered Commemorating the 150th birth anniversary of the Mahatma, a reworked version of the song was composed by Saluru Vasu Rao at the behest of media baron Ch Ramoji Rao for the popular news App Etv Bharat.

It was a pleasant surprise for me when a call came from Koneru Bapineedu, Vice-President and CEO, Etv about this offer from Ramoji Rao garu. At the time, I was wary of the fact that many great singers and composers have done the job before and I should match their standards, says Vasu Rao.

Since it is a national project, Vasu Rao decided to sign singers from the north as well. From the north and east, I preferred folk singers who are popular in their regions, adds Vasu who, from the South recorded the song in the voices S P Balasubrahmanyam representing the Telugu States, Chitra (Kerala), Unnikrishnan (Tamil Nadu) and Vijay Shankar (Karnataka). The song gave me an opportunity to travel to nine states. And the best part of it was a visit to Sabarmati ashram. In Mumbai, Vaishali Made enjoyed singing the song like it was a movie number. Being basically a bass guitarist, I have used that instrument in the song which she liked. It is interesting to note that each of the singers Salamath Khan (Rajasthan), Banerjee (Assam), Lokesh Gadhvi (Gujarat), , Haimanti Sukla (Bengal), Shankar Sahani (Punjab), Subash Das (Odissa) and the singers from the south rendered the bhajan with total devotion towards Bapuji. One of the highs of the bhajan was the rendition of the renowned Pundit Channulal Mishra from Varanasi (Utar Pradesh). At 87, his impeccable rendition added lustre to the album. It is interesting that all the singers sang in an equal sruthi (scale) which I had set. Even while recording the song, I knew it would be a hit.

I have composed Vaishnava Janato in raga Misra Kamas retaining the fragrance from the original tune. I have used traditional music instruments from each region. I must mention here that before recording the bhajan in the voices of the chosen singers, I trained the upcoming singers and my troupe members, Ms. Sahiti Chaganti and Sarath Santhosh to sing the song as track singers. I then sent the track to all the twelve singers.

On October 19, Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited film luminaries for the Change Within Meet to mark the 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Mahatma Gandhi. Besides Bapineedu,and Ch. Kiran representing Etv, S.P. Balasubrahmanyam and Vasu Rao were among the invitees.

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Spirit of music - The Hindu

District Collector D. Divya on Sunday underscored the need for consuming healthy food to maintain good health and suggested bringing traditional food, especially millets, back on the menu of locals.

The Collector was interacting with Adivasi and other women who cooked traditional food items as part of a food festival on the last day of the three-day Deepotsav at Kala Ashram here. She was also introduced to the tradition of women singing songs while making vermicelli on wooden contraptions almost a thing of the past now.

The food festival was hosted by Hyderabad-based noted millet food expert Ram Babu, who demonstrated a few types of healthy food that can be made with millets.

Mr. Ram Babu opined the key to good health was seasonal food which included not only dishes made of millets and other grains but seasonal fruits too.

Besides outstation guests, locals also partook of a lunch which was part of the food festival.

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Turning the focus on ancient grains for a healthier future - The Hindu

BY RADHIKA RAMASESHAN

The eastern state, which polls in three weeks from now, could be the first test of Ayodhyas impact on voters for the RSS, Modi and Shah

Knowing the BJP, it must have returned to the drawing board straightaway after the Ayodhya verdict to revisit and perhaps rework its strategy for the assembly election in Jharkhand. The little eastern state, which was carved out of Bihar in 2000, was a BJP stronghold, indeed its only bulwark against Lalu Prasads domination at a time when the RJD strongman had ruled Bihar like his fief. The BJPs Hindutva theme, pegged on the Ram temple, was used to effect in south Bihar, which later became Jharkhand and has nearly 20 per cent Muslims and Christians. Expectedly, the Church and the charge of Christian missionaries proselytising the gullible tribes worked well for the BJP. Its campaign was supplemented by the propaganda unleashed by the RSS through its tribe wing, the Vanvasi Kalyan Ashram, which adopted a strategy of spreading Hinduism-through-service (health, education) among the adivasis.

Jharkhand will be the first test of the impact of the Supreme Courts verdict, and the fruition of a Ram temple on his birthplace, on voters. Do emotive subjects impinging on faith and the majority-minority divide always work for the BJP? Not necessarily. For instance, there is evidence that its offensive against the infiltrators and the threat of deploying the NRC the country over did not take off in the Maharashtra and Haryana polls. The polemics over infiltrator versus domicile is problematic in states other than Assam. Interstate migration has been a reality for ages, ever since the Tamil-speaking population from down south travelled in droves north-westward to construct the Bhakra Nangal dam and Malayalis from Kerala fanned out as far east as Arunachal Pradesh, braving Arunachals stringent inner line permit regime and laws for taking up residency and jobs. The infiltrators are clearly Bangladeshis but many migrants think that Amit Shahs warning to weed out ghuspetiya from Maharashtra and Haryana was meant for them a throwback to the MNS period.

Ayodhya, on the other hand, resonates beyond castes and regions. On social media, a thread that questioned the involvement of the southern states in the Ram temple project provoked a heated debate that was settled when it was argued that the largest contingents that arrived as kar sevaks before the 1992 demolition were from the south of the Vindhayas, including Tamil Nadu. The issue is, having experienced less-thanthe-expected degree of success from the use of Article 370 and NRC in the most recent elections, would the BJP let Ayodhya overwhelm the Jharkhand discourse? Its a double-edged weapon: on the one hand, the absence of the temple or a marked dilution would take away from the sense of elation that pervaded the Sangh Parivars responses on Saturday. On the other hand, an overuse might be counterproductive against the Oppositions tactic of playing up local issues against the incumbent BJP-led government.

The Opposition in Ranchi is more sure-footed than it is in many states. Learning a lesson or two from the betterthan-anticipated showing for the Congress in Haryana and the NCP in Maharashtra, the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) swung into the act and cemented apact with the Congress and the RJD, leaving most of the non-tribe seats to the last two and itself focused on the adivasi pockets that Shibu Soren held in thrall for decades.

Ayodhya may not be a dilemma for the Opposition, not after the Congress embraced the verdict and articulated a pro-temple position, possibly reckoning that the new generation of young Muslim adults may not be terribly bothered about the fate of the Babri site.

The 13 ST seats have created issues for the BJP because the strategy to have a non-tribe CM in Das, whos from the backward caste Teli, was borne out of the need to coalesce the others against the adivasis and create a dedicated vote bank of the upper castes, the OBCs and Dalits. Just as the projection of a Punjabi, Manohar Lal Khattar, rankled with the Jats of Haryana, the tribes of Jharkhand havent exactly taken to Das. On his part, Das played to his non-tribe constituents by attempting to amend the tenancy laws and creating land banks in Adivasi areas for the others. The Christians opposed the anti-conversion bill.

Like in Maharashtra, the BJP bit the bait of taking away purported influencers from the Opposition to shore up its strength. The trouble is those like Sashi Bhushan Mehta of the JMM and Bhanu Pratap Shahi, an Independent MLA, arrived with a baggage: Mehta is on trial in a murder case while Shahi is battling corruption charges. Therefore, how will the BJP defend itself while accusing the JMM, Congress and the RJD of being mired in corruption?

Jharkhands not a breeze for either side. An interesting, if keen, battle lies ahead.

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Over to Jharkhand - Mumbai Mirror

Kushaan (second from left) and Medhnaa Saran (right) visit with the children of Bal Ashram in India. Photo courtesy of Touch of Life

It was a privilege this week meeting the remarkable sibling duo, Medhnaa and Kushaan Saran of Vienna. Medhnaa, 15, and her brother Kushaan, 14, attend Pinnacle Academy in Oakton. Their school offers a dual-enrollment program that allows high school students to take college-level courses at Northern Virginia Community College in Manassas. There, Medhnaa takes three classes on top of her five high school classes, and Kushaan will begin NOVA classes next fall. Only a sophomore and a freshman, Medhnaa and Kushaan head their schools National Honor Society and National Junior Honor Society, respectively. This is only the start of many accomplishments these siblings have achieved.

EIGHT YEARS AGO, Medhnaa and Kushaan traveled to India, where they volunteered at Bal Ashram, an orphanage in Jaipur. Medhnaa and Kushaan wondered why the children wouldnt talk to them right away or why some had wounds or bandages. It wasnt until later that the Saran siblings learned these children were rescued from human trafficking and child slavery. The childrens injuries were typically from abuse or dangerous labor they were forced into, and their hesitation to trust was a result of PTSD and living in fear of strangers intentions.

We knew we needed to help them, Medhnaa said, reflecting on the call she felt to support the children, and began raising money for Bal Ashram. In 2016, Medhnaa and Kushaan founded their own nonprofit organization, the Touch of Life Foundation, in an effort to spread awareness about the dangers and the exploitation individuals experience when they are victims of human trafficking. Touch of Life now hosts many events throughout the year such as community barbecues and clothing, toy, and book drives. They have also created lasting partnerships with local businesses who donate a percentage of their earnings to give to the children in India. They frequently mail packages of supplies to the children, and on some occasions, are able to hand deliver all they raised on their yearly trip to India. We have so much to pack this year, because so much of it is going to the kids, Kushaan said about his trip to India coming up in December.

It was for her work advocating for the victims of human trafficking that Medhnaa was nominated for the International Childrens Peace Prize this year. The prize was organized by Nobel laureates who recognize young people campaigning for a social right. Including climate change activist, Greta Thunberg, Medhnaa was a finalist selected out of over 2,000 nominees.

Medhnaa and her brother have also worked closely with state representatives in an effort to implement mandatory education in Virginia schools on what human trafficking is and how to identify it. The program is called Not My Child and has since been adapted for all school ages. People that are trafficked are in life-threatening danger. Trafficking is so detrimental because it causes a lot of mental and physical trauma, so thats why it is so important that people know the signs and the risks involved, Medhnaa added.

Theres a story about a hummingbird that saved a forest from being engulfed in flames, by bringing droplets of water to the fire again and again. The rest of the animals realize what shes doing and begin to help her, carrying more water and eventually putting out the fire.

A childrens rights activist and Medhnaas mentor, Kailash Satyarthi, calls her the hummingbird because he knows that she is making, and will continue to make such an important change for childrens rights.

ON NOV. 16, the Touch of Life Foundation will host its 4th annual cultural function at the Stacy C. Sherwood Community Center in Fairfax to benefit the children at the Bal Ashram orphanage in India. The event is for all ages and is to celebrate Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights. Guests will be able to light a diya, a small oil lamp or candle, in honor of a child at Bal Ashram.

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Sister-Brother Team Spreads Awareness of Human Trafficking - Virginia Connection Newspapers

Illustration by C R Sasikumar

As we celebrate the 550th birth anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev ji, saint-composer and amongst the great spiritual leaders, his ideas, thoughts and teachings assume far greater relevance today than ever before. They can promote peace, equality and prosperity across the globe.

In a world that is increasingly fragmented with a narrow, tunnel vision, bigotry and dogmatism, we have to walk on the path shown to us by Nanak and other illustrious gurus to dispel the darkness that constantly threatens to envelop individuals, communities and nations.

Our worldview has been continually broadened by the timeless messages of enlightened pathfinders like Guru Nanak.

The seers like Guru Nanak see what ordinary people do not. They enrich peoples lives through their insights and ideas. In fact, that is the meaning of the word guru. Guru is one who provides illumination, dispels doubt and shows the path. Each one of us, in whatever walk of life we are in, has so much to learn from the teachings of this great personality.

Guru Nanak was a great champion of equality. For him, the differences and multiple identities based on caste, creed, religion and language were irrelevant. He had said, Preposterous is caste, vain the distinction of birth. The Lord gives shelter to all beings. He aimed at creating a casteless society in which there is no hierarchy.

Respect for women and gender equality is another important lesson to be learnt from Guru Nanaks life. Referring to women, the Guru says: How can they be inferior when they give birth to men? Women as well as men share in the grace of God and are equally responsible for their actions to Him.

For him, the whole world is Gods creation (Jeeye kaa ik daata) and all are born equal. There is only one universal creator. Ik Omkaar Satnaam.

Echoing the Sanskrit saying Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam that describes the whole world as one family, Guru Nanak Dev goes on to say:

When he stops thinking in terms of mine and yours/Then no one is angry with him./When he clings to my own, my own/Then he is in deep trouble./But when he recognises the Creator Lord/Then he is free of torment.

This spirit of living together and harmoniously working together is a consistent thread of thought that runs through Guru Nanak hymns.

What is remarkable about Guru Nanak is the fact that he not only formulated the principal doctrines of Sikhism, but took care to ensure that his teachings would endure.

The ideal of equality was given a concrete institutional form in the community meal, langar, where all devotees, irrespective of caste, creed, region and religion sit in a row called pangat to share a meal. The place of their meeting, called dharmsal, is regarded as sacred and the common religious congregation sangat was open to all.

These institutional structures are an eloquent testimony to the Gurus timeless vision of equality and non-discrimination. This spirit of equality began with Guru Nanaks clear recognition that there is no distinction between a Hindu and Mussalman. For him, no country was foreign and no people were alien.

It is worth noting that Guru Nanak initiated inter-faith dialogue way back in the 16th century and had conversations with most of the religious denominations of his times. The world needs such spiritual leaders who can engage in a meaningful dialogue to exchange ideas in order to promote peace, stability and cooperation.

Guru Nanaks vision was pragmatic and holistic. It was not a vision of renunciation but of active involvement. Between the ascetic and the epicurean, Guru Nanak chose the middle path the Grihastha Ashram or the life of a householder. It was an ideal path as it offered opportunities for social, material and spiritual growth of an individual.

Work, worship and share (kirat karo, naam japo and vand chhako) was the motto he placed before his disciples. Earn by honest labour and share the earnings with the needy. He suggested that one should share ones prosperity with others who needed help. He advocated the concept of daswandh or donating one-tenth of earning among needy persons.

Nanak was an extraordinary saint who synthesised the best elements in various religions and spiritual traditions.

I am happy that the corridor that connects the Sikh shrines of Dera Baba Nanak Sahib in Punjab to Gurdwara Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur in Pakistan, the sacred space where Guru Nanak spent the last 18 years of his life, has been opened to enable pilgrims to visit the shrine.

Guru Nanaks vision is timeless and has as much relevance today as it was when it was expounded five centuries ago.

If we can internalise and integrate these messages in our daily lives and reshape our thinking and actions, we can certainly discover a new world of peace and sustainable development.

The writer is Vice President of India

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A vision for equality - The Indian Express

Locals are unsure of taking sides whom do they support, the girl or Chinmayanand?

Further, taking into account Chinmayanands clout in Shahjahanpur, many townsfolk were hesitant to speak on camera. Many people, especially young boys and girls, who spoke off the record, had a very clear idea of what goes on inside Swami Chinmayanands Mumukshu Ashram. One even mentioned a racket which operates in the ashram and many dismissed the credibility of such babas.

Chinmayanands hold over the town was evident when he wasnt arrested for almost 15 days after the complainant lodged the rape FIR (at Delhis Lodhi Garden police station for lack of trust of UP police) and UP polices leniency in his arrest and questioning.

He was eventually arrested but not under Section 376 (the rape charge) but 376 C, which deals with sexual intercourse with a woman by a person of authority or someone with whom the survivor may have a fiduciary relationship, or a public servant, superintendent of jai/remand home/womens or childrens institution.

The complainants father has also accused DM of intimidation and asking him to file a missing complaint instead. He said the DM asked him if he was sure of filing the FIR.

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Rape, Extortion, Power Play: What Really Happened in Shahjahanpur? - The Quint

BJP MP Tirath Singh Rawat from Pauri in Uttarakhand was injured in a road accident on Sunday morning. The accident was serious, but thankfully he did not suffer much injury. His PS, gunner and driver also suffered minor injuries.

He was rushed to a private hospital after the accident, where doctors advised him to go to higher center after first aid. All have been admitted to the Trauma Center in AIIMS Rishikesh. Here a joint team of doctors is monitoring his health. According to doctors, everyones condition is out of danger.

Tirath Singh Rawat reached Haridwar from Delhi by train on Saturday night. After resting at Damkothi here, people were going to Pauri along with Public Relations Officer Vijay Sati, Gunner Subhash Maithani, Driver Harish Singh at 8.30 am.

His car overturned after hitting a car near Jairam Ashram turn on the highway. The MP was rushed to the City Hospital and examined. Seeing complaints of pain in the legs and hips, he was advised to go to higher center after first aid.

Doctor Mahendra Kumar Singh said that MP Tirath Singh Rawat has not suffered serious injuries, but in view of the pain, he has been advised for a detailed investigation. After some rest in Damkothi, he left for Rishikesh AIIMS.

Kotwali in-charge Praveen Singh Koshyari told that a search was on for the white car which hit the MPs car. The car was going from Delhi towards Dehradun. Here, local leaders of the BJP gathered after the MP was injured.

Originally posted here:

Pauri MP meets with accident referred to AIIMS Rishikesh - Uttarakhand News Network

What did that teach you?It taught me to live with less. Id fallen in love with another person [Kee began a relationship in 1990 with the late sculptor Danton Hughes after the disintegration of her 21-year marriage to artist Michael Ramsden] who had one pair of jeans and one pair of dirty old boots; he was also a carpenter and builder. I went from a very glamorous life to a very simple one with him.

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How did you recover financially after that?I had the most fabulous person working with me, my manager Louise. She cut up all my credit cards and put me on $100 at a time. [Laughs] It saved me from going bankrupt. From then on, my life radically changed and the simplicity started. We moved to a rundown property up in Blackheath, in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, that was just so beautiful. The house was falling apart, but it had exquisite views and was shrouded in pine trees. We got rid of the pines and all the tree ferns came back. Now Im living with ancient tree ferns and looking at a view thats 350 million years old. To me, thats being rich.

Did you grow up with religion?I grew up going to Sunday School Church of England in Bondi. I loved it.

What did you love about it?I loved Jesus! I just thought Jesus was a great, wonderful being. But this was before I became a teenager and discovered ... well

What did you discover, Jenny?Sex!

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Sex and Jesus werent compatible?I wouldnt say they were incompatible but there was another high that was coming. [Laughs] I became a very wild child and other beings became more glamorous than Jesus, like John Lennon. And this was beyond the night we had together [Kee and Lennon had a brief liaison in Sydney during the 1964 Beatles tour]. I didnt worship John Lennon but I loved what he stood for; his beautiful energy.

At what point did Buddhism come into your life?Surviving the 1977 Granville rail disaster [when a Sydney commuter train derailed, running into the supports of a road bridge that collapsed onto two of the carriages, leading to 83 deaths] led me on a great search. My daughter Grace and I were in the carriage that brought the bridge down. When a train splits in two, and you fall to the side with your 22-month-old child, and youre scrambling to get out of that wreck, and people are lying dead all around you you question life and death. In 1983, I visited a yoga ashram. Later, in Thailand, I met a Buddhist monk, who sat in this extraordinary cave, with a limestone formation of Buddhas body. I thoroughly surrendered to his understanding of Buddhism: that we are all connected.

Do you doubt what you believe in? Or yourself?I doubt myself a lot, which leads to me doubting everything. But the thing is, my practices are so strong. I do a purifying practice every day, a 100-syllable mantra that gives me a great sense of peace.

You lost your partner, Danton, to suicide in 2001. Does losing someone to suicide make grieving and recovery different?When my father, Billy, was dying in 1988, I felt really good about him going. He said, I want to go, Jen. Do you think its okay? I said, Dad, do what you need to do. The darling man looked like a beautiful little golden Chinese prince when he died. With Danton, it was shocking. Youre with a partner you love. He was suffering from depression but never in my heart did I ever think he was going to go. To find him was the greatest shock. His death propelled me into the deepest, deepest, deepest grieving and depression. People feared I would go. But the thing is, I didnt go. I am a survivor. Ive come back.

Ideally, how would you like to leave the planet?Doing my mantra, with my family and my dharma [Buddhist] friends around me. Im completely fine with dying. [Pauses] Well, I think I am. Do another interview with me when Im on my deathbed and well see!

Is there an outfit that youd like to be buried in?Yes, wrapped in beautiful waratah fabric. [Laughs] Buried beneath my waratahs, in my waratah fabric. Thatd do me.

Writer, author of The Family Law and Gaysia.

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Jenny Kee: 'My life radically changed and the simplicity started' - Sydney Morning Herald

It has been heralded as an architectural triumph: A new $41.5 million public library in Long Island City that ascends over multiple landings and terraces, providing stunning Manhattan views to patrons as they browse books and explore.

But several of the terraces at the Hunters Point Library are inaccessible to people who cannot climb to them. A staircase and bleacher seating in the childrens section, judged too risky for small children, has been closed off. And the five-story, vertically designed building only has one elevator, creating bottlenecks at times.

The accessibility issues, some of which have been angrily called out in social media posts and elsewhere online since the librarys Sept. 24 opening, have left officials with the Queens Public Library hurrying to find solutions and the architects exploring ways to retrofit the building.

It has also raised the question of how the pricey public building, nearly two decades in the works, made it through the lengthy planning process without more consideration for accessibility.

Some of the issues are a result of the buildings popularity.

New Yorkers as well as tourists are visiting the library, the most expensive Queens Public Library branch ever built, to admire the views. So are architecture buffs, eager to see a structure that a New York Times review praised as among the finest and most uplifting public buildings New York has produced so far this century.

Some of the accessibility problems, though, are rooted in the design itself.

The placement of the adult fiction section on three terracelike levels between the librarys first and second floors was the first issue patrons noticed. A few complained that they couldnt access the fiction books, because those levels were only accessible by stairs, Gothamist reported.

Queens Library officials responded that librarians could simply retrieve those books for disabled patrons, a solution in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, and noted that the first of the four terraces did have elevator access.

But on social media and among advocates for the disabled, that rationale got panned.

To me, that is the response of somebody who never had the experience of going somewhere and not being able to fully participate, said Christine Yearwood, founder of the disability rights group, Up-Stand. Part of what universal design is about is allowing everyone to independently enjoy spaces. Having to ask someone else to help you is, at worst, demeaning, and at best, a limiting experience.

The disputed shelves are now bare; the library, responding to the criticism, has moved the 2,900 adult fiction books to an accessible area on the second floor, and is now figuring out how to use the vacated space.

Chris McVoy, a senior partner at Steven Holl Architects, the firm that designed the building, said that too much emphasis was being placed on the inaccessibility of the terraces, which he called a small wrinkle in an incredibly successful project. Concepts of accessibility, he added, have changed in the years since the building was designed in 2010.

To be honest, we hadnt thought, O.K. we have to provide an exactly equivalent browsing experience, he said. This will be a new standard for libraries, and thats great. But that doesnt mean its a flaw in the design. Its an evolution.

But the decision to build only a single elevator is also causing grumbles. The congestion is compounded by the placement of the main stroller parking area on a second floor landing, which is insufficient for the dozens of strollers sometimes seeking a spot.

Its crazy right now, said Nikki Rheaume, one of three childrens librarians, as she tried to navigate a crush of strollers around the second floor elevator last Wednesday, when dozens of strollers descended on the building. Its chaos.

It was 10:30 a.m. toddler story time and a rush of caregivers, having just come upstairs to park, were attempting to go back down for the program.

The closure of the childrens wing stairs is adding congestion to the elevator. Patrons who want to travel between the childrens levels must now either use the elevator, or take a circuitous route around the library, up and down flights of stairs.

In his 2010 renderings for the childrens wing, Steven Holl, the projects lead architect, had sketched images of children reading on bleacher-like seats that spanned from the lower level of the wing to the upper one, adjoined by an interior staircase.

But library officials, in a walk-through before the building opened, instead saw a potential liability for small children who could jump and fall on them. They have closed off the stairs and the top five bleachers until fixes can be made, said Elisabeth de Bourbon, a spokeswoman for the Queens Library.

Wood panels now block the staircase entrances and protective glass barriers have been added to the tallest bleachers. The bottom three bleachers remain open, however, and a security guard who usually stands there keeps an eye on them.

Vedesh Persaud, 32, who was visiting the childrens wing with his wife and their toddler daughter, Arya, praised the new library, as did most patrons.

The curves of the space are pretty amazing, he said. It does give you a sense of openness.

But his wife, Ravina, said she was surprised that the architects had overlooked the potential hazard of the childrens stairs.

Im sure that they didnt have kids, she said, because as a parent, you know these things.

Mr. McVoy said that the building would adapt and the stairs would reopen, perhaps after adding gates.

What the lawyers believe is safe or not is a constantly evolving thing in this society, he said. Five years ago, they wouldnt have even thought to block off that area, or even two years ago.

How the planning process for the building did not include more of a consideration for accessibility has left critics puzzled and frustrated.

Planning for a library in Long Island City has been underway since 2001, when the old industrial neighborhood was being reborn. Library, city and community officials fought for years to secure funding and navigate bureaucratic hurdles to complete it.

Over time, the leadership of Queens Library system has changed several times, so everyone involved in the original planning is gone, officials said. Neither Mr. McVoy nor the Queens Library spokeswoman could recall a public hearing about the librarys design, though the community had been involved in aspects of the librarys creation.

When Dennis M. Walcott, a former New York City schools chancellor, took over the helm of the Queens Library system in 2016, the branch was just an empty shell on the Long Island City waterfront. By that point, Mr. Walcott said in an interview, the focus was on finishing the building, not in rethinking its details.

Now more than a month old, the library is navigating what Ms. de Bourbon called significant growing pains as staff learn how to adapt to the realities of running a branch library in a vertical work of art. There have been several other small problems as well. There is already more cracking than is typical in the terrazzo concrete floors because the contractor didnt provide sufficient control joints, but that is only a visual, not a structural issue, Mr. McVoy said. Several small leaks, first reported on by the New York Post, have been repaired.

Starting this month, librarians said, there will be two, back-to-back story times in the mornings, to help alleviate the stroller bottleneck and waiting lists of children. A small lift may be added to the stepped terraces so the books can be returned to them as Mr. Holl envisioned.

Its a gorgeous building, and people are reveling in both the aesthetic nature of it and the functional use of the building, Mr. Walcott said. Our goal now is to make sure it is responding to the needs of the public.

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New Library Is a $41.5 Million Masterpiece. But About Those Stairs. - The New York Times

In the coming months, library patrons will likely experience extended wait times for new e-books. Readers can thank Macmillan Publishersa Big Five publishing house with imprints including Picador, Henry Holt and Farrar, Straus, and Girouxfor the delay: As of November 1, the company only allows library systems to purchase one electronic copy of a book during the first eight weeks following publication.

The publishers new policy has generated widespread outrage among librarians and book lovers alike. Macmillan, however, argues that the moratorium is necessary to ensure the publishing industrys survival in lieu of digital lendings increasing popularity.

CEO John Sargent announced the change in a July memo sent to Macmillan authors, illustrators and agents. According to the note, loaned library copies make up 45 percent (and counting) of the companys total e-book reads across the United States.

It seems that given a choice between a purchase of an [e-book] for $12.99 or a frictionless lend for free, wrote Sargent, the American [e-book] reader is starting to lean heavily toward free.

Sargent tells NPRs Lynn Neary that the publishing industry operates similarly to the movie business. Films generate the biggest box-office returns during their opening weekend, while most book sales take place in the first few weeks after publication.

In the past, library loans had less of an impact on publishers sales due to friction, or complications, associated with borrowing books: Patrons had to visit the library in person, return loans on time and pay pesky late fees.

E-books have simplified the borrowing process significantly. As Sargent explained in an October 29 letter to concerned librarians, In todays digital world there is no such friction in the market. As the development of apps and extensions continues, and as libraries extend their reach statewide as well as nationally, it is becoming ever easier to borrow rather than buy.

The Macmillan executive added, This causes a problem across the publishing ecosystem (authors, illustrators, agents, publishers, libraries, retailers, and readers). We are trying to find a solution.

On October 30, a group of library advocates associated with the American Library Association (ALA) stopped by Macmillans offices to deliver a petition urging the publisher not to move forward with the embargo. Organizers collected some 160,000 signatures, but as they note on the online petition portal, Sargent did not listen.

According to ALA testimony presented in front of the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on the Judiciary last month, e-book publishers engage in a host of anti-competitive conduct practices. Amazon Publishing, for example, refuses to sell digital titles to libraries, meaning readers have to purchase from Amazon directly. And when publishers do sell copies of e-books to libraries, the prices are often inflated. (Anthony Doerrs All the Light We Cannot See, the 2015 Pulitzer Prize winner for fiction, costs consumers $12.99, but a library purchasing a two-year license for a single electronic copy pays $51.99.)

In an essay written for the San Francisco Chronicle, City Librarian Michael Lambert says the embargo impacts libraries central mission of ensuring access to information and content for all. He adds that the policy places individuals with visual impairments at a disadvantage, as these readers rely on easily formatted e-books to keep up with the latest titles. Large-print paper copies of new books often take months to come out. People with dyslexia and other learning disorders also rely on e-books to make reading easier.

Macmillans policy is poised to disproportionately impact larger library systems. A small rural library may be able to manage with just one copy of an e-book, but cities or counties with hundreds of thousands of patrons will have to place would-be borrowers on lengthy waiting lists.

Former ALA president Sari Feldman tells NPRs Neary she doesnt think the policy will increase retail or digital sales for Macmillan, as many people who borrow e-books have a limited income and will simply opt to read more accessible options. Given the fact that libraries purchase a significant number of e-books, the publishing house could also lose digital sales during the key weeks immediately post-publication.

Moving forward, Feldman says, the ALA may pursue legislative action against the restrictions.

In his open letter, Sargent said the decision is designed to help authors, booksellers and other players in the publishing world.

We are not trying to hurt libraries; we are trying to balance the needs of the system in a new and complex world, he wrote. We believe windowing for eight weeks is the best way to do that. I am the first to admit we may be wrong. But we need to try to address this issue.

See the article here:
Why New Restrictions on Library E-Book Access Are Generating Controversy - Smithsonian.com