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At a Human Library event at the Santa Monica Public Library, a police detective "book" talks to two "readers." Human Library events and projects, which are held at libraries across the country, allow participants to "check out" volunteers and have conversations about their life experiences.

Beyond Books: Libraries Lend Fishing Poles, Pans And People

Librarians have to get creative to reach out beyond their faithful fans and engage with more members of their communities. So some libraries have started lending out tools like fishing poles, and others offer "human books" — volunteers with special expertise or interesting experiences.

Poor Donna Reed: Her Mary would have ended up working in a library<em> — shudder — </em>if not for the matrimonial intervention of Jimmy Stewart's George Bailey. Happily, 1946's <em>It's a Wonderful Life </em>isn't the only lens through which pop culture assesses the worth of the institution and those who make it tick.

Libraries' Leading Roles: On Stage, On Screen And In Song

In the latest installment of our library series, NPR's Bob Mondello visits some notable libraries in popular culture: Jorge Luis Borges' Library of Babel; Lucien's Library in Neil Gaiman's The Sandman; and the stacks in Buffy, Hogwarts, Doctor Who and Fahrenheit 451.

Broadway performer Ruby Keeler was a source of optimism for many during the Depression era, and nostalgia hit audiences hard when she returned to the stage decades later.

For Actress Ruby Keeler, Another Opening, Another Show

The 1930s film star dropped out of sight for decades, only to return as the toast of 1970s Broadway.

Shutdown signs have been posted at the National Museum of American History and other Smithsonian Institution museums, which will remain closed as long as the government is.

Congressional Impasse Leaves Museums Empty, Monuments Shut

In addition to the shuttered federal agencies affected by the government shutdown, cultural institutions including the Smithsonian museums and the National Zoo have been closed indefinitely, disappointing tourists and D.C. locals alike.

Denis Diderot's work on the <em>Encyclopédie</em><em> </em>faced stiff resistance in its time, but some scholars credit it with laying the foundations of the French Revolution.

At 300, Encyclopedia Pioneer May Yet Get A Hero's Burial

French philosopher Denis Diderot was the driving force behind one of the first compendiums of human knowledge, but his contributions have been largely lost to history. Now, the anniversary of his birth has prompted calls to reinter his remains in Paris' Pantheon, alongside the likes of Voltaire and Jean-Jacques Rousseau.

<em>Three Marines Walking Through a Battlezone</em> is one of many sketches that Harry Jackson produced while serving as a Marine Combat Artist during WWII.

Sun May Set On The Collected Works Of A Western Icon

The prodigious output of the great Western artist Harry Jackson is kept and exhibited by his son Matt in Cody, Wyo. But funds are running low, and unless donations come soon, the collection of Jackson's work will have to be separated and sold piecemeal.

Things Are Getting Ugly

Hideous furniture and furballs and festive sweaters — homeliness is everywhere. Is ugly the new beautiful?

Miguel Piñero of the Nuyorican literary movement and poet Sandra Maria Esteves on the train in New York City in 1977.

Photographing Puerto Rican New York, With A 'Sympathetic Eye'

The 1970s were a tumultuous time in the city's history, but it was also a time of great change for the Latino community, then mostly Puerto Rican. Photojournalist-activist Bolivar Arellano made a point of documenting the "good." Those who have studied his work say he captured the nuance that outsiders often missed.

Food blogger Deb Perelman was initially a kale skeptic — until this Kale Salad With Pecorino And Walnuts changed her mind.

'Smitten Kitchen' Author On Learning To Love Kale

Food blogger Deb Perelman did not jump on the kale bandwagon. "I've often thought the world would be a better place if we could stop pretending that kale tastes good," she says. But one salad changed her mind.

Haiku In The News: Obama In Berlin

Finding the poetry in a presidential speech.

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