U.S. public libraries are redefining and expanding their roles in civic life to ensure community access to the vital information and tools needed to learn, create, and improve lives. Join us for a conversation on public libraries as hubs for civic engagement, with a focus on the innovative neighborhood libraries featured in the exhibition By...

Essay by Julie Sangborn about the changing vision for some of New York City's public libraries.

The final grand challenge posed by Secretary Wayne Clough for the new strategic plan of the Smithsonian is explained by the sentence: “America is an increasingly diverse society that shares a history, ideals, and an indomitable, innovative spirit. We will use our resources across disciplines to explore what it means to be an American and...

Here’s some impressive trivia: Q – How many Museums are there in the Smithsonian? A – 19, including the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum. Q – How many objects in the collections? A – 137,000,000. Q – How many visitors last year? A – 30,000,000. Q – How many website visits? A – 188,000,000. Yes, those...

Many people complain that technology is isolating people from their fellow humans. I disagree. E-mail, cell phones, FedEx, Blackberries, and other systems are keeping people more in touch than ever. Indeed, many of us are expected to be “reachable” 24/7. One of the themes of Design Life Now is how design brings people together, through...