The Trump presidential library would be a giant tower of grift; The Washington Post, April 3, 2026

 Philip Kennicott, The Washington Post; The Trump presidential library would be a giant tower of grift

 "But the unknown funding and revenue questions raised by this structure are deeply serious. By the time of the Obama administration, about 95 percent of the presidential records were digital, meaning they didn’t require huge amounts of storage space. So, what will fill those 50 floors of space?

Will they be monetized, as apartments or offices? And if so, who will profit from them?

Despite numerous efforts by Congress to establish ethics guidelines and bring transparency to the fundraising for presidential centers, these institutions are still allowed to seek unlimited private donations without disclosing their donors.

Will the Trump library be some kind of hybrid nonprofit foundation, built with gifts solicited from private donors including, perhaps, foreign governments — yet also a for-profit real estate development that enriches Trump personally?

The great modernist architect Le Corbusier once said that a house is a machine for living. Libraries and museums might be thought of as machines for learning. The Trump presidential center appears intended to be a machine for emoluments, with one of the biggest emoluments in the history of America sitting in a giant hall at its base."

Small Kansas town gets its first library after mysterious donation; CBS, April 4, 2026

 [Video] CBS; Small Kansas town gets its first library after mysterious donation

"Frontenac, Kansas, is a community of 3,000 residents. When its city administrator received a mysterious $4.6 million dolllar donation from a couple whose dying wish was for a library to be built, the town sprung into action to solidify its legacy."

Mysterious donation gives small Kansas town its first public library; CBS News, April 4, 2026

 

Elissa Candiotti , CBS News; Mysterious donation gives small Kansas town its first public library

[Kip Currier: Incredibly inspiring story underscoring the positive impacts that one person -- or in this case two people, a librarian and her husband -- can have on the world.

Keep this story in mind and pass it along to anyone who questions the value of and need for libraries in our communities.]

"For over 140 years, the small town of Frontenac, Kansas had almost everything its 3,000 residents needed – except a public library. 

All that changed when city administrator John Zafuta got an unexpected phone call in 2019. 

"It was a surprise," Zafuta said. "An attorney told us that we were the sole beneficiary of the Tavella family trust."

Richard and Jeanette Tavella had both grown up in Frontenac before moving north to Kansas City, where Jeanette worked as a librarian until her death in 2019. Richard had died the year before. The couple wanted to use their parting gift to write a new legacy in their hometown. The town would receive $4.6 million from their estate, and use it to build Frontenac's first public library...

Building a space for community 

Seth Nutt, a teacher, historian and Frontenac native, was brought on as the library's director...

Today, its shelves hold over 17,000 titles. The library also hosts activities catered to different age groups, including story time for children, cooking classes for teens and book clubs for adults. It's also home to the McKay Street Coffeehouse and the Heritage Hall Museum. The museum is the first dedicated exclusively to Frontenac's history, and is also overseen by Nutt. 

"You hear people debate, do you need a library, do you not? And once you see it, and once you see how involved the community is with it, we've definitely needed it," said fire lieutenant and building inspector Justin Ziesenis, who had brought his six-year-old daughter to the library to pick out books. 

"I think it has made a difference in this community. It's drawing more people here, and more students are getting involved with reading books," said eighth-grader Rylinn Girth-Barnow, who had come to the library for a cooking class."

Epstein files show Haverford donor Howard Lutnick stayed in touch after claiming he cut ties, sparking calls to rename library; WHYY, March 17, 2026

 Rana Rastegari , WHYY; Epstein files show Haverford donor Howard Lutnick stayed in touch after claiming he cut ties, sparking calls to rename library

Students are calling for Lutnick Library to be renamed after documents revealed the U.S. commerce secretary maintained contact with Jeffrey Epstein years after his conviction.

"Students at Haverford College are calling on the school to rename its library and sever ties with one of its biggest donors after newly released Epstein files revealed continued contact between U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and convicted sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein.

Lutnick’s contributions to the college amount to $65 million. The largest gift was a $25 million donation in 2014 to renovate the campus library, which now bears his name.

Lutnick, a Haverford alumnus, had claimed to have cut ties with Epstein in 2005. However, documents released Jan. 30 confirm that the pair continued to communicate after 2008, when Epstein was convicted of soliciting sexual acts from a minor. In a U.S. Senate hearing in February, Lutnick testified that he had visited Epstein’s private island in 2012 with his wife and children. In February, a previously redacted image from the files was recovered, which shows Epstein, Lutnick and three other men on the island together."

Mark Zuckerberg Is Done With Politics; The New York Times, September 24, 2024

 Theodore Schleifer and Mike Isaac, The New York Times; Mark Zuckerberg Is Done With Politics

"Instead of publicly engaging with Washington, Mr. Zuckerberg is repairing relationships with politicians behind the scenes. After the “Zuckerbucks” criticism, Mr. Zuckerberg hired Brian Baker, a prominent Republican strategist, to improve his positioning with right-wing media and Republican officials. In the lead-up to November’s election, Mr. Baker has emphasized to Mr. Trump and his top aides that Mr. Zuckerberg has no plans to make similar donations, a person familiar with the discussions said.

Mr. Zuckerberg has yet to forge a relationship with Vice President Kamala Harris. But over the summer, Mr. Zuckerberg had his first conversations with Mr. Trump since he left office, according to people familiar with the conversations."

Why the Supreme Court’s wasted time on ethics may cost it; CNN, November 1, 2023

 Joan Biskupic, CNN; Why the Supreme Court’s wasted time on ethics may cost it

"Supreme Court justices, who have infinite power over American lives, have continually resisted calls for greater accountability in a formal code of conduct.

Some justices recently signaled that they might be ready to adopt a binding ethics code. But their record of inaction reflects the difficulty of compromise among the nine and suggests any real change may not come at their own hand.

The delay has had consequences.

Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats plan to authorize subpoenas for three wealthy conservatives, including real estate magnate Harlan Crow, who has provided luxury travel and other gifts to Justice Clarence Thomas."

New park to link Carnegie with its library; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, April 21, 2022

 LINDA WILSON FUOCO, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; New park to link Carnegie with its library

"In 121 years, there has never been a direct and easy way to get from the library high atop a steep hill to the Carnegie business district, below.

Until now.

Steps now meander down the hill, “creating a green space where there was none,” said Maggie Forbes, the library’s executive director. The now-attractive space is expected to be used as an outdoor classroom, a place for children and adults to read and play, and a venue for concerts...

Other Saturday celebrations include caricatures, face painting, crafts and activities with the Attawheed Islamic Center, the Double Dutch Swing Squad and Stage 62 performers. A new Carnegie business, The Dog Stop, is offering prizes...

Since 2003, citizens, organizations and foundations have donated $12 million to bring the library back from the brink of ruination. “Partners” and donors who helped it all happen include the Allegheny, Colcom and Hillman foundations, Heinz Endowments, Carnegie Borough, and the Pennsylvania Conservancy.

CarnegieCarnegie.org has further information. The web name is used to set this library apart from the many buildings operated by the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh. The CarnegieCarnegie is a free-standing, independent library, not part of the Pittsburgh Carnegie library system."

After backlash, Jeff Bezos suggests naming library auditorium for Toni Morrison; NPR, February 7, 2022

MARTIN AUSTERMUHLE, NPR ; After backlash, Jeff Bezos suggests naming library auditorium for Toni Morrison

"Amazon founder Jeff Bezos has asked the D.C. Public Library to name an auditorium in the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library after famed late Black author Toni Morrison, instead of after him.

The request — first reported by The Washington Post — is an apparent response to growing criticism over last week's decision by library trustees to name it after Bezos in recognition of a $2.7 million donation he made to a childhood literacy program."

UNM President seeks campus input on 2040 strategic plan; UNM (University of New Mexico), January 24, 2022

UNM (University of New Mexico); UNM President seeks campus input on 2040 strategic plan

"Last May, UNM President Garnett Stokes announced the start of planning for UNM 2040: Opportunity Defined, the multi-year plan for the future of The University of New Mexico. She announced in her weekly message the strategic planning process is now in one of the most important and exciting parts: gathering ideas from the campus community about the future of The University of New Mexico.

Timeline of planning

After UNM 2040: Opportunity Defined was launched virtually on May 7, 2021, multiple virtual focus groups for students, faculty, staff, and supporters were held from May 3-24. These events provided an early chance to share insights about how UNM can be more relevant, more visible, and more competitive for what it distinctly does best.

In October and November of 2021, the 2040 task forces took the emerging vision plan to a new level of detail by suggesting key activities that need to occur over the next five years for UNM to carry out its ambitious goals and realize its loftiest aspirations. A month later, a survey went out asking for feedback from students, faculty, staff, alumni, and donors about the draft vision framework. More than 1,600 Lobos completed the survey and helped better inform decision-making as the process moved forward.

The survey responses and other comments helped to fine-tune the vision framework and led to a revision of the plan, so goals and objectives were more reflective of the feedback."

For Jeffrey Epstein, MIT Was Just a Safety School; Wired, May 4, 2020

Noam Cohen, Wired; For Jeffrey Epstein, MIT Was Just a Safety School

"The MIT and Harvard reports are most illuminating when read together. They overlap in revealing ways and share certain observations...

In part, we can chalk up the difference to bad timing. Harvard came first in Epstein’s mind, which, I suppose, says something about its reputation among status-obsessed faux-intellectuals. When Harvard was accepting Esptein’s donations, it was dealing with a disreputable character; MIT, by contrast, was dealing with a convicted sex offender...

What remains is the hard-baked irony that MIT, which got relatively little from Epstein, drew the bad headlines; whereas Harvard, which took 10 times as much of Epstein’s money, could almost claim its hands were clean. MIT announced last year that it would be donating to a charity benefiting sexual-abuse survivors all of its Epstein monies ($850,000 collected before and after his conviction). Harvard on Friday announced that it would be donating to organizations that support victims of human trafficking and sexual assault exactly what was left over from Epstein’s multimillion-dollar donations: $200,937."

The Moral Rot of the MIT Media Lab; Slate, September 8, 2019

Justin Peters, Slate; The Moral Rot of the MIT Media Lab

"Over the course of the past century, MIT became one of the best brands in the world, a name that confers instant credibility and stature on all who are associated with it. Rather than protect the inherent specialness of this brand, the Media Lab soiled it again and again by selling its prestige to banks, drug companies, petroleum companies, carmakers, multinational retailers, at least one serial sexual predator, and others who hoped to camouflage their avarice with the sheen of innovation. There is a big difference between taking money from someone like Epstein and taking it from Nike or the Department of Defense, but the latter choices pave the way for the former."

A Public Outcry Against a Wall Street Titan’s Name on a High School; The New York Times, April 13, 2018

Kate Kelly, The New York Times; A Public Outcry Against a Wall Street Titan’s Name on a High School

"Naming-rights deals are common, but they increasingly risk provoking fierce reactions — sometimes leading to embarrassing retreats by the wealthy patrons and the recipients of their largess."

A Library That Most Can Only Dream Of; New York Times, 3/28/10

Audrey Kaminer, New York Times; A Library That Most Can Only Dream Of:

"You, over there, mouthing off about the death of print. Keep it down; this is a library. Not just any library: This is Battery Park City’s public library branch, the city’s newest, greenest one yet, and it’s quite a sight to behold.

To the left as you enter is an ecologically correct circulation desk made — though you’d never know it — from recycled cardboard, and topped with a bouquet of fresh tulips. Should you find a crowd, try the sleek self-service stations a couple of steps away. Some of the library’s 36 Internet-connected computers lie just around the bend. Overhead, a jigsaw puzzle of scalene triangles zigs and zags along the ceiling.

Follow it back past the entrance to the children’s zone, a playful arrangement of orange beanbag chairs, orange screen savers and an orange mat that curves up under the terrazzo staircase (made of recycled glass chips, of course) to create a lounging nook that feels like the inside of a conch shell.

Instead of the comforting mustiness of older libraries, the whole space is filled with oxygen and light, streaming through floor-to-ceiling windows and bouncing off the blond wood floors (made from lumber salvaged during the manufacturing of window frames, thank you). “They wanted as much as possible for this branch to be a showcase for how pleasant and how interesting a branch can be,” said Tim Furzer, who oversaw the project for the firm 1100 Architect. It worked.

Atop those sculptural stairs, in an area carpeted with a material made from repurposed truck tires, visitors can peruse magazines and newspapers, use the restroom (at my neighborhood library, it’s off limits to adults) or just relax as the sound of young laughter floats up from below. Gaze out at the landscaped terrace and, beyond, the Hudson River.

The existence of this beautiful 10,000-square-foot library, which opened on March 18, prompts so many questions: How could such state-of-the-art technologies be marshaled in service of the old-fashioned act of book reading? How could such fancy design be affordable in an era of wrenching budget crises? And in choosing where to build the coolest, greenest new branch around, why pick Battery Park City, a neighborhood already so blessed with amenities?

Conversations about this branch date back at least a decade, when local residents started contacting elected officials and library representatives, noting how the area’s population had grown. Good community organizing, a well-connected population and responsive officials were, however, only part of the equation.

The library’s journey from wish to reality involved an additional element — the mere mention of which makes a certain kind of conspiracy theorist tingle, like a villain emerging from a cloud of white smoke and twirling his moustache: Goldman Sachs.

That’s right, Goldman Sachs, the investment bank variously regarded as the true genius of the financial world and “a great vampire squid wrapped around the face of humanity, relentlessly jamming its blood funnel into anything that smells like money,” as Matt Taibbi wrote last year in Rolling Stone. When Goldman announced its move to Battery Park City in 1995, it donated $1 million to a community center and $3.5 million to the library branch. Welcome to the neighborhood.

The location, at 175 North End Avenue, was donated by the Battery Park City Authority. City and state kicked in the rest of what eventually grew to a $6.7 million construction budget.

“You couldn’t ask for anything better,” said Billy Parrott, the library manager. “It’s just perfect. Everything’s easy to get to, easy to use.” Within days of the ribbon-cutting ceremony, children — such a presence in Battery Park City that they make Park Slope, Brooklyn, look like a retirement village — have already made the place their own."

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/03/28/nyregion/28critic.html?scp=1&sq=battery%20park%20library&st=cse