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The digital library dilemma: Why e-book borrowing costs taxpayers more

For a growing number of Americans, reading is more than leafing through a physical book. Between 2011 and 2021, the share of Americans who listened to an audiobook more than doubled, from 11% to 23%, according to the Pew Research Center. At the same time, the share who read an e-book rose from 17% to 30% – all while the number of Americans who read any format of book held relatively steady. 


That, on its surface, sounds like a win for the nation’s public libraries. E-book lending surged durin...
JoySauce

442: How Soichi Sakamoto mentored Olympians in irrigation ditches

Soichi Sakamoto (1906-97) never formally learned to swim, and had limited athletic training and coaching experience. But against all odds, the schoolteacher became one of swimming’s most influential coaches, developing science-based training methods that are still used today.
Born in Maui to Issei parents, Sakamoto was a rebellious, free-spirited child who struggled with their strict, traditional expectations. He believed he was destined for something greater and approached life with restless cu...
The Boston Bulletin

Boston Local Businesses & Tariffs

Delini Gelato is a family-owned gelato shop in West Roxbury, known for its authentic Italian gelato made fresh in small batches every day. But over the past six months, tariffs have had a “negative and harmful” impact on the gelato store. Owner Viktoria Petkova explained that, as a small business with tight margins, the added costs from these tariffs have been very difficult to absorb without impacting both pricing and long-term planning.

Urban Environmentalism

Photo by Julia Volk on Pexels
Norwood Record •

Foraging Edible Plants

“One of the big places for wild food is edge habitats, where different habitats come together,” explained Kristan. An edge habitat is a floral community with different vegetation structure than the two ad- joining habitats in nature. “Unfortunately, a lot of edge habitats are right next to roads. You don’t want to go there; you don’t want to eat the pollutants from the roads. But you don’t have to go far to get clean plants."
Boston Bulletin •

Charles River Drought

The Charles River by the canoe launch was so dried up, one could nearly walk all the way across the other side without getting their feet wet. “For years, I have been a regular visitor to Millennium, there in the mornings walking the trails and photographing birds and other wildlife. I know that stretch of the Charles River extremely well. During the course of a typical year, it can be swollen with rain, and lower when it's dry,” remarked Lang. “Some years, you can see a small sandbar in the middle when it's especially dry. But never have I seen it as low as it is now. Never have you been able to walk into the middle of the river basin or essentially cross over to the other side staying just about completely dry. Who's to say for sure if it's the effects of climate change or just a rare but periodic dry spell, but for certain this isn't normal for this stretch of the Charles.”

Urban Planning and Development

The Boston Bulletin •

Billings Field Renovations: Spring Update

Boston Parks and Recreation initially projected that the Billings Field project would be completed by late summer 2026. The timeline has since shifted, with construction now slated for completion this November. The sports fields are expected to fully reopen in spring 2027, once the turf has been established.
“Weather-related impacts, expanded project scope – including major park accessibility improvements – contributed to this revised timeline,” the spokesperson explained. “The project remains on track for completion in November 2026.”

Local History

Food Access

Photo by Julia M Cameron on Pexels
Boston Bulletin •

Volunteers Needed

“During the holidays, both food insecurity and food excess are compounded. One in three Massachusetts residents will experience food insecurity in 2023, while the Mass Department of Environmental Protection projects over one million tons of food will go to waste in our state this year,” stated Roslindale resident Charlie Burns, who is the Site Director of FRUS Boston. She explained that the Friday After events demonstrate that collaborative community efforts ensure that community members have access to nutritious meals while reducing food waste.
Boston Bulletin •

Food Collective distributes Thanksgiving Meals

“Our agreement is that instead of us getting a box of food, we use the money donated towards purchasing bulk produce that we give out at the Sunday program (i.e. carrots, onions, fruit, etc). Katsirouba decided to offer a Thanksgiving box, that was worth $45 and food pantries could get for $25. Our goal was to be able to offer one Thanksgiving box to the 80 families that typically come through the Sunday program."