January 2019 is a great month for free information. Public Domain Day on January 1st marked the first time in 20 years that films, books, artworks and more created in 1923 came into the Public Domain. Studies have shown that public domain books are less expensive, available in more editions and formats, and more likely to be in print. This includes beloved Robert Frost and Kahlil Gibran poems, novels by Carl Sandburg and many other works. The expiration of copyright means that you can use these materials for education, for research, or for creative endeavors—whether it’s translating the books, making your own versions of the films, or building new music based on old classics. Contact your Librarian for more information about the Public Domain.
Creative Commons and Wikipedia’s Birthdays are Tuesday January 15! Come to Central Library lobby from 12:00 to 2:00 to celebrate! We’ll have Birthday Cake, wiki-swag, and Librarians on hand to talk about Public Domain and show clips from films now in Public Domain like Safety Last!
