The Prelinger Library is a gem. Founded in 2004 and operated by Rick Prelinger and Megan Shaw Prelinger, the library houses over 50,000 books, periodicals and pieces of print ephemera, the collection specializes in materials and works not typically found in public libraries. The public library is privately funded in San Francisco.

Car-free urban areas are all the rage. Now San Francisco has one, at least temporarily, thanks to the Super Bowl. WIRED transportation editor Alex Davies looks at the best way to move in a city already snarled with traffic.

Kinetic sculptor Theo Jansen brings his mesmerizing wind-powered creatures made of PVC-pipe to the San Francisco Exploratorium.

Hungry? But you don't want to deal with a human? If you live in San Francisco's Mission district, you can get your food delivered by a robot named Marble.

Greensite, Jeff, author

Hewitt, Paul G., author

Hewitt, Paul G., author

Haydu, Jeffrey

Hayden Library - QD172.R2 R37 2012

Hayden Library - QD172.A3.S967 2012

Browsery DVD PN1997.2.S56 A1 2015

Berger, Arthur Asa, 1933- author

Hayden Library - TK9178.I588 2017

Hayden Library - TK9006.P32 2018

Not enjoying the Thanksgiving spirit? Here's an unusual poem by Clarence V. Odell describing the turkey-eat-turkey dynamic of a 'gobble,' another name for a flock of the big birds (also known as a 'rafter').

"NINE greedy gobblers having a fete,
One ate his head off, then there were eight...."

Pity the turkeys... it rarely ends well for them!

Read more about it and follow us all the time on Twitter @librarycongress #ChronAm!

Converter and Fire Refining Practices Symposium (2005 : San Francisco, Calif.)

EPD Congress (2005 : San Francisco, Calif.)

For the first time since coming back to San Francisco in January, I had everything I needed for a saunter across the city in the sun: a means of taking photos / videos, a pair of sunglasses, no work, no plans, and no excuse.

On the morning of July 4th, I decided to spend the next couple of days offline. I read a book, and decided to go for a walk the rest of the day. I didn’t have any expectations or intended destination. I left my apartment at 2pm and decided to walk west, as I haven’t spent any proper time on that side of the city.

I passed through a couple of small parks and quiet neighbourhoods before hitting the edge of The Presidio.

At this point, I realised how long it had been since I’d seen a large expanse of something approximating nature. The Presidio was beautifully tranquil, with just a handful of people strolling or running through the trees. Walking off the trails, I saw a lizard for the first time in years; probably a San Francisco Alligator Lizard.

I exited The Presidio somewhere near the golf course and picked a long road to keep walking west.

On the way, I hit a main road and stood at the traffic lights. While I waited a young woman walking her dog struck up the first of several impromptu conversations I had with strangers that day. She must have seen me looking around for the street name, as she asked, “Are you lost? Are you a tourist? Where are you going?”

“I’m not sure. That way”, I said pointing down the long road before us.

She laughed. “See, you are lost!”

We chatted for a few blocks before our paths diverged. She told me that I would find some nice trails, and a good view of the Golden Gate Bridge, in the woodland near Lands End. It was dead ahead for another 30 minutes. So that’s where I went.

I hit the trails at about 4:30pm. It must have been close to perfect weather. Really sunny, warm, only a mild breeze, and the bay was completely clear. I wandered around for over an hour; perching near the edge of cliffs, taking in the sight of the Golden Gate Bridge on my right and a vast expanse of ocean to my left. Such a relaxing place.

I made time for a Dorsey-like Vine (my first Vine)…

On the way back, I crossed a road to take a photo. A post-middle-age man crossed my path, struck up a conversation, and began to tell me about his life in San Francisco “back in the day”. As if he could peer into my soul, he assured me that there was nothing wrong with being a software engineer (although he did initially think I was an estate agent; that was one of the first things he said to me).

My spirits further lifted by a stranger’s validation, I continued home. For last 30 minutes all I could think about was lying down, resting my feet, and eating. I’d been walking for nearly 6 hours. I’ll definitely do it again, but a skateboard would be helpful next time.

Rotch Library - NA9127.S3 I84 2017

Tycoons love to survey their empires. And in the 1870s, that empire was San Francisco. The city was in a period of ravenous growth fueled by mining discoveries like the 1848 Gold Rush and the Comstock Lode, and the first transcontinental rail line, a feat that made the men behind the Central Pacific Railroad—Mark Hopkins,...

The post San Francisco is a Ghost Town: The Story Behind Eadweard Muybridge’s Spooky Panorama appeared first on Behind The Scenes.

Decision to enact prohibition, forbid plastic straws lies with mayor