Even libraries are under pressure to wire up and get faster these days, but has the obsession with technology gone too far? Mark Leggott, a librarian in Prince Edward Island on the east coast of Canada, thinks so. He welcomes the wiring up of the modern library but wants to be sure that other ingredients are not lost in the rush. To that end he has launched a Slow Library movement. According to Leggot, a Slow Library is plugged into the local community, understands that human beings do some jobs better than machines ever will and gives staff and users the time to learn. To find out more, clickhere.

If you can gauge the strength of a cultural shift from the range of people taking part, then things are looking up for the Slow revolution. I get invited to speak to groups right across the spectrum, from schoolteachers, doctors and yoga coaches to business executives, IT specialists and architects. In fact, I’ve just agreed to speak at two events on February 7th in London. In the afternoon, I will give the second talk in a series of lectures and debates on slowness organized by the Royal College of Art. Then, after a very slow break, I’ll join an evening debate held by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council at the Hayward Gallery. The questions on the table are: “Are we moving fast enough? Does more speed always mean a society is making progress? Or is it time to put the brakes on our breakneck world?” Artists and engineers are seldom natural bedfellows but even they are finding common ground when it comes to challenging our fast forward culture.

By the way, the Hayward Gallery event is open to the public so maybe I’ll see some of you there…

Advertising is a useful bell-wether for changing attitudes so maybe that’s why more and more companies are using the idea of slow to hawk their products. Examples abound. In Japan, for instance, Volkswagen launched the new Beetle with the slogan “Go Slow.” This morning I opened up a magazine and found an advertisement from Camper, a shoemaker that believes that slowing down is the first step to living, working and playing better. The company motto is “Walk, Don’t Run.” And the current ad promises “Slow shoes for fast people.” Wonder if they’re having a January sale….

I suppose it was only a matter of time. The world’s first Museum of Laziness has opened in Bogot·, Colombia. It is full of hammocks, sofas and beds for lounging. Funded by the municipal government, the aim of the museum is to challenge the modern obsession with work and wasting time - and to find a balance between striving and skiving. The only catch is that it is not a permanent museum. It closes next week. So if you’re too lazy you’ll miss it altogether…

Read the BBC report by clickinghere.