With schools closing around the world and districts racing to develop remote learning programs, educational publishers, booksellers, and nonprofits are helping families and educators with free offerings. Below we compile updates on collections of digital books for students, both K-12 and higher ed. General reading Scribd The subscription reading and audio site always had a 30-day “free trial” with a credit card on file, but now through this page you can use the site for free without giving them a provisional card. For Kids Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone The first book in JK Rowling’s series is available for […]
Archives for March 2020
Reference: Publisher Permissions for Online Read-Alouds and Storytime
With schools closing around the world and districts racing to develop remote learning programs, educators have been asking about permissions and processes for posting live and recorded read-aloud videos and sound files. So far, official permission and guidelines have been issued by: Amazon Publishing Books published by Two Lions and Amazon Crossing Kids may be read aloud online, on the condition that all videos are deleted by June 30. Educators, librarians, and booksellers should send an email to globalrights@amazon.com with their name, school/library/store, city, state, and the title, author, and illustrator of the book, along with a description of your […]
Reference: Industry Help and Special Terms For Booksellers
ABA Coronavirus Bookseller Resource Page A collection of steps to take, opportunities for financial assistance, general information about the outbreak, and more. They are updating regularly. getAbstract Through May 18, the online news provider is granting the public access to 22,000 condensed books, articles, reports and videos to help “people make sound decisions to navigate the coronavirus pandemic.” Hachette Book Group Indie Home Delivery An initiative to provide extra margin to “any independent bookstore that offers local delivery of books to homes or businesses within their community done directly by a store staff member or other contracted local delivery service.” […]
Reference: Supporting Booksellers, and Authors, In These Dark Times
With bookstores closing temporarily all over the country, people are looking for ways to support their local indies. And with the economic impact of the pandemic growing every week, a number of relief efforts are providing grants to authors, illustrators and other creators as well as to booksellers in need. Buy Books and Audiobooks from Independent Booksellers We have built an open spreadsheet of stores that have closed to visitors, but are still processing orders through their websites and/or phone orders: http://publun.ch/stores. Many are delivering locally while they can and/or offering special shipping offers. (You can report information on your […]
Books Continue to Decline as Percentage of Sales at Hudson
The Hudson Group, the travel retailer and bookstore owned by parent company Dufry, released Q4 and full-year 2019 earnings as part of their 2019 annual report last week. Unlike last year’s annual report, real figures for book sales (or rather, “literature and publications”) weren’t included. However, literature and publications represented 7.8 percent of total net sales, down from 8.9 percent last year, 10 percent in 2017, and 12 percent in 2016. Working backwards from annual net sales for 2019 of $1.91 billion (an increase of $30.1 million from last year), that suggests literature and publications sales of approximately $150.1 million, […]
Status Reports: Amazon Delays Replenishment of Non-Essentials, Indigo Closes Stores, French Publishers Postpone Releases, and More
Amazon told third-party sellers in the US and EU who use their distribution centers for Fulfillment by Amazon that the company is “temporarily prioritizing household staples, medical supplies and other high-demand products coming into our fulfillment centers so that we can more quickly receive, restock, and ship these products to customers.” They have disabled new shipments and replenishment to their warehouses of other products through April 5 . The notice said, “We are taking a similar approach with retail vendors,” and that is reinforced in a general press release. (In the case of retail vendors for non-prioritized goods, they are […]