That’s the theme of an essay by Beau Friedlander in the LA Times, in which he concludes, “the instant knowledge provided by the Web is invaluable, as is the deeper communion provided by books.” In part: Books require a different sort of communion with one’s subject than the Internet. They foster a different sort of memory — more tactile, more participatory. I know more or less where, folio-wise, Eliot gets nasty about the Jews in his infamous 1933 lecture series After Strange Gods, but I always have to read around a bit to find the exact quote, and the time […]
The Book on Obama Victory
Barack Obama’s electoral triumph was the best thing to happen to demand for printed newspapers in years–and now Andrews McMeel will publish the Poynter Foundation’s collection of 75 front pages from newspapers around the country.Poynter
Seven Candles
We’re always a little bit surprised this time of year when the anniversary of the creation of PublishersMarketplace.com comes around again, as we now celebrate seven years of service. As you know, most of the time we’re entirely focused on what we’re going to do next rather than what we’ve already accomplished. Since we spend so much time reporting on other company’s quarterly and annual results, this year we thought we would offer you an “annual report” on the activity in our world: FeaturesSeven years ago we naively pledged to take our site’s modest beginnings and continue to add to […]
Big Library Cuts in Philadelphia
As municipalities across the country face large gaps in their budget, Philadelphia is taking “drastic new steps” to face the “economic storm” that include closing 11 of the 54 branch libraries that comprise the Free Library of Philadelphia. Three other branches will have Sunday hours eliminated. Mayor Michael Nutter said the branches were chosen “after careful review of building conditions, utilization and distance to other libraries in the Free Library system.” Cutting 220 jobs throughout the city government, approximately one third of those layoffs will come from the library staff.ABC News
Indigo Has An e-Content Play
Canada’s dominant retailer Indigo has plans for a electronic text offering focused on free and paid downloads for mobile devices, Quill and Quire reports. The enterprise will be established as a separately-branded subsidiary of Indigo, serving customers throughout North America (with intentions of going global), and set to launch in early 2009. “The final details won’t be unveiled until December,” the magazine reports, but Indigo cto Michael Serbinis confirms certain detials. Material on offer will range from complete e-books for mobile reading to small chunks (chapters, articles and short stories) and user-generated content. It sounds as if download fees will […]
Distributor Tells Clients No Cash from Borders
Distributor IPG told clients in an e-mail (now cited on multiple websites) that Borders “tell us that they will not be paying us for two months due to anticipated excessive returns.” In the letter, clients were told that for new shipments to Borders, the distributor will guarantee only the actual printing cost of those books, for as long as “there are serious concerns about Borders viability.” IPG president Mark Suchomel tells us that “almost all of the clients” have instructed the company to continue shipping orders to Borders. He notes that “we’ve typically been very conservative and that’s been a […]