Scholastic will combine the trade publishing and book fairs and book clubs divisions into a single Scholastic Children’s Book Group as of June 1, led by Sasha Quinton in the new role of evp, and president. Quinton has been president of School Reading Events and continues to report to ceo Peter Warwick, while also “working closely with Iole Lucchese” to “bolster the Company’s 360-degree IP creation strategy by opening up pathways between editorial, distribution and merchandising.” Lucchese is chief strategy officer and president of Scholastic Entertainment, as well as board chair and controlling owner. Trade publishing has previously been a […]
Activist Takes Stake In Scholastic
Activist hedge fund Ananym Capital Management disclosed in a recent SEC 13F filing that they have acquired 4.8 percent of Scholastic’s common stock. They hold approximately 1.25 million shares. Scholastic’s stock has been trading at its lowest levels since the depths of the 2008-09 recession lately, to the point that management signaled a strategic review of the education solutions division and emphasized the value of their “non-operating assets that could be monetized, if and when the company chose to,” including the headquarters building in Soho and their three warehouses. Ananym says it “focuses on constructive, value-enhancing engagements with undervalued public […]
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Trump Appoints Loyalists at LOC and Copyright Office
After abruptly firing the highly qualified, non-partisan longtime leaders of the Library of Congress and US Copyright Office, Donald Trump moved quickly to install loyalists with little relevant experience in their place. Todd Blanche, Trump’s personal attorney from his 2024 criminal trial and now Deputy Attorney General, was appointed acting Librarian of Congress. And Paul Perkins, an associate deputy attorney general, is acting register of copyrights and director of the Copyright Office. Additionally, Brian Nieves, a deputy chief of staff and senior counsel in Blanche’s office, was made acting assistant librarian at the LOC. The AP says, “The implications of […]
Bookshop.org Sales Are Growing Again, Says eBook Offering Is Running Ahead of Projections
Bookshop.org founder Andy Hunter is the latest interviewee on the Open Book with David Steinberger podcast. Hunter reports that their recent initiative to add ebook sales to the retail site is, “Already performing three times what we expected when we launched—about 5% of our sales now, and I thought it would take a year for us to get to that point.” On overall sales through the site, Hunter says they are growing significantly: “This year we’re looking to do about $70 million, maybe $75 million.” That would be significantly ahead of sales of $44 million in 2024, which showed modest […]
Remembering Mike Shatzkin, Now with RSVP
A reminder that the celebration of Mike Shatzkin’s life will convene on Thursday, May 22, from 5 PM to 8 PM, at The Prince George Ballroom, 17 East 27 Street. The organizers ask that if you plan on attending, you please rsvp to marthamoran@gmail.com, thanks.