The American Library Association (ALA), the Association of College and Research Libraries, and the Association of Research Libraries have reiterated their basic support for the proposed Google Books settlement, while also repeating concerns that the settlement live up to its promises in balancing market pricing and broad access when selling institutional subscriptions. (They note that “The likely demand among academic libraries for an institutional subscription is high.”) In a letter to the Department of Justice’s anti-trust division–following meetings with them as part of their investigation–the associations write “we believe that the Division itself should take a proactive role in the […]
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Bookselling: St. Paul's Common Good Books Is Robbed
Last Wednesday night at 1 in the morning, two people broke into Common Good Books (owned by Garrison Keillor) and stole the store’s safe and damaged the cash registers, taking “a few thousand dollars” that had been left in the store overnight. The store posted surveillance camera photos on their site and sent a Tweet looking for a “goateed loser in longshorts and a Longhorns cap carrying a safe at 1:20 last night.”Star Tribune
Back on the Block: Reed to Sell Most Magazines, As Tad Smith Steps Down
Reed Elsevier will try once again to sell off a chunk of their trade magazines from the Reed Business Information division. The company terminated the first attempt at a complete sale of the division late last year when they were unable to extract “acceptable terms” from bidders. They said then they would “divest RBI in the medium term when conditions are more favorable.” But just a week ago, new Reed ceo Ian Smith was tipped in the Telegraph as readying a new strategy to “retain the core business.” This morning RBI ceo Keith Jones told employees they intend “to divest […]
People and Announcements
The Bookseller reports that Anthony Cheetham will join Atlantic UK, where his son Nicolas set up the crime/thriller imprint Corvus earlier this year, starting in September. They say he intends to start an “entirely new activity” for the publisher. Cheetham did not provide additional details.Bookseller Borders promoted Joanna Goldstein to the new position of vp, marketing revenue, responsible for “developing and managing cooperative marketing promotions and sales-driving initiatives with publishers as well as other vendors and third-party marketing partners.” She was merchandising director, newsstand, calendars, games and trend gifts. The Today show picked Ingrid Law’s Newbery Honor winner SAVVY as […]
Bookselling: Children's Store to Close; Store Hit By Truck Reopens; Biography Bookshop Moves
Chicago-area children’s store Crocodile Pie will close after being rescued once by new owners a year ago. Co-owner Amy Moran says: “People either don’t have the money to spend or they’re being cautious – and rightfully so. We have a great client base – people have been very supportive. But they just don’t have the funds that they spent before.” But Flintridge Bookstore, the Pasadena, CA store that was substantially damaged after a tractor-trailer crashed into its building four months, will have a grand reopening this weekend. In New York, the West Village’s Biography Bookshop has been driven from its […]
Results Rise at Harlequin on Weak Canadian Dollar, But Retail Sales Decline
In a mixed second quarter report, Harlequin parent Torstar said book sales rose 8.7 percent to $249 million (CA), though the increase was due almost entirely to the weaker Canadian dollar. Currency exchange comprised most of the profit gains as well, up $2.4 million at $19.7 million for the period. “Underlying results were up in the overseas and North America direct-to-consumer divisions and down in North America retail.” And the company expects weaker results in the second half of their year. They expect to grow “but not at the rate realized in the first half.” The company notes: “Harlequin continues […]