With most of the nation’s major library systems closing and a wave of independent booksellers closing to the public, at least, we checked in with Barnes & Noble to see how they are approaching the situation. “We have reduced store hours in all of our stores, and are prepared to close stores promptly along with guidance from local and national officials,” a spokesperson told PL. “We have also enhanced cleaning in all of our stores, and have alerted all employees who are not feeling well, or need to care for family members, to stay home.” As physical outlets for obtaining […]
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PRH Now Recommends Work from Home, As Do Harper, Macmillan and Others, Plus More Cancellations
Penguin Random House US ceo Madeline McIntosh updated the company’s previous direction to employees: “We’ve made the decision that everyone in our New York, Colorado Springs, and Emeryville offices who can work from home should now transition to do so; plan for today to be your last day in the office, for the time being…. Guidance for Woodland Hills, Westminster, Crawfordsville and Reno is being provided by local leadership.” Additionally, PRH ceo Markus Dohle wrote to staff worldwide: “The geographic nature of the spread of the virus means that we won’t adopt a one-size-fits-all approach for all of our offices […]
HBG and S&S Test Work from Home, Harper Cleans UK Office
Hachette Book Group is “testing work-from-home capabilities today and tomorrow, asking each of our colleagues whose work can be done remotely to work from home on one of these two days.” More broadly, the company said, “Our first concern is the health and well-being of Hachette employees. Starting today, employees with concerns about being in an office environment, about commuting on crowded public transit, or other concerns that lead them to want to work from home, can talk with their managers to make arrangements.” Simon & Schuster employees have been instructed to work from home this Friday as part of […]
Penguin Random House Gives New York City Employees An Option to Work from Home; S&S “Making Contingency Plans”
Penguin Random House US ceo Madeline McIntosh updated staff on Wednesday morning with new guidance for employees as the COVID-19 virus spreads in the area. “Given the quickly-moving developments in the New York City region, I know that many people may no longer feel comfortable commuting or working in our New York City offices. Therefore, if any of you working at 1745 or 1450 Broadway can work from home, we encourage you to speak with your supervisor to make plans to do so.” Those offices “remain open and operational” and they will continue “the enhanced cleaning protocols we’ve been using […]
Corona Updates: More Publishers Withdraw From Bologna, Poets & Writers Gala Cancelled, LAT Festival Postponed, More Cancellations and Contingencies
Event cancellations due to COVID-19 continue apace. The big publishers are not going to send employees to the rescheduled Bologna Book Fair: HBG, Hachette UK and Hachette Livre, have withdrawn,”in light of the unprecedented action the Italian government is taking to contain the spread of the coronavirus and our ongoing concern for the safety of our colleagues, authors and partners.” Bonnier UK also said it will skip the event. Poets & Writers has cancelled its 50th anniversary gala, scheduled for March 16. “We’re sorely disappointed, but made this decision out of a concern for the health and safety of our staff […]
#Dignidadliteraria and Presente.org Respond to Macmillan Progress Report
Latinx activist organizations #Dignidadliteraria and Presente.org responded to Macmillan’s 30-day progress report about Latinx representation in publishing after a followup meeting with the publisher on Tuesday afternoon. Authors Myriam Gurba, Roberto Lovato, David Bowles, and Matt Nelson, who all originally met with Macmillan leadership on February 3 to discuss the American Dirt controversy, wrote in a press release, “We’re cautiously optimistic…. While in-line with what the Latinx community has demanded and a solid step in the right direction, Macmillan USA’s 30-day progress report is vague in many areas.” The release continues, “During the meeting, we expressed our interest in seeing specific […]