The board of the Book Industry Study Group approved a significant set of changes to their by-laws that, when ratified at their members meeting on September 25, will reshape how the group is governed. The BISG intends to reduce the current oversized board of 33 members down to a more traditional group of 14 directors. They will also limit board members to a maximum of two consecutive two-year terms (except for the chair), after which they must rotate off for at least one year. The new board slots will be allocated specifically among distinct industry sectors, with 5 positions for publishers […]
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Macmillan Finalizes Relocation to 120 Broadway for 2019
As first reported under consideration in April, Macmillan has now finalized a deal to relocate their offices to 120 Broadway in early 2019. Their lease in Flatiron Building was due to expire next year. The press release indicates Macmillan is taking four floors comprising 261,000 square feet of space for 20 years. They currently occupy about 176,00 square feet in the Flatiron for the trade division, but have offices elsewhere in city as well, primarily for the education group. The release says they will “relocate…from multiple locations” to the new space. Chief operating officer Andrew Weber says in the announcement, “The […]
NEH Chair Resigns As Organization is Forced to Budget For Its Closure
NEH chairman William D. Adams resigned on Tuesday after less than three years leading the organization. With funding recently reaffirmed for the current fiscal year, Adams was able to say in his statement, “We’re encouraged that Congress and the President increased our funding for the current year and that the White House has initiated the process of bringing new political appointees to the agency. Deputy chair Margaret Plympton will serve as acting chair. At the same time, however, the organization was forced to submit a fiscal 2018 budget appropriations request that asks Congress for a pared down $42 million “to begin […]
Congressional Budget Deal Is Only A Temporary Win for the Arts
As Congressional leaders are reported to have agreed on a funding bill that will keep the government operating through the end of September, some reports are prematurely celebrating it as a victory over the Trump administration’s plan to eliminate resources for the NEA, NEH, libraries and more. The comprise bill — which allocates $150 million for the NEA and another $150 million for the NEH, along with $231 million for the Institute of Museum and Library Services — funds those organizations through fiscal 2017. The aggressive effort to eliminate funding for the arts was, and remains, part of President Trump’s proposals […]
Briefs: Talking Leaves to Close One Store, Norton Expands, and More
Bookselling Buffalo’s Talking Leaves Bookstore is closing their Main Street store after 42 years in the University Heights neighborhood and will consolidate inventory in their Elmwood location over the next three months. “Significant changes in book buying habits and in the University of Buffalo neighborhood are major factors in this decision,” they write on their Facebook page. With the consolidation will come “a renewed focus on a resurgent future that incorporates all that bookselling in the 21st century entails. We will continue our many partnerships with cultural organizations, schools and other community groups to sponsor readings, conversations, and other events, […]
As Feared, Trump Budget Proposes Eliminating NEA, NEH and More
As feared by many, President Donald Trump’s first federal budget plan for fiscal 2018 proposes eliminating at least 19 agencies, including the National Endowment for the Arts, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, and even the Institute of Museum and Library Services (which spreads grants to every state). The two endowments have had a combined budget of a mere $300 million. As the NYT notes, though: “Nothing will change for the endowments or other agencies immediately. Congress writes the federal budget, not the president, and White House budget plans are largely political documents that telegraph a president’s […]