Judge Rejects Indiana Law to Register and Fine Bookstores A controversial Indiana law, requiring bookstores and other sellers to register with the state and pay a fee in order to sell sexually explicit materials, was rejected by a Federal judge yesterday (the day the law was supposed to take effect). As had been argued by bookstores and their advocates along with the AAP and ACLU and others, Judge Sarah Evans Barker said the law was too broad and could be applied to “unquestionably lawful, nonobscene, nonpornographic materials being sold to adults.… Clearly, a vast array of merchants and materials is […]

Comps Rise at Waterstone’s UK chain Waterstone’s reported sales for the fiscal year of 564 million pounds, up 3.3 percent on a same-store sales basis and 5 percent overall, while income remained flat at 16.3 million pounds. In the continuing process of absorbing Ottakar’s, the chain took a charge of 4.6 million pounds to cover the closure of 11 stores. (Only one new store was opened during the year.) The company says “the biggest single initiative to help build links with our customers has been the Waterstone’s multi-channel loyalty card, which launched in September 2007, and now has 1.5 million […]

Olsson’s Faces Bankruptcy Creditors including Random House, Penguin and Hachette Book Group petitioned a bankruptcy court last week to liquidate Washington, DC independent store group Olsson’s, seeking payments of nearly $400,000. The Washington Post reports that Ingram and Sony also hold claims to Olsson’s inventories. An attorney for the stores says that they intend to convert the Chapter 7 filing to Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the hopes of reorganizing. The Washington Post reports: “Pressed by creditors who have filed claims against the company’s inventories and by rising overhead costs, Olsson’s is closing at least one store (in Penn Quarter) […]

UK Judges Narrow Scope, But Requires Author to Turn Over Terrorist Interview A three-person judicial review panel at London’s High Court has reinforced an order for author Shiv Malik to turn over to Manchester police source material for his book on terrorism from suspect Hassan Butt within seven days. While the ruling focuses the scope of what Malik must provide, they criticized him for forcing a judicial review rather than negotiating with officials and ordered him to pay the legal costs of the police. The Guardian reports: “Malik had resisted the production order, arguing it was too broad, and could […]

Reeve, Gravett Take Big UK Children’s Prizes Philip Reeve won the prestigious Carnegie Medal for HERE LIES ARTHUR. The judges called it “both a page-turning adventure story and a clever historical novel. It also has clear political resonance for our times, demonstrating humanity’s need to sustain hope and optimism, and our tendency to favour myth over reality to achieve that end.” And for the second time in three years, illustrator Emily Gravett has won the Kate Greenaway Medal, this time for LITTLE MOUSE’S BIG BOOK OF FEARS. Release Rapper Sets Up Imprint Rapper KRS-One is creating an I Am Hip […]