OCLC posted a new policy for the transfer of WorldCat biobliographic records recently that quickly provoked a worried reaction from community members. Terry Reese at the Oregon State University library posted concerns that the service was trying to claim ownership over data contributed by individual libraries: “What OCLC has going for them is the WorldCat database that has been created by publicly funded institutions (like the Library of Congress, universities and public libraries)…. What we have here is OCLC looking to claim ownership over metadata within WorldCat and outside of WorldCat – and I don’t believe that this is something […]
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Chief executive of Oxford University Press Henry Reece has announced he will retire in 11 months, after 11 years in the position. A search is being organized, and the university hopes to announce a replacement next spring. With sales of close to 500 million pounds a year, it is the largest university press in the world. The National Association of Independent Publisher Representatives’ Call Report newsletter notes that Workman Publishing has purchased the Como Sales group, covering Northeastern territory (via Shelf Awareness). Workman’s Steve Pace is running the organization, functioning as house reps the company, though it’s possible they will […]
What Schwalbe's Cooking
The NYT provided advance publicity this weekend for former Hyperion editor-in-chief Will Schwalbe’s new venture, Cookstr.com. Katie Workman is both editor-in-chief and chief marketing officer. Going live later this month, it presents recipes from chefs who are also well-known cookbook authors (and often Hyperion authors, such as Nigella Lawson and Jaime Oliver), and aims to sell print copies of those cookbooks as well. Schwalbe says they will start with about 2,500 recipes from 100 cookbooks. The article says that Nielsen Bookscan recorded cookbook sales for 2007 of 13.9 million copies, down almost 7 percent from 14.9 million copies sold in […]
Self-Published Cookbook Goes National
Wona Miniati and Deana Gunn say their self-published COOKING WITH ALL THINGS TRADER JOE’s has sold 20,000 copies in the past year, with another 15,000 recently shipped to stores, and now Borders is carrying the book chainwide. Published without the participation of the grocery chain, the book presents recipes based on prepared ingredients carried by Trader Joe’s.WSJ
Studs Terkel Dies at 96
The AP was the first to report his passing on Friday. Among many honors, Terkel won the Pulitzer in 1985 for his remembrances of World War II, The Good War. Below are links to a few of the many articles about his life and work.Chicago Trib editorialWhy Terkel Mattered: Patrick Reardon in TribBob Minzesheimer at USATEdward Rothstein: An appraisal, NYTNYT Obit (William Grimes)LAT USAT
More Obituaries: Marilyn Ferguson, 70; William Wharton
Marilyn Ferguson, author of THE AQUARIAN CONSPIRACY, “a galvanizing influence on participants in scores of alternative groups that coalesced as the New Age movement,” died October 19 at home.LAT And William Wharton, 82, author of the NBA-winning novel BIRDY, died last week,MSNBC