August 6, 2013
The previous post from Olivia highlights the response one library director gave to his patrons to explain why there were so few eBooks available to borrowers. Lynn Neary, of NPR’s Morning Edition, prefaced her report, the second in a series of the state of libraries in the U. S., this way, “E-books have changed the […]
August 5, 2013
To help answer this common question among many library patrons, the State Library of Kansas created a facebook page to explain which eBooks are not available for libraries at all, and why others are too expensive to purchase or lease. In an interview on NPR, Jo Budler, the State Librarian of Kansas, explained that while […]
August 2, 2013
Customers in a Belgian bookstore were treated to the aroma of chocolate, and as a result, according to researchers and this NPR post, were “40 percent more likely to buy romance novels and cookbooks, and about 22 percent more likely to buy books in other genres.” Belgian researchers, concluding that the smell of chocolate boosts […]
August 1, 2013
After J.K. Rowling admitted she wrote The Cuckoo’s Calling, the NYT asked some other authors to choose a pen name and a genre they would write. One of my favorite’s is Carl Hiaasen who said his pen name would be Rick O’Morits and his genre fantasy: “I envision a series of vampire-romance novels set at […]
August 1, 2013
Today on NPR’s Morning Edition, Susan Stamberg offered the first in a series on the history and state of public libraries in the U.S. with this story on Andrew Carnegie, the man who is responsible for promoting the public library concept and providing millions to fund a system of 1,689 public libraries across the country […]
July 30, 2013
Joseph Heller, author of Catch-22, wrote a story that is just being published this week by The Strand magazine. “Almost Like Christmas” centers on racism in the American south. Heller wrote the piece most likely in the late 1940’s or early 1950’s. In it a white man is stabbed and the prime suspect is […]
July 30, 2013
Last week New Yorkers were able to take part in the Harlem Book Fair. Many seminars and activities were featured ranging from infant education to home design to publishing ebooks. T-Mobile, C-Span, and Columbia University served as corporate sponsors. Shira S.
July 26, 2013
This quirky story on NPR today prompted me to ponder what other materials are out there for us to borrow. Need a fishing pole? Get it from the Erie County Library, PA. Working on home repairs? The Oakland Public Library is just one place to borrow a large assortment of tools for DIY. If you need a musical […]
July 25, 2013
…or, rather on the money. And, Charles Darwin is off. The Bank of England announced that starting in 2017, the image of Jane Austen, one of the world’s favorite authors, will grace the 10-pound banknote. This was in response to a huge outcry when one of the few women other than the queen to be […]
July 24, 2013
Thirteen diverse novels have been nominated for this year’s Man Booker prize, Britain’s most prestigious literary award. Robert MacFarlane, the chairman of judges, said the books “range from the traditional to the experimental, from the first century A.D. to the present day, from 100 pages to 1,000 and from Shanghai to Hendon.” The winner will […]
