The University of Minnesota Press has announced a new initiative to reissue virtually every book published by the press since its founding in 1925. The project, Minnesota Archive Editions, was unofficially launched six months ago in partnership with Amazon.com, Google, and BookMobile, a short-run printing company specializing in POD and bound galleys.
November 2008
Hundreds Protest Philadelphia Library Closures
Across Philadelphia this Saturday hundreds turned out to protest Mayor Nutter’s planned closing of 11 library branches. Residents say they are much more than places to check out books and they’re calling the mayor to task.
Residents across the city, braved the bitterly cold temperatures to proclaim to Mayor Michael Nutter that his plan to shut 11 of the city’s libraries is a bad idea. Video and story from the ABC-TV affiliate.
I like what one protester had to say.. .instead of spending our money on the State Pen(itentiary), I’d rather see our children prepare to go to Penn State.
Bibliofuture Author Spotlight: Gladys Hasty Carroll
Gladys Hasty Carroll ’25’s first novel for adults, As the Earth Turns, was released in 1933. The results were immediate and astonishing.
The story of a farm family in southern Maine vaulted up best-seller lists, was chosen by the Book of the Month Club and was snapped up by Hollywood. Critics praised the book for its insight and honesty. Carroll went from little-known children’s writer to national celebrity.
Time passed, tastes changed, and Carroll’s literary fame faded. But to Carroll, of South Berwick, the worst indignity was not being overlooked, but being misunderstood. Later readers and scholars — many from outside the state — read her story but dismissed her largely positive portrayal of rural Maine life, she says.
“They said Maine life isn’t like that and never was,” says Carroll. “But I know it is true.”
As the Earth Turns on WorldCat
Why a Book (and not a duck)?
“A Book. Longer-lasting than a fruitcake, cheaper than a flat screen, more fun than a partridge in a pear tree.”
“Books: return dividends for life.”
“Why a book?: Because a new tie never changed anyone’s life.”
“Affordable. Portable. Memorable. Books are a gift beyond measure.”
“Give love. Give time. Give joy. Give books.”
“A Book: The perfect gift for someone who has everything. The perfect gift for someone who has nothing.”
Suggestions from Bookweb.
Portrait of a Booklover
This one happens to be the owner of a used bookstore, but booklovers abound everywhere, and this article has a very good description of one.
Vermont Library Moves into the Twentieth Century
What’s important in a library? Sometimes, it’s not only the books, DVDs and computers…
The Roxbury VT Library, a beloved small-town gathering place since 1923, had no restrooms. When nature called, patrons young and old either had to hold it, do their business next door at the Roxbury Union Congregational Church or go home.
Never mind that the library has such modern conveniences as wireless Internet access. “I used to say `We’re the Wi-Fi library without a pot to p— in,'” said library director Susan D’Amico.
No more: a toilet was finally installed last Friday. Huffington Post.
E-LIS To Resume Functioning
Late news via e-mail notes that E-LIS, the E-prints in Library and Information Science, will soon resume functioning. The note indicated that E-LIS was moved to a new server as part of an upgrade by the site to Eprints 3.0. E-LIS Chief Executive Imma Subirats noted that e-mail alerts from the old version site were not migrated to the new version. Subirats suggested that e-mail alerts be re-created by users once the site is fully restored.
One Day Old Website Europeana Crashes
Europeana, a Web site of two million documents, images, video and audio clips, opened yesterday with international publicity and acclaim from researchers. LISNews report is here.
And today, it crashed.
A message on the Europeana website reads: “The Europeana site is temporarily not accessible due to overwhelming interest after its launch.
“We are doing our utmost to reopen Europeana in a more robust version as soon as possible. We will be back by mid-December,” it added.
“We launched the European.eu site on 20 November and huge use, 10 million hits an hour, meant it crashed.”
A Book Reveals the Mystery of the Tomb of Copernicus
The mystery was solved not by what was written in the book, but by a few strands of hair left inside a book by Nicolaus Copernicus.
In this AP story, also reported by Guardian UK, it’s revealed that researchers have identified the remains of Copernicus by comparing DNA from a skeleton and hair retrieved from one of the 16th-century astronomer’s books. The findings could put an end to centuries of speculation about the exact resting spot of Copernicus, a priest and astronomer whose theories identified the Sun, not the Earth, as the center of the universe.
The remains were found in a Roman Catholic cathedral in Frombork, Poland. “In the two years of work, under extremely difficult conditions — amid thousands of visitors, with earth shifting under the heavy pounding of the organ — we managed to locate the grave, which was badly damaged,” Gassowski said.
Top 20 Things Librarians Wish Patrons Knew
Four-part column from the Seattle Book Examiner:
“Top 20 things librarians wish patrons knew” by Danielle Dreger-Babbitt.
and finally…
Columnist Dreger-Babbitt (who has spent the last 13 years working in bookstores and libraries) adds…”Librarians, did I leave anything out? Leave your suggestions in the comments section below.”
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