Are you wondering what's happening on the frontlines and how technology, chains and the slumping economy are taking their toll on the bookselling community?Three podcasts of note hit the airwaves in the last few weeks giving us a inside look on the current state of the trade.Nigel Beale, host of the radio show The Biblio File, recently passed through the Twin Cities and interviewed booksellers Rob Rulon-Miller and Kathy Stransky co-owner of Midway Used and Rare BooksBeale's interviews are worth a listen. At around 20 minutes each they are long enough to give one a real sense of the challenges...
Notes from the Fair : Codex & The California Antiquarian Book Fair
It was a big book week in San Francisco with both the book arts and antiquarian segments of the book trade hosting their largest events of the year. I was interested to see how these events would fair in the current economic climate of doom and gloom.Well, I got good news. Books are still alive!The Codex Foundation kicked things off with The Second Biennial Codex International Book Fair and Symposium. The book fair took place on the Berkeley campus of the University of California and the symposium was held at the Berkeley Art Museum. Over 125 fine presses and book...
Preview of the Kindle 2
Here's what the much anticipated Kindle 2 looks like. The folks over at MobileRead have the exclusive first look at Amazon's new e-reader.Release date Febuary 24. Cost $359
Book Bracelets : Then and Now
From the April, 1930 issue of Popular Science (p.38)Handy Bracelet Serves As Magazine HolderWhat might be a convenience to readers is a unique wrist attachment recently designed for holding magazines and small periodicals open before the eye at arm's length. This novel book holder is a bracelet fitting snugly about the forepart of the wrist, to which is fixed a small bracket firmly supporting the periodical just as the "lyre" of a cornet supports sheet music.The device is adjustable to any wrist and may be obtained in sterling silver or nickel, silver, or gold plated.Megan Dunn. The Book Bracelet. 20...
Obama’s First Storytime
photo from Getty/APPresident Barack Obama and First Lady Michelle Obama made a surprise visit to the Capital City Public Charter School in Washington, D.C. today to read to the kids.They read from The Moon Over Star an account of the Apollo 11 moon landing in 1969.The picture book was written by Dianna Hutts Aston and is illustrated by Jerry Pickney. It was published by Dial Books for Young Readers in 2008.Here is a video of the visit:Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy