I received an email the other day from Michael Russem the proprietor of the KatRan Press alerting me to an article he wrote that was just published in Caxtonian, the journal for the legendary Chicago book group the Caxton Club. The article is titled "The Failure of Fine Printing: Why the beautiful book isn't so beautiful, and the ugly book isn't so ugly".An intriguing title that is destined to stir up the book community.My first thought was to question the timing of the article and the email. Next week marks the First Biennial Book Fair & Symposium of the Codex...
Another New-Century Modern Architectural High Spot: The Free University Library in Berlin
Here in Seattle we are still basking in the glow of our new Rem Koolhaas designed Central Library. We are, in some ways, still in shock over this instant Modernist classic and its effect on our city and library system. For a book lover with an appreciation of architecture and design taking the elevator up to the tenth floor and walking all the way down is pretty much a religious experience.Our friends in Berlin are lucky enough to share this privilege. The Free University Library in Berlin designed by Foster and Partners is "a smart building that employs a range...
The Bright Side of Digitization
We all know where I stand on the issue of who should be digitizing what parts of our literary and cultural heritage. The issue is a heated one and remains at the forefront of the open access debate.Here are some fruits of digitization.I hope the beauty of these images and the significance of their historical content will contribute to the debate on why a digital archive of this type of material must be undertaken by the public, not for profit sector.lThe Library of Congress has just posted the complete contents of 6 items from the Jay I. Kislak collection. The...
Another Bookshop Eulogy
David Streitfeld of the L.A. Times jumps on the 'end of the world for bookshops' train with his story Bookshop's Latest Sad Plot TwistIt is; however, one of the better ones to emerge from this recent painful trend. Streitfeld is one of the first to be able to cover the plight of the new and non-new bookstores seamlessly. Like the book trade, the media has always tended to treat these two aspects of bookselling as separate animals instead of what they are and that is two branches from the same tree.Some lowlights from the eulogy:-Technology changes behavior, which reshapes the...
Underwater Book Art
Part 4 of Book Patrol's salute to the Guild of Book Workers' 100th Anniversary Exhibit goes underwater.From the Retrospective Exhibit:Marblefish by Iris Nevins.Marblefish. 28 x 23 centimeters, 1989. Traditional watercolor marbling, on a carragheenan bath; design completed in the ancient manner of using stencils and resists to create an image by repeatedly dipping and drying; pen and ink were used later to outline the details.From the Contemporary Juried Exhibit:Priscilla Spitler's spectacular binding for The Conversant Sea.The Conversant Sea 32 x 20 x 2 centimeters, 2006. One of a Kind. Boards binding, covered in green goat skin and decorated with back...