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Sleep at the Folger Shakespeare Library
Richard Brathwaite. Ar’t asleepe husband? London, 1640. ©Folger Shakespeare LibraryWhatever your relationship to sleep is the latest exhibit at the Folger Shakespeare Library, To Sleep, Perchance to Dream, is worth staying awake for.The "exhibition explores the ethereal realm of sleeping and dreaming in Renaissance England, from the beliefs, rituals, and habits of sleepers to the role of dream interpreters and interpretations in public and private life."In addition to a sampling of Shakespeare and Milton and books like Thomas Tryon’s A treatise of cleanness in meats and drinks, of the preparation of food, the excellency of good airs, and the benefits...
The Art of Pricing
click to enlargeWhile technology is transforming much of the book world there is one practice that remains virtually untouched for many booksellers, the act and method of pricing inventory. Yes, many booksellers now place printed descriptions with the price inside their books but if you look close enough you will still see a price written somewhere in the book. Barcodes have more to do with one's drinking life than as a form of inventory control for many of us."On the first white page in pencil" is our mantra when asked where our books are priced. Others price their books on...
Reading Health
The National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) has released its latest report on the reading habits of our fellow Americans. The report titled "Reading on the Rise : A New Chapter in American Literacy" shows that "for the first time in over a quarter-century...literary reading has risen among adult Americans. After decades of declining trends, there has been a decisive and unambiguous increase "among virtually every group measured in this comprehensive nationalsurvey."Wow! At last some positive news for the book world. While no one can put a finger on exactly what has caused this reversal outgoing NEA chairman Dana Goia...
Beirut : World Book Capital City for 2009
Since 2001 The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has picked one city each year as the World Book Capital City.UNESCO works with three major branches of the global book industry, the International Publishers Association (IPA), the International Booksellers Federation (IBF) and the International Federation of Library Associations and Institutions (IFLA), to determine the winners.This year the winner is Beirut, Lebanon.UNESCO has already chosen the World Book Capital for 2010. The winner is Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia.Here is an excerpt from a letter from Zoran Jankovic, the mayor of Ljubljana, that accompanied the city's winning submission:In pursuing...