Oyster Time: A Sweet Suite of Broadsides

The Pacific Northwest is a little slice of oyster heaven where 4 different species are grown in abundance.Portland, Oregon is currently home to an abundance of young poets who are making their mark on the national stage. Bookseller, publisher and artist Charles Seluzicki has joined these two phenomenons in his latest publication, Oyster Suite, a set of 4 broadsides featuring original unpublished oyster-themed poems by Carl Adamshick, Matthew Dickman, Michael Dickman, and Michael McGriff. The broadsides are printed letterpress in an edition of 100 (80 copies are gathered into sets of which 65 are for sale) and illustrated with drawings...

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E-books for beginners and a reminder for the book inclined

(click to enlarge)Here's a nifty flow chart courtesy of Bookbee covering the basics of e-books in 5 easy steps. As you can plainly see it is far from a streamlined universal process and I trust it will only become more complicated before  it gets better.And for those who remain on the paper side of the aisle. This handy reminder is for you. Note: one can easily substitute used, rare or collectible with "New."Thanks to Teleread for the lead on the flow chart and to Gearfuse for the image above

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Everything Checked Out: Protesters Empty Library Shelves as Economy Continues to Fizzle

All 16,000 books from a library in the UK have been checked out in protest of a plan to shut the library for good.When news broke of the plan to close the library residents who patronize the Stony Stratford library in Milton Keynes banded together, primarily using social media, and came up with a plan to pool their library cards an begin checking out the maximum amount of material.  At the rate of close to 400 items an hour books, DVD's and CD's began flying off the shelves until everything was gone.Clever for sure and the story's reach can do...

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In the Stacks: Columbia University, From Homer to Howl

This installment of In the Stacks takes us to the Rare Book and Manuscript Library of Columbia University.From Homer:Fragment from Homer's Odysseyis dating from between the third century to the second century BCE. One 2000 papyrus fragments housed at Columbia.Original contract between Herman Melville and Harper & Brothers for "The Whale," or better known as Moby Dick. Columbia acquired the archive of the publisher in 1975.Alexander Anderson.  Wood engraving of garden-house scene,  (6.5 x 8 cm.) Anderson has been considered the father of wood engraving in America. Arthur Rackham.  Self-portrait, 1924.  The Rackham collection at Columbia contains 413 drawings, watercolors, and oil paintings, as...

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