There has been lots of talk of late about the new rental model for audiobooks. The model which is basically the Netflix web-based, subscription format is being embraced by audiobooksonline in the UK and BooksFree in the U.S.In addition to the audiobooks, Booksfree also is an online book exchange.The deal:-80,000 paperbacks in stock- The number of titles you rent depends on your membership plan and how quickly you return each order.-Plans range from 2 books for $8.49 a month to 12 at a time for $35. Why they call themselves Booksfree is a little baffling.-Paperback books are shipped 2-3 books...
da Vinci’s Notebooks Digitized: For Some Eyes Only
For the first time in 500 years the text of both of Leonardo's notebooks are available to be viewed side by side. This "electronic reunification" as the Chief Executive of the British Library Lynne Brindley put it of the Codex Leicester, purchased in 1994 for $30.8 million by Bill Gates, and the Codex Arundel which is housed in the British Library, is a product of the British Library program Turning the Pages 2.0.When viewing the Notebooks with Turning the Pages 2 "people can rotate and move the notebooks on the screen, and turn on a magnifying glass to see the...
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open access debate.Here are some fruits of digitization.I hope the beauty of these images and the significance of their historical content will contribute to the debate on why a digital archive of this type of material must be undertaken by the public, not for profit sector.lThe Library of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...
Powell’s To Buy Books Online
Powell's, the poster child for independent book stores, has just quietly unveiled a new program where you can now sell them your books online. The story was covered in Publishers Marketplace (a fee site) and appeared in the daily email from Shelf-AwarenessHere is how it works:-You submit the ISBN numbers for the books you want to sell-The books that must be in good condition, meaning that there is no underlining or highlighting-Hardcovers have the original dust jacket,-No pages are torn, etc.The site checks the ISBNs and will then either decline the book or make an offer. If the seller agrees...
More on the Digital Battle for Our Literary Heritage
A follow up to my post of a couple of days ago.The San Francisco Chronicle ran this story last Wednesday. Smithsonian and Corbis Enter Media Deal. "Under the licensing agreement, Corbis will provide hundreds of images from the Smithsonian museums, including archival photos and images of cultural objects, paintings, sculptures, aircraft and space vehicles."The images will then be licensed for a fee.In 1846 President James K. Polk established the Smithsonian Institution as a trust to be administered by a Board of Regents and a Secretary of the Smithsonian The current Board of Regents approved the deal with Corbis last year.Here...