This photo comes to us courtesy of Nigel Beale's ever expanding archive of bookstore photos.Now, I am all for toying around with new concepts and initiatives that help the independent bookstore stay relevant and succeed but this combination stopped me in my tracks. I contacted Beale to try and find out more about this intriguing photo. He told me that he took it a few years ago on a visit to London and the bookshops on Charing Cross Road but couldn't remember the name or any other details about the shop.Next step was to contact my colleague Nigel Burwood, the...
The Guinness Book of World Records for Books and Libraries
Ever wonder which library has the most expensive budget or what the names of the first three books to contain photographs are?or what about:-The name of the first book to have page numbers-The title of the largest and smallest and most expensive books ever published-or the tallest bookstore and library buildings in the worldWell, wonder no more. The second of edition of Library World Records by Godfrey Oswald has just been published by McFarland. This updated and expanded edition contains more than 380 entries providing answers to hundreds of new questions about libraries, periodicals, books, and reference databases.Here's the table...
Book JENGA®
Check out this little video tour of a bookshop in Salem, MA that two young women happened upon.It appears the shop adheres to the JENGA® approach to book display.Thanks to The Bookshop Blog for the lead
Image of the Day : Funeral for the Book
This image accompanies bookseller John Schulman's article in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, The Next Page: The Book Is Dead? Its Sellers Are Dying?I couldn't quite make out who the artist is, but will post the credit once I find out.The article itself is worth reading as well. Schulman urges us "to remember what bookstores can provide that the Internet cannot,"and uses numerous cinematic examples to remind us of all that can happen at the bookshop.He also believes:that as the years go by there will be "Internet backlash," most readers will return to the shops. It will be like "Night of the...
Haven’t Books Always Made Great Gifts?
The book as gift mantra is loud and clear this holiday season.BooksAreGreatGifts.com is a new website put together by the American Association of Publishers to encourage books as the ultimate holiday gift. The site features video spots by tons of best-selling and award-winning authors and celebrities from all the leading publishers.The campaign is "An industry-wide effort... established in response to the economic downturn and changing climate in retail-driven markets as a way of stimulating traffic to retail and online booksellers."Here are some of the reasons to give books as gifts that the site offers:"They have shelf life longer than a...