Go digital by all means, but don't bring the venture capitalists in to do it

For centuries we the taxpayers have paid to maintain the nation’s treasures and institutions. It would be madness to hand over our archives nowIt’s brutal out there for public service institutions. They are under relentless pressure to conform to a bizarre form of market logic that requires them to turn a profit, even if the only way to do so is at the expense of the public that has supported them for all these years. Whether that’s archives that are being told to make up their budget shortfalls by selling digital access or the BBC being told to expect a much-reduced license fee and to make up the difference by figuring out how to grow Worldwide, its commercial arm.Even when it’s not so direct as that, the pressure is still there: libraries are forced to carry DRM-locked ebooks by the publishers, even though these books leak huge amounts of sacrosanct patron data – location, reading habits and social relationships – to third parties. From the NHS to the state school system to public media to museums, every institution is being recreated as something that must be judged on nonsensical quantitative metrics that can be easily gamed to make the relevant numbers go up while undermining the services they relate to. For example, schools can improve their attendance numbers by refusing to allow students to accompany their parents to events with unique educational value; hospitals can improve their finances by refusing to treat chronic and emergency patients; and archives can... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2015-02-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Hitting the Books: The decades-long fight to bring live television to deaf audiences

The Silent Era of cinema was perhaps its most equitable with both hearing and hearing-impaired viewers able to enjoy productions alongside one another, but with the advent of "talkies," deaf and hard-of-hearing American's found themselves largely excluded from this new dominant entertainment... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-01-29 16:30:45 UTC ]
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China’s true ambitions, and what they mean for the U.S.

Elizabeth Economy looks closely at Xi Jinping's push to make China the center of the world. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2022-01-28 13:00:08 UTC ]
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Southern New Mexico digital marketing firm reports big growth, aims to increase national presence

Fast-growing digital media company Sinuate Media is pivoting its business model with pre-packaged marketing platforms to help small companies compete with bigger fish. Sinuate CEO and founder Leah Messina told Business First that the knowledge needed to use digital marketing tools has increased... Continue reading at Silicon Valley Business Journal

[ Silicon Valley Business Journal | 2022-01-27 23:14:12 UTC ]
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Benjamin Zephaniah | 'To tell the real, honest truth about the history of Britain would mean changing the history books'

The latest book by Benjamin Zephaniah follows a Trinidadian woman who boarded the Windrush to pursue her singing dream. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-22 07:13:29 UTC ]
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Recurrent Ventures’ Refurbished Outdoor Titles See 70% Audience Growth

Two legacy titles that the venture equity firm Recurrent Ventures purchased from Bonnier Corp. in October 2020, Field & Stream and Outdoor Life, have seen audience, revenue and staff growth since their acquisition, making a positive case for private equity-backed media. Year over year... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2022-01-20 11:26:48 UTC ]
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Recurrent Ventures – the next big private equity-fueled media conglomerate?

Private equity-funded Recurrent Ventures now has 20 digital media brands under its purview — and is on the hunt for more acquisitions. But is its approach to injecting new life into these titles sustainable? The post Recurrent Ventures – the next big private equity-fueled media conglomerate?... Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2022-01-18 05:01:00 UTC ]
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OverDrive: Record Number of Libraries Hit Million Digital Lend Mark

Leading library service provider OverDrive this week reported that a total of 121 public libraries and consortia across seven countries and from 37 U.S. states surpassed one million digital lends in 2021, a significant jump from 2020, when 102 libraries hit the mark. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-01-12 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Loyola Relocates, Gears Up for Digital Growth

Catholic publisher Loyola moves its Chicago offices closer to O’Hare International Airport as it beefs up its audio, video, and other multimedia product offerings. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-01-12 05:00:00 UTC ]
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OverDrive Reports More than Half a Billion Digital Library Loans in 2021

In exceeding more than 500 million annual lends for the first time, OverDrive's 2021 figures suggest the pandemic has, as librarians have suggested, raised demand for digital content in public libraries. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-01-05 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Vox Media and Group Nine Media Announce Merger, Bringing Further Media Consolidation

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[ AdWeek | 2021-12-13 22:11:18 UTC ]
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Why Criteo is purchasing the best-kept secret in digital media for $380 million

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What on Earth Books launches digital collection

Non-fiction children's books publisher What On Earth Books has launched a digital book collection service, available through subscription. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-06 09:06:53 UTC ]
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You can now buy Mary Shelley’s old address—though you’ll have to bring your own goth.

News for Frankenstein fans, or just fans of the monster: according to Mansion Global, a two-bedroom Bloomsbury apartment at the address of Mary Shelley’s former home is on the market for $1.36 million. If you saved $1.17 million from not buying the first edition of Frankenstein that went up for... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2021-12-01 18:01:36 UTC ]
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Diversity means everybody

The Bradford Literature Festival was created out of imperatives that were unashamedly simple. Continue reading at The Bookseller

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Sode and Antrobus among 17 Black British poets in new digital collection

Yomi Sode, Raymond Antrobus and Victoria Adukwei Bulley are among 17 contemporary Black British poets recording their poems for a new collection by the Poetry Archive and Obsidian Foundation. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-11-25 19:40:50 UTC ]
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Trade Segments Had Double-Digit Gains in August

The trade publishing segment continues to perform well in 2021, with August sales up 15.1% in the adult category and ahead 21.8% in the children’s/young adult segment at publishers that report results to the Association of American Publishers’ StatShot program. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

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Data and AI Bring Moneyball Methods to Level the Sports Marketing Playing Field

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Selma Blair's Mean Baby memoir coming from Virago in 2022

Virago will publish Mean Baby, the memoir of actress Selma Blair, exploring her career, struggles with addiction, life with multiple sclerosis (MS) and advocacy alongside her role as a mother.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-10-26 09:44:11 UTC ]
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Reading Agency project to bring latest VR technology to 15 libraries

The latest augmented and virtual reality technology will be brought to 15 libraries across the country next summer, as part of a new project to help support libraries recover from the coronavirus pandemic.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-10-25 11:42:41 UTC ]
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PRH Once Again Extends Temporary E-book, Digital Audio Terms for Libraries

The publisher's pro-rated terms and its temporary story time permissions will now run through March, 31, 2022, as the pandemic continues to impact schools and libraries. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-10-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
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