This new library-in-a-shipping-container plans on using growing Internet access in Africa to create a new model for making available both electronic information and physical books. It’s a conundrum that library advocates have struggled with for years: in many areas in the developing world, libraries run on donations, which means they often end up with irrelevant books that never even get removed from their boxes. People still come to libraries in these places for a quiet place to read and study, but certainly not because of the resources they provide. Recently, a crop of initiatives have launched that aim to make libraries more relevant again. Librii, a project from Libraries Across Africa that’s seeking $50,000 in funding from Kickstarter, is one of them. The project, which began as Librii director David Dewane’s thesis idea at the Rice School of Architecture, bills itself as "a digitally enhanced, community-based, revenue-generating library on the frontiers of broadband connectivity." In simple terms, the founders envision low-cost libraries (a single library in Ghana to start) that take advantage of the burgeoning fiber optic infrastructure in Africa to provide Internet access, curated content, educational programs, and of course, physical books.Read Full Story Continue reading at 'Fast Company'
[ Fast Company | 2013-03-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Italian publisher RCS Libri has launched Rizzoli First, a digital-first list that will publish... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-07-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Traditional trade publishers have been testing the digital-first/digital-only publishing waters for more than two years now, and the pace is accelerating. This month alone, Penguin is reviving the Dutton Guilt Edged Mysteries line as a digital only imprint, Kensington has launched eKensington as... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-07-13 00:00:00 UTC ]
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E-books, plus the consumer downturn, have taken a £50m bite out of the print book market... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-07-06 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Booming digital revenues now make up almost 80 per cent of sales at Auto Trader and could hasten the end of the print version of the car-classifieds magazine in 12-18 months. Annual turnover rose only 1 per cent to £257.2m, but digital sa ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher
[ Editor & Publisher | 2012-07-05 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A Doncaster resident has been granted permission to bring an application for judicial review... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-07-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Citing budget concerns, Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal has signed a $25-billion budget that eliminates almost $900,000 in state funding for its libraries. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-07-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Sales of what has been Barnes & Noble’s core business for most of its history—“tangible” books, music, movies, rentals, and newsstand—made up 66% of the chain’s total revenue in the fiscal year ended April 28, 2012, according to figures published in the company’s annual report. Sales in the... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2012-06-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Cambridge University Press has seen its digital revenues rise 70% over the past year to account... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-06-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Culture Minister Ed Vaizey has announced £6m of funding for libraries to use on arts and... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-06-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Guinness World Records is launching its first digital-only title next week, Totally Bonkers... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-06-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
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E-book readers have been relatively slow to borrow digital works from the library, deterred by a limited selection and by not even knowing whether their local branch offers e-releases, according to a new study. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-06-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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According to a new study by the Pew Research Center, 62 percent of respondents didn't know whether or not their local library had ebooks. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-06-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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You might say Penguin has had a rocky relationship with libraries. That looks to be on the tentative mend, as the publisher and 3M have together cut deals with the Brooklyn Public Library and New York Public Library to bring Penguin's ebook catalog back as part of a test program. Under the terms... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2012-06-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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After yanking their ebook titles from libraries last year, Penguin is launching an ebook pilot program for libraries in New York. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor
[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2012-06-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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The publisher, in conjunction with city libraries and 3M, will make its books available in e-format, though they will not be available immediately after release. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2012-06-21 00:00:00 UTC ]
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A new subscription-based digital audiobook service has launched with ambitions to double the... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-06-20 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Fancy dipping back into the world of Quidditch and Dumbledore? Or maybe you shunned the whole Pottermania thing until now. Either way, if you own a Kindle, you can finally get up to speed without paying a spellbinding price -- thanks to Amazon's Kindle Owners Lending Library. All seven eBook... Continue reading at Engadget
[ Engadget | 2012-06-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Academic library managers should support staff in acquiring new teaching skills to help break... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-06-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Barnes & Noble has reported revenues for its Nook digital business for $933m for the full... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2012-06-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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All seven Harry Potter books are now available in the Kindle Owners' Lending Library, marking the series' first availability outside the Pottermore store. Continue reading at Los Angeles Times
[ Los Angeles Times | 2012-06-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
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