No Book Left Behind, by Alice-Catherine Carls Essay [email protected] Mon, 10/09/2023 - 15:35 Photo by Alexander Grey / UnsplashWelcome news to those of us in the “Flyover Zone”: our reading habits are healthy and well served. The Jackson Madison County Public Library in Jackson, Tennessee, is one such example. Possessing 115,799 physical items and over one million electronic books, it is one of the larger West Tennessee libraries, and it purports to encourage communicating information, developing technology literacy, and connecting people. It has a total physical circulation of 216,807 and 71,885 patrons (Madison County has a little over 100,000 residents). Digital circulation has gone up since Covid and stands today at 143,709. The library has a northern branch, a Tennessee Room archive, and five “Little Free Libraries” across the city of Jackson. Its 2022 budget was $217,447 for digital and print materials, with $95,159 for print books and $111,115 for digital, $11,137 of which went to cassettes and DVDs that are still popular among patrons with less advanced technology. Dinah Harris, the library director since 2000, states that print books are slow to disappear and remain a vital part of the library. The use of electronic resources has only gone up by 15 percent since Covid and is plateauing at 40 percent. Printed books have a long and happy life in the flyover zone. Libraries, whether located in the flyover zone or not,... Continue reading at 'World Literature Today'
[ World Literature Today | 2023-10-09 20:35:50 UTC ]
The U.S. Book Show kicked off with lively discussions of the recent wave of book bans across the country, how citizens can successfully fight against those who would restrict our freedom to read, and how libraries and publishers can be strategic partners in enabling access to digital content. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
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In a virtual awards show, 'PW' editorial director Jim Milliot named Midtown Scholar in Harrisburg, Pa., the Bookstore of the Year and PRH's Emily Bates the Sales Rep of the Year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
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A Connecticut bill would provide funding for sanctuary libraries across the state. That, plus this week's book censorship news. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-05-19 10:40:00 UTC ]
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Kirk Cameron has had a tough year, not unlike poor, pregnant Mary. “We tried to go to libraries across the country and we’ve been turned away,” he told a church gathering this week in Charlotte, N.C., of touring his conservative children’s book As You Grow, about a tree SYMBOLIZING FAITH getting... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-05-17 13:22:18 UTC ]
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Libraries need our support now more than ever. Here are some of the ways you can volunteer and give back to help your local library. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-05-15 10:30:00 UTC ]
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Throughout 2023, the Midtown Scholar Bookstore is celebrating 20 years as a bricks-and-mortar destination in Harrisburg, Pa. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The highlights from our programming this year include the return of our Libraries Are Essential program, a day-long in-person meeting for literary agents, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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A robust slate of programming highlights the crucial work of libraries and librarians. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Sara Hoerdeman, the American Academy of Pediatrics marketing manager for consumer products, didn’t just nominate Harvey’s Tales in Geneva, Ill., to be PW’s 2023 Bookstore of the Year: she wrote a 500-word love letter extolling the virtues of the five-year-old indie, located in an upscale suburb... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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“Even though every atom in my body told me opening a shop would be an economic failure, I’d hoped it would save us.” Kelly McMasters on starting a bookstore to save her marriage. | Lit Hub Memoir 21 new books out today: Shakespeare! Eurovision! Revenge! | The Hub This month’s Lit Hub Asks: 5... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-05-09 10:30:21 UTC ]
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The first time I sliced open a box of books in my new bookshop, I breathed in deeply. The pulpy starch of the paper caught in the back of my throat, while the faint chemical sting of the new ink burned high in my nostrils. I imagined a world where this smell was a constant […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-05-09 08:53:39 UTC ]
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The Internet is abuzz over a forthcoming nonfiction book, a 544-page memoir (including 40 full-color photographs) slated to be published by Flatiron on July 9th. Why? Because The Internet thinks it was probably written by Taylor Swift. It all started when the owner of indie bookshop Good... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-05-08 16:47:07 UTC ]
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A 57-year-old “self-styled poet” (aren’t they all?) has spent $116,000 of his own money to build a bookstore in a mountaintop village. Oh, and it’s shaped like the number 7 and contains 7,000 books. No, this is not a parable. As Jiang Libo told the South China Morning Post: Before my bookshop... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-05-08 15:04:22 UTC ]
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Forty years ago, my not-yet-gentrified neighborhood in Brooklyn had one bookstore, Mostly Books. When the owner retired, it became a video store (RIP Cousins). Then it was derelict, then it was councilman’s office, and now it’s (obviously) a real estate office. But in all those years, a... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-05-08 15:00:19 UTC ]
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According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, these 15 firms could be poised for a stock market rally. Ever since ChatGPT’s release, Americans have been wrestling with the idea of generative artificial intelligence automating our existence. Large language models are trained on... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2023-05-08 14:36:00 UTC ]
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Guess who made it out of committee? On Wednesday, the Illinois state legislature passed House Bill 2789, which would ensure libraries or schools that remove books from their shelves do so with the knowledge they shall ~shelve~ the state grant money they would otherwise have received. Governor... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-05-05 12:07:16 UTC ]
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Voters in Michigan overwhelmingly support their local libraries and oppose book bans; Illinois passes a groundbreaking bill to support the freedom to read; ALA announces its Banned Books Week 2023 theme, and more. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-05 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The owner and operator of the Mysterious Bookshop in Lower Manhattan, the oldest bookstore in the U.S. specializing in mysteries and thrillers, said his duties running Mysterious Press don’t leave him with enough time to interact with customers. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-05 04:00:00 UTC ]
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The Illinois Senate has passed HB 2789, a bill whose terms dictate that state funding from libraries that remove books will be withheld. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2023-05-04 16:31:45 UTC ]
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Respect and support to Wasilla, Alaska’s Black Birch Books, who’re getting a lot of online flack for announcing a drag story time in June. But despite a slew of negative, and sometimes threatening, comments and reviews, Black Birch owner Taylor Jordan is going on with the show. As she told... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2023-05-04 15:21:17 UTC ]
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