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 ]
Many lives are radically different right now. But birthdays, anniversaries, and public holidays come and go as before. The pink supermoon would have appeared whether we’d watched it from our windows or outdoors among a crowd of strangers. This week, Earth Day, Shakespeare’s birthday, and World... Continue reading at British Council global
[ British Council global | 2020-04-24 14:34:13 UTC ]
More news stories like this
William H. Ukers, not much over thirty, started working on his book in 1905, traveling and gathering material for a year. After he returned home to New York, he scoured nearby libraries and museums. Wherever he couldn’t go himself, he sent auxiliaries, appointing research assistants to mine... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-04-24 08:48:46 UTC ]
More news stories like this
On this episode of Sheltering, bookstore owner and author Emma Straub speaks with Maris Kreizman about her new novel, All Adults Here. Straub talks about the support that’s poured in for her bookstore (Books Are Magic) and how best to support our local institutions right now. She also discusses... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-04-23 19:00:30 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Amazon has been revealed as the mystery donor which pledged £250,000 to a fundraising drive to help booksellers impacted by the coronavirus crisis. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-23 04:37:57 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Arts Council England (ACE) has announced a £151,000 investment into library services to buy e-books and digital audio products. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-22 23:20:53 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The Bookseller is to launch a series of weekly Twitter conversations with the authors shortlisted for this year's British Book Awards. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-22 18:15:25 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Fiction Addiction in Greenville, S.C., has re-opened after the state government gave permission; shoppers are limited to four at a time. "My concern was less for my own health than the health of the store," said owner Jill Hendrix. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-04-22 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The American Library Association has released its annual list of the most frequently challenged books, and while Harry Potter (and the Order of the Godless Friends) and The Handmaid’s Tale (hold on now, you’re saying this is a dys-topia?) managed to squeak into the top ten, the other eight on... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-04-20 13:59:19 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Learn about the Library Bill of Rights, with explanations and examples of how library users might apply them in their own use of their libraries and more. Continue reading at Book Riot
[ Book Riot | 2020-04-20 10:32:09 UTC ]
More news stories like this
It’s no surprise that people read a lot when stuck at home. But novels are more than a way to kill timeIt’s no surprise that keen readers have looked to books for historical analogues or literary insights into the coronavirus outbreak. Sales of the English translation of Albert Camus’s 1947... Continue reading at The Guardian
[ The Guardian | 2020-04-19 17:25:44 UTC ]
More news stories like this
An hour’s drive away from my sleepy college town, there is a magical place. It is the place my friends and I would run away to whenever we were having a rough go of it, or quite frankly, whenever we just didn’t feel like going to class. (If any of my professors are reading this… […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-04-17 19:16:30 UTC ]
More news stories like this
As quarantine continues, we’re all noticing that we respond to lockdown differently. While many spend each day providing care, food and other necessities, those of us privileged enough to be 'stuck at home' are seeing our friends’ and family members’ behaviour change under the new... Continue reading at British Council global
[ British Council global | 2020-04-17 15:42:05 UTC ]
More news stories like this
It’s not a particularly hopeful time for literally anyone right now (unless maybe you’re getting a $1.7 million tax break?) but that doesn’t mean we should stop trying to help people whenever we can. I’m getting pretty tired of washing my clothes in the bathtub and have been sorely tempted to... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-04-17 15:09:39 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The value of public libraries is rarely questioned in times of crisis—think of the New Orleans Public Library after Hurricane Katrina, or the Ferguson Municipal Public Library during the unrest there. But this crisis is different. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly
[ Publishers Weekly | 2020-04-17 04:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this
These days, everything feels a little bit bleaker than usual. But one thing that genuinely made me smile as I was panic scrolling last week? The clever designs of Read Books, Serve Looks, otherwise known as Thom Stead (Instagram bio: “quarantined gay serving book inspired looks”), who recreates... Continue reading at Literrary Hub
[ Literrary Hub | 2020-04-16 16:30:31 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Exemplary among many markets for its early testing and responsible distancing regulations, Germany looks will let bookstores begin reopening Monday. The post Coronavirus: Germany Is To Follow Italy in Potential Bookstore Openings appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives
[ Publishing Perspectives | 2020-04-16 15:02:15 UTC ]
More news stories like this
The Bookseller's Library of the Year Award is returning for a third year, celebrating the vital contribution libraries make to their communities—despite the temporary closure forced on public library buildings during the coronavirus lockdown. Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-16 03:38:23 UTC ]
More news stories like this
It feels slightly strange to be writing this introduction to the Books from Scotland special as the world, and the world of Scottish books, has changed greatly, perhaps even irrevocably, since we started planning these features some months ago. The impact the coronavirus will have on Scottish... Continue reading at The Bookseller
[ The Bookseller | 2020-04-15 21:22:05 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Even when shuttered by the coronavirus pandemic, libraries are coming up with creative ways to serve their communities. On March 16, the El Dorado County Library in California closed its doors to patrons after a state-wide stay-at-home order. But that hasn’t stopped the library, which serves... Continue reading at Fast Company
[ Fast Company | 2020-04-15 07:00:32 UTC ]
More news stories like this
Though many public libraries in the U.S. are completely shut, employees at some are concerned that they have been asked to continue showing up for work. Continue reading at The New York Times
[ The New York Times | 2020-04-14 23:04:05 UTC ]
More news stories like this