The 19th Century Moral Panic Over … Paper Technology

In the history of information technologies, Gutenberg and his printing press are (understandably) treated with the kind of reverence even the most celebrated of modern tech tycoons could only imagine. So perhaps it will come as a surprise that Europe’s literacy rates remained fairly stagnant for centuries after printing presses, originally invented in about 1440, started popping up in major cities across the continent. Progress was inconsistent and unreliable, with literacy rates booming through the 16th century and then stagnating, even declining, across most of Western Europe. Great Britain, France, Belgium, Switzerland, and Italy all produced more printed books per capita in 1651–1700 than in 1701–1750. Continue reading at 'Slate'

[ Slate | 2017-08-04 00:00:00 UTC ]

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Paperless library opens in Texas

The Bexar County Digital Library doesn't have printed books – instead it lets patrons check out ebooks and audiobooks. Continue reading at The Christian Science Monitor

[ The Christian Science Monitor | 2013-09-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Are E–Books The Social Networks Of The Future?

"I'll give up my printed books when you pry the last one from my cold, dead hands." That's what I tell people when they ask me what kind of e–reader I have. As a technology journalist, author, and novelist, they expect me to own the latest Kindle or be an iBooks aficionado, and most seem... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2013-08-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Historic Time for Journal Inc with New Press Launch

From Clay Foster, chairman and CEO of Journal Inc. and publisher of the Daily Journal: Today’s paper is the culmination of months of planning and hard work to go live on a new printing press. In challenging economic times this was not an e ... Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2013-01-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Printed book sales pass £1bn mark

Spending on printed books in 2012 has passed the £1bn mark, but a fortnight later than last... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2012-10-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Ebooks Get the Respect They Deserve at 'Download the Universe'

Ebooks aren't just electronic versions of printed books. They present a different reading experience and, in certain cases, demand their own reviews. Continue reading at The Atlantic

[ The Atlantic | 2012-03-01 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Anobii signs retail deals with publishers

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Wed, 26/10/2011 - 15:07 Social networking site Anobii has signed retail partnerships with 10 UK publishing companies, including the UK's four biggest publishers, meaning the site will sell their ebooks from the end of October. Penguin, Random... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-10-26 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Jamie installed as favourite to top Xmas charts

Written By: Graeme Neill Publication Date: Thu, 29/09/2011 - 14:30 Bookmakers William Hill have made Jamie Oliver the hot favourite to be the bestselling Christmas title. Given the runaway success of last year's 30-Minute Meals, it is no surprise that the bookmaker has given Oliver short odds... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin launches Oliver app

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Tue, 27/09/2011 - 09:15 Penguin has released Jamie Oliver's Food Guide app for Apple's iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch, with the guide now available for £2.99 from the App store. The app accompanies Oliver's latest title, Jamie's Great Britain,... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-09-27 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Book sales slump £1m in riot-riddled week

Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Tue, 16/08/2011 - 16:03 Spending on printed books slumped £1.1m last week, as the UK riots caused retailers to shut stores early and the public to avoid the high street. Although bookshops remained largely unscathed during the rioting, spending... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-16 00:00:00 UTC ]
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July books spending hits seven year low

Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Thu, 04/08/2011 - 15:50 Spending on physical books in July slumped to its lowest level in seven years as ebooks continue to encroach onto traditional bookseller territory. According to Nielsen BookScan data, £111.5m was spent on printed books in the... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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SoA takes short story campaign to BBC chief

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Thu, 04/08/2011 - 09:20 The Society of Authors, the Writers' Guild of Great Britain and actors' union Equity have jointly sent letters to both BBC Trust chairman Lord Patten and director general Mark Thompson, asking them to stop the BBC Radio 4... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-08-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Penguin to release £30 Jamie's Great Britain in September

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Wed, 25/05/2011 - 09:55 A new Jamie Oliver title, Jamie's Great Britain, will be coming from Michael Joseph this September, containing more than 100 new recipes from around the country. The title, to be released on 30th September, will tie into... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-05-25 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Koenig & Bauer AG Reports Strong First Quarter

German press manufacturer Koenig & Bauer AG (KBA) made a much better start to the business year than in 2010. International sales of printing presses were moderately higher than last year, primarily driven by demand from China. Continue reading at Editor & Publisher

[ Editor & Publisher | 2011-05-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Bricks-and-Mortar Still Rules

Nearly 40% of Russia's book sales in 2009 came from independent bookstores. Bookshop chains contributed around 20%, and only 8% were transacted online. The dependence on bricks-and-mortar outlets remains unassailable even though bookstores outside of Moscow, St. Petersburg, and some other major... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2011-04-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Print book sales continue to fall

Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Tue, 29/03/2011 - 15:50 Book sales slipped for the fourth week in a row last week, and were down more than £3.3m last year, according to Nielsen BookScan data. A total of £24.2m was spent on printed books at UK retail outlets in the seven days to 26th... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-29 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Printed book sales slump to new 2011 low

Written By: Philip Stone Publication Date: Tue, 22/03/2011 - 15:36 Spending on printed books in the UK slumped for a third consecutive week to a new 2011 low, with this week's number one the lowest-selling top title for more than seven years. read more Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-22 00:00:00 UTC ]
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New iBooks update opens door to fully illustrated publishing

Written By: Charlotte Williams Publication Date: Tue, 15/03/2011 - 15:45 Apple's latest version of its iBooks app, which allows ebooks to have a pictorial layout similar to printed books and supports full page illustrations, has been hailed by one publisher as being "the beginning of a... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2011-03-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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