The Guardian view on lockdown reading: more than escapism | Editorial

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 novel La Peste (The Plague) are reported to have risen by around 1,000% in recent weeks. Daniel Defoe’s A Journal of the Plague Year, Don DeLillo’s White Noise and Lucy Hughes-Hallett’s Peculiar Ground have also all seen their mentions rise. So have other volumes with contagious disease or dystopian themes, presumably because readers hope they might shed some light on our unprecedented global situation.Of course there is more time for things like reading when we are stuck at home, unable to socialise or go to museums and concerts – or to borrow books, since libraries are shut. But it is notable that fiction sales, along with home-learning titles, experienced the greatest boost as the UK’s lockdown began, because this indicates that it is not facts that people are after, but stories. Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2020-04-19 17:25:44 UTC ]

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Amazon Has a Responsibility to Stop Anti-Trans Misinformation

I’ll be the first to acknowledge Amazon and I make rather strange bedfellows. Raised on local libraries and used bookstores, I’ve long been a loyal customer to many of the indie bookshops cornered by the world’s largest online retailer, prizing them as community centers and places to find a... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2021-03-08 09:49:14 UTC ]
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House Introduces Bill Seeking $5 Billion for Library Facilities

The Build America’s Libraries Act was introduced in the House of Representatives this week by Reps. Andy Levin (D-MI) and Don Young (R-AK) and would provide $5 billion to address decades of needed repairs, updates, as well as the construction of modern library facilities in underserved and... Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-03-05 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Libraries Offering Services to Seniors During COVID-19 Pandemic

Taking a look at libraries offering services to seniors during the pandemic, with programs for memory care, vaccine roll-out, and more. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-03-03 11:33:00 UTC ]
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What Do Libraries Do?: 7 Services Your Public Library (Probably) Offers

"What do libraries do?" You may be surprised by these seven basic services your public library offers for free, including job search help. Continue reading at Book Riot

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Libraries are lifelines

The Library Campaign has warned that hundreds of libraries may close not only for the pandemic, but permanently. With councils under financial strain and Walsall’s council leader even asking, “Do we need [them]?”, the future of libraries needs protecting. Libraries are an indispensable service... Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-03-01 00:31:07 UTC ]
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Today in late capitalism: Here is a coloring book that teaches children about credit.

Can you think of a single feel-good news story from the past five years that isn’t, at its core, an indictment of the society in which we live? Here at Lit Hub, one of our most-read stories last year was “Big-hearted strangers turn Little Free Libraries into Little Free Pantries.” While I don’t... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2021-02-23 16:10:35 UTC ]
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8 Wonderful Libraries to Visit Post-Pandemic

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[ Book Riot | 2021-02-22 11:30:00 UTC ]
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Canadian libraries increasingly scrapping late fees to boost access to services

Long considered a tool to encourage patrons to return materials on time, in the past few years hundreds of public libraries have decided late fees do more harm than good by keeping away low-income and disadvantaged readers.  Continue reading at CBC

[ CBC | 2021-02-21 09:00:00 UTC ]
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Getting Lost in the Libraries of Paris Researching WWII

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Academic Libraries Aren’t Just for Writing Papers

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Tired of buying airport books? These airports are installing Little Free Libraries.

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[ Literrary Hub | 2021-02-02 18:12:16 UTC ]
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New Nonprofit to Advocate for Digital Content in Libraries

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Authors' brands: a case of doublethink?

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School Libraries and Their Fight Against Fake News

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