Barnes & Noble is killing itself, John Biggs TechCrunch

 "On Monday the company laid off 1,800 people. This offered a cost savings of $40 million. But that’s particularly interesting. That means each of those people made an average of $22,000 or so per year and minimum wage workers – hourly folks who are usually hit hardest during post-holiday downturns – would be making $15,000. In fact, what B&N did was fire all full time employees at 781 stores." continue reading

“Take a Book; Return a Book" : Little Free Libraries

Note: The Little Free Library is an organization and movement that began in Madison, WI in 2009, that has since swept the country (and the international community) with the goal of spreading free books to all.

"My Little Free Library war: How our suburban front-yard lending box made me hate books and fear my neighbors This gift from my wife was supposed to be harmless fun — but now when people stop, all I feel is dread," DAN GREENSTONE, http://www.salon.com

Extract:
Little Free Library has a seductive marketing slogan that’s carved into the top of every unit: “Take a Book; Return a Book.” Such a simple equation. And such wishful thinking. Take? Oh, absolutely. People are, in fact, really good at that part. For example there was the young mom who lifted her toddler up to the box, watching uncritically as he scooped up “Imaginary Homelands,” Salman Rushdie’s collection of criticism and essays. Which I’m sure he enjoyed.

When it comes to returning, people mean well. For example, I don’t doubt the sincerity of that young mom when she told her greedy little urchin, “We have to remember to come back soon and give them some books.” The problem is that, to borrow my favorite report card phrase, remembering, for most people, “remains an area of growth.” It’s not that I blame my (mooching) neighbors. Indeed, I, myself, seldom return books to the public library on time. And they fine you if you don’t. But since I don’t punish people (unless you count silent, withering judgment), I’ve got no leverage. The truth is laziness is just part of human nature. It’s what separates us from the beavers.

On the same shelf:

Free Books! How to Start a Little Free Library in Your Neighborhood by Alya Hameed

A LITTLE RANT ON LITTLE FREE LIBRARIES (AKA PROBABLY AN UNPOPULAR POST)

Little Libraries / Las Bibliotequitas

where to locate your neighborhood's little library

The Crackdown on Little Free Library Book Exchanges

10 things to know before building your Little Free Library

Private Circulating Libraries in India

PhD Theses and Online Availability in India, Kuntala Lahiri-Dutt

PS. India of today has exceptions/unique characteristics even in academic scenario. The  extracts below, very nicely pinpoint the crux of the problem as far as the 'e-access' to the same is concerned. In terms of marketing and outreach by personal efforts of the individuals, there are many Indian dissertations in the market (many customized to meet the market; and hence no exact statistics will be available to quantify), some of these go out to reach a wider audience, with a permission of the university authorities. More and more dissertations are appearing via scholarly open presses--beware of what the critics say about this open source market. Ask me more about this pattern/approach.

Extract:

"Locking away awarded PhD theses instead of publishing them for public and academic knowledge only encourages mediocrity and enhances poor academic practices. It also propagates unhealthy hierarchy among universities and hinders the advancement of knowledge. ..."

"Most Indian librarians are reluctant to allow others to consult and borrow earlier PhD theses probably because of the belief that it will enhance the chances of academic dishonesty. Plagiarism is indeed an important issue, and it has been difficult to hinder it effectively in India where the use of detection softwares (such as Turnitin) is still rare, excepting in better-funded central universities like the JNU."  

"I am fully aware of the inequities in the world of knowledge production, and the mutual exclusion of different actors in it who seem to converse within their respective silos of knowledge. An argument, often made by academics, based in the less developed world, is that the unfair use of their research (“we are treated as sources of data by them”, “they take our stuff to theorise”) by their academic counterparts located in more developed countries. Such grievances are often genuine; I remember when I taught in Burdwan University in West Bengal, my 1990 book In Search of a Homeland on McCluskiegunge, the homeland planned by the Anglo-Indians in early 1930s, was used by a renowned British-based film company to make a film on the same name. Someone from the company’s local office visited my home, took copies of all the old documents and maps, never to return them and never to even acknowledge that the film’s name was borrowed from that of my book..." [sections in this article include: Different Academic Cultures, “Confidentiality Culture”] Continue reading: PhD Theses and Online Availability in India @ Economic and Political Weekly

On the same shelf:

• What Ails Doctoral Research in Library and Information Science in India? by M.P. Satija, DESIDOC Journal of Library & Information Technology, Vol. 30, No. 5, September 2010, pp. 61-66 @ International and Comparative Librarianship  Blog -- Abstract: The paper discusses research in library and information science in India. It delves into the history of library and information science research crediting the institutionalisation of research to Ranganathan. While presenting the growth of the research, the article discusses the factors responsible for poor standards. It also provides an international comparison by citing examples at places.
• The IFLA/FAIFE PhD Project, by Stuart Hamilton. Opening quote: "To what extent can libraries ensure free, equal and unhampered access to Internet-accessible information resources from a global perspective?"
• Do Open Access Electronic Theses and Dissertations Diminish Publishing Opportunities in the Social Sciences and Humanities? College and Research Libraries by ML Ramirez  and others.

Bound for Glory - Carleton University Magazine

Historians of book, and library historians, will be glad to read this article on handmade books, and book as a physical artifact prospering even in the digital and ebook age:

"Handmade books glow with a vintage varnish when cast against the sleek gadgetry of the information age," Carleton University Magazine, Winter 2011, by Fateema Sayani, [Photos by Luther Caverly] continue reading

19th New Delhi World Book Fair 2010

RSVPs @ Linkedin

Detiled Information for participating in World Book Fair

For Indian Participants

             Information, Terms Condition and Application Form (in Hindi)
             Information, Terms Condition and Application Form (in English)

For Foreign Participants

             Information, Terms Condition and Application Form

For more details visit the conference site:

See also on the same shelf: information about

34th International Kolkata Book Fair 2010, 27 January to 7 February 2010

Private Circulating Libraries in India

Note: This post is about non-public, i.e., privately funded &/or sponsored &/or independently managed libraries in India. This post is also about fee-based, or subscription based libraries. The public libraries in India, free for all, are funded by the state governments; University, college, research and school libraries are managed by respective institutions.

"The history of circulating libraries (in India) finds its place before 1770s. This was John Andrews Circulating Library in Old Fort premises at Calcutta. It survived for a short while and by 1780s it closed. Not only did this library circulate books to subscribers it also allowed its members to take home its catalog for consultation. What more user-friendly librarians did the people need? Why did this library so nice and so kind, close down? Perhaps, people did not know the value of such a friendly situation. This was also a book selling store. During this period we have historical evidences of existence of other similar circulating libraries." (p.77) Subscription or fee-based) libraries include Calcutta Book Society (founded 1817) with its branches in Bombay and Madras, Calcutta Library Society (f. 1818), and British Council's first library in Bombay (f. 1953) and American Library in Caclutta (f. 1943). Librarianship and Library Science in India : An outline of historical perspectives. (Mohamed Taher and Donald Davis) New Delhi , Concept Publishing,1994 Amazon.com

• New age lending libraries for children
• EasyLib.com: The Biggest Online Library in Bangalore
• Eloor Libraries : For Love of Good Books!
• Librarywala™ The Knowledge Library
• Discussion @ Yahoo Answers: circulating libraries in India
• Circulating & Public Libraries in Mumbai
• User Expectations in Private-Public Libraries in India

See also:

• A look at Bangalore’s book world , Reshmi Chakraborty, 28 Jul 2009
• User Expectations in Private-Public Libraries in India by MC Vasanthi - 2002
• Ajay Shah's blog: Public libraries in India
• On-the-line to online Manoj Sharma
• British Council Library India :: Home
• American Information Resource Centers in India
• MEGA Website for Indian Public Libraries - Is there any?

PUNCHLINE: "I can’t maintain my literary habit if I’ve to buy the books I want to read. So the libraries and road side stalls come to my rescue. And it so happened that I visited the Book Fair." continue reading this note: The American Library (Chennai)

Blogging a book ~~ Publish or Perish

Punchline: "Any popular blogger's book would sell, that's the way it works."

'Metrolife finds out that even though more and more bloggers are getting published, not all the books are selling' More from Nina C George @ Deccan Herald » Metro Life - Fri

Global ebook survey reveals encouraging results

"New findings from a study on e-book usage landed in my inbox earlier this week. Conducted by e-content providers, ebrary the study has been attempting to measure the changing perceptions and patterns of e-book usage among students. It is now in its third run through.
Working with 150 Higher Education librarians throughout the world to design the survey, nearly 6,500 students took part. Such a cross section of academic respondents is certainly respectable. While there is an obvious North American slant to the findings, generally half of the participants were based elsewhere in the world. Around 400 academic institutions took part say ebrary and admittedly the patterns between the US and elsewhere show similar results. So even if there is little in the way of UK eBook habits, the results are revealing all the same." Continue reading the summary by Daniel Griffin @ IWR Blog: June 2008

From the same shelf:

• What are the advantages of e-books over print books
• Reading Habits in Different Communities, PEW Forum

Now, Tata to help American poor

Tata Group North America has joined First Book, Washington, February 28: Expressindia.com

The Tata Group has extended its philanthropic efforts to the United States, where it is bidding to acquire Ford’s Landrover and Jaguar automobile brands, to distribute 65,000 new books to children in need. Continue reading

"First Book, a non-profit organisation with the mission to give children from low-income families the opportunity to read and own their first new books, has provided more than 50 million new books to children in need in thousands of communities in the US. As the largest India-headquartered multinational in North America, Tata has more than 80 offices in the US and Canada and more than 15,000 employees." Thaindian News

Update: Tata Companies Unite to Support First Book and Distribute 65,000 New Books to Children in Need, http://www.foxbusiness.com/

Orient loses Longman

Mumbai, Jan. 14: Orient Longman — the Hyderabad-based publisher of educational books — is losing its suffix. The Telegraph - Calcutta (Kolkata),

Pearson Education group of the UK has reclaimed the rights to the Longman brand in India in an out-of-court settlement with Orient Longman.
In 2006, Pearson Education, the owner of the Longman name worldwide, had filed a suit against Orient Longman in a British court to assert its right to the Longman brand. Under the terms of the settlement, Orient Longman has agreed to stop using the Longman brand by November 2008. But it will be able to use the expression “formerly known as Orient Longman” for another year until November 2009. Continue reading

You a bookworm? Click and get your own library

Watch the video about the exciting free @ Gutenberg.org

ALA ALCTS Foreign Book Dealers Directory on the web

The ALCTS Acquisition Sections Publications Committee is pleased to
announce that its Foreign Book Dealers Directory is now available as a single, searchable Web publication. Most recently available as three distinct Web sites, the information has been combined into a single file, with access points by vendor name and country (or countries) whose materials each vendor can supply. To replicate the three previous regional versions, there are also lists by region that can be accessed by either the point and click world map on the home page, or by a pull-down menu. The original three regions, Eastern Europe-Soviet Union, Asia-Pacific, and Africa-Middle East, are now six regions: Eastern Europe, Central Eurasia, Asia, The Pacific, Africa, and Middle East.... continue reading
Find suppliers of library materials from many parts of the world with our searchable lists of vendors regularly used by university libraries in the United States.

Indian police seize pirated Potter books

BANGALORE, India (Reuters) - Indian police have seized hundreds of pirated copies of the seventh and final book in the Harry Potter series, a police official said on Monday. continue reading

see also:

Harry Potter book pages found online

British School Justified In Reprimanding Teacher Who Told Children Harry Potter Author Was A Witch -- Faithwise Review of the Week

Launch of BookCross@SG: Books need to be freed!

Sighted @ Rambling Librarian :: Incidental Thoughts of a Singapore Liblogarian

Same shelf and aisle:.
>>Go Hunting Country List > Canada > Ontario > Toronto

Similar shelf:
>>Donate to the "Why Indie Bookstores Matter" Tour!
>> really modern library

See also:

Nigeria's Library System - is It Collapsing Or Transforming?

Bookstores everywhere are going broke

History of the book: Writing on the Stone Slab

Mahatma Gandhi praised Urdu in last letter

News update: Heritage saved! Auction of Gandhi letter stopped CNN-IBN, July 02, 2007
The executors of Albin Schram have agreed to withdraw the Gandhi manuscript from Tuesday's auction in order that it may be acquired by the Indian Government.


Bapu's letter may be stolen: Grandson, CNN-IBN, June 27, 2007 at 22:16
New Delhi: The scheduled auction of a letter written by Mahatma Gandhi, possibly his last before his assassination, has sent the Indian government in a tizzy.
The letter, written on January 19, 1948, is part of a collection of manuscripts put up for auction at the famous auction house Christie's in London. Meanwhile, a harried Indian Government has started the process of bidding for it. Sources in the Ministry of Cultural Affairs have said that they are assessing the cost to bid for Gandhi’s letter, which is expected to fetch £ 12,000 or Rs 10 lakh.

Press Trust Of India, London, June 29, 2007,
In the letter, a rare manuscript that will go under hammer at Christie's in London on July 3, Gandhi said opposing Urdu will "put a wanton affront" on the Muslims, who "in the eyes of Hindus have become aliens in their own land".

Writing in his journal 'Harijan' on January 11, 1948, Gandhi, who appeared disturbed with the dwindling circulation of its Urdu edition, said in the letter that it is likely to be stopped.

Praising Urdu, which he said "is set free from bondage of orthodoxy", he asserted that those who learn it will "lose nothing but gain". At the same time he urged Muslims to learn Devanagari to "enrich their intellectual" capital and subscribe to his journal.continue

See also:

Mahatma in market

Mahatma manuscript up for sale, govt wakes up

India to participate in auction of Gandhi letter

Gandhians demonstrate against auction of letter

Rare letter from Mahatma surfaces

Bookstores everywhere are going broke

A state-of-the-art report by Jill Elaine HUGHES--a Chicago-based writer of stageplays, screenplays, journalism, and fiction

It's earnings-reporting season. I know this because I once (long ago) worked in investment banking. Earnings-reporting season is the time when publicly traded companies (i.e., those that have stock) report their quarterly earnings. In the past few weeks, the three big bookstore retail chains (Borders, Barnes & Noble, and Books-A-Million) reported their earnings.
Barnes & Noble and Borders---by far the largest two bookstore companies---both reported BIG losses. Borders is especially hemorrhaging cash via its Waldenbooks stores (the smaller, popular-fiction-based bookstores you usually see in malls), many of which it has shut down. Borders is losing money hand over fist---to read their earnings press release, click here. Barnes & Noble is also faring very poorly. (they reported big losses about a month ago)...

I know I'm part of the "problem", too. Since I moved to the 'burbs, I have greatly deceased the amount of money I spend on books. I have the benefit of living in Arlington Heights, Illinois, which has one of the best public libraries in the Midwest. The Arlington Heights Memorial Library has one of the most robust collections in the region, and it acquires multiple copies of almost every new book published----it's basically eliminated the need for me to go to the bookstore. I can get a copy of almost any book I want to read for free within days of its publication just by dropping by my library. My library also gets all the latest DVDs, which I can also view for free. With that, who needs a bookstore? Living in the expensive Chicago suburbs, with their high property taxes and such, does have benefits when it comes to the library.



continue reading @ Jill Elaine Hughes- The Blog!

Working Locally At Home and Abroad

World Literacy of Canada is a small NGO with big projects on the go. For 50 years now, WLC has been changing people's lives through literacy and community development programs, both at home here in Canada, and in homes throughout the world. Although the world has changed dramatically over the course of the past 50 years, the heart of WLC's programming philosophy has remained the same: global change begins at a local level. Continue reading

World Literacy of Canada
401 Richmond Street West, Studio 236
Toronto, ON M5V 3A8
P: 416 977 0008
F: 416 977 1112
E: info@worldlit.ca
W: www.worldlit.ca

The lost world of libraries

posted by Blake on Sunday May 20, @12:23PM from the dusty-shelves dept.

The Business Standard - India has a look at some ooooollllddd libraries in India. But, however distinguished the provenance of these three, as also that of the Dayal Singh Public Library in Delhi and other public libraries elsewhere in the country, they are all rather sad places today. Only PhD students come here now to trawl the dusty shelves of uncared for books, rummage through the crumbling cards and brave the apathetic sloth of the staff for the early and rare editions of novels and journals. [Source: Librarian and Information Science News]

See also: Map of Libraries in New Delhi

Japanese man runs library on a bicycle

"And you thought you were committed to your profession" [Thanks to LibraryStuff for this quote]

Tokyo, May 02: Kazuhiro Doi is on a one-man mission to change the world by pulling a mobile library on a bicycle around Japan.

For more than two years, the 28-year-old has been distributing books on the environment, civil disputes and other social issues on a custom-made bicycle with a waterwheel-shaped bookshelf across his native Japan.

Doi left his home in the central prefecture of Aichi in January 2005, initially to ask libraries around the country to carry a book published by a non-profit organisation 'Think the Earth'.

The book documents the gravity of environmental destruction with about 100 photographs, including those of a mountain of industrial waste, children injured in a chemical factory accident in India and penguins covered with crude oil. Full news story @ Zee News, May 03, 2007;

See also: Japanese man on one-man mission to distribute books by bicycle EARTHtimes.org

National Library Week April 15 - 21, 2007

New data on U.S. libraries shows almost two billion served
Predicted demise due to Internet fails to materialize
For Immediate Release, April 16, 2007

"Ten years after some experts predicted the demise of the nation's system of libraries as a result of the Internet explosion, the most current national data on library use shows that the exact opposite has happened. Data released today by the American Library Association (ALA) indicates that the number of visits to public libraries in the United States increased 61 percent between 1994 and 2004. According to the 2007 State of America's Libraries report, there were nearly two billion visits to U.S. libraries in fiscal year 2004. The study was released today by the ALA as the nation begins its observance of National Library Week, April 15-21. In the case of academic libraries, the number of visits exceeded more than one billion for the first time in 2004, up more than 14 percent in just the previous two years." More Info courtesy Thadakamalla Sujatha

Communities “Come together @ your library” to celebrate the changing role of libraries

National Library Week Sites

The American Library Association NLW Site

PLL's National Library Week Resources

@ Your Library

LLRX's Guide on the Side Column, "National Library Week: What's the Point?"

AALL RIPS 2007 Teach-in kit

MUCH MORE

NB. This post is dedicated to a user-friendly librarian, Gail, who knows about India and India's libraries much more than me!

See also:

My book review in ARBA: Cyber Worship in Multifaith Perspectives