Internet vs. The Public Library 

The top ten reasons why the Internet still will not replace the public library

As advertising is constantly telling us, the major corporations have a vision, one in which every household is linked to a vast electronic library of games, music and other salable products. In this vision, the main use of the library is to be a symbol for the fast fading print world, that is, when it is not being sent across country in a second.

Don¼t plan on closing your doors anytime soon. Here are ten reasons why the public library is here to stay. [read the reasons]

Standards 

ANSI/NISO Z39.77-2001--Guidelines for Information about Preservation Products. This link is to the free pdf download.

Post Nine-Eleven 

The Day the World Changed: Implications for Archival, Library, and Information Science Education

Abstract
The terrorist attacks of September 11th on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon have had profound implications for many aspects of American and global society. This essay explores the many implications for library and information science schools educating the next generation of information professionals. The essay considers an array of opinions by the faculty located in one such school regarding how to reflect on the aftermath of the attacks for basic aspects of teaching, research, and curriculum design in library and information science schools. Topics examined include disaster preparedness and recovery, knowledge management, workplace design and location, technology and the human dimension, ethics and information policy, information security, information economics, memorializing and documenting the terrorist attacks, the role of the Internet, and preservation. [read more]

Electronic Books Resource 

University of Texas at Austin, General Libraries Electronic Books

Publishing 

Publishing 2002: Where the Buck Stops

Eight top executives talk about where the business is now and where it is going
The year just past was a significant one for publishing. At the beginning of the year, many of the large houses made ambitious leaps into electronic publishing. By year's end, most of them had cut those programs significantly. Large author advances were highlighted by Bill Clinton receiving an estimated $10 million‚$12 million for his memoirs, following close on the heels of wife Hillary's estimated $8 million advance (in late 2000), and overshadowing New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani's $3 million, two-book deal. Against this background, publishers received stark lessons in how quickly public interest can shift. Jack Welch's book Jack, for which publisher Warner advanced $7.1 million, came out on the very day that world events greatly changed the public's interest in books--September 11. The bursting of the Internet bubble made many business titles suddenly dated. It was also a year in which sales of bestsellers were soft, but the movies reminded us that some old bestsellers can become new again, with The Lord of the Rings as well as the surge in sales of the already blockbuster Harry Potter books.

To consider what this year meant and what the upcoming one might bring, Publishers Weekly invited the chief executives of eight of the largest publishing houses (see participants' sidebar) to a roundtable discussion in December. To accommodate schedules, two separate roundtables were held. The following story brings together the highlights of both sessions.

Cites and Insights 

The Midwinter 2002: Vol. 2 No. 2 Cites and Insights is available.

Rediscovering the library 

At the Library, Finding Stacks of Pleasure by Sacha Cohen

Kids adore libraries. Where else can you find endless shelves filled with stories about curious monkeys, giant peaches, beanstalks and hungry caterpillars? The plastic library card and the responsibility of returning books on time is a rite of passage, one of many marking our entrance into the adult world.

Most adults, on the other hand, tend to favor the crisp, sanitized environs of chain book retailers, where one can flip through the latest John Grisham bestseller or fresh copies of Oprah-worthy selections while nursing coffee and biscotti. ...

But then the economy drooped, my career hit a wall, and Sept. 11 happened. [read more] (link via librarian.net)

E-Book News 

The Crisis in E-Book Publishing by George S. Machovec

No one doubts that ebooks are here to stay and will fundamentally change how publishing is done within the next few years. However, with the crash of the .com marketplace and continuing weaknesses within the economy, it is very unclear who or what will emerge as market leaders. The current track record is not good. [read more]

Free Books 

Virtual bookshelves brim with free text by Dave Peyton

For bibliophiles, it's a dream come true. The same computer that allows you to connect to the World Wide Web lets you connect to a world of online books at little or no cost.

Thousands of books and articles are available, and the number grows daily. Most texts are in the public domain; if they were ever copyrighted, the copyrights have run out. The relatively low cost of memory makes text storage affordable.

The ability of software to literally read pages of text and store them in a readable form online makes "translating" text from the printed page to a digital medium easy. [read more] (link via Library Stuff]

Can't decide what to read next? 

Try Book Forager.

Digital Preservation 

CLIR issues Number 25 January/February 2002

Of note: A National Plan for Digital Preservation: What Does it Mean for the Library Community? by Deanna B. Marcum

What does it take to uncensor a book? 

Marian and me by Kera Bolonik

When Michael Moore's publisher insisted he rewrite his new book to be less critical of President Bush, it took an outraged librarian to get it back in the stores. [read more]

It's 2002! 

Happy New Year! Let's hope it's a great year for all of us.

Do you know your books? 

Ten Things You Should Know about Your Books by Adrian Johns

Going to England? Need a good map? 

From the British Library, Lie of the Land: the secret life of maps