Biblio Charitable Works’ new site live!
Friday, February 5th, 2010BiblioWorks has a new, updated website just launched today, featuring (finally!) a Spanish translation, not to mention a much more attractive layout and design. Shout out to the team over at Stout Monkey Networks who volunteered their time to assemble all this!
For those who don’t already know, Biblio Charitable Works is a 501c(3) non-profit which [...]
DOJ still not happy with Google’s book scanning
Friday, February 5th, 2010In an encouraging statement the Department of Justice indicates that Google’s revised book scanning settlement still does not satisfy its concerns about creating a would-be monopoly by the internet goliath, stating “The amended settlement agreement still confers significant and possibly anti-competitive advantages on Google as a single entity.”
Its really fascinating to me that this matter [...]
RIP e-readers: 2010 - 2010?
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010Echoing a few of our earlier sentiments on why the Kindle would go the way of the dodo (which is, by the way, what the birds in the header of our blog are - because we’re in the printed book industry ourselves), Kit Eaton at FastCompany is calling 2010 the one and only year of [...]
“Green” corporate book stores/sites? Think again.
Wednesday, July 15th, 2009This little video on YouTube highlights the wastefulness and environmental impact of chain and online megabookstores - and, the advantages of shopping from independent bookstores. I’d like add that used books are even more environmentally friendly, folks - so don’t forget to save some green and carbon by swinging by your local used bookstore (find [...]
Protesting CPSIA - an activists’ guide for bookstores and libraries
Friday, May 15th, 2009As people are beginning to realize, the recent passage of CPSIA has deep ramifications for education and literacy, reducing access to books in stores, libraries and charities. Hardest hit are the economically disadvantaged children among us. Here are some ideas to help get started in protesting and raising support for the repeal of this disastrous [...]
Shop local used bookstores - online
Monday, May 11th, 2009Find an independent used bookstore near you!
(and shop their books online - or off)
Enter your 5-digit zip code:
We’ve long meant to provide a way that customers can search the combined inventory of their local independent used bookstores online. We’re pretty pleased to have that pet project off the ground over at [...]
The Big Kindle; a Bibliophile’s Prognosis
Thursday, May 7th, 2009The Buick got bigger. Amazon announced yesterday the release of the new, large format Kindle, specifically designed to appeal to students. Unfortunately, I think that its doomed to fail in the college market - at least on its own merits for three intertwined reasons.
As a reader, a book industry guy, and an at-least-one-course-a-year student for [...]
Introducing Biblio UK
Monday, May 4th, 2009We’re very pleased to announce that we have quietly snuck the new Biblio UK site out the back door of our skunkworks!
The new site is focused largely on serving European customers who are looking to source second hand and antiquarian books “locally” from the UK or other parts of Europe.
While a few other companies already [...]
Usedbookcentral announces it will close; citing PCI compliance
Monday, May 4th, 2009Longtime independent book marketplace Usedbookcentral released an announcement over the weekend that it would be closing its site after seven years, citing the pressures imposed by the credit card industry with regards to PCI compliance.
PCI compliance has become an enormous burden on businesses worldwide, but particularly on small businesses. I speak from experience when I [...]
Ebury seeking the next McMurtry or Dunning?
Monday, May 4th, 2009Ebury Publishing in the UK (Random House subsidiary) is kicking off a contest to uncover the talents of a bookseller/writer (open only to booksellers in the UK). They are asking for the first 5 pages of a draft.
Cool idea - most booksellers I know are/were/could be writers of some caliber and imagination, and they may [...]