Bookselling
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Thursday, April 23rd, 2009Ever wondered what the safest way to have a customer e-mail credit card data to you is? There isn’t one. In fact, asking a customer to transmit credit card information to you via e-mail can land you in very big trouble with the credit card companies. Like $500,000 big. I am floored how common the [...]
Why should I care about e-books? Lessons learned the hard way from the newspaper biz
Thursday, April 23rd, 2009I had the dubious privilege of working in the newspaper industry in the final heady years before its collapse. It has often worried me that the book industry carries a similar hubris about technology as newspapers did in, say, 2001. My job as director of online at the time was to usher in “new media” [...]
Books as contraband?
Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009So, what really happens if CPSIA isn’t overturned? Those books you read and loved as a kid? Gone. Osbolete. Illegal, in fact. Books as contraband? Yes.
As deadline looms, opposition to Google’s book scanning mounts
Monday, April 20th, 2009The Internet Archive has thrown in its opposition to the Google book scanning settlement, requesting they be allowed the “same limitation of potential copyright liability as Google.” In fact, we think that if Google is given this broad indemnity against copyright infringement, every individual and institution in the US should be given the same. The [...]
CPSIA, Schmipsia – Who cares?
Wednesday, April 8th, 2009Childrens’ book author Carol Baicker-McKee does. She is doing what many others should be doing – taking an activist approach to the unfortunate CPSIA bill and putting a little heart and soul (and sweat) behind it. She’s devoted most of her blog recently to covering CPSIA as it related to childrens’ books – well worth [...]
American Library Association urges citizens to take action on CPSIA bill
Monday, April 6th, 2009The ALA (American Library Association) is urging citizens to take action on the CPSIA bill, and urge their representative to support the amendment recently put forward by Rep. Fortenberry of Nebraska that would exempt childrens’ books from the burdensome legislation. The ALA has made it very easy – please take a moment now to use [...]
Notes from the NY ABAA fair and a preview of the new ABAA site
Monday, April 6th, 2009This past weekend, Stephen and I endured months of delays and canceled flights with the singlepurposed intent of attending the ABAA’s New York Antiquarian Book Fair and unveiling a preview of the new upcoming ABAA listing site.
Homeless bookseller in Boston closing “bookstore”
Thursday, April 2nd, 2009A very sad, but moving tale in yesterday’s Boston Globe, about the trials and tribulations of Boston Square’s “homeless bookseller”. Fully appreciate the quote at the end of the article: I come by here every day, and it (the bookstall) redeems my visit to a part of Cambridge that is becoming increasingly colorless, faceless, and [...]
CPSIA and childrens’ books – the Winners and the Losers
Thursday, April 2nd, 2009With the recent passage of CPSIA (Consumer Product Safety Act), with its serious implications for the sale and distribution of childrens’ books, we thought it might be appropriate to look at who “wins” and who “loses” in the book industry as a result of this bill. The Winners Publishers Because of the amendment which effectively [...]
See you at the NY Antiquarian Book Fair this weekend!
Monday, March 30th, 2009We’ll be attending the New York Antiquarian Book Fair this weekend, and hope to see you there! This is a great opportunity for booksellers, avid collectors, or readers who just simply want to feast their eyes on some beautiful books. Here’s the official info, courtesy of Sarah Donnell from Sanford L. Smith & Associates” “The [...]
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