Will Europe’s Three Million Orphan Books Ever Be Digitized?
(publishingperspectives.com): The issue of orphan books –- those books with no clear copyright holder –- continues to vex digitization efforts across the globe. In Europe, it’s a particularly contentious issue, so much so that the European Commission vowed to look into the issue beginning last year. Among its first steps… Read More
Erasing all digital footprints ‘impossible’
(sfgate.com): It's been almost two decades since mainstream users began trekking into the library-slash-playground known as the World Wide Web. Now, several years into that excursion, many are taking a long hard look at the trail they've left behind. The idea of tracing our steps through the digital jungle and… Read More
Cyberattacks, Hackers and the Increasing Threat to Information Security
(knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu): Experts say the reality is that there are so many different potential suspects to worry about -- ranging from nebulous groups of hackers, to organized crime, to competing corporations, to nation-states and military agencies -- and frequently even the motives for the security breaches are unclear. This leaves victims… Read More
Library offers eBooks for checkout by computer
(theindependent.com): It is no longer necessary to go to the library to check out a book. With newspapers, magazines and more taking on virtual forms, library books have held out longer than most. But last week at the Grand Island Public Library, library books began being checked out electronically. The… Read More
There’s room for e-books and print
(metrowestdailynews.com): While you might expect a spike in e-book sales to be bad for local bookstores, readers and retailers say there's room for digital and traditional volumes to coexist. While the popularity of e-books is on the rise, the Wellesley Booksmith and Framingham Barnes & Noble say sales of their… Read More
Publisher argues free access to research violates administration’s transparency initiative
(nextgov.com): The American Psychological Association, which publishes scientific articles, believes the future of scientific publishing is among the "genuinely compelling interests," Steven Breckler, executive director for science at the association, testified before the House Government Reform and Oversight Subcommittee on Information Policy, Census and National Archives. The panel invited publishers,… Read More
Amazon Kindle, Larson Success Show E-Readers Are Here To Stay
(pcworld.com): The future is looking bright for e-books. This week brought two important announcements: Amazon reported that its Kindle e-reader, recently lowered to $189 from $259, has sold out (albeit temporarily); and the late Swedish writer Stieg Larsson, best known for his Millennium Trilogy, has become the first author to… Read More
The precious unprinted contents of books
(guardian.co.uk): The growing sense that books may be about to become redundant is producing a good deal of sentimental chatter on – where else? – the internet. As the growing popularity of ebooks makes us wonder whether print and paper will soon become the sole preserve of collectors and retro-heads,… Read More
Ereader e-book pricing still shrouded in secrecy
(myce.com): The popularity of e-readers and e-books continue to grow at an alarming rate, although many concerns remain regarding the inflated cost of e-books. Amazon was dedicated to a $9.99 price point for e-books, but publishers stepped in and caused a progressive increase in pricing. The publishers, according to them,… Read More
New Resource on Open-Access Scholarship
(bigthink.com): Can scholarly journal articles and other scholarly works be made freely available on the Internet? The open access movement says "yes," and it is having a significant impact on scholarly publishing. Read More
