A number of smart libraries in the UK have started to lend ebooks in addition to their normal circulation.

Inspired by the urgency and audacity of those behind the bank robberies attempted daily, Ken Habarta has put together a book and matching blog compiling actual demand notes from successful and unsuccessful robberies.

George Parker is the perpetrator of adscam.typepad.com. Every week he shares his opinions on the advertising world with PSFK.

In a fascinating illustration of crowdsourcing (and piracy) in China, Yeeyan, a collaborative translation website, has posted the prologue and first two chapters of The Lost Symbol.

We recently came across Motto Berlin, a unique, carefully edited store dedicated to fanzines, small run magazines, books and self published printed matter.

For one Boston Prep school, the satisfying turn of the page and row upon row of books have been replaced by the calculated clack of keyboards and endlessness of the internet. As the modern library it seems, contains no actual books.

The LA Times reports on some notable shifts going on amongst a handful of book and music retailers. They are seeing more product crossover beginning to happen between independent book sellers and music shops.
Purveyors of paper and text based media such as New York City’s McNally Jackson carry a selection of CDs, mostly because they feature some kind of connection to the literary world, and Easy Street Records in Seattle also has a small book section that features a variety of both music related titles and others:
The decision to carry specific books is based on “cultural relevance, if it connects [...]

This is an extract from the draft John Grant’s new book Co-opportunity, contracted for publication with John Wiley & Sons Limited, January 2010. This extract section 1 of the book – A Climate for Change.
After all the hype and much vaunted public concern about Climate Change, very little seems to be happening. The main reason for that (I’ve found, for instance doing qualitative research for the UK government) is that it is very much a low level concern. On the one hand if you ask people if they are concerned about climate change 70-80% say yes. But ask them what [...]

This is an extract from the draft of John Grant’s new book Co-opportunity, contracted for publication with John Wiley & Sons Limited, January 2010. This extract is the introduction to the book.
My new book, Co-opportunity is based on the growing realization that sustainability is going to require nothing less than a wholesale shift to more co-operative social systems. It’s not just about shaving off energy, waste or carbon emissions – nor about ‘band aid’ approaches to poverty. It’s about a new way of organizing society for the common good. Many people have described this shift. Prince Charles in a recent [...]

Target, which has long built its reputation on its eye for good design, is further distinguishing itself as a purveyor of finer taste (by big box retailer standards, at least). The 1,700 location chain is using its ‘Bookmarked Club Pick‘ program to turn its loyal shoppers into rabid readers—and catapulting unwitting authors into significant sales territory at the same time. By positioning Target-exclusive editions in prominent shelving locations throughout stores, authors like Tatiana de Rosnay—whose initial dud Sarah’s Key went on to sell 145,000 copies through Bookmarked—are finding themselves with a second chance at a literary career.
The Bookmark displays are [...]

Design Observer has compiled a list of the over thirty new book releases they’ve received over the past few months, spanning a range of subjects, from typography to ethical business practice. The list is provided as-is, without criticism, but includes (what look to be) some very interesting reads.
Photo by Dawn Endico

For all the talk about the death of print media, there comes an unusual bright sign on the horizon. Gawker reports on the curious story of three authors who have recently been given five and six figure advances to write books on subjects that had their origins as internet phenomenon.
First off, author Nick Douglas is collecting his favorite Twitter posts and making a book out of them – and as crazy or banal as it sounds, there is actually some thought behind it. Douglas hopes to inspire readers with his curated selection of mico-wit, to make small creative acts each [...]

Augmented reality is usually thought of as a complex, computer enabled technology, but it doesn’t have to be. Nokia researcher Jan Chipchase has noticed a pure reality augmenting interface in a Japanese text book. By placing the red filter over the page, the answers, printed in red ink are hidden.
[via Future Perfect]

The economy has hit the traditional brick-and-mortar book business especially hard. Even landmark literary institutions like Cody’s have not been spared. In contrast, Avalon.ph – a Manila-based online specialist in second hand books – has been thriving. Its founder, Jasper Ong, manages to maintain an independent shopkeeper’s touch by giving customers the chance to close transactions personally in select coffee shops during weekends. We sat down with Jasper to see if we could learn something from his success (which seems to be out-of-print these days).
1. What guides you in your book selection process? Does the weakening economy influence that process [...]