Book Patrol

Bonus: Terrorism textbook ordered on Amazon came with some white powder

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Lieberman) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 22:37:00 +0000

Image by Fernando Ochoa / KSHB

Yikes! Just imagine what went through the mind of Sophia Stockton when a bag of white powder fell out of her recently delivered textbook “Understanding Terrorism: Challenges, Perspectives and Issues.”

Thinking Anthrax Stockton took the bag to the police and lo and behold:

“I told them white powder was in my terrorism textbook and so I put it on the table and they’re like, ‘oh, okay,’ And so he went back and tested it,” Stockton recalls. “ He comes back and says, ‘you didn’t happen to order some cocaine with your textbook, did you?’ And I was like, no!”

Police estimate the bag contained $400 of cocaine.

Though ordered through Amazon the book originated from a company called Warehouse Deals who claim to be an "Amazon.com subsidiary and also an Amazon marketplace seller."

Story on WPTV

More from Rosa Golijan on her Digital Life blog on Today

Trouble in Carver Country

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Lieberman) — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 18:57:00 +0000

cover of the Arcade edition

Tess Gallagher, the widow of short story master Raymond Carver, is suing Skyhorse Publishing over the book Carver Country: The World of Raymond Carver.

The copyright suit alleges that the book contains unauthorized use of excerpts and photos. The book, originally published by Charles Scribner's Sons in hardback in 1990, was released in a a paperback edition by Arcade in 1994 . Skyhorse Publishing acquired Arcade last year.

cover of the Scribner's edition

More at Publisher's Weekly including mention that according to Bookscan, the book has sold only 26 copies lifetime. Is that possible?

The Universe Bound: Astronomical by Mishka Henner

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Lieberman) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 18:21:00 +0000

We are all well aware that the reading of books can open up new worlds but who knew you could fit the entire universe in a set of 12 books.

Mishka Henner does just that with Astronomical; twelve hefty volumes representing a scale model of our solar system from the Sun to Pluto with the width of each page representing one million kilometers!

The Sun pops up in Volume 1 and Pluto closes out the set on the last page of Volume 12 and there is a plethora of darkness in between and just like that the entire universe is contained between the covers.

The Sun

Details:
The first 10 sets retail for £100 and each is printed-on-demand. Each volume is 5.5″ x 8.5″, perfect bound with white interior paper (50# weight), black and white interior ink, and white exterior paper (100# weight).

Here's a video preview:

ASTRONOMICAL - The Movie from Mishka Henner on Vimeo.

The Life and Times of the Dust Jacket

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Lieberman) — Wed, 25 Jan 2012 21:29:00 +0000

Noun. dust jacket - a paper jacket for a book; a jacket on which promotional information is usually printed. Also called book jacket, dust cover, dust wrapper

Most books printed since the late nineteenth and early twentieth century have them. Unfortunately, there are many books that once had them that now don't. For the collector of these modern books the dust jacket represents the Holy Grail of value.

One of the most noted examples is The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. Published in 1925 by Charles Scribner's and Sons, the book is considered by many to be one of the great American novels. The book's dust jacket, created by the then little-known artist Francis Cugat, is also considered a high-spot of dust jacket art and design. To find a copy of the book in today's marketplace that still has the dust jacket is a rare event. The book itself is somewhat common and when it turns up usually sells in the $3,000 - $4000 range. But the book with a dust jacket in good condition - now you're talking $125,000 and up!

Those interested in this important part of book history will enjoy G. Thomas Tanselle's new book Book-Jackets: Their History, Forms, and Use. The book provides:

A concise history both of publishers' detachable book coverings (primarily British and American) and of the attention they have received from scholars, dealers, collectors, and librarians. It also surveys their use by publishers (as protective devices and advertising media) and their usefulness to scholars of literature, art, and book history (as sources for biography, bibliography, cultural analysis, and the development of graphic design).

Though it leans scholarly the book provides a thorough history of a books most valuable friend and can easily prove useful for the bookseller, book collector or any lover of books. The book also includes a 100+ page listing of surviving pre-1901 examples.

Book available here

Re-Covered Books: a cool gallery of user-created book designs for The Great Gatsby

Fathoming Amazon: 9 things to know (Infographic)

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Lieberman) — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 21:47:00 +0000

Source: Frugaldad.com

Letterpress and the Restaurant: Patricia Curtan's Menus for Chez Panisse

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Lieberman) — Tue, 27 Dec 2011 23:47:00 +0000

It has been over 40 years since the legendary chef Alice Waters opened Chez Panisse in Berkeley, California. While the restaurant became known for its single price-fixe menu it also set the stage for the Eat Local movement which would heavily influence the mind-set of many chefs, restaurants, and farmers around the world.

Fortunately, during the early years there was a member of the kitchen staff who was an artist who also dabbled in letterpress printing.

For Waters "saw the beauty and aesthetic of fine printing as a way to communicate at the outset of the diners experience the care and attention given to the preparation of their dinner" hence it wasn't long before Patricia Curtan was designing and creating the menus; the customer's first contact with the restaurant's offerings.

This beautiful monograph, published by Princeton Architectural Press, is also designed by Curtan and features a healthy sampling of her work over the years.

The book:
Menus for Chez Panisse: The Art & Letterpress of Patricia Curtan. Foreword by Alice Waters

Post at the Paris Review by Curtan on the Chez Panisse Menus

Happy Holidays!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Lieberman) — Sat, 24 Dec 2011 00:30:00 +0000

- Bookflake -

A Snowflake made out of red books

via Paul Octavious

A Wild Edition of "The Wild Swans"

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Lieberman) — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 21:24:00 +0000

The Wild Swans recounts the story of a princess who sets out to rescue her eleven brothers who have been turned into swans by their wicked stepmother and forced to fly away. The tale was first published in 1838 in the compilation Fairy Tales Told for Children. New Collection by Hans Christian Anderson.

An amazing new wordless version of the famous tale is now available. Illustrated by noted toy designer Thomas Aquinas Maguire and published by Simply Read Books. Maguire has transformed the literary tale into a unfolding visual feast.

Bound accordion style the book extends to over 60 feet! The illustrations were drawn in 8-feet-long sections and were then married in Photoshop. The book was artfully designed by Robin Mitchell-Cranfield.

This visual rendering is accompanied by a separate booklet which reprints the original tale and is laid into a pictorial folding box with a magnetic flap.

Clearly a beautiful production of a classic work and hard to beat for $24.95.

A Determined Reader and Book Patrol at 5

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Lieberman) — Tue, 20 Dec 2011 20:08:00 +0000

from the 2008 production Traces from the French Canadian theater company Les 7 doigts de la main.

It has been a little over 5 years since I got a crazy idea to start blogging about books and their place in our world. The pace of change in the book universe has not slowed one bit since my first post and neither have the options for sharing and responding to the plethora of information about books that permeate the internet. While the pace of blogging has slowed somewhat recently it is not for lack of engagement nor interest - the availability of new social media tools have allowed for new ways of sharing the cool stuff I come across. If you miss the frequency I would encourage you to visit Book Patrol at any of these following venues:
Twitter
Pinterest
Tumblr

You will quickly realize that there is still quite a lot going on :-) and I encourage you to keep up with Book Patrol on any or all of these venues. And stay tuned for we have some exciting things in the works for 2012.

Now in honor of Book Patrol's 5 year anniversary here is one from the vault. Written almost 5 years to the day, The Bookseller Manifesto Part I: I am a Bookseller - New Definitions for a Shifting Landscape, shows that as much as things have changed in the last 5 years we still face many of the same challenges that presented themselves then. Enjoy!

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The Bookseller Manifesto Part I: I am a Bookseller - New Definitions for a Shifting Landscape

There are not many industries in the last 10 years that have undergone the volcanic eruptions that the world of bookselling has.

The world of the antiquarian and used bookseller has been turned upside down. A dinosaur of a trade that pretty much moved at turtle speed for most of the 20th century has had it shell torn off in the last decade.

The new bookseller has feared worse. It has become almost impossible to sell new books. Though as a whole the new book world was not as set in its ways as the bookseller in the resale market (I will use this term to refer to the non-new book bookseller). The commonality of product inherent in the new book world has made it the most susceptible to the emerging technologies. There are no surprises - you can schlep to the bookstore to pick up book "A" or you can go online and get book "A" cheaper and quicker. Convenience does a lot of damage to loyalty

For the resale market it is the elimination of any barrier to entry that poses the greatest threat. The only criteria to becoming a 'bookseller' today is that you have a valid credit card and you can find a username that hasn't been taken yet. That is it- no apprenticeship, no schooling, no experience, no knowledge of the trade.

Yet with all this upheaval there has been no change in the definition or label of what or who a bookseller is.

There are a couple of prominent issues currently in play with the ABAA (Antiquarian Booksellers Association of America) that illuminate the need to broaden the lexicon.

The first is the debate over whether to allow auction houses or persons who primarily sell books via auction to become members of the ABAA. Personally I feel that they shouldn’t be allowed, the admission requirements are already too lax and allowing additional auctioneers in will not help things.

The second is the role the ABAA plays in the appraisal market and its relationship with the IRS. A tax expert who is a member of the ABAA recently sent a letter to the IRS on this subject and I wanted to share a snippet pertaining to our topic:

Antiquarian is a vague term that implies antiquities but is commonly employed to describe collectible books of all sorts regardless of age

Let's just say, like the generic term bookseller, the term antiquarian is well antiquarian and needs to be revised.

The current definition of bookseller according to Webster’s is:

book·sell·er : one that sells books; especially : the proprietor of a bookstore

Of course, on the most basic level, one who sells books is a bookseller. Unfortunately, the bookselling landscape has been so radically altered that the term bookseller has become void of any significant or specific meaning.

Part I of Book Patrol’s Bookseller Manifesto for the 21^st Century will introduce new terminology for the bookselling world. The bulk of my experience is in the resale market so these terms will be most suited for that facet of the industry. I look forward to feedback from colleagues in the new book world on suggestions for new terms that apply to their endeavors and to my colleagues in the antiquarian world for feedback.

The new classifications are:

Bookseller: proprietor of a bookstore (or office) which holds regular hours and is open to the public. The bookseller has a passion for the material he/she offers and has an appreciation of the book as an object. The selling of books is his/her livelihood.

Beta Bookseller: The beta bookseller has a passion for the material he/she offers and has an appreciation of the book as an object though bookselling is not their primary livelihood. In many instances the Beta Bookseller is a Book Collector.

Pseudo Bookseller: A Book Collector with a tax id number with no intent to sell books at the time of purchase.

ISBN Seller (I Sell Books by Numbers Bookseller): The ISBN seller sees the book as a commodity. Some passion for the book might exist. They are limited to selling books produced after 1967 when the ISBN method of book identification was created. Scout Pal is a primary technology for this seller.

Book Barons (otherwise known as megalisters): Book Barons see books as commodities. They do not own the books they sell nor do they have the physical capabilities to house the books they offer. No passion simply greed. Covertly supported by book resale marketplaces.

Part II of Book Patrol’s Bookseller Manifesto will deal with the fractured world of bookselling and offer some concrete ways booksellers can unite and succeed.

Happy Holidays to book people everywhere!

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Thanks to each and everyone of you for making Book Patrol part of your book world.

Happy Holidays and the very best wishes in the coming year.

Michael

The Life and Death of the Great American People's Library

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Lieberman) — Wed, 16 Nov 2011 18:33:00 +0000

It started innocently enough. A place where the demonstrators and occupiers could feed their mind while they did their duty to try and bring about a just, sane society.

Before long the smattering of books had evolved into a fully-functioning public library. Books were coming from everywhere, there were readings, events and even a reference desk to help with the most basic and complex questions. It was a library that would have made Andrew Carnegie proud. Carnegie, whose gracious donations were responsible for the building of over 2500 libraries in the late 19th early 20th century, believed that giving to the "industrious and ambitious; not those who need everything done for them, but those who, being most anxious and able to help themselves, deserve and will be benefited by help from others." In other words the 99%!

When I first wrote about the People's Library at the end of September I said:

"I am hoping that there is a librarian amongst them who can catalog the entire contents of the library so that it can be used as a starting point for similar events in the future and of course, simply for the historical record"

It wasn't long before all my hopes came true. Through their unending passion for books, justice and democracy a slew of volunteer librarians had pulled it off! All 5,500+ books that were contained or had passed through the library are now documented on LibraryThing. It seemed at times that the feats of the People's Library and their sister libraries that were popping up around the world were getting as much attention as the Occupy Movement itself. There was so much for all of us with the book gene to be proud of. It was almost too good to be true.

And it was.

In the dark of night on November 15th the People's Library at Occupy Wall Street was destroyed. A public library in a so-called democratic society completely destroyed in a coordinated, deliberate and intentional fashion.

The day is destined to live on in infamy and Mayor Bloomberg will rightly take his place next to Hitler, whose coordinated book attacks in May of 1933 attempted to silence the opposition.

In an effort to stem the backlash Mayor Bloomberg's office tweeted the following:

"Property from #Zuccotti, incl #OWS library, safely stored @ 57th St Sanit Garage; can be picked up Weds yfrog.com/nzdr7ndj"

This picture accompanied the tweet:

Though clearly the picture doesn't show everything contained in the library, a collective sigh of relief filled the air. Of course, those first stories couldn't have been true. There was no way that anyone in their right mind would completely destroy a library under the guise of needing to do a little sanitary and fire prevention work in the area.

Earlier today a few volunteers went to retrieve what remained. Armed with this list of the contents of the People's Library:

Between 2,000 and 4,000 books (we’ll know if it looks right when we see it ), this includes five boxes of “Reference” materials many of which were autographed by the authors;
Our custom made “OWS library stamps;”
5 (4?) laptop computers;
Our wifi device;
miscellaneous paper supplies;
A round portable table;
a rectangular portable table;
6 metal shelves (five of which had been set up in two pieces);
three sets of wooden drawers;
a periodicals spinning rack;
Approximately 60 plastic tubs/bins of varying sizes (most small, but several big);
archival materials (I was starting to collect some stuff in the library);
posters (including many original posters created by OWS participants);
two lamps;
four solar lights;
7 (or so) chairs;
a wooden dinner table (that was our’s right?);
periodicals/newspapers/zines (not counted in our book total);
our awesome tent;
signage;
personal belongings of librarians;

and what did they find?

“There are only about 25 boxes of books; many of the books are destroyed. Laptops here but destroyed. Can’t find tent or shelves.”

“Many books destroyed. Most equipment -and structures missing. . . most of library is missing (ALL of the reference section btw), damaged or destroyed."

and they took a picture of this damaged Bible.

Just imagine if the destruction of this Bible was carried out by the protestors.

Then, like a phoenix rising from the flames, came this tweet from @ANIMALNewYork soon after the protestors were allowed back in to Zuccotti Park:

Someone just put down one book in the area where the People's Library used to be and declares, "We have a library." #ows

and here is an image:

Keep hope alive!

Lifecycle of a Book

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Lieberman) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 22:07:00 +0000

A worthy project from Publishing Trendsetter featuring young book professionals, in their own words, on the state of the publishing trade.

view larger pdf here

A Pedophile's Memoir. Touched: The Jerry Sandusky Story

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Lieberman) — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 20:17:00 +0000

As the Penn State child rape saga continues to unfold and the horrors committed by former defensive coordinator and accused serial pedophile Jerry Sandusky come to light there will be a lot of second guessing and soul searching as to how such a tragedy was allowed to continue for so long.

One of the most telling signs and one that is almost impossible to believe is the title of Sandusky's memoir that was published in 2001, Touched: The Jerry Sandusky Story.

The 'about the author' section on Amazon further states that "Sandusky is the founder of The Second Mile, a charitable foundations that has touched the lives of more than 100,000 children."

The irony of Sandusky, the defensive coordinator, going on the offensive against 10 year old defenseless boys is beyond rational thought.

Though the book is no longer available on Amazon it hasn't stopped people from "reviewing" the book in light of the allegations.

phillyBlurb.com has a piece titled, Jerry Sandusky's autobiography gets slammed on Amazon, in which the author ends by saying "I've never been one for burning books, but if I came across a copy of this one, I'd light the match myself."

Couple of thoughts about this utter tragedy and the seeming cover up:

First, this confirms once again that football is a very dangerous sport - with sever physical, cultural and social consequences. Of course Paterno should have been fired. The entire program should be shut down immediately until a full investigation is completed and there are guarantees that if anything close to this happens again it is dealt with effectively within 10 minutes and not over 10 years.

Composition No.1: The First Book in a Box, Redux

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Lieberman) — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 18:52:00 +0000

In the 1962 Marc Saporta published Composition No. 1. It was the first published book that came in a box. Of course, there had been books published in slipcases or that were laid in boxes for many years prior to the release of Composition No. 1 but there hadn't been one that consisted of single sheets laid into a box where "each page has a self-contained narrative, leaving it to the reader to decide the order they read the book, and how much or how little of the book they want to read before they begin again."

There were no page numbers, no chapters, no table of contents. For their third offering the forward-looking London publisher Visual Editions has taken Saporta's work and filtered it through their progressive lens. The result is a compelling production designed by Universal Everything, featuring an introduction by Tom Uglow of Creative Labs Google and Youtube and illustrations by Salvador Plascencia. Plascencia has also created a chart looking at all the different components that make up a “typical” book.

Here's the trailer:

Book available here

Other books from Visual Editions:
The Life and Opinions Of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman by Laurence Sterne
Tree Of Codes by Jonathan Safran Foer

Also worth noting - A portion of the funding for Visual Editions comes from the Arts Council of England which receives some of its monies directly from the Lottery!

Did Borders die from a lack of technology? - The Billboard of the Week

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Lieberman) — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 19:13:00 +0000

Now on sale at ~~Borders~~ amazon.com.

Amazing billboard for Aaron Shapiro’s latest book Users Not Customers, a business book focused on how industries must transition intelligently to the digital marketplace.

Shapiro also hired a bunch of ex-Borders employees to set up roving book stands in New York City to promote and hand-sell the book.

Piece in Adweek - Agency CEO Hires Laid-Off Borders Workers to Sell His Book

Crumb Covers: The Album Art of R. Crumb

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Lieberman) — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 18:51:00 +0000

It was the late 1960's. Robert Crumb was an aspiring artist living in the Haight Ashbury neighborhood of San Fransisco when he was asked by Janis Joplin to design the cover for Cheap Thrills, the first major studio album of her band Big Brother And The Holding Company. The album would eventually reach number 1 on the Billboard charts exposing the world to the counterculture visuals of R. Crumb.

And so began the album cover career of R. Crumb.

Now, some 40+ years later, W.W. Norton has released a monograph featuring all of R. Crumb's record cover art.

From his work for Joplin to his long standing commitment to jazz, country, and old-time blues music of the 1920s and 1930s to his CD art work for the Eden & John's East River String Band; Crumb's stamp is unmistakeable.

In addition to the covers this compilation presents additional work related to the covers and other lesser-known illustrations that in some way relate to the music.

The details:

Crumb, R. The Complete Record Cover Collection. New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2011. . First Printing. Square quarto. [96]pp. More than two hundred fifty illustrations. Glossy pictorial boards, a Fine copy, as New in the publisher's slipcase. $27.95 Book is available here

and here is the publishers 6+ minute trailer:

Build Your Own Bookmobile

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Lieberman) — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 20:22:00 +0000

"Fun for schools, librarians, kids, adults, and bibliophiles -- because you CAN'T make this on an iPad or a Kindle!" is how Bob Staake refers to his 3-D crafty bookmobile. You simply print it out, fold at tabs, apply a little glue and whammo you're up and running.

No library card required.

Charles Van Sandwyk gets singing

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Lieberman) — Wed, 26 Oct 2011 20:05:00 +0000

Ever wonder what one of the greatest book illustrators of our generation does during his spare time?

Well, he sings and tells stories. Backed by the Brandywine Boys, Charles Van Sandwyck has released his first CD. Quality Time: Charles Van Sandwyk + the Brandywine Boys sing, play + tell stories. The 6 song time-themed debut features Keith Lowe on acoustic base, Steve Dawson on guitar, ukulele, weissenborn and dobro and Chris Gestrin on pump organ and saloon piano.

A tri-fold insert features an introduction to the project by Keith Lowe and an original illustration by Van Sandwyk and of course, the cover and CD illustration are by Van Sandwyk as well.

The CD is available here for your listening pleasure.
Here is sampling of Van Sandwyk's work

E-Books in the Round: Google's Digital Bookcase

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Lieberman) — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 17:12:00 +0000

The digital designers at Google have come up with a new way to browse Google Books. The challenge - designing a 21st century virtual bookcase to display e-books. They "imagined something that looks like the shelves in your living room, but is also capable of showcasing the huge number of titles available online—many more than fit on a traditional shelf."

And what they came up with is a bookcase that's an infinite 3D helix. That you can spin side-to-side and up and down with your mouse. The shelf holds 3D models of more than 10,000 titles from Google Books.

The books are organized into 28 subjects and if you want to read one you just click on the “Get this book” button and you're on your way to Google Books.

More at the Official Google Blog

Bill O'Reilly gets burned

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Lieberman) — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 19:02:00 +0000

At a remote location in Afghanistan a Commander ordered a soldier to burn 20 copies of Bill O'Reilly's book Pinheads and Patriots.

As one of the soldiers involved summed it up:

Some jerk sent us two boxes of this awful book (SPOILER ALERT: George Washington — Patriot; George Soros — Pinhead) instead of anything soldiers at a remote outpost in Afghanistan might need, like, say, food or soap. Just burned the whole lot of them on my Commander's orders.

Acknowledging "people’s squeamishness about setting books ablaze." the soldier went on to reiterate that they were stationed in an "extraordinarily remote location" and sending them back or making room to carry them was not an option.

How in the world they got there in the first place and more importantly who sent them are questions worth an answer.

Piece in New York Magazine; A Soldier in Afghanistan Burned a Box of Bill O'Reilly's Book

Bookish signs of the OWS movement

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Lieberman) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 19:05:00 +0000

One of the highlights of the Occupy Wall Street movement has been the amazing signage at the events around the country. Above is one of my favorites.

and here is one with some literary-leaning.

We would love to hear about other bookish signs that have graced the protests around the country. If you have seen any worthy of inclusion please let us know.

and even G.K. Chesterton gets in the mix

Also of note, The Arts and Culture Working Group of OWS is turning many of the signs of the movement into artists books.

The Needs of the Occupy Wall Street Library

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Lieberman) — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 18:21:00 +0000

********************************************************************************
UPDATE
The Occupy Wall Street Library has started a blog. All information regarding donations and where to send them, volunteering etc. will be contained therein.
********************************************************************************

Welcome to the newest branch in the New York City public library system; The Liberty Square Library. The library serves the Occupy Wall Street community and is open 24hrs a day.
And like most libraries these days it is in serious need of support.

In an update to BP's previous post on the library I added mention of the piece on The Book Bench, the book blog of The New Yorker, in which Alexia Nadar paid a visit to the library and spoke with the "appointed caretaker," Betty Fagin.

To be clear, Fagin is a librarian who "stepped forward to take responsibility for the library." She is neither appointed or anointed. She is a volunteer who travels from her home in Brooklyn every day, she is also a mother which requires her to go home each night. She is a true hero. And she needs help!

First and foremost, more volunteers are needed to maintain and care for the library. This is a 24/7 event and hence requires round the clock support.

In addition Fagin states:

One of the biggest challenges right now is just keeping the books dry--we had a lot of heavy rain last night & I'm a bit scared of what I'll find when I get there this morning. At the moment, we're just covering everything with tarps and garbage bags when rain threatens.

You asked about the library's needs. They change daily, but book donations have been pouring in-- keeping up with what we have and creating order is a challenge. Our biggest need is for more help. We would love to have more books in languages other than English, board games have been very popular (risk would be nice, another chess set or two) and book repair supplies (I've done some things with duct tape I'm not proud of). I dream of those big plastic containers with lids that are water tight.

So now it's up to us.

Here are two Twitter hashtags that can help the process: #occupywallstreetlibrary #libertysquarelibrary

As needs arise they can be posted and hopefully fulfilled. I have personally pledged some immediate financial support to address some of the most pressing needs. If you are not in the NYC region and would like to donate some of the requested items please email me at michael@bookpatrol.net and I will try and facilitate as best I can.

Goodnight Book

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Lieberman) — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:54:00 +0000

No, this isn't one of those all too common stories lamenting the end of books. This is a story about a comfortable place for your books to rest.

Now you can sleep side by side with your most cherished book. Open to you favorite passage or illustration and the book will rest as soundly as you until you are ready to re-engage.

Welcome to the Rare Book Display Pillow courtesy of University Products.

Here's what the say about it:

The idea for this simple, yet safe and effective method of providing full support for rare books on display came to us from the Department of Special Collections at the University of Florida. Each pillow contains inert ethafoam crystals encased in a heat sealed Tyvek cover for durability. Simply mold the pillow to the desired shape and rest the book in place. May be used again and again.

The pillow comes in two sizes and can be had for under $40.

Goodnight Book...

Protest Library

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Lieberman) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 22:52:00 +0000

There are a lot of positive aspects to what's been going on in Lower Manhattan courtesy of the Occupy Wall Street movement but there is one part in particular that brings me plenty of joy. It is the makeshift library that has sprung up to provide protestors with some reading material.

Quite a few people have been camping out, some since it all began on September 17, so it is great to see that they have the ability to feed their mind while they participate in the occupation.

Titles include, from what I can make out, Orwell's Animal Farm, a biography of Emma Goldman, Nick Hornby's Housekeeping vs. Dirt, a collection of his bookish pieces from The Believer, and a copy of Democracy in America by De Tocqueville among many others.

I am hoping that there is a librarian amongst them who can catalog the entire contents of the library so that it can be used as a starting point for similar events in the future and of course, simply for the historical record.

I would also love to know what exactly are "The Library Needs" listed in the above photo so we can get to work filling them.

UPDATE

9/29 Alexia Nadar has a piece on The New Yorker blog The Book Bench about the Occupy Wall Street library and its origins including a chat with the "appointed caretaker" of the library.

'The Future' in the hands of Lapham's Quarterly

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Lieberman) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 21:16:00 +0000

One of the consequences of the unparalleled amount of information now available to us courtesy of the Internet is a sort of data paralysis. With so many options and so much to see and read it is becoming an increasing challenge to simply know where to begin. Of course you can search for something on Google but then what? Aside from the politics of search and placement inherent in a Google search, there is simply too much information out there.

Enter Lapham's Quarterly. Founded in 2008 by long-time editor at Harper's Louis H. Lapham. LQ removes many of the barriers one faces when trying to go deep into a topic. Each issue is heavily curated and illustrated and revolves around a single theme. If one of the themes covered is of interest then it's a great place to start your journey.

A typical issue features an introductory Preamble from Editor Lewis H. Lapham; approximately 100 “Voices in Time” — that is, appropriately themed selections drawn from the annals and archives of the past — and newly commissioned commentary and criticism from today’s preeminent scholars and writers. Myriad photographs, paintings, charts, graphs, and maps round out each issue’s 224 pages.

Medieval missionary discovering the point where heaven and earth meet, twentieth-century coloration of black-and-white engraving from "The Atmosphere," by Camille Flammarion, 1888. © The Art Archive / Kharbine-Tapabor

The current issue presents a dazzling array of content and illustrations dealing with the concept of "The Future." From Aeschylus to H.G Wells, from James Boswell to Ray Bradbury the scope is both enormous and inspiring. Over 200 illustrations compliment the content.

"Flying Fireman," color lithograph from the series "Visions of the Year 2000," by Jean-Marc Côté, 1899. © The Art Archive / Kharbine-Tapabor

Here a sampling from the “Voices in Time” Predictions section:

Ray Kurzweil Describes Man's Fate: 2005 / Massachusetts
Blind Fate: c. 429 BC / Thebes
Forecast: 1865 / San Francisco
Stormy with a Chance of Locusts: c. 95 / Patmos
Furor Teutonicus: 1835 / Paris
H. G. Wells Travels in Time: 802701 / London
The Future Was Closer Then: 1903 / Paris
The Future Is Not Yet: c. 397 / Hippo
John Kenneth Galbraith Tells It Like It Is: 1958 / Cambridge, MA
After the Revolution: 1878 / LondonOut with the Old: 1960 / Paris
Deconstructing the Oracle: 480 BC / Athens
About a Mountian: 1998 / Washington, DC
Charles Fourier Asks, Whither Civilization?: 1808 / Lyon
Philip K. Dick Recalls the Future: 1992 / New York City
What Futures May Come From Dreams: c. 200 / Ephesus
Game Changer: c. 1795 / London

The Future Issue available here
Previous issue: Food

Gorey Letters

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Lieberman) — Wed, 21 Sep 2011 17:34:00 +0000

“Your letters . . . your existence has made something of this world that [it] hadn’t the possibility of before.” - Peter F. Neumeyer

It was 1968. Edward Gorey was contracted by the publisher Addison-Wesley to illustrate a children's book written by Peter F. Neumeyer. At their first meeting Gorey slipped and Neumeyer grabbed him by the arm. The grab dislocated Gorey's shoulder and it was during his stay at the hospital waiting for treatment that they began what would become a deep life-long friendship.

The book, an illustrated memoir, features 75 typewriter-transcribed letters, 38 illustrated envelopes, and more than 60 postcards and illustrations exchanged between them.

"The letters also paint an intimate portrait of Edward Gorey, a man often mischaracterized as macabre or even ghoulish. His gentleness, humility, and brilliance—interwoven with his distinctive humor—shine in each letter"

Gorey and Neumeyer would end up collaborating on three children's books: Donald and The.; Why We Have Day and Night and Donald Has a Difficulty.

The details:

Neumeyer, Peter F., edited by. Floating Worlds. The Letters of Edward Gorey & Peter F. Neumeyer. San Francisco: Pomegranate, 2011. First Printing. Large octavo. 256pp. Index. Numerous illustrations in color throughout. Pictorial paper covered boards in a matching dust jacket. $35

Available Here

Press release (PDF)