An author friend had this link up on her facebook page, Little Free Library and now I am green with Little Free Library envy. The essential brilliant idea is to build a small waterproof container on a stand much like used for mailboxes, incorporate a plexiglass window for the door, and put free books … Read more
BSP—short for Better Speaking Program? Badly Spoiled Prom? Butter Squash Pumpkin? Blissfully Stupid Politician? No, as unlikely as it may seem, BSP stands for Blatant Self Promotion. And in the crime fiction field, it seems as though indulging in BSP, is a badge of honor, or rite of passage for an author. Almost every writer … Read more
Or, why am others and I like me, obsessed with books? Yesterday I think I startled a friend with my guttural reaction to her having ripped apart some old used children’s books we had found together for a project we are jointly working on. She is not careless or indifferent to the written word. On the … Read more
Or at least, 50 million Americans aren’t readers. Of books, in any form. In a phone survey funded by The Gates Mega Couple, Bill and Melinda, 21% read an e-book. And those with e-readers, read 8 books more a year than those who prefer to open a physical thing . We who are the latter, … Read more
At first, the concept of shelves of books as teeny libraries in New York City phone booths seemed laughable. I mean, we’re talking about NYC, where men relieve themselves openly on buildings, trashcans, and phone booths. Certainly dogs habitually find the steel like protrudents irresistible. Then there’s the vandalism and theft found in major metropolitan … Read more
I didn’t realize that biblios had such a broad range. While researching, I found rare manuscripts and letters, and even scraps of writing on paper were considered part of the genre. A few titles fit very neatly. Here’s one–The Vivero Letter, Bagley, Desmond, 1968– A letter dating from 1539 and the conquest of Mexico by Cortes … Read more
I ran across an article about challenges the Canadian libraries and school libraries faced for the year 2010. Despite lagging a year behind in their statistics, the outcome was quite pleasing to me, as someone who has written so much on banning books from school and public libraries in the US. Report of the Annual … Read more
On one of my weird road trips I had the privilege of visiting the little town of Wells in the NY Adirondack mountains. So it’s disturbing to find out how much damage has been done to their library and the entire picture book collection for children. They are asking for monetary donations to replace the … Read more
