For many celebrities, being talented at one’s craft, whether that's as a successful actor or musician, is no longer is enough nowadays. In a 2019 Guardian piece called “Second thoughts: the rise of the celebrity side hustle", author Sam Wolfson writes, “Clothing, makeup and other luxury lines can generate billions – far surpassing the money that some famous faces make from … [Read more...] about Shedding a light on Ghostwriting
Panel examines libraries as ‘political battlegrounds’
As we reported on at the end of February, a coalition of library workers and advocates have organized a March of Action for libraries. The coalition is hosting a series of Congressional briefings in response to the growing concern about fair access to digital rights, including ebooks, audio books and other digital resources. The coalition invited concerned stakeholders, such as … [Read more...] about Panel examines libraries as ‘political battlegrounds’
How Out of-the-Box thinking saved Barnes & Noble
In 1873, Charles M. Barnes opened a small book business from his home in Wheaton, Illinois. His son, William Barnes carried the torch forward and alongside Clifford Noble, they opened the very first Barnes & Noble (B&N) bookstore in 1917 on Fifth Avenue in New York City. The store began to flourish, gaining it a reputation for excellence. In 1971 Bookseller Leonard … [Read more...] about How Out of-the-Box thinking saved Barnes & Noble
Indigo employees’ data taken in ransomware attack
Some current and former Indigo employees have received some really bad news; their personal data has been stolen through a cyberattack last month. According a report by CBC news, current and past employees have been trying to navigate this sudden threat which may hang over their heads for the rest of their lives. Indigo currently operates more than 160 stores … [Read more...] about Indigo employees’ data taken in ransomware attack
Amazon Exclusivity Clause causing issues for authors who are pirated
Countless first-time, indie, and previously published authors have the ability to easily publish their works through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP) program. The process is fairly straight-forward and offers a lot of advantages for writers. As opposed to the traditional publishing route, authors have a lot of say in the decisions for their book in terms of formatting, … [Read more...] about Amazon Exclusivity Clause causing issues for authors who are pirated
Backlash over University’s plan to make libraries ‘all digital’
Castleton University, Northern Vermont University, and Vermont Technical College are currently in the process of consolidating into one academic community which will be called "Vermont State University". As part of this transition, administrators announced on February 7th that it would be making massive changes to the university’s programs, by cutting sports and closing all … [Read more...] about Backlash over University’s plan to make libraries ‘all digital’
Call to Action for Digital Content
A coalition of library workers and advocates, including the Internet Archive, Public Knowledge, Fight for the Future, Library Futures, and EveryLibrary, are organizing a March of Action for libraries. In response to the growing concern about fair access to digital rights, including ebooks, audio books and other digital resources, the coalition is hosting a series of virtual … [Read more...] about Call to Action for Digital Content
Librarians signal an SOS in support of students’ access to eBooks
Being a post secondary student can be unbelievably expensive. Depending on your field of study, your textbooks could be hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. To help with this cost, many post secondary schools have a "Used-Book" section in their campus books stores. As well, unless the program has drastically changed, many professors and instructors try to make concessions for … [Read more...] about Librarians signal an SOS in support of students’ access to eBooks
New AI tech presents challenges for schools and plagiarism
Writing an essay is not a quick endeavor. A student must come out with a topic, thesis, research relevant academic sources, decide on the style of essay, actually sit down to write, edit, and finally, put together the reference section. This all takes time. Imagine being able to do all of that in the amount of time it takes to snap your fingers? Ask the new artificial … [Read more...] about New AI tech presents challenges for schools and plagiarism
Is Amazon being fully transparent about mass employee layoffs?
Just recently, Amazon CEO Andy Jassy made an announcement that massive cuts to staff were coming across the board. “Amazon has weathered uncertain and difficult economies in the past, and we will continue to do so,” Jassy wrote in a memo after an employee leaked the plans, prompting him to make a public announcement.The reasons behind the mass job cuts are being blamed on a … [Read more...] about Is Amazon being fully transparent about mass employee layoffs?
Authors Guild backs Lawsuit against Google
On Jan 24th 2023, The US Justice Department, along with the Attorney Generals of several states, filed a civil antitrust suit against Google for “monopolizing digital technology products in violation of Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act.” The allegations outlined in the lawsuit are that Google employed, “anticompetitive, exclusionary, and unlawful means to eliminate or … [Read more...] about Authors Guild backs Lawsuit against Google