Library offers showcase space for artists

Link to December 26 Superior Telegram post.

Excerpt:
For 16 years, a trio of Italian dioramas have greeted guests in the lobby of the Superior Public Library.

This year, the space will get a monthly makeover from local artists. Watch for felt dolls, driftwood sculpture, paintings, photographs, woven fabrics and even floating cups to put in an appearance.

According to The Library History Buff, Superior, Wisconsin has the distinction of being the home of the oldest of 63 Carnegie libraries built in Wisconsin and the home of the last Carnegie library building built in Wisconsin.

If you are not yet familiar with Larry Nix's great website, now is as good a time as any to start!

End-of-Year Assessment of E-books

Link to December 23 New York Times article, "Turning Page, E-Books Start to Take Hold".

Excerpt:
For a decade, consumers mostly ignored electronic book devices, which were often hard to use and offered few popular items to read. But this year, in part because of the popularity of Amazon.com’s wireless Kindle device, the e-book has started to take hold.

The $359 Kindle, which is slim, white and about the size of a trade paperback, was introduced a year ago. Although Amazon will not disclose sales figures, the Kindle has at least lived up to its name by creating broad interest in electronic books. Now it is out of stock and unavailable until February. Analysts credit Oprah Winfrey, who praised the Kindle on her show in October, and blame Amazon for poor holiday planning.

It's a new world...

...that some folks don't understand.

Link to December 23 techdirt post, "Record Labels Learning They Have Little Leverage On YouTube".

Excerpt: As noted by some folks, for many kids these days, YouTube is how they find and listen to music these days. Forcing your songs off YouTube would be like demanding their removal from the radio twenty years ago.

Another Fictional Memoir?

Link to December 23 Publishers Weekly post, "New Republic Piece Questions Veracity of New Penguin Title".

Excerpt: In its issue set for release December 25, The New Republic is calling into question the veracity of Angel at the Fence: The True Story of a Love That Survived, set to be published in hardcover by Berkley in February.

Survey Says

Internet Overtakes Newspapers as News Source.

Stacking Up, Unread?

Link to December 23 Pew Research Center post.

TV still rules, with 70% of respondents selecting it as their main source of national and international news (down from 74% in Sept. 2007).

The Internet: 40% (up from 24%)

Newspapers: 35% (up from 34%!) This may actually be good news. Newspapers as a source of news have been on an even keel for the past four years in Pew surveys, though you wouldn't know it with all the layoffs and shrinking coverage and reduced delivery zones of late.

Crystal Ball Time II

Link to December 23 pcmag.com post, "2009: What to Expect in Tech".

Please Sign In First

Link to December 22 Editor & Publisher post, "Idaho Lawmaker May Introduce Measure to Make People Use Real Names When Commenting ".

Excerpt:
Dave Neiwert, a former Times-News staffer from the 1980s and now a freelancer and blogger at Crooks and Liars, says "taking away that cover will remove valuable voices and important perspectives from the public dialogue."

You mean like the stuff you find here?

I agree with Mr. Neiwart but not for any high-falutin' reasons. Let people blather to their heart's content. It's the bloviators that provide Konservative Komedy Kavalcade with its best material.

Survey Says

Most Adults Find Internet Access Essential to Daily Life in Today's Economy. Link to December 15 Intel.com news release.

Excerpt: Internet Access Essential in Today's Economic Climate: Ninety-five percent of adults feel that it is very important, important or somewhat important for people to have devices that allow them to access the Internet. A majority (82 percent) agree that Internet-enabled devices help them stay up to date real-time on the state of the economy. Eighty-seven percent say that Internet access has helped them save money.