It is not pious, it is wise; and its wisdom is delivered with extraordinary lucidity and charm. This is how Montaigne would have written about the dizzy and increasingly dolorous age of the Internet. May So Many Books fall into so many hands."—Leon Wieseltier"Reading liberates the reader and transports him from his book to a reading of himself and all of life. It leads him to participate in conversations, and in some cases to arrange them…It could even be said that to publish a book is to insert it into the middle of a conversation."—from So Many BooksJoin the conversation! In So Many Books, Gabriel Zaid offers his observations on the literary condition: a highly original analysis of the predicament that readers, authors, publishers, booksellers, librarians, and teachers find themselves in today—when there are simply more books than any of us can contemplate."With cascades of books pouring down on him from every direction, how can the twenty-first-century reader keep his head above water? Gabriel Zaid answers that question in a variety of surprising ways, many of them witty, all of them provocative."—Anne Fadiman, Author of Ex-Libris"A truly original book about books. Destined to be a classic!"—Enrique Krauze, Author of Mexico: Biography of Power, Editor of Letras Libres"Gabriel Zaid's small gem of a book manages to be both delectable and useful, like chocolate fortified with vitamins. His rare blend of wisdom and savvy practical sense should make essential and heartening reading for anyone who cares about the future of books and the life of the mind."—Lynne Sharon Schwartz, Author of Ruined by Reading: A Life in Books"Gabriel Zaid is a marvelously elegant and playful writer—a cosmopolitan critic with sound judgment and a light touch. He is a jewel of Latin American letters, which is no small thing to be. Read him—you'll see."—Paul Berman"'So many books,' a phrase usually muttered with despair, is transformed into an expression of awe and joy by Gabriel Zaid. Arguing that books are the essential part of the great conversation we call culture and civilization, So Many Books reminds us that reading (and, by extension, writing and publishing) is a business, a vanity, a vocation, an avocation, a moral and political act, a hedonistic pursuit, all of the aforementioned, none of the aforementioned, and is often a miracle."—Doug Dutton"Zaid traces the preoccupation with reading back through Dr. Johnson, Seneca, and even the Bible ('Of making many books there is no end'). He emerges as a playful celebrant of literary proliferation, noting that there is a new book published every thirty seconds, and optimistically points out that publishers who moan about low sales 'see as a failure what is actually a blessing: The book business, unlike newspapers, films, or television, is viable on a small scale.' Zaid, who claims to own more than ten thousand books, says he has sometimes thought that 'a chastity glove for authors who can't contain themselves' would be a good idea. Nonetheless, he cheerfully opines that 'the truly cultured are capable of owning thousands of unread books without losing their composure or their desire for more.'"—New YorkerGabriel Zaid's poetry, essays, social and cultural criticism, and business writings have been widely published throughout the Spanish-speaking world. He lives in Mexico City with the artist Basia Batorska, her paintings, three cats, and ten thousand books.Natasha Wimmer is an editor and a translator in New York City. Her recent translations include The Savage Detectives and 2666 by Roberto Bolaño andThe Way to Paradise by Mario Vargas Llosa.

    From Denmark to Egypt, from the USA to China, Browse brings together some of the world's leading authors to investigate bookshops both in general and in particular - the myriad pleasures, puzzles and possibilities they disclose.The fifteen essays reflect their authors' own inimitable style - romantic, elegant, bold, argumentative, poetic or whimsical - as they ask probing questions about the significance, the cultural and social (even political) function as well as the physical qualities of the institution, and examine our very personal relationship to it. Contributors include:Alaa Al Aswany (Egypt)Stefano Benni (Italy)Michael Dirda (USA)Daniel Kehlmann (Germany)Andrey Kurkov (Ukraine)Yiyun Li (China)Pankaj Mishra (India)Dorthe Nors (Denmark)Yvonne Adhiambo Owuor (Kenya)Elif Shafak (Turkey)Ian Sansom (UK)Iain Sinclair (UK)Ali Smith (UK)Saša Stanišic (Germany/Bosnia)Juan Gabriel Vásquez (Colombia)

    Henry is one of the most widely published of modern authors. His works-more than six hundred stories-have been translated into nearly every language. Although his first literary success took Latin America for its setting, he is best known for his tales about the people of New York City- "Baghdad-on-the-Subway" -stories that are inventive, ironic, and surprisingly contemporary. This collection of O. Henry's works contain 30 of his best-loved pieces, including the eternal Christmas classic "The Gift of the Magi."

    Help is given for the selection and sharing of books in each genre. Each chapter has brief insets of author comments, collaborative activities, featured books, special topics and activities, selected awards and celebrations, historical connections, recommended resources, issues for discussion, and assignment suggestions.The author, a former President of the U.S. Board on Books for Young People, has written an affordable text especially for school and children's librarians and faculty teaching both undergraduate and graduate students who are studying to be school and children's librarians. While similar texts on this subject are designed for teachers, this is an activities-oriented survey of children's literature written especially for students seeking licensure and degrees leading to careers working with children in schools and public libraries. All the pieces are there, the explanations of the genres, introductions to authors and illustrations, and the use of specific titles with their audiences, and the literature is carefully linked to active practice in libraries. Chapters are enriched by brief insets of authors' comments, collaborative activities, selected awards and celebrations, historical connections, recommended resources, issues for discussion, and assignment suggestions.The framework for this text adds a layer of practical application in every chapter for the librarian who shares books with children, plans book-based programs, and collaborates with teachers and families in sharing books and developing literature-based instruction. What does a librarian need to know about how to select and share books in each genre? What are the usual promotion and collaboration activities associated with each genre? This book answers those questions while maintaining its focus on literature for children. Embedded in a genre approach to literature, it has a unique focus on the librarian or future librarian.

    The authors give teachers criteria for evaluating books of all genres.

    Genres and reading trends are demystified as more than 5,000 titles are classified, with two new chapters on Christian fiction and emerging genres. You'll also find essays by genre experts and the foremost proponents of readers' advisory today.For the past 150 years, America's public libraries have supplied billions of books to billions of people, and most of those books have been (and continue to be) popular fiction. The new edition of Genreflecting explains not only what library patrons are reading, but why. In the process, it casts reading in a new light, demonstrating the way in which it functions as an essential information service that creates communities in culturally democratic ways.Focusing on what today's readers read, this classic guide introduces current genre fiction and popular reading tastes. By defining genres, describing their features and characteristics, and grouping titles by genre, subgenre, and theme, the book helps those who work with readers understand distinct patterns in reading habits and book selection. It thus helps users identify read-alikes and other titles their patrons will enjoy.Genreflecting has become a standard reference and readers' advisory tool for library practitioners, and an insightful text for students of library and information science. Building upon previous editions, this new volume features informative essays on the essence, history, and latest trends of various genres, contributed by top scholars and genre experts, edited by Dr. Wayne Wiegand. New chapters on Christian fiction and emerging genres (women's fiction and chick lit) have been added. In addition, more than 5,000 titles, approximately one-third new to this edition, are classified, focusing on titles published since the last edition along with perennial classics and benchmark titles. The popular feature D's Picks identifies new and noteworthy titles in each genre. Other features new to this edition include lists of selected classic authors and titles in each genre, sections on genreblends in those areas where they occur (e.g., horror/humor, mystery/romance), and three new essays. The Social Nature of Reading by Dr. Wiegand, The Readers' Advisory Interview by Dr. Catherine Ross, and A Brief History of Readers' Advisory by Melanie A. Kimball offer further insight into the nature and importance of this field. A standard professional tool for readers' advisors, and an invaluable collection development guide and text, this is a must-purchase for all libraries. Young adult and adult or Grades 10 and up.

    The excitement is fulfilling. The year is 1973. A priceless book has been stolen from the Oakland Public Library. A crack team of Bookhunters (aka. library police) have less than three days to recover the stolen item. It’s a race against the clock as our heroes use every tool in their arsenal of library equipment to find the book and the mastermind who stole it.Will the detectives catch this scoundrel? Find out in Bookhunter, the greatest comic of the new millennium. What a roller coaster ride of excitement! What an unexpected twist takes place! Do not begin Bookhunter unless you are prepared to finish it in one sitting.

    Writers from Shakespeare to Ray Bradbury and librarians from John Cotton Dana to Nancy Pearl are gathered together to sing the praises of librarians' skills, values, and the amazing institutions they support. Citations are provided to the original source material, and a handy biographical dictionary provides background on individuals who may not be household names. With its broad selection of sayings that pay honor to their work and commitment, "The Librarian's Book of Quotes" is a perfect gift for information professionals and lovers of libraries.

    The author traces the evolution of the book from the rarefied world of the hand-copied and illuminated volume in ancient and medieval times, through the revolutionary impact of Gutenberg’s invention of the printing press, to the rise of a publishing culture in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and the subsequent impact of new technologies on this culture.  Many of the great individual titles of the past two millennia are discussed as well as the range of book types and formats that have emerged in the last few hundred years, from serial and dime novels to paperbacks, children’s books, and Japanese manga. The volume ends with a discussion of the digital revolution in book production and distribution and the ramifications for book lovers, who can’t help but wonder whether the book will thrive—or even survive—in a form they recognize.

    Today, the more than 17,000 libraries in America also function as de facto community centers offering free access to the internet, job-hunting assistance, or a warm place to take shelter. And yet, across the country, cities large and small are closing public libraries or curtailing their hours of operation. Over the last eighteen years, photographer Robert Dawson has crisscrossed the country documenting hundreds of these endangered institutions. The Public Library presents a wide selection of Dawson's photographs— from the majestic reading room at the New York Public Library to Allensworth, California's one-room Tulare County Free Library built by former slaves. Accompanying Dawson's revealing photographs are essays, letters, and poetry by some of America's most celebrated writers. A foreword by Bill Moyers and an afterword by Ann Patchett bookend this important survey of a treasured American institution.

    She had big plans of becoming a model, but within a week she was homeless and broke. What follows is her exceptional story of trying to make it on her own with nothing to her name and no one to trust. She encounters a string of people who take advantage of her youth and beauty, endures many disappointments and rejections, and has a surprising connection to an infamous murder trial. This sparse narrative of a girl who loses herself before finding her way is not only utterly compelling—it’s entirely true.

    A host of specialists have contributed to the collection. This new edition includes more detailed discussion of a wider range of reference-related services including interlibrary loan, document delivery, and readers' advisory services. There is also increased attention to ethical issues and a stronger focus on user-centered services, both face-to-face and mediated by technology. In addition, the authors discuss Web sites of significant value to reference services and the impact of the Internet and World Wide Web on reference services. This carefully designed and readable text explains the essential theory and provides the practical knowledge necessary for an initial reference course. Its broad scope and organizational clarity will benefit students and practitioners.

    Divided into four easy-to-follow parts, this authoritative handbook from experienced archivist Laura A. Millar addresses the contextual, strategic, operational, and practical issues associated with creating an archival program.Millar covers the critical topics you need to know to improve your professional skills, including:• establishing principles, policies, and procedures• managing day-to-day operations• caring for different types of archival materials• enhancing outreach and public access• ensuring the growth and sustainability of the institution and its servicesThis new title is essential for anyone involved in collecting, curating, and managing archives because the accessible, jargon-free language provides both novice and experienced professionals with a clear outline of all the fundamental principles and practices in the field.

    The Artist's Library offers the idea that an artist is any person who uses creative tools to make new things, and the guidance and resources to make libraries of all sizes and shapes come alive as spaces for art-making and cultural engagement. Case studies included in the book range from the crafty (pop-up books) to the community-minded (library galleries) to documentary (photo projects) to the technically complex ("listening" to libraries via Dewey decimal frequencies).The Library as Incubator Project was created by Erinn Batykefer, Laura Damon-Moore, and Christina Endres. It highlights the ways that libraries and artists can work together, and works to strengthen these partnerships. By calling attention to one of the many reasons libraries are important to our communities and our culture, it provides a dynamic online forum for sharing ideas.Erinn Batykefer is a librarian, a writer, and a lifelong do-it-yourselfer. She earned an MFA in writing and a Master of Library and Information Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her first poetry collection, Allegheny, Monongahela, won the Benjamin Saltman Poetry Prize.Laura Damon-Moore is a librarian, blogger, and avid art-maker in her spare time. Laura received her master's degree in Library and Information Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2012.Jessica Pigza is the assistant curator in the New York Public Library's Rare Book Division. She also writes on handmade material culture, DIY, and handicrafts at Hand-Made Librarian.

    Galvanized by the events of war into acquiring and preserving the written word, as well as providing critical information for intelligence purposes, these American civilians set off on missions to gather foreign publications and information across Europe. They journeyed to neutral cities in search of enemy texts, followed a step behind advancing armies to capture records, and seized Nazi works from bookstores and schools. When the war ended, they found looted collections hidden in cellars and caves. Their mission was to document, exploit, preserve, and restitute these works, and even, in the case of Nazi literature, to destroy them.In this fascinating account, cultural historian Kathy Peiss reveals how book and document collecting became part of the new apparatus of intelligence and national security, military planning, and postwar reconstruction. Focusing on the ordinary Americans who carried out these missions, she shows how they made decisions on the ground to acquire sources that would be useful in the war zone as well as on the home front.These collecting missions also boosted the postwar ambitions of American research libraries, offering a chance for them to become great international repositories of scientific reports, literature, and historical sources. Not only did their wartime work have lasting implications for academic institutions, foreign-policy making, and national security, it also led to the development of today's essential information science tools.Illuminating the growing global power of the United States in the realms of intelligence and cultural heritage, Peiss tells the story of the men and women who went to Europe to collect and protect books and information and in doing so enriches the debates over the use of data in times of both war and peace.