 |
 Issue 8, Nov. 2005 |
           |
|
![The reading of all good books is like a conversation with the finest men of past centuries. [Descartes]](www_graphics_srl/basics/home_page_quote.gif) |
 |
New Fiction
New Non-Fiction
New Audios
New DVD's
BOOKLISTSEvery month in this spot we will feature reading suggestions. These will include historic fiction, science fiction, mysteries, and more. Many of these titles can be found in the Mid Hudson Library System. Dysfunctional FamiliesFiction
Nonfiction
Compiled by the subscribers of the Fiction_L mailing list. |
LIBRARY PLANNINGTake our short survey and help the Library plan for its future. Survey BOOK and BAKE SALEwill finally be held on our 4th RAIN DATE: Saturday, October 29, 10am - 3pmWe have lots of great titles waiting for you! And while you are here, have some cider and delicious baked goods also for sale. UPCOMING PROGRAMSROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION"Intelligent Design, Public Education and the First Amendment," Michael Wallace, moderatorNovember 1, 2005, 7 - 9pm at the Community CenterThe discussion will focus on the controversy created by the push to include Intelligent Design or Creationism in public school curricula. Is there a proper place for these ideas in our public school classes? If so, where? If not, why not? What are the larger issues regarding the First Amendment right to Freedom of Speech and Religion raised by this hotly debated topic? How separate should Church and State be in 21st century America? Roundtable discussions are sponsored by the Stone Ridge Library to provide our community with a forum to share ideas about topics of importance and interest. This is the third in a series that began in the fall of 2004. The next Roundtable is scheduled for December 6. Topic to be announced. Please join us for a community dialog on vital issues at these Roundtables. The Library has recently purchased some books relating to this subject:
21 GRAMS -SCREENING AND TALKRescheduled - Look for a new date in the spring |
GREAT WEBSITES !New WordsA Sampling of New Words and Senses From the New 2005 Copyright of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition "Find a sample of the nearly 100 new words and senses that have been added" in 2005 to this well-known dictionary of American English. Terms include "cybrarian (noun) ... a person whose job is to find, collect, and manage information that is available on the World Wide Web." New Words FolkstreamsFind rare films by independent filmmakers on diverse topics such as music (blues, roots, klezmer, gospel, playground songs, and more), outsider art, folk crafts (such as quilting and basketmaking), folk dance, religious experience, storytelling, and more. The site also includes transcripts, essays, and background information for many of the films. This not-for-profit venture is funded in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services. Folkstreams Hudson River PCBs Superfund SiteInformation about the cleanup of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the Hudson River. In October 2005 the Justice Department and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) reached an agreement with the General Electric Company requiring it to begin the dredging of the Hudson River in 2007. This site contains background information, maps, photos, a FAQ (with information about PCBs, contamination of the Hudson River, and the dewatering facility that will hold dredged sediment), and related material. From the EPA. Cleanup Websites for KnittersAre You Wearing Woolies? Medieval Knitting, NålbindingAnnotated links to websites about period knitting. Includes sites about medieval Muslim knitting, Egyptian socks, hand-knit stockings from the 1500s, Viking-age yarnwork (nålbinding), and more. From SCAtoday.net, a website "offering news, information, and discussions ... to members of the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA)." Medieval Knitting Here to There Dept.: Stitches2005 article on the Yarn Bus, "a fifteen-passenger van topped with three enormous balls of yarn and a pair of knitting needles the size of 9-irons," that shuttles passengers (free of charge) to and from Manhattan to the Flying Fingers yarn store in Irvington (Westchester County), New York. From the New Yorker magazine. Stitches Knitting for a Better WorldAnnotated list of organizations and projects focused on knitting and crocheting for charitable causes. Includes knitting for premature infants, children in hospitals, domestic violence victims, chemotherapy patients, U.S. armed forces, humanitarian projects in other countries, and more. From a publisher of craft books. Charitable Knitting V&A: KnittingThis site features annotated images of knitted items from the Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum in London, and additional features on knitting. Includes information about regional knitting in the British Isles and Ireland (such as Shetlands, Fair Isle, and Channel Islands), interviews with knitting designers, patterns from the 1940s, a list of knitting blogs, and related material. V&A Used Books Are $2 Billion IndustryThe Associated Press - By HILLEL ITALIE NEW YORK -- For as long as there has been a publishing industry, there have been used books, that supposedly quaint world of polymaths and antiquarians poking about musty, cluttered stores for titles few readers would know. But a landmark study released in September confirms what publishers, authors and booksellers have believed - and feared - since the rise of the Internet: Used books have become a modern powerhouse, driven by high prices for new works and by the convenience of finding any title, new or old, without leaving your home. According to the Book Industry Study Group, used book sales topped $2.2 billion in 2004, an 11 percent increase over 2003. Much of that growth can be credited to the Internet. While used sales at traditional stores rose a modest 4.6 percent, they jumped 33 percent online, to just over $600 million. "I think consumers are increasingly starting to notice that they can get used books in good condition, in a timely manner," says Jeff Hayes, a director at InfoTrends, a market research firm that served as the principal analyst for the BISG study. More than 111 million used books were purchased last year, representing about one out of every 12 overall book purchases. By the end of the decade, the percentage is expected to rise to one out of 11, a troubling trend when sales for new works are essentially flat; authors and publishers receive no royalties from used buys. "Obviously, these are not statistics to warm the heart of publishers," says Simon & Schuster spokesman Adam Rothberg. The BISG, a nonprofit organization supported by publishers, booksellers and others in the industry, reports that price is the greatest appeal for choosing used books over new ones. While hardcovers often cost $25 and higher, used books purchased in 2004 averaged $8.12 - except for text books, which averaged $42.31. The study will likely revive the complaints of authors and publishers who say that online retailers are hurting new sales by aggressively promoting used copies. On Amazon.com and eBay, for example, used editions are often available at the same time, or even before, a new book is released. The industry, indirectly, may even contribute to the problem: Author signings for upcoming releases are a tradition at BookExpo America, publishing's annual convention. But they also lead to a wave of offerings on eBay, publishers say. "I have made it clear that I do not like the signings at BookExpo," says Jane Friedman, CEO of HarperCollins. "The author should at least make the signature personal, `Dear Jane,' so it's worth less to sell." The BISG survey looks at both education and general markets. The cost of text books has long been a matter of contention and the BISG reports that educational buys totaled an estimated $1.6 billion - nearly all through traditional stores _ an increase of 8 1/2 percent over 2003. But Hayes was more impressed by the nearly $600 million - much of that online - spent on noneducation books, a 25 percent jump. "I think you may be seeing consumer behavior changing," he says. "It could become like going to the movies: `Do you want to the see the movie in the theater or do you want to wait for the DVD?' The `DVD' is available a lot faster now." "One of our cautionary tales is what happened in the textbook industry," says Paul Aiken, executive director of the Authors Guild, which represents thousands of published authors. "Because of used books, educational publishers tried to make up for the loss by raising the prices of new ones and quickly issuing new editions to make old ones obsolete. We don't want to see that cycle again for the nonacademic market." The size of the used book market has never been calculated before, and the industry study group report represents an unusual cooperative effort among the leading used book retailers. Amazon.com, Alibris.com and eBay are among those who provided precise sales figures, usually the dearest of industry secrets. "There's a great deal of curiosity about this market. We all know our own numbers, but we could only guess about our competitors," says Boris Wertz, COO of Abebooks.com, an online retailer that, according to Wertz, had used sales of more than $100 million last year. Sales from individual retailers were not provided by the BISG. The BISG study raises other questions, such as how publishers can respond to the used market. Friedman rejects the idea of lowering prices, but acknowledges that she has no specific solution. "It's something we've looked at for a long time," she says. The study also does not resolve a fundamental dispute over used books: Are they hurting the market for new books, as many publishers and authors believe? Or, as retailers say, do they simply enable customers to acquire books they otherwise wouldn't have purchased? "My sense is, excluding textbooks, that at least half of used books sales come at the expense of books still in print," Hayes says. "But there may be an upside, because a consumer might buy a used book by a certain author, and like it enough to buy the author's next book. So at this point, the impact is hard to quantify." Contact UsPhone: 687-7023 E-Mail: Webmaster |
|
HOME | GENERAL | SERVICES | RECENT | CATALOGS | PROGRAMS | HELP US | COMMUNITY | SITE MAP
|
||
