HEY! this is serious stuff.

serious enough that the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC) [yes, i know how to use CAPS, i just don't like to) recently published the results of their study entitled JISC national e-books observatory project [their lowercase, not mine]. never heard of the JISC? me either, but it could be because they're across the pond. read it. it's entertaining, especially when they use ou instead of o, like in behaviour. you'll feel international and cosmopolitan. and smart. warning: it's 56 pages. get a cuppa tea first. and a biscuit. with clotted cream. enjoy.

all i want for christmas is . . .

an official Red Ryder carbine-action 200-shot range model air rifle with a compass in the stock. okay, maybe only ralphie gets one of those. but apparently i don't want an e-book reader, either. according to mike elgan over at computerworld, there are 7 reasons why e-book readers make lousy gifts. valid reasons for schools and libraries to consider also. maybe. bah humbug.

or check out this video of ny times david pogue, technology editor and his chat with david carr, media columnist as they talk about, what else . . . e-readers!

whatchu talkin bout, willis?

e-books of course. where? at the charleston conference. one of the seminars was titled e-book readers in libraries. two of the presenters pre-conference presentations are available. it's a powerpoint presentation, so info is limited, but you'll get the gist. you're smart librarian-types.

in other news, well not other, but news, blyth academy in toronto, eh, claims to be the first HIGH school in the WORLD to replace textbooks with sony e-readers.

are you still wondering "are colleges interested in e-books and e-readers?"

but i digress . . .

to the national book awards. the winners were announced last night and, of course, they talked about the state of the book, whatever format. these awards remind us that how we read may not be as important as the fact that we do - still - read. and we still - enjoy - reading. and we still get lost in worlds of make-believe and reality. and we learn and we think and we grow. and we read some more. and we understand and we emphathize and we commiserate and we celebrate. and we read.

mommy, what's a library?

when you hear that question, what do you think? is it in terms of the present,while pointing out a building? or in an historical sense, kinda like what's an 8-track cassette?

here are two articles i stumbled across. cnn wants to know the future of libraries, with or without books. the other is about plans for a new "mediaspace" in scandinavia. oh, hadn't you heard? 40 is the new 30 and mediaspace is the new library. things that may you go hmmmmm . . .

what? i can't hear you!!

that's what two universities are saying. the university of wisconsin at madison and syracuse university are both snubbing their noses at the kindle. why? because the device's basic menu navigation is not voiced, thereby making it useless for blind students. just another thing for institutions to think about when investing in new technology.

usa today letter writers like books

someone who's obviously a fan of a naked library (the blog, not the library) left an article in the chair of yours truly. it's an opinion piece from usa today on the decision by headmaster James Tracy to remove 20,000 volumes from the library at Cushing Academy, a private high school in Ashburnham, MA.

kindle for the pc??

say wha??? yes, that's right! now you don't even need a kindle to read a kindle book. why? because it's now available for your pc.

my guest contributor, pongracz, pointed me to this article.

8 reasons to love e-books

dan nosowitz is a writer with the silicon alley insider and he's written an article as to why he thinks b&n's nook might be 'the one.' check it out here.

winthrop prof uses kindle to spark new age of learning

well, here's a story that's pretty close to home. i wouldn't say he's actually sparking anything, but you can check out the story by clicking here.

kindles and sonys and nooks, oh my!

believe it or not, it's been two years since the introduction of the 'revolutionary' amazon kindle. since that time, a few other e-readers have hit the market and several more are on their way.

technologizer.com has a comparison of some of the more popular e-readers here.