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Libraries
Public Libraries After the Pandemic
The value of public libraries is rarely questioned in times of crisis—think of the New Orleans Public Library after Hurricane Katrina, or the Ferguson Municipal Public Library during the unrest there. But this crisis is different.
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Copyright
UNC Press, Duke Reach Cooperation Agreement with National Emergency Library
While press officials did not endorse the "unilateral" action and "blurred legal arguments" behind the initiative, they largely support its goals.
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Copyright
Internet Archive Responds to Senator’s Concern Over National Emergency Library
Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle told U.S. Senator Thom Tillis that the National Emergency Library is meant to provide digital access to students and readers who cannot access print collections during the Covid-19 crisis.
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Copyright
GSU Seeking Nearly $3.2 Million in Copyright Case
The request comes after judge Orinda Evans issued an opinion finding 38 of 48 claims presented at trial—nearly 80% of the claims that made it to a fair use analysis—were permissible. Meanwhile, the plaintiff publishers. who are not seeking legal fees nor damages, contend they are in fact the prevailing party in the litigation.
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Publisher News
15 New and Forthcoming Indie Press Gems
You may be stuck at home, but you can still expand your literary horizons. It's a golden age for small, independent presses working to cultivate great writers and to push our literary boundaries. PW rounds up some of the best new and forthcoming books published by a range of standout small presses.
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Libraries
Santa Monica Librarian Patty Wong Wins 2021-2022 ALA Presidency
Wong's term as ALA president, like that of incoming president Julius C. Jefferson, will be one of the most consequential in years, shaped by a historic pandemic and a major organizational overhaul already underway at ALA.
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Copyright
GSU Lawyers Reject Publishers' Bid for Injunction in Copyright Case
In a filing this week, attorneys for Georgia State University claimed they are the “prevailing party†in a long-running copyright lawsuit over digitized course readings, and argued an injunction proposed by the plaintiff publishers is unwarranted.
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Copyright
U.S. Senator Thom Tillis Questions the Internet Archive's 'National Emergency Library'
"I am not aware of any measure under copyright law that permits a user of copyrighted works to unilaterally create an emergency copyright act," wrote Senator Thom Tillis, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee Subcommittee on Intellectual Property, in an April 8 letter to Internet Archive founder Brewster Kahle.
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Obituaries
Obituary: Dreamscape Publisher Tammy Faxel
Faxel, who joined Midwest Tape's Dreamscape Media in 2014 and quickly took the helm as publisher, died unexpectedly on March 30. She was 55.
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Libraries
Are Public Libraries in Decline?
In The Freckle Report 2020, Tim Coates offers a sobering, data-driven view of the state of public libraries in the U.S. and the U.K.
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Copyright
Authors Guild, AAP Outraged by IA's 'National Emergency Library'
The Internet Archive says it is performing a public service by making its scans of print books available to all, but critics call it an 'attack' on copyright.
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Copyright
Internet Archive Responds, Says National Emergency Library Is Legal
After a week of intense criticism, the Internet Archive yesterday posted an FAQ in response to concerns raised by authors over its National Emergency Library. The FAQ claims the initiative has a basis in law, and reiterates that it is being undertaken in response to a national crisis.
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Copyright
After Third Ruling, Is GSU E-Reserves Case Finally Nearing Conclusion?
On March 2, Judge Orinda Evans delivered her third ruling in the long-running copyright case over college course readings, and recent filings suggest the biggest issue that remains is who will pay the bills for the last 12 years of litigation.
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Libraries
Is the Covid-19 Crisis a Watershed Moment for Library E-books?
Why the rapid shift to digital library services necessitated by the Covid-19 crisis could help chart a new, more productive course for the digital library market long term.
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Libraries
Coronavirus Aid Package Includes Millions for Libraries, Schools, and the Arts
The package includes $50 million for the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) for digital inclusion projects, and a hefty $30.8 billion in relief for schools and colleges.
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Publisher News
Judge Allows PEN America Suit Against Trump to Proceed
The suit was first filed in October of 2018, after President Trump made numerous threats against journalists and organizations whose coverage he disliked.
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Libraries
American Library Association Cancels 2020 Annual Conference
In a sign that the U.S. is still in the early stages of the battle to contain the Covid-19 outbreak, the 2020 ALA Annual Conference & Exhibition, scheduled for June 25-30 in Chicago, has been canceled for the first time since the end of World War II.
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Publisher News
Firm Behind Apple E-books Case Now Suing Amazon for Price Fixing
On March 19, lawyers from Hagens Berman filed a class action suit on behalf of consumers in the U.S. District Court in Seattle, accusing Amazon of a massive horizontal price fixing scheme involving its two million third-party sellers.
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Libraries
When Libraries Close, It Feels Like the End of the World
We're still early in this new coronavirus crisis, but it's not too early to think about what we want—and what we'll need—for our libraries in the future.
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Libraries
Macmillan Abandons Library E-book Embargo
“There are times in life when differences should be put aside,†reads a brief memo from Macmillan CEO John Sargent addressed to librarians, authors, illustrators, and agents, revealing that Macmillan will "return to the library e-book pricing model that was in effect on October 31st, 2019."