All eyes are on Texas as HB 900, the state’s controversial new book rating law, is slated to take effect September 1, 2023. Signed by Governor Greg Abbott on June 12, the legislation aims to prevent the sale of books deemed “sexually explicit” or “sexually relevant” to school districts by requiring book publishers and vendors to rate individual titles based on content.
Often, medieval book bindings—as many as one in five from the 15th and 16th centuries—are reinforced with fragments of pages from older printed volumes that bookbinders considered obsolete. Without the option of dismantling precious books to reveal the fragments, specialists turn to x-ray technology to reveal words that have been hidden from view for hundreds of years. A team at the University of Iowa recently used familiar medical technology—a computerized tomography (CT) scanner—to do just that.
Explore the breadth and variety of fashion across these different cultures through our selection of free articles, chapters, business cases, images, and videos.
Book banning groups are becoming more organized, but libraries are evolving new tactics to oppose censorship efforts, panelists said during the “#UniteAgainstBookBans: Advocate for your community’s right to read” panel with Emily Drabinski, Sara Gold, and Lisa Varga, with moderator Brian Potash, at OverDrive’s biennial Digipalooza conference in Cleveland August 9–11.
A glimpse into King George VI's WWII espionage, a deep dive into Notre Dame's past and present, and a consideration of art theft vs. appropriation are among the subjects of this month's must-see documentaries.
“The rating requirements add unwieldy, impractical layers of bureaucracy and red tape which will not only drive-up costs for school districts but will prevent children from having ready access to the books they want and need to read.”
This month’s top indie and foreign film picks include a history of the rise and fall of the BlackBerry, a cautionary tale about an undesirable basement tenant, and a boys’ school with no authority in sight.
Bloomsbury Open Collections is a collective-action approach to funding open access books which is currently in its pilot phase. Through this model, we are aiming to make open access publication available to a wider range of authors by spreading the cost across multiple organizations, while providing additional benefits to participating libraries.
A new PEN America report documents a surge in “educational intimidation” bills. Salon speaks with former NFLer Michael Oher about The Blind Side controversy and his new book, When Your Back’s Against the Wall: Fame, Football, and Lessons Learned Through a Lifetime of Adversity. Equipping Space Cadets: Primary Science Fiction for Young Children by Emily Midkiff wins the 2023 Science Fiction Research Association book award; the SFRA’s other awards are announced as well.
The Breakaway by Jennifer Weiner leads holds this week. Three LibraryReads and five Indie Next picks publish this week. People’s book of the week is Happiness Falls by Angie Kim. Washington Post reports that the Pulitzer Prizes will consider opening books and arts prizes to noncitizens. The Polari Prize’s 2023 longlists are announced. A new trailer arrives for Cat Person, based on viral New Yorker story by Kristen Roupenian, which premieres in theaters October 6.
Alice Winn wins 2023 Waterstones debut fiction prize for In Memoriam. The UK’s Ackerley Prize for Autobiography names its 2023 shortlist. SFF and horror novelist (and music composer and conductor) S.P. Somtow is honored by the Thai National Committee for Culture.
Star Crossed: A True Romeo and Juliet Story in Hitler’s Paris, by Heather Dune Macadam and Simon Worrall, is a starred history selection. "Readers interested in World War II, French history, the arts, and stories of true love will enjoy this title." New York Times reporter Kashmir Hill's Your Face Belongs to Us: A Secretive Startup’s Quest To End Privacy as We Know It is a starred technology selection. "This prime example of exemplary investigative reporting spotlights the hazards of unregulated big data mining." And in performing arts, Aaron Neville's memoir Tell It Like It Is: My Story is a starred title. "A gratifying, spiritual, and hopeful against-all-odds memoir. An essential read for both Neville fans and those who may be unfamiliar with his music."
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