The history of reading looks "beyond the codex, beyond the margins, into a swirling global history, still unfolding, of how we communicate." The work of Archie L. Dick, a professor of information science at the University of Pretoria, is just one example. Dick's new book, "The Hidden History of South Africa's Book and Reading Cultures," uncovers evidence of a robust reading culture among the non-elites of South Africa. Read More at The Chronicle Review »
Journalism
“With ‘Social Reading,’ Books Become Places to Meet”
New projects, including a open edition of Thomas More's "Utopia," invite readers to gather around texts online and share annotations and comments. The approach seems to play well in the classroom. Will it catch on with general readers? How social do we want our books to be? Read More at The Chronicle of Higher Education »
“What Katrina Can Teach Libraries About Sandy and Other Disasters”
Tulane's director of libraries shares some hard-won advice. Read More at Wired Campus (CHE) »
“Storm Damage at NYU Library Offers Lessons for Disaster Planning in the Stacks”
A 14-foot storm surge from the East River flooded the lower levels of NYU's medical center and drowned much of the library there. How librarians and curators responded, and what other libraries might learn from NYU's experience. Read More at The Chronicle of Higher Education (subscription) »
“Flat World Knowledge to Drop Free Access to Textbooks”
...taking advocates of OER (open educational resources) by surprise. Sometimes free is just too expensive. Read More at Wired Campus (CHE) »
