NEH Grants to Fund Libraries, Apple Tablet Expected Next Month, and More

by
Adrian Versteegh
12.30.09

Every day Poets & Writers Magazine scans the headlines—from publishing reports to academic announcements to literary dispatches—for all the news that creative writers need to know. Here are today's stories:

A portion of the $20 million in grants announced earlier this month by the National Endowment for the Humanities will help support public and academic libraries (Library Journal).

The rising popularity of e-readers has been accompanied by a surge in piracy, publishers say (PC World).

 “Bring a book”: In light of new restrictions put in place by airlines after last week’s bomb threat, gadget blog Gizmodo has released an “Unofficial Guide to Flying” that emphasizes the value of low-tech entertainment.

Apple is reportedly making plans to unveil a tablet-sized e-reader in January (Los Angeles Times).

U.S. publishers are being offered a free display at the upcoming Riyadh International Book Fair, which will be held in the Saudi capital from March 2 to 12 (Publishers Weekly).

Canadian indie bookseller McNally Robinson has declared bankruptcy and will shutter two of its four stores (Winnipeg Free Press).

According to a new study by the German Publishers and Booksellers Association, only a third of the country’s twentysomethings say they read daily (Publishing Perspectives).

A group of publishers has told the Guardian which books they wish they’d published this year and which titles they think should have sold better.

If culling clutter is on your list of resolutions, six notable authors and one notable bookseller are sharing their library-lightening strategies (New York Times).

As 2009 wraps up, New York magazine has released a list of the year’s best reads, while the books editor at the Boston Globe has taken a stab at ranking the best books of the decade.