1. I’m real excited to announce that I’ve taken over LJ’s “Classic Returns” column, in which I get to write about cool old books that are coming back into print, have been newly translated, or have got themselves a spiffy new edition, etc. Read about all my picks over at LJ, and meanwhile here’s a peak at one, a new translation of Tacitus’s Annals: What’s to look forward to in a 2,000-year-old book, the title of which many people mispronounce without the second “n”? The decades-long moral degradation of Tiberius (once an honorable imperial step-son but in the end a rotten, ruined emperor) for one thing. If that isn’t enough, add to it the death of Agrippina (poor Claudius’s fourth wife), whose boat was specially constructed at her son, the Emperor Nero’s, instructions to collapse at sea, and who, when she failed to die, demanded that her assassins stab her womb, from where her ne’er-do-well son sprung. The image above is a statue of Nero and Agrippina, in which they look a little bit like:

    I’m real excited to announce that I’ve taken over LJ’s “Classic Returns” column, in which I get to write about cool old books that are coming back into print, have been newly translated, or have got themselves a spiffy new edition, etc. Read about all my picks over at LJ, and meanwhile here’s a peak at one, a new translation of Tacitus’s Annals:

    What’s to look forward to in a 2,000-year-old book, the title of which many people mispronounce without the second “n”? The decades-long moral degradation of Tiberius (once an honorable imperial step-son but in the end a rotten, ruined emperor) for one thing. If that isn’t enough, add to it the death of Agrippina (poor Claudius’s fourth wife), whose boat was specially constructed at her son, the Emperor Nero’s, instructions to collapse at sea, and who, when she failed to die, demanded that her assassins stab her womb, from where her ne’er-do-well son sprung.

    The image above is a statue of Nero and Agrippina, in which they look a little bit like:

    image

  2. Penguin Lifts Library Ebook Purchase Embargo - The Digital Shift Penguin Group today announced that it will be changing the terms on its library ebook lending program, and on Tuesday, April 2, will begin allowing libraries to purchase and lend ebook titles the day that hardcover editions are released, according to The Associated Press. Previously, Penguin had placed a six month embargo on new ebooks, requiring libraries to wait half a year before purchasing. (gif via)

    Penguin Lifts Library Ebook Purchase Embargo - The Digital Shift

    Penguin Group today announced that it will be changing the terms on its library ebook lending program, and on Tuesday, April 2, will begin allowing libraries to purchase and lend ebook titles the day that hardcover editions are released, according to The Associated Press. Previously, Penguin had placed a six month embargo on new ebooks, requiring libraries to wait half a year before purchasing.

    (gif via)

  3. This positive first decision by one of the antitrust authorities is an important milestone on the path to uniting two of the world’s leading publishing companies into a truly global publishing group. It will enable investments worldwide in new digital publishing models, in new distribution paths, products and services and in the major growth markets.

    — 

    Thomas Rabe, chairman and chief executive of Bertelsmann, in his statement about the Department of Justice’s approval of the Random House-Penguin merger last week. I missed this owing to a Valentine’s Day spreadsheet massacre of my own doing.

    This just in: the EU will have made its decision about the merger by April 15.

    What’s it all mean for libraries? I wouldn’t profess to know at this stage, but I’m not wary. I’m hoping at the very least it will mean a continuation of the trust that Random House and Penguin have demonstrated as separate entities.

    (via cloudunbound)

  4. penguinteen: It’s been a year since the publication of Green’s acclaimed The Fault in Our Stars. To mark the anniversary, Green and his brother will be performing at Carnegie Hall—and everyone is invited, via live streaming video! Find an event near your hometown and you won’t have to miss a second of it. Be sure to check your local event, as some are first come first serve (no tickets), and some require reservations. Casa Grande, AZ Saratoga, CA, Capitola, CA Berkeley, CA Alameda, CA Pleasanton CA Menlo Park, CA Novato, CA Westminster, CO Naperville, IL Indianapolis, IN Indianapolis, IN Noblesville, IN Danville, IN Brookline, MA Beverly, MA Cohasset, MA Carlisle, MA Fryeburg, ME Takoma Park, MD Grand Rapids, MI Mount Laurel, NJ Cape May Court House, NJ Cherry Hill, NJ Belvidere, NJ Albuquerque, NM  Upper Darby, PA Overhill, Stephenville, TX Danville, VA Standardsville, VA Chatham, VA Charlottesville, VA Crozet, VA  Burlington, VT  05401 Bellingham, WA Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam Check out all of the details for the local events! Lotta libraries involved in this here thing.

    penguinteen:

    It’s been a year since the publication of Green’s acclaimed The Fault in Our Stars. To mark the anniversary, Green and his brother will be performing at Carnegie Hall—and everyone is invited, via live streaming video! Find an event near your hometown and you won’t have to miss a second of it. Be sure to check your local event, as some are first come first serve (no tickets), and some require reservations.

    • Casa Grande, AZ
    • Saratoga, CA,
    • Capitola, CA
    • Berkeley, CA
    • Alameda, CA
    • Pleasanton CA
    • Menlo Park, CA
    • Novato, CA
    • Westminster, CO
    • Naperville, IL
    • Indianapolis, IN
    • Indianapolis, IN
    • Noblesville, IN
    • Danville, IN
    • Brookline, MA
    • Beverly, MA
    • Cohasset, MA
    • Carlisle, MA
    • Fryeburg, ME
    • Takoma Park, MD
    • Grand Rapids, MI
    • Mount Laurel, NJ
    • Cape May Court House, NJ
    • Cherry Hill, NJ
    • Belvidere, NJ
    • Albuquerque, NM 
    • Upper Darby, PA
    • Overhill, Stephenville, TX
    • Danville, VA
    • Standardsville, VA
    • Chatham, VA
    • Charlottesville, VA
    • Crozet, VA 
    • Burlington, VT  05401
    • Bellingham, WA
    • Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

    Check out all of the details for the local events! Lotta libraries involved in this here thing.

  5. thepenguinpress: Zadie Smith is in the Penguin offices today to sign all of these. Did we mention we’ve earmarked five copies for a giveaway? Enter here. And if you haven’t seen Zadie Smith’s interactive tour of London, we highly recommend it. Trying with all my might not to lurk outside the Penguin offices on my lunch break. (It doesn’t help that they are only a couple blocks away.)

    thepenguinpress:

    Zadie Smith is in the Penguin offices today to sign all of these. Did we mention we’ve earmarked five copies for a giveaway? Enter here.

    And if you haven’t seen Zadie Smith’s interactive tour of London, we highly recommend it.

    Trying with all my might not to lurk outside the Penguin offices on my lunch break. (It doesn’t help that they are only a couple blocks away.)

  6. With the Olympics coming up, its appropriate to remember this awesome campaign Dwyane Wade did with Penguin. The project began when Penguin Classics and the NBA asked Wade to help celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Penguin Classics and NBA Cares “Read to Achieve” Literacy Initiative by choosing a classic title. Wade selected Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudiceas his favorite Penguin Classic. “I’ve read Pride and Prejudice a couple of times,” Wade explained. “It’s one of my favorite books, which usually surprises people. I guess they wonder how a love story from Regency England could be relevant to a 21st century basketball player from the Southside of Chicago. Class struggle, overcoming stereotypes and humble beginnings, getting out of your own way and letting love take over: these are things I can relate to, definitely.” Amen Dwyane Wade, amen.

    With the Olympics coming up, its appropriate to remember this awesome campaign Dwyane Wade did with Penguin.

    The project began when Penguin Classics and the NBA asked Wade to help celebrate the 60th Anniversary of Penguin Classics and NBA Cares “Read to Achieve” Literacy Initiative by choosing a classic title. Wade selected Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudiceas his favorite Penguin Classic.

    “I’ve read Pride and Prejudice a couple of times,” Wade explained. “It’s one of my favorite books, which usually surprises people. I guess they wonder how a love story from Regency England could be relevant to a 21st century basketball player from the Southside of Chicago. Class struggle, overcoming stereotypes and humble beginnings, getting out of your own way and letting love take over: these are things I can relate to, definitely.”

    Amen Dwyane Wade, amen.

  7. rachelfershleiser: Your proposed “cat” is instantly recognizable as a penguin by anyone who has seen your current or original penguin cover, and by anyone else who knows that black and white “cats” do not have webbed feet. (via Trademark Infringement and Dilution)

    rachelfershleiser:

    Your proposed “cat” is instantly recognizable as a penguin by anyone who has seen your current or original penguin cover, and by anyone else who knows that black and white “cats” do not have webbed feet.

    (via Trademark Infringement and Dilution)

  8. classicpenguin: The newest Penguin Threads—The Wind in the Willows, Little Women, and The Wizard of Oz—will publish on April 24 in beautiful covers from Rachell Sumpter, and early copies have arrived. Oz got so excited to be in the world that it did a little dance.  Book gif book gif book gif.

    classicpenguin:

    The newest Penguin Threads—The Wind in the Willows, Little Women, and The Wizard of Oz—will publish on April 24 in beautiful covers from Rachell Sumpter, and early copies have arrived. Oz got so excited to be in the world that it did a little dance. 

    Book gif book gif book gif.

  9. Five years after the debut of his first novel, “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao,” Junot Díaz, below, is coming out with a new book in September, his publisher is expected to announce on Monday. “This Is How You Lose Her,” a collection of short stories, will be released by Riverhead Books, part of Penguin Group USA. In a statement the publisher called the stories “by turns hilarious and devastating, raucous and tender.

    — Junot Diaz is publishing a new book of short stories.

  10. Penguin’s decision to terminate its contract with OverDrive has further fractured the library ebook lending market, disturbed the American Library Association, and highlighted the difficulty in finding a single business model that all parties can be comfortable with.

    And the executive director of The Authors Guild says that it is “awful” that public libraries are being put in the middle of a conflict that has embroiled the large commercial entities of Penguin, Amazon, and OverDrive.

    — From LJ’s Digital Shift, an update on Penguin’s move to pull it’s ebooks out of libraries.

  11. You know what to do.

    You know what to do.

  12. Penguin Group Terminating Its Contract with OverDrive →

    In a stunning development, Penguin Group has extricated itself from its contract with OverDrive, the primary supplier of ebooks to public libraries.

    Starting February 10, Penguin, which had recently instituted limitations on library lending for ebooks and audiobooks, will now no longer offer any ebooks or audiobooks through OverDrive.

    “Looking ahead, we are continuing to talk about our future plans for ebook and digital audiobook availability for library lending with a number of partners providing these services,” said Erica Glass, in a prepared statement.

  13. From the Digital Shift, Penguin’s Ebook Decision Has Chilling Effect on School Libraries:

    Penguin Group’s temporary suspension of Kindle access to its titles for libraries last week reaffirmed Wendy Stephen’s decision to go the public domain route. The school librarian at Buckhorn High School in New Market, AL, had feared just this situation: spending money on devices and titles only to have the rights potentially taken away and her students left without books.

    “It’s too complicated and too dicey, and that’s why I decided to go with things not under copyright because it’s a lot cleaner that way,” says Stephens, who offers ebooks to her students—but only those that are free.

  14. Update: Penguin issues statement

    From the Digital Shift, Penguin released the following statement on Wednesday:

    Penguin USA took the decision yesterday to withhold the supply of new digital titles from suppliers to US libraries until concerns about the security of the copyright of its authors have been resolved.

    In addition, Penguin informed suppliers to libraries that it expected them to abide by existing agreements to offer older digital titles to libraries only if those files were held behind the firewalls of the suppliers.

    Following receipt of this information, Overdrive, a supplier of ebooks to US libraries, removed “Get for Kindle” from its offering.

    Penguin has subsequently been informed by Amazon that it had not been consulted by Overdrive about the terms of Penguin’s agreement with Overdrive. Amazon has undertaken to work with Penguin and Overdrive between now and the end of the year to address Penguin’s concerns. Penguin will, as a result, restore the supply of these titles until the end of the year in order to return the availability of older titles to all its digital customers.

  15. Penguin Restores Kindle Lending, but Still Not Providing Digital Editions of New Titles

    The Digital Shift provides an update:

    Penguin Group (USA) has backtracked from at least part of its recent decision to limit library lending. OverDrive posted the following on its Digital Library blog Wednesday morning:

    ‘Get for Kindle’ for all Penguin eBooks in your catalog has been restored as of this morning. Penguin titles are available for check out by Kindle users and the Kindle format will be available for patrons who are currently on a waiting list for a Penguin title. This does not affect new releases, which remain unavailable.

    We apologize for the inconvenience this caused for your library and patrons.

    At this time, no further information is available. We hope to share more details in the near future.