OverDrive Announces December App Release

I’m a fan of the ebook lending program the JCLC has going. It’s great. But I also would like to have the ebooks to go and not have to lug the laptop everywhere. I’ve tried txtr and BlueFire Reader both of which say they work with Adobe Digital Editions, but have had no luck (apparently the snag lies with something called “transferred” loans). So I was very excited to see over on The Digital Reader (a blog you should follow) that Overdrive has announced their app lineup. Releases start in December.

This is going to be BIG!

Here’s the YouTube video that Nate dug up:

Desks of the Future

Yesterday, I ran across this great (and way too short) video about the future of the desk.

The next item in my feed yesterday was coverage of this week’s Books in Browsers 2010 summit, where the Internet Archive showed off what they have dubbed the Reading Desk 2.0. Basically, it’s an antique church reading desk hacked together with a massive touchscreen eBook reader display.

I guess technically the video isn’t focusing so much on the features of a desk as it is the functions of a desk, but it’s interesting how integrated displays, etc. never came up in the discussions, in what they see as being needed from a desk, to help accomplish our reading, tasks, work, etc.

The discussion and tidbits being passed along on Twitter, via the #bib10 hashtag is worth following all day today and worth going back and reading yesterday’s feed. It sounds like it’s been a GREAT event dolling out plenty of practical experience and numbers for those in publishing to consider.

Buying Books in Birmingham, This Weekend

This is a GREAT weekend to buy used books in Birmingham, with THREE new places/events to buy.

First, Vestavia Hills library has shut down as they are moving to their new building (slated to open in early-November) so they are toting books outside to a tent and selling what they can. It’s being organized by volunteers, so they start selling sometime between 9a-10a and stop sometime around 6p. It all depends on their help. But be prepared to stay. There is no organization. So a child’s book will be stacked on a business book sitting next to a computer programming text book. But if you love to sort through new and dusty books. This is for you. They bring out new boxes every couple of hours, so the selection changes.

Ex-library books (hardback and paperback) are $.50. Donated hardbacks are $1 and donated paperbacks are $.50. Magazines are $.10. You can also pay $5 and fit as much as you can into a grocery sack.

The sale started yesterday and runs through all of next week.

vestavia

Second, is the Whistle Stop Festival, out in Irondale. The library, has been culling their collection and taking donations for weeks and is setting up tables alongside the usual festival fair, from 9a-4p. I have not heard of the prices yet, but if they follow their usual price schedule, hardbacks will be a dollar and paperbacks will be $.50. Traditionally, they have not made a distinction between donated and ex-library.


Third, this weekend 2nd & Charles (which BBJ mentioned earlier this week) is supposed to open Saturday morning. The Books-A-Million crew had an invite-only preview party last night. I didn’t get to go, but have seen some photos. It’s in a vacated Goody’s department store and is massive. Very cool looking, too. I haven’t seen prices yet, but they will be buying books, cd’s, dvd’s, videogames, etc. all day, every day too. Hopefully they will make their open date.

I have fun this weekend and do tell about any loot you score!

Story Cubes

I ran across Rory’s Story Cubes the other day and am trying to decide if my son is old enough to play. He has quite the imagination an I wonder if it would carry over to this game.

How fun would it be to sit around rolling dice, helping each other build on each other’s stories? Though not really a book-themed game like some of the others we have, I do think it would be a nice addition to the game closet. There is also a $1.99 iPhone app. Which is handy, but really doesn’t impress me as much as the analog version. I think we’d do better with a handful of dice to toss around the floor.

I have not found them in a Birmingham-area store yet, though the site says Barnes and Noble stocks them. I’ll let you know if I find them around town, if you’ll do the same! Have a good weekend.

Books, Publishing and Birmingham