Tag Archives: book

News, On the Web

Google’s knol

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I can’t make up my mind just how big of a deal this is. To be honest, I never really dug into Wikipedia, never having enough faith in what the masses would post. But then I discovered the Bhamwiki. It was like a light bulb that suddenly turned on. I got it. Our little local wiki is exactly what the whole Wikimedia is supposed to be about. It’s a great place to look up info on local authors, books,publishers etc.

And now Google is throwing their hat in the same ring. The only difference, that I can find, between Wiki and Google is that:

1. Google will restrict entry editing to a slate of topic experts, to kick things off.

2. Google will allow these topic experts to share in the ad revenue stream generated by their entries.

Are there more differences? I’m certainly not qualified to write anything, but I’ve been a fan of Google for a while and I’m wondering why they keep spreading out into new areas, beyond their core search business. Maybe it is just to stem the people clicking from Google search links to Wikipedia, as this guy’s non-scientific test highlights.

Book Talk, News

Brits banding books

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I was lurking around the net, familiarizing myself with children’s books from the 1940’s (per one commenter’s suggestion) and I ran across an news tidbit saying the UK publishers are going to start rating children’s books. Just like the movies, though this seems more aimed at “reading level” than content. Though, surely, there is some of that too.

The age ranking will go: Early (for five years plus), Developing (7 plus) Confident (9 plus) and Fluent.

When gift buying for nephews, I always wonder which book to get. The reading abilities and tastes seem so hard to figure out at that age. Honestly. I have more faith in my local bookseller’s knowledge about what would be a good purchase, but this would seem to be a step in the right direction to help the clueless (such as myself).

Bookstores, On the Web

Top selling out-of-print books

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Here’s a list I wish I could have as an RSS feed in my pocket. It’s the Top 10 Out-of-Print Books that have sold on eBay. In other words, the top ten books you are most likely to run across at yard sales and flea markets that are netting the big bucks on online auctions.

I might have to start keeping an eye on this list. We have tons of little antique shops in Birmingham that always have books tucked in the corners. But to be honest, if I ran across Once A Runner, I’d glance at the cover and keep moving. But that just shows how costly ignorance can be. That book is selling for $200 on eBay! It’d be a dream to run across one of these knitting books for a couple of bucks and pass them along to someone who REALLY wanted it. I’ll pass along updates as I find them.

Birmingham, Bookstore Tourism, Bookstore Travels, Bookstores

Malcolm’s Reading Room

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Sadly this bookstore closed back in 2009. This post is being left up for archival purposes.

**My latest contribution to the Bham Terminal has been posted. So you can catch me over there or keep reading below.**

Malcolm’s Reading Room

The newest kid on Birmingham’s book selling block is Malcolm’s Reading Room (404 17th St. North) which is the ground level of the historic Masonic Temple building. Malcolm’s Reading Room is billed as an African-American bookstore, which the banners, t-shirts and colors make obvious after stepping through the door. But after spending a few short minutes with co-owner Simone Snelling, one gets the feeling that the store is about something more…

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