The Switch to Digital

James LaRue, director of Douglas County Libraries in Colorado, recently wrote an article for American Libraries magazine on the future of library funding for digital and print resources. In the article he predicts that three years from now, public libraries will divert as much as 50% of their budgets to digital content—creating wider access to e-books as more and more people switch to e-readers. It is wonderful that libraries are responding to their patron’s demand for digital, however as demand for print books declines, so too may the necessity to keep them on hand. In a few short years we may see libraries ridding themselves of thousands of books that are no longer needed by their patrons due to the switch to digital. Libraries may also see a rise in donations from the public, who are replacing their home collections with digital copies. Libraries with active Friends groups and productive sales will take advantage of this influx, while those who lack these resources for dealing with discards and donations may find themselves drowning under boxes of paperbacks. No one wants to see these books go to waste, especially not B-Logistics. We want to help libraries manage their excess materials, while creating a revenue stream that can provide funds for e-books and library programs. Visit www.blogistics.com to learn more!

Traveling With Books

I’ve been traveling lately (from Utah to Quebec City by train), and with my world on my back, I feel that every item I carry must be essential. I am a die-hard analog reader, so deciding what books to take when traveling takes careful consideration. There are many factors that come into play. How many books do I need to get me through the trip? Should I choose smaller/lighter books, even though they may not be next on my reading list? What if I end up not wanting to read any of them, and I am stranded at a train station in the middle of nowhere (Depew, NY) with nothing to do? Taking all these things into consideration, I chose to bring two books—one, an impractically huge hardcover (and the most recent installment of a series I am obsessed with), and a small paperback that is an old favorite. I justified the hardcover to myself, because I will finish A Feast for Crows before I see George R.R. Martin at the ALA convention in Anaheim (and have him autograph it, and my body), and I planned to have a lot of reading time on my trip. The smaller book, The Tao of Pooh, fell into the “I’ve already read this and loved it, and if I get cranky on the train it will cheer me up” category. So, a mix of book lust and practicality ultimately determined my reading choices for my cross-county adventure. How do you decide what books to take on a trip? How many is too much? Or, if you have an e-reader, how do you decide between all your options at hand?

-Emily

Keeping Books Close By

We've mentioned a few ideas for things to do with weeded and donated materials - heck, we even had things to build with books, too - but we understand that not every book needs to move on to the next chapter in their literary lives. Sometimes books need to stay with us, exist beyond the border of their own bindings and enrich our imaginations for another round of romance, mystery, and adventure. We could simply store our literary loves in the confines of a dusty bookshelf, but if you're slightly more daring, O Captain my Captain, there are more stylish and practical storage solutions.

For those living in small spaces, .nobody&co has introduced a sit-down solution to storing stories. Now you can curl up, clutter-free in a cozy corner, grab the tale that has taken your attention for the time being, and enjoy. Finish it up before you've fed your book appetite? No problem, the next one is at your fingertips...

Functional, fairly attractive, and yet I can't help but ask - where do I put my skinny chai latte? Leave a comment below and let us know the one thing you would be missing from this fine piece of furniture. [via Flavorwire]