Ask the Chefs: "What's the Most Important Print Subscription You Haven't Canceled?"
Even in the digital age, some print products are hard to give up. What is the allure?
Hat Tip to the Wall Street Journal's Health Blog — and Lessons from the Trails It Blazed
The recently departed WSJ Health Blog taught us all lessons — and this blogger the lesson of standing up for what is clearly a better way of doing things.
(Re)Defining the Library, Part 1: Why?
With changes in the scholarly communications world, many old questions for the library are unsettled once again, and many news ones arise. In this first part of a two-part post, we’ll ask the questions.
Insane in the Chromatophores — Squids and Disco Lights
Want disco lights? Squids might be on your path to dance club heaven.
Ask the Chefs: "What's the Best Advice You've Ever Received?"
Good advice is hard to come by. Here’s some of the best we’ve gotten over the years.
Remembering Lee Dirks
A tragic accident has taken Lee Dirks and his wife. A remembrance.
“A Hazard of New Fortunes” — A Review
A review of William Dean Howells’ 1890 novel, “A Hazard of New Fortunes,” which is about finding new business models for media businesses. The book describes an economic landscape that is eerily similar to our own.
E-books and the Personal Library
Moving from the West Coast to the East prompts some thoughts on personal libraries and e-books, as it no longer makes economic sense to carry a lifetime of books around with us. But maybe economic sense isn’t the only sense bibliophiles possess . . .
Ask the Chefs: "What's the Strangest Place You've Been for Your Job?"
This month, with vacations on the docket, it seemed a good time to ask a question bound to get the mind thinking of faraway or unfamiliar places. And since scholarly publishing is a worldwide endeavor — all the more so […]
The Beatles Yesterday and Today: An Allegory of the Role of Paid Content
An essay on the Beatles and their business model, which emphasized paid content, now called “toll-access” content. The question is how the Beatles would have been different if they had worked in an era where content was expected to be free.
The Portal Problem, Part 2: The Plight of the Library Collection
In my previous posting, I focused on what I believe to be dim prospects for the Encyclopedia Britannica as it transforms from a set of printed volumes into a networked online information portal. My skepticism stems from the fact that […]
"The Muppet Show" — It All Started With a Pitch
Selling an idea well takes a lot of skill and daring. How “The Muppet Show” was pitched reveals a lot about why it worked.
The Portal Problem, Part 1: The Plight of the Britannica
Did the Encyclopedia Britannica stop printing because of the limitations of print? Or is there something more pernicious at the roots of Britannica’s problems?
What's Up, Doc? — How to Draw Bugs Bunny in Two Minutes
An iconic film star comes to life in just a few pencil strokes, rekindling the charm and hijinks of the classic cartoon era.
The Story of "Keep Calm and Carry On" — An Iconic Poster Almost Lost Forever
A now-famous poster was printed in large quantities but almost lost to history. Here’s what happened.