The Last Bookshop
A surprisingly charming short film about a world where books have gone extinct.
Are University Presses Better off Now than They Were Four Years Ago?
The university press world is operating under circumstances that are somewhat tighter than they were even a few years ago. While most presses now publish ebooks, ebooks in themselves do not provide a strategic path to growth.
Scholarly Kitchen Podcast: Making Sense of MOOCs
An interview with the University of Utah librarian and Scholarly Kitchen Chef Rick Anderson about the potential impact of Massively Open Online Courses (MOOCs).
Observations from the SSP Annual Meeting — Dogma, Domination vs. Disruption, and Working to Scale
As Day 1 of the SSP Annual Meeting draws to a close, a few ideas seemed worth sharing.
Scholarly Kitchen Podcast: Tim O'Reilly on Building a Business and the Scholarly Publishing Scene
In this special SSP Annual Meeting edition of the Scholarly Kitchen podcast, Stewart Wills sits down with Tim O’Reilly of O’Reilly Media — and keynote speaker — to discuss favorite books, creating value, and the importance of diversifying your business.
Internet Trends 2013 — Growth in Iran, Gaps in Mobile Ads, and Dogs Caught Using the Internet
The 2013 Internet trends are worth examining, as they turn an iconic Internet cartoon on its head, among other things.
Joining a CHORUS, Publishers Offer the OSTP a Proactive, Modern, and Cost-Saving Public Access Solution
A proposed partnership between publishers and the US government in response to the OSTP memorandum may show the way forward for public-private networked information solutions.
Scholarly Kitchen Podcast: Susan King on CHORUS
An interview with Susan King of the CHORUS steering group about the publisher response to the OSTP public access memorandum.
SSP 35th Annual Meeting Plenary: Massively Online Open Courses – Send us your questions!
Attending the SSP 35th Annual Meeting in San Francisco? Want to learn more about MOOCs? Ask your questions now, and we’ll try to answer them.
True Innovation Requires Knowledge — The Myth of the Naïve Disruptor and the Marginalization of Staff
The myth of the naive outsider is persistent and powerful, but even expert outsiders aren’t the only possible source of knowledge. What about the expert insider? What if most of your insiders are experts in some surprising way?
Research Integrity – More Questions Than Answers
The digital world increases the need to distinguish good information from bad, and despite multiple approaches, we still have a patchwork approach — but more attention is being paid.
The Time Machine Investigates the First-sale Doctrine
The first-sale doctrine was a key component of the print world, but now many people want to extend this doctrine to digital media. Such a move would likely change the nature of content to make it less shareable.
Synchronization — Five Metronomes Walk Into a Bar . . .
Conformity through synchronization as demonstrated by metronomes.
Predators and Prey — The Plot Thickens
Strange comments emerge after a post about Beall’s list of “predatory” publishers appears, many of which attribute sentiments to people falsely.
Populism vs. Activism — Encountering Limitations in the Age of Online Petitions and Signatures
We’re officially in the age of online petitions, which may be taking the place of actual activism. Is that an improvement?