New Russian Literature
The presence of classic Russian literature in reading lists is an exceptional inclusion, with titles like War and Peaceand Crime and Punishment inspiring young readers, then challenging their endurance. But these titles are old. Even Lolita, which is considerably more recent, was published more than fifty years ago.
According to the New York Times, the folks at Columbia University Press have agreed to take on an ambitious project that would bring “perhaps more than 100… new translations of Russian modern literature and classics, selected by the published with support from a committee of Russian and American academics.”
It’s good to hear about new efforts to bring international literature into the market. Who knows— perhaps they’ll find the new Anna Karenina in the process?
Click here to read more in the New York Times.
E-Books in Libraries
The American Library Association’s annual conference and exhibition event took place the last weekend in June, and featured many high-profile speakers. A notable discussion point during the conference was the issue of e-book availability and pricing models for library use.
Publishers Weekly published an article highlighting some of the criticisms that have been made of the current system. “We generally believe that the current pricing models are not sustainable, and that libraries cannot develop collections of critical size if they’re paying $90 per title or re-buying titles every year,” said Carolyn Anthony, the Digital Content Working Group co-chair.
It’s important that libraries continue to offer resources and experiences that meet the needs of the people they serve. The issue facing libraries is a solvable one, but it’s going to take more flexibility on the part of big publishers.
Read the rest of Publishers Weekly‘s coverage on this issue here.
Any publishing stories you think we should have covered? Mention them in the commentsbelow and we’ll give you a shout-out next week! We mean it!
(Featured Image source: Portrait of an Unknown Woman, Ivan Nikolaevich Kramskoi)
