LibraryThing: State of the Thing - March

LibraryThing: State of the Thing Dear {NAME}, Welcome to the March State of the Thing! This month we're covering the two-year anniversary of going free, redesigned Settings and Account pages, news about the book world’s response to the war in Ukraine, lots of other book world news, and all of our regular columns—including the chance to win 4,077 free books! If you'd rather receive a plain-text version, [edit your email preferences](. You can also read it [online](. You can like LibraryThing on [Facebook]( and follow [@LibraryThing]( on Twitter for up-to-the-minute site news and updates. LibraryThing Has Been Free for Two Years! years ago this month, at the beginning of the Covid lockdowns, LibraryThing made the decision to [go free to all members](, dropping our membership fees and book limits. Prior to this, we had charged a fee to catalog more than 200 books. These fees allowed us to have customers, rather than an audience to “sell” to advertisers. Now, two years later, we couldn’t be happier with our decision. Per-month catalog numbers have risen, and the products we create for public and academic libraries—[Syndetics Unbound](, co-developed with ProQuest, which enhances thousands of libraries around the world; and [TinyCat](, our library catalog for very small libraries—have become our primary sources of revenue, allowing the LibraryThing site to remain free to the public. New Settings & Account Pages recently rolled out some changes to our [Settings]( / [Account]( pages, going live with a number of improvements that make them more user friendly. These pages have been redesigned (“LT2-ified”), made more mobile friendly, and the [Litsy linking]( has been repaired. Fields like "About My Library" and "About Me" now use a simple WYSIWYG editor, allowing the member to easily format their text—using bold and italics, inserting images and links—without knowing HTML. Come learn more, and [join the conversation]( over in Talk. The Book World Responds to Ukraine The recent Russian invasion of Ukraine and the ongoing war in that country has dominated world news over the last month. Like every other sector of society, the book world has been abuzz with public statements and actions. Libraries worldwide, including the [American Library Association]( and the UK’s [CILIP]( have issued statements of solidarity with their Ukrainian counterparts. In the publishing world, the [International Publishers Association]( (IPA) has [issued a statement]( in response to an [open letter]( from the Ukrainian Association of Publishers and Booksellers, condemning the Russian invasion and standing in solidarity with their Ukrainian colleagues. The [Federation of European Publishers](, in the meantime, has invited Ukraine [to be their special guest](. InfoDocket has compiled [a list of book organizations]( that have issued statements on Ukraine. Multiple book fairs, including the [Frankfurt Book Fair]( and the [Bologna Children’s Book Fair](, have responded to the crisis by suspending their partnerships with Russia, and by banning Russian publishers from their events. An [open letter]( signed by multiple members of the Conference of International Book Fair Directors indicates that this trend will continue to grow. In Ukraine itself, [NPR reports]( that libraries have become bomb shelters, and are offering camoflage lessons, while their publishers are either pressing on while taking refuge in country—see [this interview]( with the CEO of [Vivat Publishing](—or fleeing to Poland and Lithuania, where they have [set up business in exile](. The Ukrainian website [Chytomo](, which covers book-related news, has launched an English-language version of its site for international readers to keep abreast of developments. Efforts to raise funds in order to deliver humanitarian aid to the Ukrainian people have been undertaken by many organizations worldwide. [Forbes]( and [U.S. News & World Report]( have both compiled lists of charities to which concerned citizens can donate. The [Polish Literacy Foundation]( has [launched a campaign]( to supply books to Ukrainian refugee children, and a massive [Book World Auction]( was [recently undertaken]( in aid of Ukraine. LibraryThing has chosen to dedicate our March List of the Month to [A Ukraine Reading List]( —see our regular List of the Month column below for more details—and we also want to highlight the Ukrainian resources available on our site for readers interested in learning more. - [🇺🇦]( [Books tagged "Ukraine"]( - [🇺🇦](+non-fiction) [Tag mash of "Ukraine" and "Non-Fiction"](+non-fiction) - [🇺🇦]( [LC Classification DK508-508.95]( - [🇺🇦 Dewey 947.7]( - [🇺🇦]( [Dewey 914.77]( List of the Month Come join LibraryThing’s List of the Month project, as we create a new thematic book list each month. Like all of our [Lists](, the List of the Month draws upon the knowledge of the LibraryThing community, while also aiming to provoke discussion around each theme. See our [wiki page]( for a complete List of the Month list, and join us over in our [Talk group]( for further discussion of the project. March List of the Month. Ukraine is on the minds of many readers right now, so we're dedicating our March List of the Month to the history of this country and its people. Our [Ukraine Reading List]( encompasses history (nonfiction) and historical fiction. Head over to our [Ukraine Reading List]( to add your top ten choices. Check out other recent Lists of the Month: - February. ​​[Favorite Short Fiction]( - December. [Top Five Books of 2021]( - November. [Stories of War and Revolution]( - October. [Scary Stories for the Season]( - September. [Native American / Indigenous Literature](25252F-Indigenous-Literature) The Talk of LibraryThing What conversations are going on in our groups? - The meaning of the term “press” is being debated—[Is it a press if it doesn’t print?](—by members of the [Fine Press Forum](. - Members continue to track [Where in the World They Are]( in their reading, over in the [Reading Globally]( group. - Author [Brandon Sanderson’s]( recent [Kickstarter Campaign]( is being discussed by our [Canadian Bookworms](. - [March 2022 Reading Plans]( are being shared by LibraryThing’s [Science Fiction Fans](. Speaking of Groups, if you’re new to LibraryThing, there’s a group for that: [Welcome to LibraryThing](21)! Free Books! Our Early Reviewers program pairs publishers and authors looking for reviews and book buzz with readers looking for their next great read. This month we’re pleased to feature the [Denver Noir]( anthology from [Akashic Books](, an English translation of up-and-coming Chinese author [Shuang Xuetao’s]( [Rogue Street: Three Novellas]( from [Henry Holt and Company](, and [Jason Li](, [An Xiao Mina]( and [Jennifer 8. Lee’s]( colorful [The Hanmoji Handbook: Your Guide to the Chinese Language Through Emoji]( from [MITeen Press](. Explore the full list and [sign up to request books](. [Among the Innocent]( [Elysium Tide]( [Where the Road Bends]( [Benefit]( [Rouge Street: Three Novellas]( [Sunburst]( [Denver Noir]( [The Visitors]( [The Hanmoji Handbook: Your Guide to the Chinese Language Through Emoji]( [The Pennymores & the Curse of the Invisible Quill]( [Brisbane: A Novel]( [Living With Chickens]( [Hawai'i Calls]( [The Village Maid: A Fairy Tale with Benefits]( [Shadow: Run, But You Can't Hide]( [Milk Cow Kitchen]( [Mothers of Enchantment: New Tales of Fairy Godmothers]( [The Presence]( [The Anthropocene Epoch: When Humans Changed the World]( [She's the One Who Can't Keep Quiet]( Our March batch of Early Reviewers has 4,077 copies of 170 books. The deadline to request a book is March 28th, 6pm Eastern time. Did you win a book recently? When you receive your book, make sure you head over to your [Books You've Won]( page to mark it received. After you've read your book, add your review to LibraryThing. First, add the book to your LibraryThing catalog. Then click the pencil-shaped "edit" icon next to the book, or click "edit book" from the work page. Type your review into the Review box, and click "submit" to save it. Reviewing your books gives you a greater chance of winning books in the future, while neglecting to review lowers your odds. For more information, vist the [Early Reviewers Help Page](. Hot on LibraryThing Here are some titles that have been particularly hot on LibraryThing in the last month: - [The Cartographers]( by [Peng Shepherd]( - [The Paris Apartment]( by [Lucy Foley]( - [The Book of Cold Cases]( by [Simone St. James]( - [The Kaiju Preservation Society]( by [John Scalzi]( - [Gallant]( by [V. E. Schwab]( - [The Nineties: A Book]( by [Chuck Klosterman]( - [Only a Monster]( by [Vanessa Len]( - [Moon Witch, Spider King]( by [Marlon James]( - [House of Sky and Breath]( by [Sarah J. Maas]( - [The Violin Conspiracy]( by [Brendan Slocumb]( - [A River Enchanted]( by [Rebecca Ross]( - [Abandoned in Death]( by [J. D. Robb]( - [I Must Betray You]( by [Ruta Sepetys]( - [Reminders of Him]( by [Colleen Hoover]( - [This Woven Kingdom]( by [Tahereh Mafi]( - [The Christie Affair]( by [Nina de Gramont]( - [Violeta]( by [Isabel Allende]( - [The Betrayal of Anne Frank: A Cold Case Investigation]( by [Rosemary Sullivan]( - [Index, A History of the]( by [Dennis Duncan]( - [The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections]( by [Eva Jurczyk]( Hot in Libraries Here's what's hot in the last month across thousands of public libraries in the United States: This data was collected by Syndetics Unbound, a LibraryThing/ProQuest project to enrich the library catalog. The search data is fully anonymized the day it is collected. For more information about Syndetics Unbound, please visit [Syndetics.com](. Book World News: In Memoriam [Madeleine Albright](, the 64th Secretary of State of the United States, has [died at the age of 84](. Albright was the first woman to be Secretary of State, under President [Bill Clinton](, and served as a foreign affairs advisor to multiple presidents. She was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2012 by President [Barack Obama](. In addition to her notable public service, Albright was the author of a number of books, including her bestselling memoir, [Madame Secretary](, and her [Fascism: A Warning](. Beloved British children’s author and artist [Shirley Hughes](, two-time winner of the [Kate Greenaway Medal](Greenaway+Medal)—in 1977 for [Dogger](, and in 2003 for [Ella’s Big Chance: A Jazz Age Cinderella](—recently [passed away at the age of 94](. She produced more than sixty books over the course of her seventy-year career, and was particularly admired for her ability to sensitively capture the emotional lives of young children through her work. A patron of the British [Association of Illustrators](, one of Hughes’ projects in later life was a collaboration with her daughter [Clara Vulliamy](, also a children’s illustrator, on the [Dixie O’Day]( series. Book World News: Children’s Awards Awards and Prizes. The [BolognaRagazzi Awards](, given out in multiple categories by the [Bologna Children’s Book Fair]( (the world’s largest and most prestigious children’s book event), [were dominated by French-language titles this year](. The winner in the Fiction category was [À qui appartiennent les nuages?](, written by [Mario Brassard]( and illustrated by [Gérard DuBois](, while the nonfiction winner was [Monstres Sacrés: Voyage au cœur des volcans]( by [Julie Roberge](, illustrated by [Aless MC](. The Opera Prima category winner was [Les Reflets d’Hariett](, written and illustrated by [Marion Kadi](, while the Poetry winner was [Immenses sont leurs ailes](, written by [Murielle Szac]( and illustrated by [Nathalie Novi](. Please see our award page [here]( for all of this year’s winners. The Publishers of the Year [were also recently announced]( at the [Bologna Children’s Book Fair](, with winners from six global regions. For Africa, the winner was [New Africa Books](, a South African publisher whose catalog includes titles in many of the diverse languages of that country. The Asian winner was [Samir Éditeur](, a Lebanese publisher specializing in textbooks that promote cultural understanding and tolerance. In Europe, the winner was the Latvian [Liels un mazs](, a new publisher recognized for its striking illustrations and innovative designs. The North American winner was the Canadian [Monsieur Ed](, which publishes fiction, nonfiction and comicbooks. For Central and South America the winner was [Ediciones el Naranjo](, a Mexican publisher which takes a “playful approach” to its books for young readers. The winner for Oceana was [Beatnik Publishing](, a New Zealand press known for its close relationship with creators, and for its design choices. The [Bologna Children’s Book Fair]( is also the event at which the winners of [The Hans Christian Andersen Award]( are announced. Named for Denmark’s beloved fairy-tale spinner, [Hans Christian Andersen](, and awarded every other year by [IBBY]( (the International Board on Books for Young People), this medal is considered the most prestigious prize in the world of global children’s literature. Winners are chosen based upon their entire body of work, with the jury assessing “the aesthetic and literary quality as well as the freshness and innovation of each nominee’s work; the ability to see the child’s point of view and to stretch their curiosity; and the continuing relevance of the works to children and young people.” This year’s winners [have been named](, and they are France’s [Marie-Aude Murail]( for writing, and the Republic of Korea’s [Suzy Lee]( for illustration. The winner of the [The Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award](, named for the great Swedish children’s author [Astrid Lindgren](, and administered by the Swedish government, has [been announced](. [Eva Lindström](, a picture book author and artist who has created thirty titles of her own, and illustrated many others, beat 281 other nominees, from 71 countries, in order to win. The award committee praised her “enigmatic picture world,” describing how, with “rapid brush strokes and dense colouration, Eva Lindström creates an ambiguous dialogue of text and image.” In the United States, [The Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art](, founded by children’s book great [Eric Carle](, has [named the 2022 recipients]( of its [Carle Honors](, given out to individuals and organizations making a lasting contribution to the world of children’s literature. This year’s honorees include [Dolly Parton’s]( book gifting organization, [Imagination Library](; award-winning children’s author and illustrator [Faith Ringgold](; Ajia (阿甲), a prolific translator of western children’s literature into Chinese; and [Wade]( and [Cheryl Willis Hudson](, the husband-and-wife author and illustrator team who have worked to improve diversity in the world of children’s books. The 2022 winners of the [Ezra Jack Keats Awards](20Jack%20Keats%20Book%20Award), named for classic picture book creator [Ezra Jack Keats](, and given out annually by the [Ezra Jack Keats Foundation]( in celebration of “exceptional early career authors and illustrators who portray the multicultural nature of our world,” have [been named](. The winner in the New Writer category is [Paul Harbridge]( for his [Out Into the Big Wide Lake](, and the winner in the New Illustrator category is [Gracey Zhang]( for her [Lala’s Words](. The [SCBWI]( (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) [has announced]( the winners of its 2022 [Golden Kite Awards](Kite+Award), presented annually in recognition of excellence in children’s literature. The winner in the Picture Book Text category was [Joanna Ho]( for her [Eyes That Kiss in the Corners](, while [Stephen Costanza]( was the winner in the Picture Book Illustration category for his [King of Ragtime: The Story of Scott Joplin](. [Rajani LaRocca]( has won in the Middle Grade Fiction category for her [Red, White and Whole](, and in the Illustrated Book for Older Readers category [Fahmida Azim]( has won for [Samira Surfs](, written by [Rukhsanna Guidroz](. Please see our award page [here](Kite+Award) for all of this year’s winners. Book World News: Adult Awards The winners of the 2021 [National Book Critics Circle Awards](Book+Critics+Circle+Award) have [been announced]( in multiple categories. [Jeremy Atherton Lin]( has won in the Autobiography category for his [Gay Bar: Why We Went Out](, while the winner in the Biography category was [Rebecca Donner]( for her [All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days: The True Story of the American Woman at the Heart of the German Resistance to Hitler](. The winner in the Criticism category was [Melissa Febos](, for her [Girlhood](, and in the Poetry category it was [Diane Seuss](, for her [frank: sonnets](. [Honorée Fanonne Jeffers]( has won in the Fiction category for [The Love Songs of W.E.B. Du Bois](, while [Clint Smith]( has won in the Nonfiction category for [How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America](. The [John Leonard Prize](20Leonard%20Award) for debut book went to [Anthony Veasna So]( for his [Afterparties: Stories](, while the [Nona Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing]( went to [Merve Emre](. The [Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award]( went to [Percival Everett](, and the newly established Toni Morrison Achievement Award to the [Cave Canem Foundation](. Alan Taylor, a professor at the University of Virginia, and a two-time winner of the [Pulitzer Prize](Prize), has [been named as the 2022 recipient]( of the [Barbara and David Zalaznick Book Prize](20Historical%20Society%20American%20History%20Book%20Prize) for his [American Republics: A Continental History of the United States, 1783-1850](. Once known as the “New-York Historical Society American History Book Prize,” the award is given out annually by the [New-York Historical Society]( to the best work of American history or biography. Poet and lecturer [Sonia Sanchez]( has [been awarded]( the 2022 [MacDowell Medal](, given annually to “an individual artist who has made an outstanding contribution to their field.” [Claudia Rankine](, the chairperson of the selection panel, remarked that “Sonia Sanchez’s illustrious career spans seven decades. Her commanding oeuvre continues to elevate language’s ability to give voice to entire communities (their daily pleasures and pains) inside our shared and troubled history.” The winners of the 58th annual [PEN America Literary Awards]( were [recently announced](, with nineteen prizes and awards being given out at a ceremony in Manhattan. After the ceremony on February 28th, many attendees participated in a candlelight vigil for Ukraine that had been [organized by PEN America](. This year’s award-winners included [Daisy Hernández](, who was given the [PEN/Jean Stein Book Award](20Stein%20Award), which recognizes a book-length work of “​​originality, merit, and impact,” for her [The Kissing Bug: A True Story of a Family, an Insect, and a Nation's Neglect of a Deadly Disease](. The winner of the [PEN/Nabokov Award for Achievement in International Literature]( went to Kenyan author [NgÅ©gÄ© wa Thiong'o](, while [Torrey Peters]( was awarded the [PEN/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel](20Foundation/PEN%20Award) for her [Detransition Baby](. [Yoon Choi]( won the [PEN/Robert W. Bingham Prize for Debut Short Story Collection](W.+Bingham+Prize) for her [Skinship: Stories](, while [Margaret Renkl]( has won the [PEN/Diamonstein-Spielvogel Award for the Art of the Essay](20Award%20for%20the%20Art%20of%20the%20Essay) for her [Graceland, at Last: Notes on Hope and Heartache from the American South](. The [PEN/E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award](20O.%20Wilson%20Literary%20Science%20Writing%20Award) went to [Catherine Raven]( for her [Fox and I: An Uncommon Friendship](, while [Diane Seuss]( received the [PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetr](y. In other PEN-related news, it has been announced that [Zadie Smith]( will be awarded the [PEN Audible Literary Service Award]( at the 2022 [PEN America Literary Gala](, to be held on May 23rd at the [American Museum of Natural History]( in New York City. A PEN press release stated that the award “recognizes Smith’s remarkable achievements as a novelist, short story writer, and essayist whose work displays unparalleled attention to craft and humane ideals.” The winners of this year’s [Audie Awards](Winner), given out by the [Audio Publishers Association]( (APA) in recognition of outstanding audiobooks and spoken word entertainment, [have been announced](. Audiobook of the Year went to [Project Hail Mary]( by [Andy Weir](, narrated by [Ray Porter]( and published by [Audible Studios](, while Best Audio Drama was given to [Sherlock Holmes: The Seamstress of Peckham Rye](, written by [Jonathan Barnes](, performed by a cast of eight, and published by [Big Finish Productions](. The winner in the Autobiography/Memoir category was [Somebody’s Daughter: A Memoir]( by [Ashley C. Ford](, narrated by the author and published by [Macmillan Audio](; while the winner in the History/Biography category was [Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other]( written and narrated by [Sam Heughan]( and [Graham McTavish](, published by [Hodder & Stoughton](. See the complete list of winners [here](. In the United States, [The Association of Jewish Libraries]( recently [announced the winner]( of the [Jewish Fiction Award](20Jewish%20Fiction%20Award), established in 2017 to recognize “works of fiction with significant Jewish thematic content” published in the USA during the previous year. [Derek B. Miller](, praised by the committee as “a deft plotter who juggles characters and settings with the same daring spirit as his hero,” has won for his [How To Find Your Way in the Dark](. In the UK, the [Wingate Foundation]( has [announced the 2022 winner]( of the [JQ Wingate Prize](Wingate+Prize), awarded annually to “the best book, fiction or non-fiction, to translate the idea of Jewishness to the general reader.” This year’s winner is [Nicole Krauss](, whose [To Be a Man: Stories]( was described as “a staggering, powerful work,” with stories “colliding with what it means to be Jewish.” Meanwhile, in Australia, the winners of the [Adelaide Festival Awards for Literature](Festival+Literary+Awards) have [been announced](. Both the Premier’s Award for best overall work and the Fiction Award have gone to [The Yield]( by [Tara June Winch](, while the Nonfiction Award has gone to [Olive Cotton: A Life in Photography]( by [Helen Ennis](. [We Are Wolves]( by [Katrina Nannestad]( has won the Children’s Literature Award, and [The Gaps]( by [Leanne Hall]( has won the Young Adult Fiction Award. The John Bray Poetry Award has gone to [Fifteeners]( by [Jordie Albiston](, while the Jill Blewett Playwright’s Award has gone to “Calendar Days,” written by [Peter Beaglehole]( and performed at the [Rumpus Theatre]( in Adelaide. Also in Australia, the [MUD Literary Prize](20Literary%20Prize), given annually during [Adelaide Writers Week]( by the philanthropic [MUD Literary Club]( to a debut literary novel by an Australian writer, has [been awarded]( to [Love & Virtue]( by [Diana Reid](. The [Walkley Book Award](20Book%20Award), celebrating excellence in Australian long-form journalism, had been awarded to[Kate Holden]( for [The Winter Road](, which was praised as “part thriller and part meditation on Australia’s landscape, culture and politics as legacies of its settler past.” The [L.D. and Laverne Harrell Clark Fiction Prize](20Fiction%20Prize), administered by the [Texas State University Department of English](, has [been awarded]( to [Raven Leilani]( for her [Luster](, which was described by judge [Téa Obreht]( as “disquieting and delightful, the product of her sharp eye and singular voice." The UK’s [Romantic Novelists’ Association]( recently [announced the winners]( of its [Romantic Novel Awards](Novel+of+the+Year+Award), given out annually in multiple categories. The Popular Romantic Fiction Award went to [Liz Fenwick]( for [The River Between Us](, while the Fantasy Romantic Novel Award went to [Freya Marske]( for [A Marvellous Light](. Please see our award page [here](Novel+of+the+Year+Award) for all of this year’s winners. Also in the UK, [Cal Flynn]( has [been named the winner]( of the Sunday Times Charlotte Aitken Trust [Young Writer of the Year Award](20Times%20Young%20Writer%20Of%20The%20Year) for her [Islands of Abandonment: Nature Rebounding in the Post-Human Landscape](. One judge praised “the originality of thinking, the intellectual rigor, the love for all that is gone and yet not entirely lost, and of course the sheer magic of the prose” in Flynn’s work. In Canada, the [Winterset Award](20Award%20for%20Excellence%20in%20Newfoundland%20Writing), given annually by the [Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council]( to the best book published by a writer from that province, [has been awarded]( to [Carmella Gray-Cosgrove]( for her debut story collection, [Nowadays and Lonelier](. Book World News: Freedom of Expression Freedom of expression continues to be a pressing issue in the book world. The recent decision by the [ABA]( (American Booksellers Association) to [remove references to the First Amendment]( from its Ends Policies in favor of language that supports diversity, equity and inclusion has sparked debate. Many bookselling members have expressed support of the new policies, but others have offered critiques both of the [adoption of UN hate speech definitions]( specifically, and of the [wider implications of subjective judgment]( when it comes to the selective defense of free speech. [The New York Times]( reports, in the meantime, that Swedish Olympian [Nils van der Poel](, who recently won gold in the men’s 10,000m speed skating event, has [gifted his Beijing 2022 gold medal to Angela Gui](, the daughter of imprisoned Hong Kong-based publisher and bookseller [Gui Minhai](, who is a Swedish citizen. Minhai disappeared in Thailand in late 2015 after publishing books critical of the Chinese government, and in 2020 he was [sentenced to ten years in prison](. In addition to his role as publisher and bookseller, Gui Minhai is also the author of over one hundred books, under the name Ah Hai (阿海). A collection of his prison poems, [Jag ritar en dörr pÃ¥ väggen med fingret]( (I Draw a Door on the Wall With My Finger), has been published in a bilingual Chinese/Swedish edition by his daughter, as part of her efforts to publicize his case. Chinese “oversight” of the book industry has also become an issue for British publishers [Quarto]( and [Octopus Books](, who have been accused of [censoring titles intended for western readers](, removing or changing references to Taiwan, Hong Kong, Tibet, and other “sensitive topics,” because they want to have them printed in China. Schools and libraries in the United States remain embroiled in a series of curriculum and curatorial debates with wider political implications. In response to recent state government actions—notably, [a gubernatorial probe]( into “pornography” in school books last year, the more recent legislative [call for school leaders to take a “book pledge”]( related to this subject, and the creation of [a list of 850 problematic books]( to be reviewed for possible removal from school libraries—the [Texas Library Association]( (TLA) has founded [Texans for the Right to Read](, an organization intended “to ensure that librarians across Texas will be entrusted to continue to do their jobs and serve the needs of ALL students and communities.” While a [recent NPR report]( indicates that progressive activism of this sort is intensifying, this [editorial in The New York Times]( opines that a progressive bias in library curation itself, leading to a form of “backdoor book banning,” is galvanizing the right. Other Book World News COVID-19 Updates Covid-19 continues to play a role in the book world, leading to the postponement of another book festival, and necessitating a hybrid in-person/virtual format for another. Disruptions to the supply chain continue, particularly when it comes to [paper shortages](, but there are hopeful signs as well. As we reported in our [November issue of State of the Thing]( the [China Shanghai Children’s Book Fair](, initially scheduled for that month, [was postponed until the spring](, when it was scheduled to run from March 20-22, coinciding with the [Bologna Children’s Book Fair](. Due to Coronavirus concerns however, [the fair has been postponed again](postponementAnnouncemen2022), and is now scheduled to occur this coming July. The [Brooklyn Book Festival]( has [announced its 2022 dates]( will run from September 25 through October 2—but intends to continue with the combination of in-person and virtual events that it employed last year. The [London Book Fair](, in the meantime, scheduled for April 5-7, is [returning as an in-person event]( for the first time since 2019, and expects visitors from 56 countries outside of the UK. American librarians have also returned to in-person gatherings, as the [Public Library Association](, which last held a conference in February 2020, [gathers in Portland, Oregon]( from March 23-25. This is the [first major library conference]( since the beginning of the Covid lockdowns. Book Sales & Publishing A little less than a year ago, in the [April 2021 issue of State of the Thing]( we reported on [the sale of Houghton Mifflin’s trade division]( to [HarperCollins](. Now it has been reported that [Houghton Mifflin Harcourt]( itself [is to be purchased]( by the private equity firm [Veritas Capital](. In other publishing news, [Simon & Schuster Canada]( has [announced that it is launching]( a [Scribner Canada]( imprint. Meant to echo the longstanding [Scribner]( imprint in the United States, Scribner Canada will publish literary fiction and nonfiction from Canadian and world authors. In the bookselling world, [it has been announced]( that [Amazon]( is closing all of its physical bookstores, while in the UK, beloved bookshop [Blackwell’s](, a family-owned business for 143 years, [has been purchased]( by [Waterstones](, the country’s largest bookstore chain. Booksellers in Canada have had some good news, as the Canadian government has launched the [Support for Booksellers]( program as part of the [Canada Book Fund](, making money available to help booksellers [increase their online sales]( of Canadian books Library & Literary News The [Central Library of Mosul University](, destroyed by Islamic State in 2014, [has recently been reopened]( with book donations from around the world. Founded in 1921, the library was considered one of the finest in the Middle East, and is believed to have lost between 8,000 and 10,000 books and manuscripts when it was bombarded. In Australia, the [Lismore Library]( in New South Wales was recently [damaged by extreme flooding](, with almost 30,000 books, DVDs and other items having to be thrown away. A local bookstore, [Book Warehouse Lismore](, was also heavily damaged. American librarians, in the meantime, have been [disheartened by news of the FY2022 federal budget](, as funding for the [LSTA]( (Library Services and Technology Act) remains static, rather than rising by $9 million, as approved by the House of Representatives last summer. In exciting news for fantasy fans, the estate of [J.R.R. Tolkien]( has recently [released previously unseen content]( including illustrations done by the author, on their new [Tolkien Estate website](. A more contemporary fantasy author, [Brandon Sanderson](, has recently made waves with his decision to [self-publish his new four-book series](, using the crowdfunding site [Kickstarter](. Intending to raise $1 million in 30 days, he instead raised $15.4 million in 24 hours. The [Little Free Library]( organization, which promotes community book exchanges via the use of public book displays, [recently announced the launch of their new mobile app]( designed to help users find the nearest Little Free Library TinyCat [TinyCat]( is the online catalog for small libraries, created by LibraryThing. It turns your existing LibraryThing account into a simple, professional, web-based catalog. Follow [@TinyCat_Lib]( on Twitter for the latest TinyCat news, and be sure to check out [LibraryThing’s Youtube channel]( for a range of TinyCat tutorials. of the Month. Humans have been using stones for millions of years, leaving behind such a lengthy history of artifacts that it only makes sense that not all stone structures still standing are known, or their purpose understood, by those alive today. The [New England Antiquities Research Association (NEARA)]( is working to close that knowledge gap in their part of the world. One of their volunteers, Walter, sat down with Kristi this month to answer her questions about the organization and [their library](. Q. Who are you, and what is your mission—your “raison d’être”? We are the New England Antiquities Research Association (NEARA), a non-profit organization dedicated to trying to discover, understand, and preserve many stone structures that can be found in the northeastern US and Canada. You can find the [full interview in this month’s TinyCat Post](. TinyCat Webinars. To learn more about TinyCat, join Kristi for a live demo Wednesdays at 1pm Eastern. Webinars are now on Zoom, so make sure to use our new [link to attend](. You can also check out our playlists of Tiny Tutorials on [LibraryThing's YouTube channel](, where Kristi walks you through various features of TinyCat in 30 seconds or less. If you'd like to schedule a webinar at another time or if you have other questions about TinyCat, you can reach Kristi at tinycat@librarything.com. Did You Know? Did you know that LibraryThing is available in languages besides English? - 🇫🇷 - 🇩🇪 - 🇮🇹 - 🇪🇸 - 🇩🇰 - 🇳🇴 - ðŸ´ó ¥ó ³ó £ó ´ó ¿ - 🇸🇪 - 🇵🇹 - 🏴‍☠️ That's all for the Thing this month! Happy reading, Abigail This message was sent to {NAME}. Click to [edit your email preferences or unsubscribe from future emails](.