- Late on Friday night we learned that the judge had issued a ruling in the Georgia State University e-reserves copyright case. You can read the decision here (all 350 pages of it - PDF). Duke's Kevin Smith stayed up very late reading and digesting it as well: his post's title, "not an easy road for anyone," sums it up fairly well. On balance the decision is a fairly positive one for fair-use advocates, although some of the judge's holdings aren't necessarily what libraries might have wanted. And the case is certainly going to be appealed, so the saga is anything but over. I'm sure we'll hear much more about the decision this week, and I'll post more links &c. as I can.
- If you've been following the NYPL-renovation saga at all (or even if you haven't), you'll want to read Charles Petersen's n+1 two-parter, "Lions in Winter." Part One, Part Two.
- This week saw the 200th anniversary of the assassination of British Prime Minister Spencer Perceval. David C. Hanrahan wrote a good overview of the case for Public Domain Review.
- A new blog to add to your reading lists: Unique at Penn.
- In The Telegraph, Hilary Mantel talks to Thomas Penn about Bring Up the Bodies.
- From the Fine Books Blog, the "Bright Young Things" series continues with Amir Naghib of Captain Ahab's Rare Books.
- Leah Price discusses How to Do Things with Books in Victorian Britain with Craig Fehrman in the Boston Globe.
- A great "What manner o' thing is your crocodile?" challenge from Sarah Werner over at The Collation (with some very useful discussion in the comments as well).
- From PW, Judith Rosen writes on "Used-Book Stores in the Digital Age,"
Reviews
- E.O. Wilson's The Social Conquest of Earth; review by Paul Bloom in the NYTimes.
- Kate Summerscale's Mrs. Robinson's Diary; review by Mark Bostridge in the TLS.
- Peter Carey's The Chemistry of Tears; review by Sam Sacks in the WSJ.
- Hilary Mantel's Bring Up the Bodies; review by Ruth Scurr in the TLS.
