- Emory University has acquired an important archive of Flanner O'Connor materials.
- A number of early Buddhist manuscripts, some dating to the sixth century, have reportedly been destroyed in floods in India.
- Sarah Werner writes on the Collation blog about the question of capturing bookseller and librarian notes in catalog records. And Erin Blake notes a new Hamnet URL and some nifty new search filters.
- The Bodleian Library has been successful in its bid to purchase the William Henry Fox Talbot archive of early photographs, as well as the photographer's diaries and letters. A 2017 exhibition is planned.
- The JHU student paper covers the exhibition of the Arthur and Janet Freeman Bibliotheca Fictiva Collection at Peabody Library (through February).
- D.H. Lawrence's manuscript of his short story "Her Turn" has been acquired by Harvard's Houghton Library.
- Manuscript Road Trip visits Virginia this week, and features a few of RBS's teaching manuscripts.
- Speaking of RBS, most scholarship applications are due this week, so don't forget to submit your applications!
- Eric Kwakkel explores the imagery of medieval desktops and highlights book clasps. He's also interviewed for an Independent article about early manuscript doodles.
- Yale conservators are working on the 7,000-item papryus collection, preparing the material for long-term access and use.
- Bob McCamant reported on this year's Oak Knoll Fest for the Fine Press Book Association blog: Day 1, Days 2/3.
- A copy of a 1916 silent film starring William Gillette as Sherlock Holmes has been found in a French film archive.
- A new database of British slave ownership is now available from UCL.
- The Economist has a long article on the future of the book, "From Papyrus to Pixels." Choose the magazine ("scroll") format for minimal obnoxiousness.
- Graham Bowley reports for the NYTimes on antiquities being damaged and/or lost in Iraq and Syria.
- The Paul Revere House has acquired a 1775 letter from Paul to Rachel Revere, previously conserved at NEDCC.
- Katherine Seelye reports for the NYTimes on the new Poe statue in Boston.
- Nine newly-digitized Civil War manuscript collections are now available from the Massachusetts Historical Society.
- Sara Georgini writes for The Junto on some early American diplomatic ciphers.
Reviews
- Edward Baptist's The Half Has Never Been Told; reviews by Eric Foner and Felicia R. Lee in the NYTimes.
- E.O. Wilson's The Meaning of Human Existence; review by Dwight Garner in the NYTimes.
- Peter Baldwin's The Copyright Wars; review at LISNews.
- Laura Auricchio's The Marquis; review by Frederick Brown in the WSJ.
- Stephen Pinker's The Sense of Style; review by Jacob Silverman in the CSM.
- Robin Varnum's Álvar Núnez Cabeza de Vaca: American Trailblazer; review by Marie Arana in the WaPo.
- James McPherson's Embattled Rebel; review by Ryan Cole in the WSJ.
- Italo Calvino's The Complete Cosmicomics; review by Michael Dirda in the WaPo.
- Colm Toíbín's Nora Webster; review by Darin Strauss in the LATimes.
