Richard McGowan's Blog: Smashed-Rat-On-Press - Posts Tagged "library"
SROP Library and Institutional Sales
Musicians, painters, writers, and other artists should obviously be compensated for their work. We as a society fail miserably to support the arts that we all depend on for nearly all non-natural beauty in the world and in our lives. Artists often give up a tremendous amount in terms of personal wealth and security for the privilege of Arting Freely and Often. And a good percentage of what a customer pays for art ends up in the pockets of middle-dudes.
I'm getting sick contemplating a quite-likely digital future in which everything in the arts is licensed by giant corporations who are ready to mutilate anyone or anything that gets in the way of their profit margin and their "rights"—no matter how long an artist has been dead. I'm also sick of corporate unwillingness to negotiate reasonable terms with other institutions, particularly libraries—because nothing is really about art, it's all about profit and control.
This story just burned us up: the University of Washington Library was trying to get a particular digital album for their music students. The terms? They could pay $250 plus a licensing fee to get access to 25% of the album for two years. (In the past, they might have paid $25 to buy a CD they could loan out. A reasonable music company would burn them a one-off CD and sell it to them for $50—or even $100—with a smile.
Smashed-Rat-on-Press has embraced a policy of fighting back against greed and unreigned corporate cultural control with our new Library and Institutional Licensing terms. For a modest one-time packaging fee, SROP will license the entire catalog of publications for unlimited loan distribution to bona-fide public and university libraries in the USA and abroad. Librarians are welcome to contact the Rodent at SROP to learn about our attractive terms.
And now I'll return to the comfort of my cozy room beneath the rock.
I'm getting sick contemplating a quite-likely digital future in which everything in the arts is licensed by giant corporations who are ready to mutilate anyone or anything that gets in the way of their profit margin and their "rights"—no matter how long an artist has been dead. I'm also sick of corporate unwillingness to negotiate reasonable terms with other institutions, particularly libraries—because nothing is really about art, it's all about profit and control.
This story just burned us up: the University of Washington Library was trying to get a particular digital album for their music students. The terms? They could pay $250 plus a licensing fee to get access to 25% of the album for two years. (In the past, they might have paid $25 to buy a CD they could loan out. A reasonable music company would burn them a one-off CD and sell it to them for $50—or even $100—with a smile.
Smashed-Rat-on-Press has embraced a policy of fighting back against greed and unreigned corporate cultural control with our new Library and Institutional Licensing terms. For a modest one-time packaging fee, SROP will license the entire catalog of publications for unlimited loan distribution to bona-fide public and university libraries in the USA and abroad. Librarians are welcome to contact the Rodent at SROP to learn about our attractive terms.
And now I'll return to the comfort of my cozy room beneath the rock.
Humphreys on "The Private Library"
(Apology: I was doing to write this blather in a review, but as I haven't finished the book by a long-shot, I thought it best to merely toss in some discussion from the sidelines and leave a formal review until some other time.)
The Private Library by Arthur L. Humphreys
This thin book of a bygone era smiled prettily at me from the shelf of a used bookstore in Santa Cruz today, and I opened it up to a random page which happened to be headed (and I shall not blush to write this) Boudoir Libraries... Now that is precisely up my alley isn't it? I'll admit that much; and in the course of this brief chapter the author reminds us that:
Reference books such as verbal dictionaries, dictionaries of quotations, a classical dictionary, an atlas, or a biographical dictionary, should always be to hand; and even when these are in the large library, duplicates should be kept in the boudoir.
Absolutely sound advice, which I shall take immediately upon my first opportunity to furnish the multiple libraries of a grand English estate.
I also liked the sturdy advice in a later chapter on Weeding Out, in which the author reminds us:
The libraries which were formed in past generations cannot be expected to suit present-day requirements. In a great many country-house libraries there is little else than a great mass of turgid theology, but very often buried among these are really valuable books.
Mr Humphreys uses that as a preamble to a goodly chapter on The Catalogue in which he assures us:
The old catalogues were mostly very bad.
If you'll just hang on a few moments, Mr Humphreys, I shall send someone to fetch you two-hundred-some years into the future when we have a bit of technology that might profitably assist you in your cataloging efforts. (Apparently this was originally published in 1800 by Strangeways & Sons, London.)
Oh, and by the way, dear Reader, you can get a slick modern copy of this lovely book HERE in snazzy electronic form from Project Gutenberg.
The Private Library by Arthur L. Humphreys
This thin book of a bygone era smiled prettily at me from the shelf of a used bookstore in Santa Cruz today, and I opened it up to a random page which happened to be headed (and I shall not blush to write this) Boudoir Libraries... Now that is precisely up my alley isn't it? I'll admit that much; and in the course of this brief chapter the author reminds us that:
Reference books such as verbal dictionaries, dictionaries of quotations, a classical dictionary, an atlas, or a biographical dictionary, should always be to hand; and even when these are in the large library, duplicates should be kept in the boudoir.
Absolutely sound advice, which I shall take immediately upon my first opportunity to furnish the multiple libraries of a grand English estate.
I also liked the sturdy advice in a later chapter on Weeding Out, in which the author reminds us:
The libraries which were formed in past generations cannot be expected to suit present-day requirements. In a great many country-house libraries there is little else than a great mass of turgid theology, but very often buried among these are really valuable books.
Mr Humphreys uses that as a preamble to a goodly chapter on The Catalogue in which he assures us:
The old catalogues were mostly very bad.
If you'll just hang on a few moments, Mr Humphreys, I shall send someone to fetch you two-hundred-some years into the future when we have a bit of technology that might profitably assist you in your cataloging efforts. (Apparently this was originally published in 1800 by Strangeways & Sons, London.)
Oh, and by the way, dear Reader, you can get a slick modern copy of this lovely book HERE in snazzy electronic form from Project Gutenberg.
Ring Out the Old Year with New Mysteries
If you happen to be looking for a new/different line of series mysteries that most of your friends haven't read yet, but which can keep you engaged for a while, here are some to try. Links go to the author, and first book in each series:
Mae Martin series by Amber Foxx
Six books so far.
Veronica Barry series by Sophia Martin
Four books so far.
Maggie Sullivan series by M. Ruth Myers
Seven books so far.
Sugawara Akitada series by I.J. Parker
Eighteen books so far. The first few were trad published.
Penny Green series by Emily Organ
Six books so far, one brand new.
Gretchen Gallen series by Bridget Allison
Two books so far.
One of these series' is not like the others... Can you guess which one? ;-)
Mae Martin series by Amber FoxxSix books so far.
Veronica Barry series by Sophia MartinFour books so far.
Maggie Sullivan series by M. Ruth MyersSeven books so far.
Sugawara Akitada series by I.J. ParkerEighteen books so far. The first few were trad published.
Penny Green series by Emily OrganSix books so far, one brand new.
Gretchen Gallen series by Bridget AllisonTwo books so far.
One of these series' is not like the others... Can you guess which one? ;-)
Smashed-Rat-On-Press
The main purpose of this blog is to announce occasional additions and changes to the SROP catalog or the site. And it doubles as a soap-box from which to gesticulate and babble...
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