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First Installation of Wireless RFID System in U.S. Library Deployed The first-known totally wireless Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system in a U.S. library has been successfully deployed at the Prairie Trails Public Library (www.PrairieTrailsLibrary.org), located in Burbank, Ill. The wireless system provides the library with the flexibility of moving its self-check units to the most convenient areas of the library, even if those locations change over time. The decision to go wireless was made during the planning stages of the RFID installation, when Checkpoint Systems Inc., the Thorofare, N.J.-based company that planned the installation of its Intelligent Library System (ILS), realized that the

In a landmark case being eyed by printers and manufacturers for the last several years, the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit reversed a St. Louis District Court judgement from more than a year ago in which the lower court had ruled against Lightning Source Inc. and Amazon.com for patent infringement. The court’s opinion was unanimous in finding that “no reasonable jury could find infringement on the correct claim construction.” The plaintiff, On Demand Machine Corporation (ODMC), won the initial verdict in March 2004, and was awarded $15 million in damages by the jury. The latest ruling, in favor of Lightning Source,

‘Owen and Mzee: the True Story of a Remarkable Friendship’ The bond between a baby hippotamus orphaned during the Asian tsunami and a 130-year-old Aldabran tortoise is the basis for a recently released children’s book publsihed by Scholastic Inc. Written by Craig Hatkoff, his seven-year-old daughter, Isabella, and Dr. Paula Kahumba of Lafarge Eco Systems, operators of Haller Park in Kenya where the animals live, “Owen and Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship” tells the story of how these two animals came together. Inspiration for the Hatkoff’s to write Owen and Mzee’s story came after the two saw the pair’s picture

It wasn’t too long ago—about three to four decades—that bookstore chains made no room on their shelves for religious publications. Out of necessity, religious bookstores were conceived, says Rolf Zettersten, publisher of Time Warner Faith, Nashville, Tenn. Times are much different now. Religious books line the shelves of major outlets like Barnes & Noble and Borders, and can be ordered online with just one click. And some large publishers that previously saw religious publishing as a niche market have created religious imprints of their own. Texts representing everything from Judaism and Christianity to Muslim and Hindu are more accessible than ever and frequently

Amazon plans to launch two services aimed at promoting the sale and use of e-books. Amazon Pages gives readers the ability to purchase a few pages or entire chapters of a given title in e-book format, while Amazon Upgrade will allow the online retailer's customers to upgrade the purchase of a bound-book copy to include an e-book version. Amazon Pages allows its customers electronic access "to any page, section or chapter of a book as well as [purchasing] the book in its entirety," according to a company press release. www.Amazon.com

Book publishers are keeping their fingers crossed that 2005 will be the year the industry shakes off the period of stagnation that has coincided with the U.S. economic downturn. The domestic market continued to remain essentially flat in 2004, but industry insiders are hopeful that the market will soon show growth. The shift toward more flexible production schedules, and resurgence in educational and reference titles will likely be the engines that drive any industry upswing. Another trend in 2005 will be publishers aiming to enhance profitability by leveraging the cost benefits of digital printing and international sourcing. Setting the Stage for Growth

There's a reason one of the world's most popular maxims is, "never judge a book by its cover." That's because everybody judges a book by its cover. Traditional or fancy, plain or electric, simple or three-dimensional, a cover says a lot about the text inside, and the imprint (and printers) behind it. Last issue's cover story on how publishers are using eye-catching covers to boost sales and improve positioning on retailer's shelves was an instant hit with readers, because publishers know that great covers sell great books. That's why they design them to stand out and be judged. The high level of enthusiasm for

"Finding Independents," is a new column that focuses on the issues affecting smaller and independent publishers. In the inaugural article, humorist Laurie Notaro discusses the success she found with iUniverse.com and its print-on-demand (POD) offerings. Rebecca Churilla: How did the idea for the Idiot Girls Adventure Club come to you? Would you have been able to publish the book had it not been for the capabilities offered by POD? Laurie Notaro: I wrote Idiot Girls seven years ago. It's a collection of first-person narratives, all true stories, that I wrote for my weekly humor column at Arizona State University's student newspaper, State Press.

The events of September 11, 2001 were of such a horrific and shocking nature that they did not allow for the careful planning that is often associated with the publishing industry. Rather, the devastating terrorist attacks, and their aftermath, demanded quick action to satisfy the public's need for information—and answers. To fulfill this need and to raise money for Red Cross relief efforts, BookSurge.com, BlueEar.com and the New York University (NYU) Department of Journalism joined efforts to produce 09/11 8:48 AM; Documenting America's Greatest Tragedy. The book recounts stories of those who survived the attacks and those who are involved in the civic aftermath.

Television, magazines, movies and mass-marketed advertising have always contributed to—and reflected—the style of an era. In the 1950s, children's books, for instance, often boasted whimsical line drawings designed to mimic toys of the time. This season's texts are not immune to widespread pop cultural influence. In an age when Internet use has dominated the communications scene, highly competitive, attention-getting production methods are currently shaping the book design industry. In many cases, art and literature are no longer relegated to one-dimensional surfaces, but rather, die-cuts, inserts and special folding processes create multi-dimensional books, allowing readers to interact more with the end product.