Berkeley, California

PubWest, the leading trade association of small- and medium-sized book publishers, has awarded its 2013 Jack D. Rittenhouse Award to Jack Shoemaker, Co-founder, Editorial Director and Vice President of Counterpoint Press. The PubWest Board of Directors selected Shoemaker in recognition of his extraordinary career and how his lifetime of work has shaped and inspired the book publishing community.

PubWest Board President Dave Trendler said, “The Jack D. Rittenhouse Award was established in 1990 as a way to thank and honor those who have made a real contribution to the Western community of the book. Today, the Rittenhouse Award is truly a lifetime achievement award for those who have made long-lasting contributions to how books are made and sold. I'm truly pleased to welcome him into the company of Rittenhouse Award recipients.”

At the Telescope User Group (TUG) Conference, North Plains, the leading provider of digital asset management (DAM), today announced that it has acquired Xinet. This acquisition combines two best-of-breed DAM companies to address the broader rich media management needs of creative workgroups, marketing departments and enterprises. In the process, it expands North Plains’ position as the largest pure-play DAM vendor in the industry. Now, the thousands of combined North Plains and Xinet customers can leverage the entire lifecycle of a rich media file, from its creation and work-in-process (WIP) to its global distribution and archiving as a valued asset.