Ian Smith

Erik Engstrom has taken over as Reed Elsevier's new CEO after Ian Smith's resignation this week. Smith led the company for less than one year and Engstrom's new role is effective immediately.

According to a Publishers Weekly (PW) report yesterday, PW has been officially put on the market for sale, along with its affiliated publications, Library Journal and School Library Journal. Earlier this year, PW's editor-in-chief, Sara Nelson, was laid off. She was one of 7 percent of the staff, including several other top editor's, laid off at PW's parent company, Reed Business Information (a Reed Elsevier company), following Reed Elsevier's failed attempt to sell Reed Business Information in its entirety last year.

Reed Elsevier announced the appointment of Ian Smith as chief executive officer. Smith, who will succeed Sir Crispin Davis when he retires from the position in March 2009, will join Reed Elsevier's board as CEO-designate on Jan. 1, 2009.

Essence magazine will host the first-annual Essence Literary Awards in New York City on Feb. 7, 2008. The awards, created to celebrate both emerging and established African-American authors, will be co-hosted by “Today” show co-anchor Hoda Kotb and Dr. Ian Smith of VH1’s “Celebrity Fit Club.” Awards finalists in nine categories––Fiction, Memoir, Inspiration, Non-fiction, Current Affairs, Photography, Children’s Books, Poetry and Storyteller of the Year––were announced yesterday. The winner of the Storyteller of the Year Award will be decided by Essence readers, who will have an opportunity to vote on Essence.com from Jan. 1-15, 2008. Finalists in that category are Eric Jerome Dickey, Lori