Occupy Wall Street library reopens (briefly) in Zucotti Park

While librarians in Canada’s largest city were preparing for strike action that began this morning, in New York City’s Zucotti Park, the Occupy Wall Street library briefly reopened over the weekend to mark the six-month anniversary of the Occupy movement.

According to Galleycat, at about 10 p.m. on Saturday night, the People’s Library Twitter account tweeted, “The People’s Library is once again open at #LibertyPlaza. 1,000 people here right now and staying all night.”

Police ordered the park closed at around 11:30 p.m., however, removing protesters and engaging in occasionally violent confrontation. According to The New York Times:

By 12:20 a.m., a line of officers pushed against some of the remaining protesters, forcing them south on Broadway, at times swinging batons and shoving people to the ground.

Kobi Skolnick, 30, said that officers pushed him in several directions and that as he tried to walk away, he was struck from behind in the neck. “One of the police ran and hit me with a baton,” he said.

Galleycat also links to a blog post about an upcoming reading from the Occupy Wall Street Poetry Anthology, scheduled to take place at the West Village Jefferson Market Library on April 14. The OWS blogger writes:

I’ve been talking with the head librarian and he’s also opened the doors for us to put up a bunch of OWS Anthology poems throughout the library as decorations so library goers can read poems while they peruse the shelves. The occasion will also provide us the opportunity to place a copy of the OWS Poetry Anthology in the library, so the NYPL will officially have a copy of the OWS Poetry Anthology for the community to enjoy. Yes!

Book links roundup: Canadian publishers discuss the future, Sheila Heti on teen fiction, and more

• Audio: Canadian publishing veterans discuss the industry’s future
• Sheila Heti believes teens benefit from reading adult fiction, and vice versa
• Toronto Public Library employees are on strike
• Are multipurpose e-readers great for everything except reading?
• Nobel Prize winner Toni Morrison cancels plans to pen memoir

Book links roundup: CanLit Hunger Games, Kyung-sook Shin wins Man Asian Literary Prize, and more

• Who will win CBC’s CanLit Hunger Games?
• South Korean author Kyung-sook Shin becomes first woman to win Man Asian Literary Prize
• Censorship in publishing: more about money than ethics
• Toronto librarians accuse Toronto Public Library of moving toward “big-box store” model
• Marvel Comics to expand digital offerings

Book links roundup: the Kindle Single sweet spot, Margaret Atwood’s new digital short story, and more

• Does the Kindle Single occupy a sweet spot between magazine-length articles and hardcover books?
• Margaret Atwood releases new short story, “I’m Starved For You”
• Listen to a Jane Eyre-inspired literary mixtape
• A Massachusetts public library is raising money for its tiny book haven with a cute video
• Justin Bieber’s mom to publish a tell-all memoir

Book links roundup: Smashwords in public libraries, poets named Sue, and more

• Indie ebook distributor Smashwords partners with Baker & Taylor to bring titles to Blio and public libraries
• Oolichan Books is looking for poets named Sue
• Silicon Valley entrepreneur builds “an ark” of physical books
• Do indie bookstores need a branded e-reader to crack the ebook market?
• OverDrive acquires Australian eBook company Booki.sh
• The man who saved the Los Angeles library system offers Toronto some advice

Book links roundup: Toronto Public Library’s advertising plans, Jackie Collins self-publishes, and more

• Toronto Public Library goes ahead with advertising sales plans
• Jackie Collins ditches her publisher for self-publishing
• Do video book trailers help sell more books?
• Apple refuses to sell books linked to Amazon
• The Boston Globe reports on the merge of libraries and bookstores

Video: Interview with Anne Rice

Anne Rice is bringing gothic back (Photo: Toronto Public Library)

Anne Rice’s appearance at the Toronto Reference Library on Feb. 13 was her first in the city in a decade, and judging by the size of the sold-out crowd, she still has plenty of fans who prefer their supernatural creatures to be lusty and born of noble blood (and of legal drinking age).

Rice was interviewed by CBC’s Mary Hynes, who heralded Rice’s “returning to the gothic” with her new novel, The Wolf Gift, a reimagining of the traditional werewolf story.

If you missed out, the library has posted a three-part video of the evening:

Slave Lake Library reopens after fire

In May, wildfires ravaged the town of Slave Lake in northern Alberta. The community of 7,000 residents returned from an evacuation notice to find the town’s library, municipal government buildings, and radio station destroyed, plus many homes and businesses gutted.

As demolition, cleanup, and reconstruction efforts continue, the town had good reason to celebrate last Saturday as the Rotary Club of Slave Lake Public Library welcomed the community to the grand opening of its temporary location. The reopening of the library, which had been moved to a brand new facility adjoining town hall in 2009, comes largely thanks to a donations campaign mounted by the Slave Lake Regional Library Board and the Peace Library System in the days after the forest fires. Appeals for nearly new books and cash gifts have led to the library acquiring more than 14,000 materials, including books, audio books, DVDs, and computers. The temporary location will be in place for 18 months to two years while the original site is rebuilt.

In a press release, library board members and staff thank publishers, libraries, and individuals across Canada for their generosity, and acknowledge the impact their contributions have had on the town.

“A library helps link together members in a community,” says librarian Anne Moore. “This is a very busy library and many visitors see the temporary location as a beacon of hope.”

Book links roundup: Valentine’s Day edition

• Be my Valentine, just like in Game of Thrones
• British Library curator picks the 1o best love letters
• Tabatha Southey judges the top break-up tweets for CBC Books
• Celebrating man eaters, murderers, and other vile women in fiction
• Six-word modern love stories and literary pick-up lines

Canadian literary event roundup: Feb. 10-16

It’s another busy week for literary events. Here’s a sample of what’s going on across the country:

• Asim Hussain launches Khadijah Goes to School, Toronto Women’s Bookstore (Feb. 11, 3 p.m., free)
• Sarah Ellis shares her experiences as a writer and librarian, Lillian H. Smith Library, Toronto (Feb. 11, 2 p.m., free)
• Vivek Shraya releases the second edition of God Loves Hair, Ryerson University Thomas Lounge, Toronto (Feb. 13, 6:30 p.m., free)
• Leslie Shimotakahara launches her memoir The Reading List, The Japan Foundation, Toronto (Feb. 14, 5:30 p.m., free, RSVP to info@jftor.org)
• Alan Lightman reads from his latest novel Mr g, Harbourfront Centre, Toronto (Feb. 15, 7:30 p.m., free)
• Ben Ehrenreich, Grace O’Connell, and Hal Niedzviecki share their stories about god, 61 Ossington, Toronto (Feb. 16, 7:30 p.m., free)
• Spoken word performer and motivational speaker Dwayne Morgan reads poetry, Danforth/Coxwell Library, Toronto (Feb. 15, 10 a.m., free)
• Saint Mary’s Reading Series presents poets Tammy Armstrong and Nick Thran, Saint Mary’s University, Halifax (Feb. 16, 7 p.m., free)
• Robson Reading Series presents Steve Burgess, author of Who Killed Mom? and Daniel Griffin, author of Stopping for Strangers, UBC Bookstore, Vancouver (Feb 16, 7 p.m., free)

Quillblog is looking for photos from literary events across Canada. Send your photos to scflinn@quillandquire.com