The Bookshelf

From the author of the highly praised The Pencil and The Evolution of Useful Things comes another captivating history of the seemingly mundane: the book and its storage. Most of us take for granted that our books are vertical on our shelves with the spines facing out, but Henry Petroski, inveterately curious engineer, didn't. As a result, readers are guided along the astonishing evolution from papyrus scrolls boxed at Alexandria to upright books shelved at the Library of Congress. Unimpeachably researched, enviably written, and charmed with anecdotes from Seneca to Samuel Pepys to a nineteenth-century bibliophile who had to climb over his books to get into bed, The Book on the Bookshelf is indispensable for anyone who loves books.

Enjoy the art of coloring with this intricate coloring book featuring imaginative designs by Samarra Khaja. These illustrations, printed on high-quality, heavyweight paper, are ideal for framing and perfectly suited to coloring with colored pencils, fine tip markers, and even watercolors. Made for imaginations that never grew up, her designs create a wacky world of stories, where outdated technology manuals and robot romance novels sit side by side on the bookshelf with gardening books and science lab manuals. Coloring even a few minutes a day can help you relieve stress and infuse much-need creativity into your busy life!

The authors: Alice Ann Ross Karen Saxon Loretta Walker Albert E. Farrar Jr. Beverly Anderson Margaret Watland Barbara J. Bina

Object Lessons is a series of short, beautifully designed books about the hidden lives of ordinary things. Every shelf is different and every bookshelf tells a different story. One bookshelf can creak with character in a bohemian coffee shop and another can groan with gravitas in the Library of Congress. Writer and historian Lydia Pyne finds bookshelves to be holders not just of books but of so many other things: values, vibes, and verbs that can be contained and displayed in the buildings and rooms of contemporary human existence. With a shrewd eye toward this particular moment in the history of books, Pyne takes the reader on a tour of the bookshelf that leads critically to this juncture: amid rumors of the death of book culture, why is the life of the bookshelf in full bloom? Object Lessons is published in partnership with an essay series in The Atlantic.

"Magical Bookshelf Journey" invites readers on a captivating literary adventure unlike any other. Within its pages lies a world of enchantment and wonder, where the ordinary bookshelf transforms into a gateway to extraordinary realms. As readers embark on this magical journey, they'll encounter a diverse array of characters, each with their own stories to tell and secrets to share. From whimsical fairy tales to epic adventures, the books that line the shelves hold the power to transport readers to far-off lands and ignite their imaginations. But the magic doesn't stop there. Along the way, readers will uncover hidden treasures and uncover the mysteries of the enchanted bookshelf. With every turn of the page, they'll be drawn deeper into a spellbinding world where anything is possible. Written with lyrical prose and accompanied by stunning illustrations, "Magical Bookshelf Journey" is a celebration of the transformative power of storytelling. It reminds readers of the magic that resides within the pages of a book and the infinite possibilities that await those who dare to explore. Whether you're a seasoned bibliophile or a newcomer to the world of literature, this book is sure to inspire a sense of wonder and ignite a passion for adventure. So grab your imagination and prepare to embark on the journey of a lifetime through the pages of "Magical Bookshelf Journey."

This book constitutes the refereed proceedings of the 11th International C- ference on Asian Digital Libraries (ICADL 2008) held in Bali, Indonesia, in December 2008. The objective of this conference series is to provide a forum for presentation of high-quality research in the ?eld of digital libraries. ICADL 2008 provided an opportunity for digital libraries researchers and practitioners in the Asia Paci?c area and beyond to gather to explore ideas, exchange and share experiences, and further build the research network in this region. ICADL 2008 was a truly international event, with presenters from 21 countries. A total of 63 papers were accepted for inclusion in the proceedings: 30 full papers, 20 short papers, and extended abstracts of 13 posters. Submissions were subject to a rigorous, blind peer-review process. The research topics cover the spectrum of digital libraries, including multimedia digital libraries, usab- ity and evaluation, information retrieval, ontologies, social tagging, metadata issues, multi- and cross-language retrieval, digital preservation, scholarly p- lishing and communities, and more. Additionally, three tutorials were o?ered in association with the conference by Andreas Rauber (Vienna University of Technology), David Bainbridge (University of Waikato), and George Buchanan (Swansea University).