links for 2009-01-20

"The children’s book industry is currently dealing with a new and pressing challenge that is threatening publishers, bookstores, libraries and schools. It’s not the economy or school spending or reading rates—it is a recent act of Congress…"

A medium is dying and few within the publishing industry are prepared to properly mourn its passing. One artist, however, is commemorating the Book, by painting loving portraits of tattered covers.

"When the Diocese of Brooklyn last week proposed closing 14 more elementary schools, it was not the deepest but only the latest of a thousand cuts suffered, one tearful closing announcement at a time, as enrollment in the nation’s Catholic schools has steadily dropped by more than half from its peak of five million 40 years ago."