I hope you all had a good Easter. This newsletter includes (amongst other things) news about ASLIB been acquired by Emerald Group Publishing; some information in regard to Sense Publishers; details about my latest blog entries on my ‘Serendipitous Moments’ blog (all best-selling novels this time); and a few details about Redbridge and Newham public libraries.
1. ASLIB (THE ASSOCIATION FOR INFORMATION MANAGEMENT) AND ASLIB’S MAGAZINE ‘MANAGING INFORMATION’ HAS BEEN ACQUIRED BY MCB GROUP, THE HOLDING COMPANY FOR EMERALD GROUP PUBLISHING LTD
http://info.emeraldinsight.com/about/news/story.htm?id=2257
ASLIB, which was established in 1924, and its magazine, Managing Information, have been acquired by Emerald Group Publishing. ASLIB has been encountering difficulties for a number of years now and I have sadly witnessed it slowly declining since I worked for them in 2002. ASLIB first sold its journals to Emerald, and then its book publishing business to Taylor and Francis in 2002. It then went into voluntary liquidation in 2004. The library was also lost, and there were redundancies.
ASLIB will now be run independently within the Emerald Group, but will draw on services from Emerald as well as from other publishers. They also plan to “revamp and improve the ASLIB Managing Information (MI) magazine.” Let us hope that in one way or another ASLIB and MI can continue and thrive.
2. PAULA ALLMAN’S BOOK, ‘CRITICAL EDUCATION AGAINST GLOBAL CAPITALISM’ SHORTLY TO BE PUBLISHED IN PAPERBACK WITH SENSE PUBLISHERS
Paula Allman’s excellent book ‘Critical Education Against Global Capitalism’, published with Bergin & Garvey, Westport, USA and London, 2001, which up to now has only been available in hardback, is shortly to be published in paperback with Sense Publishers, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Paula Allman, who is a writing friend of Glenn Rikowski’s is obviously very delighted about this. It will hopefully mean that lots more copies of her very important book will be sold and read. Bergin and Garvey had promised her that they would publish it in paperback, but it never happened. This paperback book is now part of a new Sense series, entitled ‘International Perspectives on Adult Education’ that is edited by Peter Mayo. We wish Paula all the very best with the publication of this paperback edition of her very important book.
3. GARY BELL OBTAINING A BOOK CONTRACT WITH SENSE PUBLISHERS
I am delighted to say that I have been able to secure a book contract for Gary Bell, an academic colleague of mine at London South Bank University, with Sense Publishers, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The proposed title of the book is ‘Higher Education Management and Operational Research: Demonstrating New Practices and Metaphors. The book will bring together a collection of papers on this topic and will be edited by Dr Gary Bell, Professor Peter Galbraith and Professor Jon Warwick. It will examine, explain and promote various methodologies and techniques linked with Operational Research to different Higher Education management issues, relating it all to both theory and cost. The book will critically offer a ‘tool box’ of OR approaches and metaphors for HE management.
4. 6 NEW ITEMS UP ON MY ‘SERENDIPITOUS MOMENTS’ BLOG – ALL ON BEST SELLING NOVELS
The latest entries on my ‘Serendipitious Moments’ blog are all about some best-selling novels (such as the Sunday Times Top Ten Bestsellers) that I have been reading and very much enjoying recently. These are: ‘In Time for Christmas’ by Katie Flynn; ‘Mother of Pearl’ by Maureen Lee; ‘Flora’s Lot’ by Katie Fforde; ‘Forgotten Dreams’ by Katie Flynn; ‘Wedding Season’ by Katie Fforde and ‘Going Dutch’ by Katie Fforde. I am certainly enjoying this new and different approach to novel reading that I have been exploring over the last few months.
5. MARTIN HODGES SELF-PUBLISHED BOOK ‘WORD OF EYE’
Martin Hodges, who used to be one of my book reviewers for Managing Information has just self-published a little book entitled ‘Word of Eye’ with the help of Blurb creative publishing service. The book opens with these words:
“Sometimes we are privileged to see beyond the landscape and physical forms around us. In those moments, connections are made, and the world reveals itself, bathed in the new light of unknown dimensions.”
There are many different, beautiful coloured photographs in it of various country scenes – and all produced effectively on high quality paper!
For more of the author’s thoughts and observations, visit Martin Hodges Square Sunshine blog – http://square-sunshine.blogspot.com/.
6. ‘THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE DOWNLOADED’, EDITED BY TARA BRABAZON, CHANDOS PUBLISHING, OXFORD, 2008 – REVIEWED BY RALPH ADAMS http://www.woodheadpublishing.com/en/book.aspx?bookID=1853&ChandosTitle=1
Ralph Adams recently wrote an interesting and positive review of the book ‘The revolution will not be downloaded: dissent in the digital age’ for CILIP Update The book is edited by Tara Brabazon and published by Chandos Publishing: Oxford, 2008, ISBN 978 1 84334 459 9 (pbk). The collection is by writers from the Popular Culture Collection, and Ralph Adams says that the book is “...strikingly well-edited: it reads like a monograph...” Furthermore, that Brabazon “...shows how blogs, podcasts, wikkis, Google Maps, Facebook and so on can lead to improved collaboration and information sharing, so that web sites become platforms for connecting applications with users, rather than mere information holders.” The book also demonstrates how much disabled people, the elderly and other minority groups can contribute to this digital age, and looks at innovative concepts and models for improving access to digitally-excluded groups of people.
7. ‘MARXIST OUTLOOK’: TERRY BUTTON’S WEBSITE
http://www.marxistoutlook.com/
We were interested to receive an email from Terry Button, sent to our ‘Flow of Ideas’ website a while ago, informing us about his website which is entitled ‘Marxist Outlook’. As stated on his website, Terry Button’s view is that Marxism should “...be regarded in general as a world scientific outlook, and in particular as the theory of world social revolution.” There are a number of pieces on the website, including ‘The Art of Science and the Science of Art’ and ‘From Kant to Hegel and from Hegel to Marx – the Great Leap’.
8. LONDON BOROUGH OF REDBRIDGE AND NEWHAM LIBRARIES
My nearest public libraries are in the London Boroughs of Redbridge and Newham. It is quite interesting to compare the two. Over 20 ex-colleagues of mine were made redundant from Newham Library Service about one year ago. So, the libraries there now have fewer staff, less experienced and qualified staff and more casualisation of staff. At the same time, there is a depleted book stock and libraries are now run alongside Community Local Service Centres. See for example http://www.newham.gov.uk/EntertainmentandLeisure/Libraries/LibraryDetails/LibraryandLocalServiceCentreTheGate.htm
Whilst libraries in Redbridge are faring comparatively well and I certainly prefer to use Redbridge libraries these days. In fact, I do not really use Newham libraries much at all anymore. I find that the Redbridge libraries have a good and wide range of stock, helpful staff; also good music and DVD collections. I very much enjoy borrowing music CDs on a regular basis these days. Ilford Central Library also has very good reference and local studies libraries. This is also indicative of the local population of course, with Redbridge having a larger middle class population.
Furthermore, the Redbridge ‘Book and Media Festival’ is about to start (it runs from 8th April – 17th May 2010). See:
http://www.redbridge.gov.uk/cms/news_and_events/latest_news/2010/march_2010/events_unveiled_for_this_year.aspx These events are held yearly and include a wide variety of interesting talks, several of which I went to last year. Interestingly, Newham Book Shop also helps with the organisation of these events. A talk recently by the author Simon Brett provided an early introduction to this event. This was held at Fulwell Cross Library on World Book Day, 4th March 2010. I went along to the talk and it proved to be an interesting and enjoyable event. Simon Brett is the author of many books, lots of which have been performed on the radio. I heard him talk last year at the Essex Book Festival; and his talk this year at Redbridge was quite similar. I found it particularly interesting to discover that Simon Brett has only ever had 3 paid jobs; for the rest of his life he has been a free-lance writer. It is so good to know that it is possible to make a good living out of one’s writing – even though, of course, this is only possible for a select few. Simon Brett obtaining a First Class Honours from Oxford University must have helped considerably in this regard of course; it certainly presented him with many networking opportunities! Still, all credit to him as well and it is wonderful that books and novelists are still rated so highly these days; and enjoyed so much. Long may all this continue!
9. LONDON REVIEW BOOKSHOP EVENT: A TALK BY PETER CAMPBELL AND JULIAN BELL
http://www.redbridge.gov.uk/cms/news_and_events/latest_news/2010/march_2010/events_unveiled_for_this_year.aspx
The London Review Bookshop, London, WC1, holds interesting talks and events on a regular basis and I went along to one of these recently (on 24th March 2010). The talk was given by Peter Campbell and Julian Bell, both of whom have worked as painters and writers, about art. Julian Bell’s most recent book is Mirror of the World (published by Thames and Hudson) and Peter Campbell’s is At (published by Hyphen Press). The latter is a collection of Peter Campbell’s contributions to the London Review of Books magazine. Peter has worked on and contributed to the London Review of Books magazine since it was first founded in 1979. Peter and Julian spoke as well as asked each other questions; they then took questions from the floor (the room was packed). They talked about what painters can and cannot do and about the relationship painters have to old art. Also, about the limitations and opportunities offered to artists today, with its varying technologies and institutions. Furthermore, they looked at the tradition of painters that can write and writers that can paint and noted the fact that many students have difficulty with writing. All in all, it was an interesting experience and certainly a very different experience to other book talks that I have been to; with a very different environment and selection of people. Although it has to be said that the topic was not one that I was very familiar with at all! I might well go to more such book events in the future.
10. SINGING AND DANCING
I have been enjoying a bout of singing and dancing recently. This has included Salsa dancing, ballroom dancing and all-body movement dancing with the Chantraine School of Dance (http://www.londondance.com/content.asp?CategoryID=1025). Also, singing with the ‘Forest Voices’ choir that I joined recently, at the Mayor’s Festival of Choirs that was held at the Old Town Hall, Stratford. Some dozen choirs sang altogether, and the winner, ‘Young and Gifted’ will be going on to sing at the Royal Festival Hall.
11. COLD HANDS & QUARTER MOON’S MYSPACE PAGE
http://www.myspace.com/coldhandsmusic
Our son Victor Rikowski's band 'Cold Hands & Quarter Moon' have set up a MySpace profile for the band. Better quality sound recordings of their songs will be loaded on to it. So far, ‘Human Herbs’ and ‘Simon Says Get Out’ have been loaded up. It already has nearly 1275 profile views.
Best wishes
Ruth
8th April 2010
1. ASLIB (THE ASSOCIATION FOR INFORMATION MANAGEMENT) AND ASLIB’S MAGAZINE ‘MANAGING INFORMATION’ HAS BEEN ACQUIRED BY MCB GROUP, THE HOLDING COMPANY FOR EMERALD GROUP PUBLISHING LTD
http://info.emeraldinsight.com/about/news/story.htm?id=2257
ASLIB, which was established in 1924, and its magazine, Managing Information, have been acquired by Emerald Group Publishing. ASLIB has been encountering difficulties for a number of years now and I have sadly witnessed it slowly declining since I worked for them in 2002. ASLIB first sold its journals to Emerald, and then its book publishing business to Taylor and Francis in 2002. It then went into voluntary liquidation in 2004. The library was also lost, and there were redundancies.
ASLIB will now be run independently within the Emerald Group, but will draw on services from Emerald as well as from other publishers. They also plan to “revamp and improve the ASLIB Managing Information (MI) magazine.” Let us hope that in one way or another ASLIB and MI can continue and thrive.
2. PAULA ALLMAN’S BOOK, ‘CRITICAL EDUCATION AGAINST GLOBAL CAPITALISM’ SHORTLY TO BE PUBLISHED IN PAPERBACK WITH SENSE PUBLISHERS
Paula Allman’s excellent book ‘Critical Education Against Global Capitalism’, published with Bergin & Garvey, Westport, USA and London, 2001, which up to now has only been available in hardback, is shortly to be published in paperback with Sense Publishers, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Paula Allman, who is a writing friend of Glenn Rikowski’s is obviously very delighted about this. It will hopefully mean that lots more copies of her very important book will be sold and read. Bergin and Garvey had promised her that they would publish it in paperback, but it never happened. This paperback book is now part of a new Sense series, entitled ‘International Perspectives on Adult Education’ that is edited by Peter Mayo. We wish Paula all the very best with the publication of this paperback edition of her very important book.
3. GARY BELL OBTAINING A BOOK CONTRACT WITH SENSE PUBLISHERS
I am delighted to say that I have been able to secure a book contract for Gary Bell, an academic colleague of mine at London South Bank University, with Sense Publishers, Rotterdam, The Netherlands. The proposed title of the book is ‘Higher Education Management and Operational Research: Demonstrating New Practices and Metaphors. The book will bring together a collection of papers on this topic and will be edited by Dr Gary Bell, Professor Peter Galbraith and Professor Jon Warwick. It will examine, explain and promote various methodologies and techniques linked with Operational Research to different Higher Education management issues, relating it all to both theory and cost. The book will critically offer a ‘tool box’ of OR approaches and metaphors for HE management.
4. 6 NEW ITEMS UP ON MY ‘SERENDIPITOUS MOMENTS’ BLOG – ALL ON BEST SELLING NOVELS
The latest entries on my ‘Serendipitious Moments’ blog are all about some best-selling novels (such as the Sunday Times Top Ten Bestsellers) that I have been reading and very much enjoying recently. These are: ‘In Time for Christmas’ by Katie Flynn; ‘Mother of Pearl’ by Maureen Lee; ‘Flora’s Lot’ by Katie Fforde; ‘Forgotten Dreams’ by Katie Flynn; ‘Wedding Season’ by Katie Fforde and ‘Going Dutch’ by Katie Fforde. I am certainly enjoying this new and different approach to novel reading that I have been exploring over the last few months.
5. MARTIN HODGES SELF-PUBLISHED BOOK ‘WORD OF EYE’
Martin Hodges, who used to be one of my book reviewers for Managing Information has just self-published a little book entitled ‘Word of Eye’ with the help of Blurb creative publishing service. The book opens with these words:
“Sometimes we are privileged to see beyond the landscape and physical forms around us. In those moments, connections are made, and the world reveals itself, bathed in the new light of unknown dimensions.”
There are many different, beautiful coloured photographs in it of various country scenes – and all produced effectively on high quality paper!
For more of the author’s thoughts and observations, visit Martin Hodges Square Sunshine blog – http://square-sunshine.blogspot.com/.
6. ‘THE REVOLUTION WILL NOT BE DOWNLOADED’, EDITED BY TARA BRABAZON, CHANDOS PUBLISHING, OXFORD, 2008 – REVIEWED BY RALPH ADAMS http://www.woodheadpublishing.com/en/book.aspx?bookID=1853&ChandosTitle=1
Ralph Adams recently wrote an interesting and positive review of the book ‘The revolution will not be downloaded: dissent in the digital age’ for CILIP Update The book is edited by Tara Brabazon and published by Chandos Publishing: Oxford, 2008, ISBN 978 1 84334 459 9 (pbk). The collection is by writers from the Popular Culture Collection, and Ralph Adams says that the book is “...strikingly well-edited: it reads like a monograph...” Furthermore, that Brabazon “...shows how blogs, podcasts, wikkis, Google Maps, Facebook and so on can lead to improved collaboration and information sharing, so that web sites become platforms for connecting applications with users, rather than mere information holders.” The book also demonstrates how much disabled people, the elderly and other minority groups can contribute to this digital age, and looks at innovative concepts and models for improving access to digitally-excluded groups of people.
7. ‘MARXIST OUTLOOK’: TERRY BUTTON’S WEBSITE
http://www.marxistoutlook.com/
We were interested to receive an email from Terry Button, sent to our ‘Flow of Ideas’ website a while ago, informing us about his website which is entitled ‘Marxist Outlook’. As stated on his website, Terry Button’s view is that Marxism should “...be regarded in general as a world scientific outlook, and in particular as the theory of world social revolution.” There are a number of pieces on the website, including ‘The Art of Science and the Science of Art’ and ‘From Kant to Hegel and from Hegel to Marx – the Great Leap’.
8. LONDON BOROUGH OF REDBRIDGE AND NEWHAM LIBRARIES
My nearest public libraries are in the London Boroughs of Redbridge and Newham. It is quite interesting to compare the two. Over 20 ex-colleagues of mine were made redundant from Newham Library Service about one year ago. So, the libraries there now have fewer staff, less experienced and qualified staff and more casualisation of staff. At the same time, there is a depleted book stock and libraries are now run alongside Community Local Service Centres. See for example http://www.newham.gov.uk/EntertainmentandLeisure/Libraries/LibraryDetails/LibraryandLocalServiceCentreTheGate.htm
Whilst libraries in Redbridge are faring comparatively well and I certainly prefer to use Redbridge libraries these days. In fact, I do not really use Newham libraries much at all anymore. I find that the Redbridge libraries have a good and wide range of stock, helpful staff; also good music and DVD collections. I very much enjoy borrowing music CDs on a regular basis these days. Ilford Central Library also has very good reference and local studies libraries. This is also indicative of the local population of course, with Redbridge having a larger middle class population.
Furthermore, the Redbridge ‘Book and Media Festival’ is about to start (it runs from 8th April – 17th May 2010). See:
http://www.redbridge.gov.uk/cms/news_and_events/latest_news/2010/march_2010/events_unveiled_for_this_year.aspx These events are held yearly and include a wide variety of interesting talks, several of which I went to last year. Interestingly, Newham Book Shop also helps with the organisation of these events. A talk recently by the author Simon Brett provided an early introduction to this event. This was held at Fulwell Cross Library on World Book Day, 4th March 2010. I went along to the talk and it proved to be an interesting and enjoyable event. Simon Brett is the author of many books, lots of which have been performed on the radio. I heard him talk last year at the Essex Book Festival; and his talk this year at Redbridge was quite similar. I found it particularly interesting to discover that Simon Brett has only ever had 3 paid jobs; for the rest of his life he has been a free-lance writer. It is so good to know that it is possible to make a good living out of one’s writing – even though, of course, this is only possible for a select few. Simon Brett obtaining a First Class Honours from Oxford University must have helped considerably in this regard of course; it certainly presented him with many networking opportunities! Still, all credit to him as well and it is wonderful that books and novelists are still rated so highly these days; and enjoyed so much. Long may all this continue!
9. LONDON REVIEW BOOKSHOP EVENT: A TALK BY PETER CAMPBELL AND JULIAN BELL
http://www.redbridge.gov.uk/cms/news_and_events/latest_news/2010/march_2010/events_unveiled_for_this_year.aspx
The London Review Bookshop, London, WC1, holds interesting talks and events on a regular basis and I went along to one of these recently (on 24th March 2010). The talk was given by Peter Campbell and Julian Bell, both of whom have worked as painters and writers, about art. Julian Bell’s most recent book is Mirror of the World (published by Thames and Hudson) and Peter Campbell’s is At (published by Hyphen Press). The latter is a collection of Peter Campbell’s contributions to the London Review of Books magazine. Peter has worked on and contributed to the London Review of Books magazine since it was first founded in 1979. Peter and Julian spoke as well as asked each other questions; they then took questions from the floor (the room was packed). They talked about what painters can and cannot do and about the relationship painters have to old art. Also, about the limitations and opportunities offered to artists today, with its varying technologies and institutions. Furthermore, they looked at the tradition of painters that can write and writers that can paint and noted the fact that many students have difficulty with writing. All in all, it was an interesting experience and certainly a very different experience to other book talks that I have been to; with a very different environment and selection of people. Although it has to be said that the topic was not one that I was very familiar with at all! I might well go to more such book events in the future.
10. SINGING AND DANCING
I have been enjoying a bout of singing and dancing recently. This has included Salsa dancing, ballroom dancing and all-body movement dancing with the Chantraine School of Dance (http://www.londondance.com/content.asp?CategoryID=1025). Also, singing with the ‘Forest Voices’ choir that I joined recently, at the Mayor’s Festival of Choirs that was held at the Old Town Hall, Stratford. Some dozen choirs sang altogether, and the winner, ‘Young and Gifted’ will be going on to sing at the Royal Festival Hall.
11. COLD HANDS & QUARTER MOON’S MYSPACE PAGE
http://www.myspace.com/coldhandsmusic
Our son Victor Rikowski's band 'Cold Hands & Quarter Moon' have set up a MySpace profile for the band. Better quality sound recordings of their songs will be loaded on to it. So far, ‘Human Herbs’ and ‘Simon Says Get Out’ have been loaded up. It already has nearly 1275 profile views.
Best wishes
Ruth
8th April 2010
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