Sunday, June 12, 2016

Links & Reviews

- David W. Dunlap reports for the NYTimes on the five-decade Times career of Rudolph Stocker, described as "the last printer at The Times working under a guaranteed lifetime contract; the last Times employee who knew how to operate a Linotype casting machine; the last journeyman of the old International Typographical Union and its New York local, No. 6."

- Adam Gopnik writes in the New Yorker about the reading habits of Hamilton and Burr, using the New York Society Library's great City Readers project.

- Smithsonian reports that scientists have deciphered more symbols on the Antikythera Mechanism. The new findings led credence to the theory that the device was used for astrological purposes, and that it made have originated near the island of Rhodes. Results have been published in a special issue of Almagest.

- Rebecca Romney has joined the bookselling firm Honey & Wax.

- David Maclay posts at the National Library of Scotland blog about their current exhibition "Monster Making in the Summer of 2016" (drawing on the John Murray archive).

- Jill Bourne has declined the offer to become president of the Boston Public Library, citing personal reasons. The Boston Globe has a report. The BPL's board will meet Tuesday morning to move forward.

- Quartz highlights a century-old stationery store in Japan where you can customize the perfect notebook.

- The Washington Post surveys cruise ship libraries.

- Folget Curatorial Assistant Elizabeth DeBold is profiled in the "Bright Young Librarians" series.

Reviews

- John Guy's Elizabeth: The Forgotten Years; review by Stacey Schiff in the NYTimes.

- Mike Ashley's Adventures in the Strand; review by Michael Dirda in the WaPo.

- Richard Zacks' Chasing the Last Laugh; review by Debra Bruno in the WaPo.

- A trio of new books on Byron; review by Corin Throsby in the TLS.