Happy Birthday!

 Happy 200th Birthday, Charles Dickens!!

Today is the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles John Huffam Dickens, who needs very little, if any introduction.  A Victorian writer who was well-known and well-read even during his lifetime, no small feat at the time, Dickens has remained popular to this day, and is regarded as one of the Great Writers of all time.

At his death at age 58, he had written many well-known novels, plays, serials, poetry and short story collections.  Many film adaptations and related works have come about since his death, and his life and works are even celebrated in several Dickens festivals around the world.

 

Check out the special treatment Dickens is receiving today on Google:

delaisse.blogspot.com

 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Dickens

www.google.com

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to Bryan Collier, Illustrator, and Denise Fleming, Author/Illustrator!

Bryan Collier is best known for his unique illustrations of children's book biographies of famous African-American individuals, such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Rosa Parks and Muhammad Ali.  His work ranges from American historical figures (presidents, John Lennon) to Afro-centric characters.  His work is a beautiful mosaic of mixed media and color.

Denise Fleming is the author of many popular children's books, of which she is also the illustrator/artist.  From ABC books to books about her household cats, Denise enjoys the process she uses to make her characters vibrant.  Painstakingly processing her own dyed paper pulp and using layers to create her designs, she ensures that her artistry shows in every inch of her work.

Happy Birthday!

Edith Wharton (1862-1937)

Born into a wealthy family, Edith Wharton combined her intimate knowledge of privileged life and society with wit, sarcasm and psychoanalysis to create insightful stories of the upper class, and it's Depression-era decline.  Also known for her poetry and ghost stories, Wharton is perhaps best known today for The House of Mirth, Ethan Frome, and The Age of Innocence. She was also a designer with a love of travel, gardens and fine homes.  She designed an estate in Massachusetts, called The Mount, which is testament to her tasteful, classic design technique.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Wharton

http://womenwriters.net

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to my favorite master of the macabre!

Edgar Allan Poe (1809 - 1849) 

Poe is credited as being one of the first American writers of the short story, witing perhaps the first detective fiction (The Murders in the Rue Morgue) and even writing some of the earliest science fiction.  He earned a living solely by writing, unusual at the time, which was cause for much financial hardship and difficulty in his life.  

Poe wrote many now popular gothic short stories (The Pit and the Pendulum, The Tell-tale Heart, The Cask of Amontillado) and also wrote some well-known poetry, the most famous of which is The Raven.  He has been remembered historically, but has also been fictionalized in many stories and movies, the latest of which, The Raven, starring John Cusack, enlists the help of the fictionalized Poe in solving murders inspired by his stories.

It is difficult to believe that fewer than 10 people attended Poe's funeral at the time of his death.  He has been honored with elaborate funeral 'reenactments' and a grand gravesite marker, as well as yearly vigils by "The Poe Toaster", who yearly (from 1949 to 2009, the year of Poe's bicentennial) visited Poe's grave on his birthday, leaving 3 roses and cognac in his honor.  In honor of one of my favorite authors... Happy Birthday, Poe!!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/17/edgar-allan-poe-grave_n_1211688.html

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Allan_Poe

www.theravenmovie.com/

http://arieshouseofgreetingcards.com

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to...

Alan Alexander Milne (1882 - 1956)

Creator of Winnie-the-Pooh, and all things Hundred-Acre Wood.  In 1920, Christopher Robin Milne was born, and his toy bear, pig, donkey, tiger and kangaroo became the inspiration for the famous Pooh stories.  A. A. Milne wrote plays, a novel, an autobiography, and political nonfiction, however, he is best known for the creation of these special children's stories.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday to

 

Jack London (1876-1916)

Author, best known for Call of the Wild and White Fang

 

John Singer Sargent (1856-1925)

Artist known for his soft, lush, Edwardian portraits

 

 

On the Menu

     I have just finished reading the first book of The Books of Elsewhere series, The Shadows.  It is the story of Olive, a girl who moves into an old Victorian house with all the trimmings of the original owners, a very unique personality and many secrets.  Bearing several striking initial similarities to Coraline by Neil Gaiman (a story which I adore!), the book pulled me in and kept my attention, particularly near the end, where excitement and potential peril lurked in every old, immovable painting in the house.  With the help of some very unique residents of the house, Olive strives through danger, in order to stake her family's claim on the house and make it a place of her own.

     I loved the book, and am quite frustrated that I read the first several months before the second book comes out.  Scheduled for release in June 2012, Spellbound continues Olive's story as she and a new neighbor friend seek a spellbook hidden somewhere in the old house.  I am looking forward to this release very much, and hope to maybe procure a copy at one of the Spring library conventions!

     As a follow up to the fantastical fantasy of The Shadows, I have decided to break from my contemporary fiction fixation and take a step back with an old classic, Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe.  The copy I am currently reading (not the same as pictured above) is a much-abridged version of the story, adapted for a young audience.  Striving to read selections from my school library in order to make very specific recommendations, I anticipate this version to only take a few days to read.  Cliff's Notes versions are never a bad thing, are they?  :)  With brevity, comes introduction.  Perhaps I will follow up with "the real thing" once this pocket version is complete.

     An obsessive audio-book listener,  I must voraciously move from one to another.  The current channeling of my obsession is Inkspell, the follow-up to the well-known Inkheart by Cornelia Funke.  Although this title follows Meggie, Mo and Resa, along with other favorites (Dustfinger, Farid, Fenoglio) and not-so-favorites (Basta, Mortola) that were introduced in the first book, and although the prose is often as poetic as Fenoglio's lyric ink-weaving, the plot in this one seems to be a bit more overbearing, with the introduction of an almost confusing amount of new characters, and a plot that more hops around than twists.  I am enjoying the audio version though, very much, as it is narrated by Brendan Frasier, who lends a unique tone, accent, timbre and rate to each character's voice.  It is entertaining while driving or working without distraction, but in order to be appreciated, should be enjoyed without much activity going on.  Otherwise, the intricacies of world-jumping and plot twisting would be as confusing as reading the story in Funke's native Deutsch.

MIA

Well, I have inexplicably absent for several months now, but am happy to announce that in early November, I started work as a School Library Media Specialist for a PK-5 school in Dallas.  I am so happy to finally be doing what I truly want to do... sharing my love of literature, reading and discovery with children!  I have been thrilled to find that the students are excited to visit the library, have a hunger for books and share their excitement with their friends!  

There have been challenges.  Primarily, my school is sharing space with a host campus, and in order to make the move to a smaller space, the collection was drastically weeded.  Due to the excitement and interest of students, I was quickly able to build a 'wish list' and develop a rather large collection to add to what we have.  Luckily, the time for making purchases had not been shut off for me (having arrived late in the school year), and I hope to bring a treasure of new items to my school!

Students will soon have much greater access to many of their requested items, such as the Diary of a Wimpy Kid series, Pinkalicious, etc., Bone and other graphic novels, many new fiction and non-fiction, biographies and reference, as well as DVDs like The Magic School Bus and Bill Nye the Science Guy.  Thank goodness for funding to bring treasures to students who are so anxious to discover and share!  

That is what this is all about!

In the News

An anonymous sculptor has been leaving gorgeous carved-book sculptures in Scotland's libraries, along with little notes of encouragement. Some are left out in the open; others are hidden away and may have sat a long time before being discovered.  Most of these are now in protected display for the enjoyment of library patrons and curious visitors.

Poetree at Scottish Poetry Library, the first found - The tag reads, "It started with your name @byleaveswelive and became a tree.… ... We know that a library is so much more than a building full of books… a book is so much more than pages full of words.… This is for you in support of libraries, books, words, ideas….. a gesture (poetic maybe?)"

The second sculpture, a gramophone was found at the National Library of Scotland with a note reading, "...A gift in support of libraries, books, words, ideas..... (& against their exit)"  

A complex cinema scene was then found at The Filmhouse, reading, "A gift in support of libraries, books, words, ideas..... and all things *magic*"

 A nesting dragon, hiding inconspicuously, was found at the Scottish Storytelling Centre. The tag on this gift reads, "A gift in support of libraries, books, works, ideas..... Once upon a time there was a book and in the book was a nest and in the nest was an egg and in the egg was a dragon and in the dragon was a story....."

 Found last month at the Edinburgh International Book Festival, two more sculptures...

    Tag: "'A gift' This is for you in support of libraries, books, words, ideas...... & festivals xx"

It includes a teabag filled with cut out letters, on the tag of which are the words "by leaves we live". The cup on the top has a swirl of words which read " Nothing beats a nice cup of tea (or coffee) and a really good BOOK", and on the 'tray' next to the cupcake it says "except maybe a cake as well".

 Also found at the festival, amazing back and forth, is a tree and reader, sculpted out of the binding and pages of a book.

Found in the Central Lending Library late in August, at least a few days after it was placed, was the preceeding, with a magnifying 'glass' inspecting a cutout reading, "When I go in I want it bright, I want to catch whatever is in there in full sight."  The tag, expressing the value of libraries over cost, reads "For Central Library ‘A Gift’ @Edinburgh_CC This is for you in support of libraries, books, words, ideas…. LIBRARIES ARE EXPEANSIVE", with the original 'Expensive' corrected to 'Expansive'.  

The farewell contribution deserves expanded space here, as the sculptor has outdone HERSELF (as a final note suggests) in detailed intricacies, PLUS a note of explanation and apparent farewell. A handwritten message left in late November in the Scottish Peotry Library's guest book read, “Hopefully next time I’ll be able to linger longer – I’ve left a little something for you near Women’s Anthologies X. In support of Libraries, Books, Words and Ideas….”  An immediate perusal of the area brought the last gift in the series.

“THE GIFTS 'Gloves of bee’s ful, cap of the Wren’s Wings…….' Norman McCaig …. maybe sometimes impossible things… In support of LIbraries, Books, Words Ideas….”

Notice the amazing, intricate work of the artist in making each feather in the cap 'of wren's wings' out of paper.

Likewise, the bee-fuzz-like texture of these paper gloves.  Left neatly beside, the following letter of parting and explanation:

“It’s important that a story is not too long ……does not become tedious …….
‘You need to know when to end a story,’ she thought.

Often a good story ends where it begins. This would mean a return to the Poetry Library. The very place where she had left the first of the ten.

Back to those who had loved that little tree, and so encouraged her to try again …….and again.

Some had wondered who it was, leaving these small strange objects. Some even thought it was a ‘he’! ……. As if!

Others looked among Book Artists, rather good ones actually…….

But they would never find her there. For though she does make things, this was the first time she had dissected books and had used them simply be- cause they seemed fitting….

Most however chose not to know….. which was the point really.

The gift, the place to sit, to look, to wonder, to dream….. of the impossible maybe…….

A tiny gesture in support of the special places…..

So, here, she will end this story, in a special place … A Poetry Library ….. where they are well used to ‘anon.’

...
…… But hold on. Someone’s left behind a pair of gloves and a cap……….?

Cheers Edinburgh It’s been fun!
X

With mention of ten sculptures, it was apparent that this was either not yet indeed the end, or two treasures were yet unclaimed.  The answer was soon revealed, as the next day, the National Museum of Scotland received the following.

A Tyrannosaurus Rex, emerging from the tattered leaves of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Lost World? The tag hanging above the dinosaurs still-passing-through tail reads, “...In support of libraries, books, words, ideas and those places that house our treasures……”  Hidden among the tattered pages are tiny men with weapons, and the sharp paper jaws of the T-rex are tinged with blood.



And what of the tenth?  A submission labeled 8/10 was found above the donations box in the Robert Louis Stevenson room of the Writer's Museum.

A tag reading “A Gift 'The stories are in the stones' Ian Rankin In support of Libraries, Books, Words, Ideas …… and Writers.”  hangs from Ian Rankin's Hide and Seek.  Inside, a panoramic three-dimentional sculpture of a street, complete with human figures, birds, columns, street lamps, and even life behind the windows.

These sculptures are so creative, detailed, thoughtful and gracious!  They are certainly winning the attention of national news in Scotland, and hopefully, growing in attention across the world.  What wonderful gifts to the gifts of libraries, books, poetry, cinema, imagination and creativity! 

All information and photos gathered from links below.  For more detailed photos, follow the second link.


http://boingboing.net/2011/09/12/anonymous-paper-sculptures-in-scotlands-libraries.html

http://community.thisiscentralstation.com/_Mysterious-paper-sculptures/blog/4991767/126249.html

MIA

Pardon my absence from The Bibliophile Files for such a long time.  Numerous events and situations have kept me from posting.  My intent was to share throughout the summer summaries, thoughts and recommendations on the summer selections on audio from Sync.  There were so many great titles, old and new, short and long.  I am sure with multiple summers offering free downloadable audioboooks, this opportunity will present itself again again in summer 2012.

Sync Audiobooks

Last summer, I was introduced to a series of FREE downloadable YA audio books through Sync.  Weekly, throughout summer, there would be 2 available free titles, a fairly recent publication and a second, related piece of classic literature.  I enjoyed classic stories such as "The Lottery" (one of my favorite short stories), Oliver Twist, A Midsummer Night's Dream and Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, as well as new stories for young adults such as The Angel Experiment (Maximum Ride, Book 1, which got me hooked!), The Hunger Games (which also got me hooked, badly!!) and Beastly.


This summer, Sync is once again offering an entire summer series, including stand-by classics (and frequently required reading in high school) like Romeo and Juliet, Wuthering Heights and Beowulf, as well as new YA titles like Shiver, Immortal and The Last Apprentice: Revenge of the Witch.  


You can visit their site to download their free player (anytime throughout the series) and the first audio titles now through June 29, and can return weekly for the next 2 titles.  This is such a great opportunity!  Although the time available to download each title may be limited, once the download is complete, the file does not timeout, like some other electronic resources do.  Take advantage, and happy listening!

BooksmART Festival

The BooksmART Festival at the DMA was a huge success, and so exciting!  I got to meet a few more fabulous authors and author/illustrators.  Award winners, honored and admired authors were on hand for story telling, lectures, signings and demonstrations.  Although I would love to have participated in every activity, I simply could not be in eight places at once, so chose to focus on a few of my "top choices".  I was lucky enough to sit in on most of Cynthia Leitich Smith's presentation and all of Laurie Halse Anderson's, yet still managed to get a fairly advantageous spot in line for signings... a very good thing, considering the author signing area was outside in the 90+ degree heat on the Ross Avenue plaza.  Rick Riordan die-hard fans were feeling the heat for sure; his signing line began at 11:00, three hours before his scheduled signing at 2:00.  The line was still going strong at 3:45, when I left.


Here is a summary of the authors I was fortunate enough to meet, and the 'new' books I had signed.  (Happy dance!)

Then, there are couple I was able to see, but not able to get for signing, due to time constraints. I am pretty sure those there for Rick Riordan were not able to accomplish much else, bless their hearts.  I am so glad I was able to already see him in 2010 at TLA!

BooksmART Festival

I am getting so excited about the BooksmART festival at the Dallas Museum of Art this Saturday, June 11.  The event, from 11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. will feature several wonderful authors and illustrators.  The following will be available to show off their talents, meet fans and/or sign books:



Rick Riordan
Norton Juster
Laurie Halse Anderson
David Wiesner
Jerry Pinkney
Gene Luen Yang
Cynthia Leitich Smith
Duncan Tonatiuh
Antonio Sacre
Joe McDermott
Jan Bozarth and Faeren
Ann Marie Newman
John Bramblitt
Gretchen Goetz
Dallas Theater Center


I have had the pleasure of meeting Rick Riordan and Cynthia Leitich Smith at TLA in the last two years, and am especially excited about seeing them again and adding Laurie Halse Anderson and Jerry Pinkney to that list.  In addition, Norton Juster, author of The Phantom Tollbooth, will be presenting and leading a storytime, as are several of the other participants. These notable contributors to the wonderful world of literature will be so exciting to meet! 


For information on this event, visit the Arts and Letters Live area of the DMA web site.

On the Menu

I recently began listening to the abridged audiobook of The Daily show With Jon Stewart Presents America (the book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction (2004).  At under four hours, the audiobook is absolutely the most concise sardine can of political satiric humor I could imagine.    Structured as a mock Social Studies textbook, complete with scathingly silly study questions and learning objectives, the book/audiobook exposes facts and fallacies of United States political history and workings.  If the listener can bear  occasional expletives, the biting humor, narrated by Jon Stewart, will make 'learning' or reviewing basic Civics 101 absolutely enjoyable (unlike Coach So-and-so's 9th Grade class, which provided nothing but ample nap time).
With quickly read wit, brief commentaries and essays provided by The Daily Show writers and affiliates, and because of the brevity of the abridgment, this is one audiobook I will either want to re-check or buy, in order to listen over and over again.  I am sure I will either pick up on snippets I miss the first time, or appreciate repeatedly the humor nuggets, on subsequent listens.  I am not usually a fan of abridgments (I like to get 'the whole story' and will probably pick up a hard copy of the book), but the authentic voices, actor portrayals, Jon Stewart's deadpan and nifty little sound-effects make the audiobook so fun and delightful. I almost feel guilty having so much fun listening!

Following America, will be The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Presents Earth (the book): A Visitor's Guide to the Human Race (2010)

TAYSHAS Reading List

The 2012 Consideration List of current titles which have been nominated by the TAYSHAS High School Reading List Committee (THSRL). The THSRL is a recommended reading list developed by public and school librarians from the Young Adult Round Table (YART). 


The purpose of the list is to encourage students in grades 9-12 to explore a variety of current books. Due to the diversity of this age range, Librarians should consider their appropriate collection policies when purchasing titles on this list. Each nominated book has been favorably reviewed for grades 9-12 in a professional review source.

You can view the current 2012 list and previous lists on the Tayshas Reading Lists web site.

Nomination Criteria
1. Copyright must be within the last 2 years—2010/2011 copyright only—no other copyright dates will be considered.
2. Must be favorably reviewed for grades 9-12.
3. The person making the nomination must have read the book.
4. A variety of genres and reading interests will be considered.


The committee welcomes outside suggestions. Review the nomination criteria listed, and submit all title suggestions using this form if you would like to make recommendations. 


Information provided by Robin Cashman, Tayshas Committee Chair, TLA, Friday, May 27, 2011.

On the Menu

Today begins my journey with The Songs of the Seraphim series by Anne Rice.  Beginning Angel Time on audiobook, I plan to make my way through both Angel Time and Of Love and Evil (Book 2 inn the series) by the end of next week.  If all goes well, I will be anxiously awaiting Book 3.  In preparation, I found a useful review of the Random House audio book:

Angel Time: The Songs of the Seraphim, Book 1
Anne Rice
Narrated by Paul Michael, unabridged
Random House Audio, 9 hours


A review by Gil T. Wilson


Anne Rice is best known for her Vampire Chronicles, including the most popular, Interview with the Vampire. But any Rice fan knows she's written more than just tales of vampires, so it should be no surprise that her latest novel is about angels. What is surprising is how she explores the topic by telling a story of an angel who "hires" a modern-day contract killer to defend the Jews of 13th century Norwich, England.


The story is told in first person through the voice of Toby O'Dare, a hit man known as "Lucky the Fox" by his boss and associates. Toby is preparing to perform a "hit" on a Swiss Banker in San Juan at the Mission Inn when the story opens. Unknown to those who gave him this assignment, the Mission Inn is Toby's sanctuary, where he goes to escape his criminal life. Consequently, having to actually perform a hit in the sanctuary rattles the soul of this soulless man.


The beginning section of the book seems drawn out and, to be honest, boring at first. But once the story gets rolling, this section starts to pay off and listeners will appreciate the connections within the story. After Toby pulls off the hit, a stranger walks into the room where the murder was committed and begins to tell Toby an almost unreal story. This person is an angel of God and was sent to recruit Toby for a redeeming mission.


Before the mission can begin, the angel tells the story of Toby's life. In this section, listeners learn all about Toby's childhood and what led him to become a hit man. The angel describes his dark past, from how the irresponsibility of his alcoholic parents forced him to care for his younger siblings to the horrific event which changed his life forever and placed him on a path of destruction. Once this story is told by Malchiah, Toby realizes the angel is who he says he is and asks why God would need him. The angel only remarks that God forgives him.


The mission now can be performed. Traversing through "angel time" Toby and the angel are taken to 13th century England. There, Toby finds himself to be a Dominican Friar in the town of Norwich and is given the task of saving the lives of the Jewish community. Those lives are in jeopardy because the daughter of a Jewish couple is missing and presumed dead after she attended a Christian Christmas pageant. The villagers accuse the Jews of murdering the child because of her "conversion" to Christianity. They demand that all Jews be killed and the dead child be hailed as a saint.


The reader of this audiobook, Paul Michael, does an excellent job of voice characterization, including the subtlest of accents to establish which character is speaking at the moment. His low, soft voice definitely kept my ear tuned-in to the story. It is an amazing story and Anne Rice proves again that she's more than just a vampire novelist. This intriguing and thrilling story, with many twists and turns, is sure to appeal to a broad audience.


Accessed 5/18/11 from http://www.sfsite.com/12b/at310.htm.

Who is Theo Boone??

One of the benefits of perusing the exhibitor booths at TLA was getting bags full of giveaway and pre-publication books!  One I was very excited to get was Theodore Boone: Kid Lawyer by John Grisham.  The first in a series of mysteries for teens and tweens, it begins the story of Theo, a son-to-be kid lawyer.  If I can manage to finish Graveminder by Melissa Marr (I am reading it at night in bed, and therefore have read the same page four times before falling asleep each night), this will be the next book I read.

I came across The official Theodore Boone web site today, which is full of simple fun. While there, explore the main office, where you can preview teaser trailers, view case-related photos and personnel files, read about the author and even read an excerpt of the book from chapter one. Be sure to make your way to the courtroom, where you can generate your own complaints and read about odd laws still in effect.

Although there are a few teaser trailers on the official site, I also recommend these short trailers and also, a Penguin Audio Book Break preview, from the first chapter.  Enjoy!

Trailer 1 

Trailer 2 

Audio Book Preview 

As an added bonus, Theodore Boone 2: The Abduction, comes out June 6, 2011.

Ahoy! Parley Pirate Speak?

Learn to speak pirate!

FREE for a limited time from Mango Languages.


In anticipation of a certain upcoming movie premiere (we love you Captain Jack) and in preparation for one of our favorite random holidays (International Talk Like a Pirate Day is just around the corner) the Mango Languages Team has developed a brand new super special language course - Pirate!


Pirate is bold, brazen, chock full of eccentric insults, and incredibly fun to speak. If that's not enough reason to learn it, we're offering this course for FREE now through June 30th!


Tell your family, tell your friends, tell your parakeet... everybody loves Pirate. Then get your booty over to mangolanguages.com/store/pirate-day.html to check it out.

Sen. Rockefeller Introduces ‘Do Not Track’ Bill for Internet

     It has been a while since I have posted, but found some worthy material to share.  I guess it was daunting following the simple yet powerful Sheldon strip from April 25!  (If you haven't seen it, go back and check it out.  If you've not read McCarthy's The Road, DO IT!  Fabulous!  Anyway, on to today's morsel... potentially a great move toward further protection from invasive collection of consumer metadata.

     Sen. John D. Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) on Monday introduced an online “do not track” privacy bill that would allow consumers to block Internet companies from following their activity on the Web.

     The Do-Not-Track Online Act of 2011 comes amid increased attention by lawmakers on creating privacy rules for the Internet. The White House has called for such rules but has not supported a specific mandate that would block companies from tracking users.

Rockefeller, chairman of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, said in a statement that recent reports of privacy breaches show that companies have too much freedom to collect user data on the Internet.

     His legislation would force companies to abide by a consumer’s choice to opt out of such data collection. The Federal Trade Commission would draw up specific “do not track” rules. The agency and states’ attorneys general would enforce the law. And the legislation would apply to mobile phones — a growing platform for accessing the Internet.

     “I believe consumers have a right to decide whether their information can be collected and used online,” Rockefeller said in a statement. “This bill offers a simple, straightforward way for people to stop companies from tracking their movements online.”

     Already, Microsoft’s Bing and Mozilla’s Firefox browsers have been redesigned to allow users to block marketers from tracking what sites they visit and their other activities online.

     But without a law, no Internet company is required to honor the consumer request, privacy groups said.

     “This bill will put regulatory support behind these industry initiatives and make sure that online providers listen to the many consumers who want to clearly say ‘No’ to online tracking,” said Ioana Rusu, regulatory counsel for Consumers Union. “This complements the comprehensive online privacy legislation introduced by Senators [John] Kerry and [John] McCain last month.”

     Tuesday, a new Senate privacy subcommittee will hear from Apple and Google, among others, about location data collection and whether the firms have been logging that information through mobile devices.

In the House, Reps. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Joe Barton (R-Tex.) said they are working on a “do not track” bill aimed at children.

     NetChoice, a trade group representing Internet firms such as eBay and Yahoo, said new laws can hamper online commerce. Firms want to be able to deliver ads that are as targeted to individuals as possible for higher revenues.

     “American consumers love how the Internet gives the information you want, when you want it, and location-based technology adds even more value since this info can also be tailored to right where you are,” said Steve DelBianco, executive director of NetChoice.

“Online services will make location-based info the next big thing in internet innovation, and we may be lucky enough to get advertisers to pay for a lot of it.”

Cecilia Kang

The Washington Post

PostTech Blog

04:23 PM ET, 05/09/2011 

Accessed 5/12/11 from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-tech/post/sen-rockefeller-introduces-do-not-track-bill-for-internet/2011/05/09/AF0ymjaG_blog.html

Sheldon

This is absolutely the most precise summation of a particular book, or how to approach it... ever!