Creative Gallery

Some of the examples of creative galleries have been very interesting, such as the rhyming Twitter statuses, the Google maps of Twilight and Sims, and even the collaborative video of people doing graffiti on one single object. I guess, in thinking of these examples, the creative gallery is simply more of an extension of the essay/project.

I'm honestly not sure at the moment what I would be able to do creatively with my project other than what I already did with the Quicktime videos earlier in the semester. I guess one idea that would be interesting would be to publish my essay on the Kindle, but if I did that it seems as though I would need to do something more, something to also have an actual creative aspect to the creative gallery. One thing about publishing the essay, although it is free, it still does not seem as though Amazon would publish anything and everything. I guess one idea could possibly be to somehow get pictures of people reading a book on different electronic readers and actual books as well. The only thing about that option is that it might be difficult to accomplish.

Thinking again about the different possibilities for my creative gallery, I've come up with another idea. I was thinking that I might be able to kind of extend my project by simply exploring the history of the written word. In order to do this, I think the Google Maps narrative is the perfect idea. I would pick certain places on the Map where particular important events in the written world have taken place, such as when and where the printing press was invented.

Draft of Essay

This is definitely a draft of my essay. Like it says in the draft, I am not positive that will remain the title; as of now, it is generally covering digitization concerning the printed book. Unfortunately, I am still working with how I want to organize my sources. For now, I have summarized my sources for the most part and combined three of my sources together already. Therefore, I guess I would especially like any comments on the organization of my three combined sources, since the other sources are not yet organized for the essay, simply sumarized. In addition, I have not yet been able to select an argument to go along with for my essay, such as Foucault, etc.

Here is the link to my draft.

How the Author is Constructed on YouTube

YouTube is definitely different in that it's not really made for people to get to know one another. Although you do have the option of creating a profile when signing up for an account, no one really seems to pay any attention to who the "authors" are of the videos. In that sense, it seems almost as though the author is really invisible unless he or she is actually in the video. It's not like a book, where one might look up who wrote, or created, it. When people talk about a great, funny, interesting, etc. video on YouTube, they usually just say the title and let other people take a look for themselves.

However, YouTube can be used in a way for an author to express his or her ideals, their hobbies, etc. In considering those who are actually in their own videos, I guess YouTube is a way to allow the author to actually be seen to better get their ideas and thoughts out there. Wether the person is in their own video or not, YouTube is also different from Facebook in that people use their creativity more than simply writing their information down, quotes, pictures, etc. I guess the name, YouTube, definitely works to put the emphasis on the author.

Facebook

I think Facebook helps to construct the "author" through what people write on their pages, what they write to their friends, how many "friends" they have, and even the games that they play on Facebook. In some sense, it could be seen as kind of defining the person. However, I don't know if i believe people can truly get to know other people through what they write on Facebook. It seems as though people really need to be able to have physical contact and communication rather than solely through Facebook in order to get a complete sense of who the person is, their ideals, etc.

Here is the link to my diagram.

Argument for Essay

I'm not sure if Michel Foucault's argument completely works for my essay yet or not. I don't know if I would be focusing completely on authorship, however in my notes I have written down that he focused on systems of knowledge (how we know things) and the relation between knowledge and power (how society controls and organizes knowledge). In a way, I think this focus could be linked to some of the sources that I have found during my research. The fact that libraries are in a way being forced to digitize, I think that definitely comments on the fact that our society's organization of knowledge is becoming changed more and more as more technology is developed and improved.

Based on everything I've done and found so far, I feel as though my argument might deal with multiple things. Or, maybe it's simply that ebooks and the concept of digitization is affecting many things, such as publishing companies, libraries, authors, readers, etc. I have found that more than one source talks about libraries and how they have done studies to see how people react to have ebook readers included in their collection. In addition, one source discusses the fact that certain books may inevitably become extinct if it is not digitized, such as those that are out of print and/or the copyright is in question.

At one time in history, people marveled at the new invention of Gutenberg's printing press. Now, the written word is on its way to complete digitization.

Completed Annotated Bibliography

Brantley, Peter. "Introduction: Homes for Good (Orphan) Books." Library Trends. Vol. 57.1 Summer 2008: 1-7. WVU Libraries. Project MUSE. Web. Accessed on 22 Feb. 2010.

http://muse.jhu.edu.www.libproxy.wvu.edu/journals/library_trends/v057/57.1.brantley.html.

1. This article discusses the fact that books have become yet another small portion of the overwhelming content available on the Internet during the twenty-first century. It touches on the worries publishers, authors and scholars. In addition, it brings into account the issue of books that are out of print or that the copyright is in question.

2. I believe this article is very useful in that it actually seems to be bringing forth the idea of including libraries in this growing digital world.

3. I feel as though I could use this source as a way to put a positive note on the idea of this growing digital world. Although it still does not necessarily shed light on to the idea of the future of the physical book, it does point out a way to help those "orphan" books as it refers to.

Buchanan, Matt. "Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader Locked Up: Why Your Books Are No Longer Yours." GIZMODO. 21 March 2008. Web. Accessed on 08 Feb. 2010.

http://gizmodo.com/369235/amazon-kindle-and-sony-reader-locked-up-why-your-books-are-no-longer-yours.

1. This article discusses the fact that the "first sale" doctrine that applies to physical books, CDs, and DVDs does not apply to the e-books that people "buy" on the Kindle. Basically, it states that you cannot really allow someone to borrow your "books" on the Kindle. If you wanted to sell your "book" you would have to sell the actual media where you have stored the "original" download.

2. This article is useful in that it brings further insight into what one might be getting into when buying a Kindle. It also displays the original, legal summary of the doctrine and additional facts.

3. I plan to use this source as a means of beginning my "investigation" of the future for books. In other words, how might people react to not being able to borrow his/her friends' books who own Kindles and not the hard copies? Will they decide to buy a Kindle of their own, or simply buy the hard copy themselves? Their decisions could potentially display a pattern as to where both the Kindle and the physical books are headed.

Doctorow, Cory. "Authors have lost the plot in Kindle battle." guardian.co.uk. Guardian News and Media Limited. 31 March 2009. Web. Accessed on 02 Feb. 2010.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/mar/31/cory-doctorow-kindle.

1. Cory Doctorow discusses the Authors Guild's claim concerning copyright infringement. They claimed that "only the rights holder could authorize an 'audiobook adaptation' of a book." The article deals with the Kindle's text-to-speech synthesizer.

2. This is a useful source, because it takes into account the legal aspect of the Kindle.

3. I believe I will be able to use this source to incorporate a different type of perspective, exploring the legal issues that authors and publishers must deal with when allowing their books to be published and bought on the Kindle. In addition, Doctorow discusses what he thinks the Authors Guild should do, rather than claiming copyright infringement. With this section of the article, I can also explore the possible shortcomings of the Kindle pertaining to the people who purchase the device.

Epstein, Jason. “The Coming Revolution.” The New York Review of Books. Vol. 47.17 2 Nov. 2000. WVU Libraries. Project MUSE. Web. Accessed on 28 Feb. 2010.

http://www.nybooks.com.www.libproxy.wvu.edu/articles/13858.

1. Here Epstein discusses traditional book-publishing functions – buying paper, setting type, ordering copies from a printer, storing books, taking returns of unsold copies, etc. – and how the fact that they will marginally affected by the fact that electronically delivered books are evolving more and more.

2. This article is a good source, because Epstein discusses the fact that digital publishing could in fact become dominant within the next decade, and possibly less. It also points out experimental websites that are being used by publishing companies to promote titles to people and allow them to purchase those titles on line.

3. With this article, I will focus on how people other than authors and readers will be affected by these continual changes. In addition, I will be able to discuss particular publishing companies experimental websites and where they stand within my research.

Epstein, Jason. "The End of the Gutenberg Era." Library Trends. Vol. 57.1 Summer 2008: 8- 16. WVU Libraries. Project MUSE. Web. Accessed on 22 Feb. 2010.

http://muse.jhu.edu.www.libproxy.wvu.edu/journals/library_trends/v057/57.1.epstein.html.

1. This article begins by discussing the negative impacts that the growing technologies of digitization and the Internet could inevitably have on the book publishing industry. However, Epstein also states that "digitization and the Internet have made the Gutenberg system obsolete but not the printed book (9)."

2. This article is useful, because it mentions different examples, such as the Library of America (a nonprofit enterprise to publish in permanent editions the works of American writers), of how some people are in fact trying to help the future of books.

3. I will be able to use this source to discuss how certain developments have been and are being made to help the future of books, authors, publishers, etc.

Epstein, Jason. "The Rattle of Pebbles." The New York Review of Books. Vol. 47.7 27 April 2000. WVU Libraries. Project MUSE. Web. Accessed on 24 Feb. 2010.

http://www.nybooks.com.www.libproxy.wvu.edu/articles/126.

1. This article is basically Jason Epstein’s personal account of the changes of trade publishing. He begins by taking the reader back into what it used to be like, starting with the year 1958 when he first joined Random House (an American publishing company).

2. This article is a good source, because it takes a look at a small publishing company and demonstrates how the constant advances in the technological world affected it and those involved. After reading this article, I believe the benefit of an author being involved with a small publishing company is that their books will receive more attention from the editors. Whereas agents appear to focus more on initial impressions of what will be a best seller.

3. I will use this source to get a look into the inner workings of publishing companies. Afterward, I can discuss the effects of the notion of the ebook and the World Wide Web upon the changes of those companies.

Epstein, Jason and Dane Neller. On Demand Books. 2004. Web. Accessed on 24 Feb. 2010.

http://www.ondemandbooks.com/home.htm.

1. The focus of this website is on the Espresso Book Machine (EBM). This machine, being called "the ATM of books," can be used in order to print books that are actually out of print. It provides information on how the machine works, the locations in which an EBM can be found, and the history of On Demand Books itself.

2. This site is useful because, without having to search for a machine to view in person, it provides a great deal of information in understanding how the machine works and the benefits of it, both of which are also provided in a brochure linked to the website.

3. I believe I could use the information provided by this source as a type of counter argument to where my project was originally headed. This way I will be able to provide two sides, instead of simply any biased opinion I might have had. With this information, I could discuss how this invention could in fact help libraries, bookstores and even self-publishing authors.

Fister, Barbara. "Trade Publishing: A Report from the Front." The Johns Hopkins University Press 2001: 509-523. WVU Libraries. Project MUSE. Web. Accessed on 24 Feb. 2010.

http://muse.jhu.edu.www.libproxy.wvu.edu/journals/portal_libraries_and_the_academy/v001/1.4fister.html.

1. This article focuses on trade publishing and what the future holds for the industry. One way Barbara Fister writes on the issue is by utilizing interviews with editors, publishers, agents, and many others who are involved in the industry.

2. The primary audience for this article includes libraries and scholars. This article is important, because it demonstrates the connections between libraries and publishers. In addition, concerning those involved in the industry, it discusses their roles, their thoughts on the pressures the industry is facing, and what their predictions are for the future.

3. For my research, I believe I can incorporate this source by bringing into play the point of views of those being most affected by the changes in the book industry. I will also incorporate insight on how Stephen King’s 2000 ebook-only Riding the Bullet caused publishers to seriously think about how they must plan for the electronic future.

Gibbons, Susan. “Ebooks: Some Concerns and Surprises.” Portal: Libraries and the Academy. Vol. 1, 1. Jan. 2001: 71-75. WVU Libraries. Project MUSE. Web. Accessed on 28 Feb. 2010.

http://muse.jhu.edu.www.libproxy.wvu.edu/journals/portal_libraries_and_the_academy/v001/1.1gibbons.html.

1. In this article, Susan Gibbons follows a study where six libraries in Rochester, New York tested the assumptions involved in incorporating ebooks into their selections. A Library Services and Technology Act grant was awarded in order to figure out the feasibility of using ebooks in libraries, including academic, school and public. This study consisted of each library receiving five ebook readers (two SoftBooks and three Rockets) and having every patron and librarian complete an Electronic Book Evaluation Survey.

2. Although this article does not focus on the Kindle, I believe it is important, because it is a segue into libraries’ positions within my research. In addition, this source demonstrates how the devices used for ebooks have changed by supplying these two additional examples.

3. I believe I will be able to use this source as a way to determine where some libraries stand on the issue of whether to incorporate even more of the digital world by providing access to ebooks. This will also provide an insight as to what the concerns of libraries are on the issue and how the patrons who participated in the surveys responded to the ebooks.

Wyatt, Edward. "Electronic Device Stirs Unease at Book Fair." TimesPeople. The New York Times Company. 02 June 2008. Web. Accessed on 08 Feb. 2010.

www.nytimes.com/2008/06/02/books/02bea.html.

1. This article talks about the sales of the Kindle and the decline in traffic at the BookExpo America compared to previous years. It discusses the fact that publishing executives have worries concerning the development of this technology and at the same time mentions that the device has also gained fans in the publishing industry.

2. This article is useful, because it touches on authors and publishers' views on the matter.

3. Therefore, I may be able to take into account yet another perspective.

This source will also allow me to further look into the idea of the fate of the physical book.