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Daily Archives: March 14, 2018

Amazon opens a different kind of bookstore in DC

Washington Business Journal: “Amazon.com Inc.’s first brick-and-mortar bookstore in Greater Washington opened Tuesday in Georgetown. And just so all you book lovers are aware, the new Amazon Books — located at 3040 M Street NW — isn’t your average book boutique. The books available at the store are selected by a team of curators and are either rated four stars and above on Amazon.com or are bestsellers in the chain’s other bookstores or on Amazon’s website. The curators will also determine what gets on the shelves by looking at Kindle reading behavior — Amazon is a data company, after all — to let customers know where to find the real page turners. You can expect some staff selections for that all-important human touch. The store carries new releases along with its curated selection. Every book in the 10,000-square-foot store is presented face out “so they can communicate their own essence,” according to a release. Under each book is a review card with the Amazon.com customer rating and a review. There’s also a tie-in to Amazon Prime: Prime members pay the Amazon Prime price for books sold in store, while nonmembers pay list price. Some shoppers may be eligible for a trial Prime membership, and could later receive a credit for the price adjustment between the Prime and list prices if they commit to a membership. Prime members also never have to pull out their credit cards; just pull up the Amazon Shopping app on your smartphone and your purchase is charged to the main method of payment in your Prime account…”

Longreads – profile and commentary on one of the richest people who have ever lived

The Billionaire Philanthropist – “It is an American tradition for CEOs to stockpile their wealth, avoid taxes, then in their later years, participate in the theater of giving. Will Jeff Bezos make it scale?..During the political chaos of the last year, one American institution has emerged stronger than ever. As its revenues soared, Amazon’s stock… Continue Reading

YouTube announces plan to provide users with info cues to combat conspiracy theory videos

Wired: “After the mass shooting in Parkland, Florida, in February, the top trending video on YouTube wasn’t a news clip about the tragedy, but a conspiracy theory video suggesting survivor David Hogg was an actor. The video garnered 200,000 views before YouTube removed it from its platform. Until now, the company hasn’t said much about… Continue Reading

Vox – National School Walkout Day in photos, from Parkland to London

Vox posted photos from protests around the country as students peacefully marched, assembled, spoke and listened, to speeches from peers, lawmakers, victims of mass shooting events, and civil rights pioneers, in cities across the country. The focus remained on young people leading the movement to legislate increased gun control in America. The protest here in… Continue Reading

No One Ever Told Me My Job Would Include… Dealing with a Korean Missile Alert!

ALA Library Worklife, March 2018, Michelle A. Moore – “The Hawaii State Library System has mandatory employee training on workplace violence and safety because, let’s face it, things happen. The premise is to make us more aware and prepared to effectively manage a crisis. Hawaii libraries have been closed for hurricanes, tsunami’s, and even volcano… Continue Reading

ALA – Resources on Sexual Harassment Available – National Women’s History Month

ALA Library Worklife, March 2018: “As the #MeToo movement continues to expand, libraries have been asking for resources to help address concerns of their staff.  In response to these requests, a website with a variety of resources on sexual harassment has been posted on the ALA website. Included on the site are tips on What… Continue Reading

Facebook Quietly Hid Webpages Bragging of Ability to Influence Elections

The Intercept: “When Mark Zuckerber  was asked if Facebook had influenced the outcome of the 2016 presidential election, the founder and CEO dismissed the notion that the site even had such power as “crazy.” It was a disingenuous remark. Facebook’s website had an entire section devoted to touting the “success stories” of political campaigns that used the social network to… Continue Reading

Legal tech is opening the system to those who need legal representation the most

TechCrunch: “…Emerging startups like JustFix.nyc and legal tech products like LegalZoom and DocuSign have lowered the barrier to entry for legal protection that was previously confined to law offices. Now anyone can write their will or incorporate a company without having to seek legal counsel. The dissolution of the traditional legal business model is good… Continue Reading