Accompanied by charts, statistics, and analysis, The Global Ranking of the Publishing Industry 2014, traces the changing dynamics of the top ten publishers along with a look at the book industries in Brazil and China. It shows how the STM market is a real driving force in the profitability of certain publishers. Compare with: The World’s 56 Largest Book Publishers 2014 from Publishers Weekly; and EBook Publisher Power Rankings, First Quarter 2014.
Archive for June, 2014
2014 July 4th Events in New Jersey
Here are some activities: listing of fireworks displays by county is online; Hudson County and north Jersey activities are also available; don’t forget the Jersey City Freedom & Fireworks Festival as well as this guide to south Jersey festivals.
How Clean Are New Jersey Beaches?
As people travel to the Jersey shore this summer, they can be comforted by the fact that New Jersey ranks #3 in the nation (out of 30 states listed) in cleanliness of its beach water. In fact, New Jersey contains more “superstar beaches” than any other state. The Natural Resources Defense Council issued Testing the Waters 2014: A Guide to Water Quality at Vacation beaches that compiled statistical information the states have on their beach quality. State rankings are found in the executive summary. See how your state fared.
Court Rules That Governor Christie Can Cut Contributions to Pension Plans
The judge’s 100+ page decision is posted online. Analysis/comments/reportage are at: the Wall Street Journal, The Star-Ledger, Asbury Park Press, Bergen Record, NJ Spotlight, NJEA, and NJ Politicker.
Bill Repealing New Jersey’s Residency Law for Teachers
S2169 is a bill just out of the Senate State Government Committee; its goal is to rescind the requirement that school district employees in New Jersey must reside in New Jersey. It applies to those counties that border New York and Pennsylvania. It is very specific in its intent as it does not apply to police, firefighters, or college professors; it is strictly geared for teachers at the K-12 level. Here is a Star-Ledger editorial advocating the repeal of the entire law – the New Jersey First Act.
Tracking Guarini Library’s Transformation
We have received word that the process of turning part of the Library’s first floor into a 2,000 sq ft Dunkin Donuts is about to start. Next Thursday, June 26, the Library reference desk (not the beautiful piece of furniture we have now, that will be demolished) will be re-located to the second floor. To track the transition, please visit the Library’s Facebook page where you can see what has already been done. Leave a comment, we’ll get back to you.
Online City Encyclopedias – Detroit and Philadelphia
We have come across two more of these works. The Encyclopedia of Detroit (Detroit Historical Society) features articles arranged alphabetically or by broad topics; you can also search using full text. In addition, a timeline is included and a special feature entitled Arsenal of Democracy that singles out Detroit companies that played a significant part in the war effort during World War II. The Encyclopedia of Greater Philadelphia (based at Rutgers-Camden) provides linked writings by themes or full text search; it also has a timeline, maps, an informative blog, and a 300+ page bibliography.
NJ State Board of Education Recommends Higher Skill Levels for New Teachers
At its June 4 meeting, the State Board of Education announced its intent to raise the required GPA for student teachers to 3.0. ( Please look at Item H and Teacher Prep NJAC…) Additionally, other criteria will be used to evaluate teacher candidates; these measures will be phased in over the next couple of years.
New Jersey “Race To The Top” Second Year Report
Find out where New Jersey succeeded and what still needs some work here.
Lawsuits Against Governor Christie Over His Non-Payment of Pension Funds
Various unions have filed lawsuits in this matter. The full text of the three major lawsuits and a consolidation order are available at New Jersey Courts under Pension Payment Case. Oral arguments are slated to begin on June 25.
What is ISIS?
As Iraq descends into anarchy and as worries that the conflicts within that beleaguered country will spill into Syria and destabilize the entire region mount, it is time to find accurate information on ISIS. Always a good place to start is with the Council on Foreign Relations; it has published one of its “backgrounders” entitled Islamic State in Iraq and Greater Syria that concentrates on its origins, funding, leadership, and staying power. Other reports of interest include: Al-Qaeda in Syria: A Closer Look at ISIS (The Washington Institute); Profile: Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (BBC); ISIS: The first terror group to build an Islamic state? (CNN); Shaping Iraq’s Security Forces (CSIS); ISIS (Brookings); Iraq: Politics, Governance, and Human Rights (CRS); Al-Qa’ida in Iraq (National Counterterrorism Center); ISIS (Chatham House); ISIS (Middle East Institute); Resurgence of Al-Qaeda in Syria and Iraq (Strategic Studies Institute);Iraq Crisis and U.S. Policy (CRS); and Armed Conflict in Syria: Overview and U.S. Response. 9-11.-14 Update: Please review these recent CRS reports: U.S. Military Action Against the Islamic State: Answers to Frequently Asked Legal Questions, September 9, 2014;Considerations for Possible Authorization for Use of Military Force Against the Islamic State, CRS Insights, September 9, 2014; and The “Islamic State” Crisis and U.S. Policy, September 10, 2014.
Online Primary Sources: World War I Photos
The Atlantic has put out World War I in Photos, a ten-part series arranged around various themes and comprised of over 400 photographs from various sources. Numerous other photos are at: Photos of the Great War (Great War Primary Documents Archives); Images (National World War I Museum); World War I Color Photos (great links!); World War I Photographs (British Library); and Vintage Photographs (almost 4,000 images, FirstWorldWar.com).
Country Economic Appraisals – “OECD Economic Surveys”
“An Economic Survey is published every two years for each OECD member country and for some countries that are not OECD members, such as China, Russia and Brazil. There is also a separate Survey of the euro area.”(Introduction) Since the U.S. is part of the OECD, it is also reviewed every two years; the 2014 edition of the OECD Economic Survey of the United States has just been published. It is written according to a standardized structure – each survey starts off with an executive summary, followed by assessments and recommendations that are in turn followed up by thematic chapters. All of these writings are supplemented with numerous charts, tables, and data, some historical in nature. For those who do not want to read the entire U.S. report, there is a briefer overview online as well. Here is a list of the countries scrutinized; following each country’s link will bring you to overviews, past reports, and the ability to read the latest reports online (For every country, you will see a link to “Online Bookstore.” Click on that link and you will then see a highlighted “look inside” button that will lead you to the latest report.) What recommendations/assessments does the OECD have for this country? Here they are: “The economy is recovering; structural reforms, including comprehensive tax reform, can boost long-term growth; financial reform should be rolled out fully; labour market reform can boost employment; Americans are generally happy, although working families face rising pressures; making the best of new energy resources.” (Overview 6)
Court Victory for Fair Use in the Digital Age
First, the Authors Guild copyright infringement suit against Google was dismissed, one of the main arguments being that what Google did was “transformative” in nature. And now HathiTrust, another book digitization project, has emerged as the winner in Authors Guild v HathiTrust; once again the judge remarked on the transformative nature of HathiTrust: “I cannot imagine a definition of fair use that would not encompass the transformative uses made by Defendants’ MDP[Mass Digitization Project] and would require that I terminate this invaluable contribution to the progress of science and cultivation of the arts that at the same time effectuates the ideals espoused by the ADA.”(Opinion, 22) Insidehigher ed, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Electronic Frontier Foundation, Association of Research Libraries, the American Library Association, and the Courthouse News Service all have statements/analyses.
Governor Christie’s Higher Education Remarks
At groundbreaking on the campus of William Paterson University, Governor Christie made some brief remarks concerning investment in higher education. A video and a transcript of his statement are online. The Star-Ledger and The Bergen Record provide news coverage.
California’s Tenure System Ruled Unconstitutional
In Vergara v State of California, a trial judge has ruled that the tenure system, the seniority system and the process of layoffs are unconstitutional.(Tentative Decision) Why does this matter to New Jersey? Because tenure is under intense scrutiny here as well. The TEACHNJ Act contains within it the first steps toward a modification of the tenure system in this state. New Jersey Teacher Tenure Reform from the Kean University Center for History, Politics & Policy, NJEA’s The New Tenure Law, NJ Spotlight’s New Tenure Law Reform Delivers First Verdict, and the NCSL’s Getting to Excellence: A Legislator’s Guide offer good background information. The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Los Angeles Times are all reporting on this decision.
Distance Education Statistics by State
Enrollment in Distance Education Courses, by State: Fall 2012 from NCES presents through numerous tables the number/percentage of students taking distance ed courses. The various criteria employed give a good picture of how engaged New Jersey students are in this form of education, and how they compare to nationwide statistics.
Veterans Affairs Audit Report
This report has been bandied about in the news. As we are firm believers in going to the original source, here is the Department of Veterans Affairs Access Audit System-Wide Review of Access and additional reports on the 21 VISNs (Veterans Integrated Service Network) in the country. New Jersey is served by VISN 3.
National Statistics for the United Kingdom
The Compendium of UK Statistics is the official source of statistics for the four countries of the United Kingdom: England, Northern Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Sectors include population and migration, economy, social indicators, and environment; all are accompanied by statistics and informative charts. An interactive feature allows for drilling down by region, county, and local authority. “The statistics included here have been produced across the Government Statistical Service. All relevant Government Departments have been involved in the publication of this Compendium.”(home page)
Photos of NJCU Gala on Ellis Island
The Jersey Journal has released a photo set of this event.
Congressman Frank J. Guarini Library Blog 