• http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA6332156.html

Ben Vershbow , a fellow at the Institute for the Future of the Book, is interviewed in this month's Library Journal in an article entitled "The Social Life of Books". In the interview, Vershbow does a nice job of highlighting many of the Institute's concerns and activities. Their work focuses on, as one might guess, the possible futures of the book. They divide their time between dissecting various experiments in electronic books, writing soon-to-be-released software for creating networked texts, devising grand new schemes for new types of publications, and in thoughtful worry over how corporations like Amazon and Google are taking the field in the wrong direction. Of particular interest to educators is the next/text project, which is exploring what networked textbooks might become.

In keeping with the spirit of networked text as always containing the possibility for discussion, Vershbow has established a space on the Institute's blog for reacting both to his interview, and to Kevin Kelly's recent NYTimes story "Scan This Book".