Tag: reading

Sensory fiction suit , the book which was plugged in

Posted on by Team Blookup

After hearing and smelling, books keep dropping physical barriers and surprising us!

Sensory Fiction is a unique book titled “The Girl Who Was Plugged In”, a science-fiction novelette written by James Tiptree (a woman, as her pen name tries to hide)… In 1973!

It resembles any book but its size and thickness are strange: In fact, this book allows to experience the emotions of its main character with a connected jacket to wear before starting the reading session!

sensory-fiction-reading
A 1973’s story in a book from the future!

The concept is still at the prototype stage but the technologies used are already advanced! The MIT Media Lab, which developed and delivered a physical form to the whole idea, used nearly 150 programmable LEDs to illuminate the cover of the book, allowing colors to change the atmosphere all around you while the jacket, equipped with a heating device (with the help of a Peltier junction), vibrating plates and a system of compression by airbags, will make you experience with the heroine the power of love and despair, the sensation of freedom and that of confinement…

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sensory-fiction-back
Front and back views of the Sensory Fiction suit

By playing on heat transmission, heart rate and the atmosphere of the room, Sensory Fiction transports you beyond words and, if it does not replace your imagination (fortunately!), it allows you to be immersed body and soul in the narrative!

We are excited to know if new stories will be adapted to the concept!

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Source | Images:  F3H3

Interview: Talking about literature with Nadia!

Posted on by Team Blookup

It has been a while since the last interview right ?

So, in order to give this year a good start, we are taking back our good habits and we open 2018 with Nadia, passionate about literature and author of the blog  Le Style de ma Plume (in French)!

nadia-logo

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Introduce yourself in a few lines : You, your passions, your projects…


First of all, thank you to the BlookUp Team for your trust.
I’m Nadia from the literature blog “Le Style de ma Plume“. Mom of 2 little angels, blogger, administrative employee, I love this exciting rhythm of life: Diversify my occupations while keeping my literature priorities in sight.

Could you explain to our readers what your blog is about ?


Through my blog, I wish, to share my readings in an original way, without any pretention.

In my opinion, reading is a journey of senses. So, what is more natural than sending a postcard from my current destination to my readers…

I also share interviews that I make myself, and you will discover articles as well.

I wrote for Webzines et paper magazine (Alhy magazine, Foulexpress, On behalf of the graphic designer “graphidine”…)

the inside layout of nadia's blook __________________________________

So far, what moment of your blogger’s life was the most significant ?


The launch ! When I went from development to achievement by buying the domain name. Then by clicking on www.lestyledemaplume.com

From there, I only remember lots of beautiful encounters… Projects…

Did your passion for books and writing have a decisive influence on the idea to turn your blog into a book ?
Yes, quite… This was only logical to me. Turn my blog into a book, what an ingenious idea!

How did you hear about BlookUp ?


I spotted the concept a few months ago on the internet.
I was curious about testing it and share my experience, so I contacted you.

The cover of nadia's blook __________________________________

What are the positive elements about the platform ?


The rapidity and the intuitiveness of the platform. Overall, the platform is open to anyone, with or without computing knowledge.

What are the areas for improvement ?


For me, and as previously exposed on my blog, it was the heterogeneous quality of the photos.

Nevertheless, you explained that from now, an alert will be put in place in order to have the possibility to delete or modify the picture when one is likely to be improved.

The backcover of Nadia's blook __________________________________

What do you think of the final result and what are the feedback of your surroundings?


Receiving my blog in book was a real pleasure.

I love books… The paper… but also blogging… BlookUp is a beautiful alliance between both worlds.

Would you recommend BlookUp ?


It is a huge and sincere YES!

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A big thank to Nadia for agreeing to answer our questions, and thanks again to her for her article about us on her blog!

Visit her blog to share with her your taste for reading and writing, and find her also on :

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Hashtag Shelfie: Sharing your library under the hashtag

Posted on by Team Blookup

We know that internet, blogs and social networks gave or maintained a general taste for writing and creation! It also  gave the world of books a second youth by putting self-publishing at everyone’s reach.

Books and writing are part of the daily life for many of us. And the internet pays them tribute!

@earthscorners

What the shelf?

On Instagram, we find under the hashtag #shelfie a whole lot of inspiring photos featuring shelves and libraries. The word “shelfie” itself sets the tone by combining the words “shelf” with the word “selfie” (the famous self-portraits photographed in the 21st century, for those sleeping at the bottom).

Many of the photos feature furnitures arranged like they’re almost taken straight out of an IKEA magazine. But, and this is what interests us here, we can also find books!

@culturetripbooks

#Shelfie indeed is the occasion to make your personal library a star while the hashtag lasts ! It’s also the moment to share your reading taste or your  storage foibles to your friends and followers… Or even to discover what composes the tastes of others and how people organizes and surrounds one’s readings!

@bluestockingbookhelf

@bluestockingbookshelf

No boasting of elitist readings or endless rows of books here (even if we recognize that a full library is always pretty to picture 😉 ), only the joy of seeing beautiful book-related photos and starting exchanging about your favorite books!

After all, the contents of a library are often indicative of the personality of its owner(s): It is with this idea that the newspaper The Guardian launched the concept of the Shelfie in December 2013.

@shelfjoy

More than 820 000 publications are now classified under the hashtag #shelfie and more are coming everyday, so it’s always time to get involved and show what you have and love!

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Article source (French) | Images:  @earthscorners, @culturetripbooks, @bluestockingbookshelf and @shelfjoy

Books portage, when reading comes at home!

Posted on by Team Blookup

In France, the media library of Poitiers (named “Médiathèque François Mitterrand” as an hommage to one of France’s former Presidents who is said to be fond of arts and culture) has found a great solution to bring company and entertainment to the elderly, handicapped or isolated people. Books portage!

Poitiers’ inhabitants are thus given the possibility of being delivered of their books for free ! With all the books directly coming from the collections of the media library.

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Dominique Delbor receives her new audio books from Carine Chollet and Isabelle Brillanceau’s hands, from the media library staff

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The delivery is “included” in the price of their annual subscription to the library (costing from €6 to €16) ! Thus offering an invaluable service without any extra cost. The people that are delivered are visited by the Media Library’s staff and can exchange a few words as well as their books! Which they give back (of course;)) while borrowing again.

Every 24 days, a new arrival of audiobooks arrives at the tables of the beneficiaries. It allows them, thanks to the quantity and diversity of content available, to find their happiness for several years!

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The multimedia library makes nearly 2,300 texts available to read and has also signed a partnership with the Valentin Haüy association (located in Paris). It allows visually impaired subscribers to obtain access to an additional fund of 200 texts engraved in “Daisy” format. Subscribers can also freely download 20,000 titles from the Éole online library.

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Source (French only) | Photos credits: Bm-poitiers.fr et Marie-Laure Aveline

Books and videos: Who are the Booktubers?

Posted on by Team Blookup

When it comes to reading, profiles and behaviors are very diverse! More or less assiduous readers, young or not so young, with three tons of books on their hands or without any idea of what to read next…

Whatever the situation, navigating on the ocean of books that is literature can quickly become a real challenge. What are the trends? A title teases you, but you’re not sure you want to buy it  because you’re afraid of being disappointed? Which genre will truly move you or are which book will get you out of your comfort zone?

Well, as usual, to answer those questions, you have to look up for information. You may go to the nearest library, bookshop or on an online store… Or on Youtube.

A trend that actually began a few years ago

Booktubers appeared in the United States and in Mexico around the years 2010-2011. PolandbananasBOOKS, the most famous channel in America created in 2010, has currently 361,000 subscribers while Raiza Revelles, the most famous channel in Mexico and created in 2011, has 1,196,000 subscribers!

By comparison, Les Lectures de NiNe, a French channel, counts only 58,000 subscribers!

Many articles have been devoted to Booktubers since 2011, many channels have been created and have disappeared. The phenomenon is now generally well-known and followed by the english-speaking and spanish-speaking countries.

A French “Ipsos” study of 2016 made for the National Book Center (Centre National du Livre) linked the omnipresence of Internet and screens with new reading habits, not with a disinterest in reading! Booktubers, which attracted only 5% of young people according to the study at the time, are the expression of these changes!

Young people talk to young people

Their profile? Mostly female Booktubers under 30, whose audience also includes young female readers. The books presented come from all genres and lovers of great classics or more specific styles can find what they want between two fantasy or science fiction novelties!

A variety of speeches and formats form the wide range of videos made by Booktubers, like “In my Mailbox” (IMM), “Bookhauls” and “Wrap-Up”. for example.

Some of these formats already existed on Youtube for a while, such as the unboxing, which consists of opening a package (sent by a brand) in front of the camera in order to discover its contents with the subscribers. Like other Youtubers, Booktubers often initially order objects themselves, privately: When the channel becomes more famous, publishing houses send them gifts for them to talk about.

The key here is to find a form of book club 2.0: Booktubers talk to people with whom they share the same love of reading (or sometimes convert those who were not interested!) and organize Challenges and Events in order to animate and unite them.

No wonder why publishers are trying to forge partnerships directly with these video makers who are now invited in trade shows and literary debates! But even when they are part of a network, very few Booktubers make book sharing their main activity. Each of them deserves to be viewed though, and of course to be followed!

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Article Source | Crédits Vidéos :A Clockwork Reader, jennaclarek, PolandbananasBOOKS,Little Book Owl, jessethereader 

Growing trees out of books!

Posted on by Team Blookup

A small publishing house in Argentina recently made a totally organic book that gives back to nature what it took from it by growing into a tree (Which might remind you of our previous article about the Japanese blooming newspapers). What’s their secret? Well first, unlike the majority of books, this one is made using organic ink along with acid-free pages that allow it to be planted without harming the soils. Seeds are put inside the paper during the making process and will wait until their time comes to grow into a magnificent tree!

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This book tells the story of a man wandering inside the equatorial jungle as seen through the eyes of his son.

 

Pequeño Editor, the publishing house specialized in books for children,  wanted to deliver a message to their young readers: “Books come from trees. Today, a tree comes from a book.”

Even though changing the way we make books on a global scale seems difficult (If not impossible), we have to salute the effort made by the people of this publishing house who do not only show us an eco friendly alternative but also educate children in the process!

“If your plan is for one year plant rice. If your plan is for ten years plant trees. If your plan is for one hundred years educate children” – Confucius

If you want to know more about Pequeño Editor and their work, be sure to check out their Facebook and Twitter page!

Source

 

Back in the days, we had bookmobiles!

Posted on by Team Blookup

Many of you probably don’t remember that time before Amazon!  Before even the internet was a thing, people still managed to bring books home though. Most of them went to the local bookstore or to the library, but what about the country folks or the people living in the suburbs ? The ones who did not have this chance?

Well just like Pepperidge Farm, BlookUp remembers!  Bookmobiles, were the solution to those who lived too far  away from the city and thus did not (or hardly) have access to the riches and joy that brought books. We have to travel back to the late 1850’s in Warrington (England) to see what is believed to be the first bookmobile, a horse-drawn van full of books. Behind this idea was a philanthropist, called George Moore whose project was to spread the goods of literature to the small villages around the city.

An old bookmobile pulled by a horse
The Perambulating library of Harrington in 1859, believed to be the first of its kind.

Needless to say people spread the word and the concept continued growing to the point of reaching the United States. Ultimately horses were replaced by cars, more efficient, and allowing the librarian to carry more books. Bookmobiles eventually reached the peak of their popularity in the mid 20th century before slowly disappearing.

Picture of a bookmobile in the 20's
Photo of a bookmobile in the 1920’s. Credits – Numismatic Bibliomania Society

However there still are a few of them out there, their goal remained the same: diffusing good literature and educating those who need it the most. Many libraries like San Francisco Public Library or Toronto Public Library have bookmobiles driving around the city, who knows maybe one day you’ll see one of these mobile libraries too!

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The automated library of the University of Chicago!

Posted on by Team Blookup

Let us continue our little tour of the libraries around the world with something a little bit different from what we have been showing you so far.

We are crossing the Atlantic ocean, off to University of Chicago, Illinois!

The Joa and Rika Mansueto Library, to call it by it’s official name, is unlike any other library you have seen before! Why ? Because it is totally automated! The students of the University of Chicago do not have to walk around some aisles to look for a particular book or to ask the librarian whether the said book is available or not.

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Mansueto Library’s glass dome containing the Grand Reading Room

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How the automated librery works ?

Instead, the students can browse through the online catalogue of the Mansueto library to see if the book they are looking for is available, order it right away, and by the time they walk to the library the book will be waiting for them.

How is this possible you might ask? Well it all comes down to the library’s ingenious design.

The Mansueto library is like an Iceberg, you can merely see a third of it.

On the surface there are no aisles nor shelves. The whole space is dedicated to reading. Everything is happening beneath the surface.

The inside of the Grand Reading Room

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The library has a storage vault buried 20 meters deep into the ground, consisting in 24 000 bins!  Each of them containing up to 100 books. While most (if not all) libraries sort their books by subject or author. The Mansueto library sorts its books by size to optimize the space of their bins.

Every book is marked on the spine with a barcode that is scanned each time the book leaves or comes back to the library.

Meanwhile,  five mechanical cranes move alongside the racks to find and lift the bin containing the book that has been ordered by a student to the surface. The student is notified by email when the book has been scanned. Finally when it is ready to be picked up.

While many will salute the technical prouesse of building an automated library, others will mourn the loss of their good old wooden shelves as well as the feeling of walking and browsing through the aisles. What do you think about the Mansueto automated library? Is it the result of a genius mind’s work ?  Or is it too much of a change?

Source – Photos by Tom Rossiter

Bookroo: children books in a box !

Posted on by Team Blookup

kids-readingDo you have children, nephews, nieces or godchildren?  Do you still have trouble finding what kind of books to offer them?

Our kind always used reading as a communication tool between generations. And as such, we want to transmit values, memories. But we can sometimes be afraid to impose them or to invest too early, to shock, to not be understood.In short, it’s not so easy to choose!

Well, take a deep breath because BlookUp found the perfect solution to offer books all year round without fearing the lack of idea!

Discover Bookroo!

The Bookroo logo Bookroo consists in a 1, 3, 6 or 12-month subscription. During which you will receive at home (within all US territory and also Canada, for an additional $11 per month). 

Each month, a box filled with books chosen for you in accordance with the way you filled out the subscription form!

Customization options are limited to the kids’ age (from 0 to 2 and 2 to 6). The idea is really to send you (or to the kids you are offering the gift to) books “that you don’t already know and are not easy to be found online or in stores”. 

Examples of books available in the Bookroo box
Those books, for example, were the ones sent during the last few months!

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So it’s a whole surprise that is coming in a beautiful cardboard box, and within it, books separately and elegantly wrapped like presents!

Do you like the idea? Well, go to Bookroo now, choose your subscription time and spread culture, values and imagination all around you!

Bookcrossing: Let your old books go and make them travel the world!

Posted on by Team Blookup

We all love our good old books, however, it comes a time when you don’t want to read them anymore, so you put them on your bookshelf and never touch them again, which is pretty sad. Luckily for you, we at BlookUp are going to tell you about a nice way of getting rid of your dusty pile of books!

The name is BookCrossing, it is website that allows you to let go of your old books and make them travel! The process is pretty simple: You first need to label the book you want to “set free” and register it on the website using the BookCrossingID written on the said label. Afterwards, all you have to do is leaving it somewhere you know it will be picked up, it could be at your local café, a table or a bench outside at a park….be creative! Once you get back home, saddened by the loss of your old book, you can keep an eye on it by entering the book’s BCID.

What a lovely BookCrossing house! Photo by Leisha Camden on Pinterest.

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If you don’t feel like releasing your book into the wild you can join on of the BookCrossing’s forums, tweet using #bookcrossing or directly  @BookCrossing to let the fellow bookcrossers know about your book!

The person who will pick up your book can type this code on the website and mark your book as officially “picked up”. Your book’s journey starts here! If one day you stumble upon a book that shouldn’t be here for any reason whatsoever, keep it mind that it is probably traveling the world just like your old book is so watch out for the BookCrossing labels!

 

Don’t forget to join the BookCrossing community:

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Source and credits