2024 Washington State Book Award Winners Announced! - Library of Congress Center for the Book Washington

Mom's TBR list just got bigger.

In his travels today Panzer stopped at the Library of Congress Center for the Book site. There our inquisitive kitty found the announcement of the Washington State Book Award Winners.

 

Panzer says, "Since there are seven categories and a winner listed in each category with the finalists following that list, it's easier if you go to the site and read the post."

 

Note: It's a medium length post. Bring a cup of tea and two cookies (biscuits) for this reading selection.

 

To read the post tootle over to Washi:ngton State Book Awards

Seattle-area booksellers, moved by community support During coronovirus shutdown, say 'indie bookstores will thrive again' - The Seattle Times

Today Panzer decided to make his trip in the Catosphere closer to home (he lives in Washington state), so he stopped in at The Seattle Times Newspaper site. (The city of Seattle is located in Washington state.) With just a little digging in the posts, our inquisitive kitty boy found one about how indie bookstores are doing in the Seattle-area (Washington) with the coronavirus pandemic state-ordered shutdown.

According to the post by Moira Macdonald, Seattle-area (Seattle, Redmond and Mercer Island) independent bookstores are finding creative ways to continue to sell books. Bookstores are adding shopping carts to their websites so buyers can order their books online. Books are then either mailed to the buyer or can be picked up curbside outside the bookstore.  People are also calling in their book orders for mail or pickup. Book buyers are buying from their neighborhood indie bookstores to help keep them from closing permanently.

Don't worry. They'll be open soon.

Panzer says, "The neighborhood bookstore is where humans can go and hold a book in their hands. That's important to a lot of humans."

Note: This is a long-medium length post. Bring a cup of tea and a muffin for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to Seattle-area bookstores

What You Need To Know About California's New Law AB-5 Affects on Writers - Writer Beware

Today as our fastidious Panzer was washing the outside of the Panzermobile, he heard crying and shouting coming from the Catosphere. Hopping in the Panzermobile, he followed all the noise to the Writer Beware site. With no digging at all he found the source of all the angst. A new law in California has major problems for freelance writers in the state.

It's hard enough being a writer. Now this.

According to site owner Victoria Strauss, California has passed a new law aimed at helping 'freelance' workers. The AB-5 law gives freelance workers the benefits of regular employees after certain criteria are met. Because the law includes a limit of 35 'sales' to one company after that limit the freelancer becomes an employee under the law. This is one of the criteria of the law causing freelance writers a problem. Some freelance writers (and illustrators) can satisfy this criteria in six months, if not weeks. The post includes an article published by the Authors Guild explaining the law and its effects on writers.

Panzer says, "If you read all the way to the end of the post in the Update section, you'll see they want to do the same law here where I live in Washington state."

Note: This is a long post. Bring a cup of tea and two muffins for today's reading selection.

To read the post tootle over to California AB5 Law

Major Public Library System Will Boycott Macmillan E-books - Publishers Weekly

Today Panzer's trip into the Catosphere took him to the Publishers Weekly site. With no digging at all our intrepid kitty traveler found a post about publisher Macmillan's embargo on ebook sales to libraries.

The post by  Andrew Albanese contains information about the embargo impasse by publisher Macmillan against public libraries. Panzer already told you about Macmillan's plans to limit library ebook purchases to a single copy of a new ebook release for the first two months after publication. The newest development in this embargo involves a boycott of Macmillan's ebooks. The King County Library System, located in Washington state, won't purchase new ebook releases from Macmillan. The library has a patron friendly rule that readers won't have to wait more than three months for a book they've requested. Since Macmillan is not letting libraries buy more than one ebook for the first two months after publication, patrons wouldn't get the requested book within the three month time frame; so, the library system simply won't buy the ebook at all. There's more information about how the boycott will work included in the post. The post contains several links including one at the end with information about a pettheition signed by over 100,000 people asking Macmillan to stop the library embargo.

Somebody has to stand up against a bully.

Panzer says, "This little kitty was waiting for a boycott to happen, but he didn't know it would be his own local library system that would be the one to start it."

Note: This is a long post. Bring a cup of tea and two muffins for today's reading selection. If you plan to follow the links included in the post, bring at least a gallon of tea and two muffins. If you plan to follow the link to Panzer's previous post (and the link in that post and the link in that post and the link in that post), bring a lot more tea and muffins and some cookies, too, because this has been a long ongoing problem with Macmillan.

To read the post tootle over to boycott Macmillan
To read the Panzer's previous post about the embargo, tootle over to librarians' national campaign

Amazon Sellers Brood as States Come Calling for Taxes - The New York Times

Panzer was tootling around in the Catosphere when the Panzermobile was buffeted by booing and hissing. Following all the hubbub took our brave kitty to The New York Times site. With a little digging he found a post about Amazon and sales taxes.

I'll never understand humans.

The post by Nick Wingfield states Amazon will begin collecting sales taxes for its marketplace merchants who sell merchandise to Washington state residents. It seems the state legislature needed some more money, so they passed a law to collect more sales taxes and the impact is on Amazon's merchants big and small. According to the post, other states are preparing to follow suit.

Panzer says, "Hmm ... Inquiring kitties want to know what's going to happen next with this sales tax thingy? No more merchandise sales to Washington residents? Just curious."

Note: This is a h-u-m-o-n-g-o-u-s post. Bring two thermoses of tea and a dozen muffins for today's reading selection.

To read the post, tootle over to Amazon