Melbourne bookshops close under stage four restrictions, new project to digitise out-of-print works

Under stage four lockdown restrictions introduced on Sunday, Melbourne bookshops have closed to the public and can only operate online or via the contactless click and collect method.

The ASA, University of Melbourne and Australian public libraries are working on a pilot project to digitise, lend and sell out-of-print works, and the Digital Australian Government Style Guide is in public beta. Meanwhile, Writers SA and the Adelaide Review have announced a new year-long series of book reviews, focusing on titles published during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In library news, SLV has launched a new web series featuring policy experts responding to the Covid-19 crisis, while two major Victorian library services have signed with Civica for the Spydus LMS.

In awards news this week, the winners of the Queensland Poetry Festival awards and the NZ Sir Julius Vogel Awards have been announced, as has the shortlist for the 2020 Colin Roderick Award. Elizabeth Manning Murphy has won IPEd’s inaugural Janet Mackenzie Medal for an outstanding professional editor.

Overseas, the French and Italian markets are on the mend following Covid-19 shutdowns earlier in the year. Meanwhile, the winners of the Hugo Awards, Waterstones Children’s Book Prize and Caine Prize for African Writing have all been announced.

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Category: This week’s news