The Oregon State Library wants to help you celebrate Oregon’s Sesquicentennial (150th birthday!). And we all know how libraries like to party (a lot like us at Wordstock, actually); with a huge stack of books, in a quiet corner. “For 150 years, Oregon has been a state of readers and writers,” said State Librarian Jim Scheppke. “It’s no accident that we have some of the best libraries and bookstores anywhere in the country.” The library’s collection of 150 books about Oregon looks quite good. And, like Oregon itself, there’s something for everyone. You know: poets, social dissidents, history buffs, walks, hikers, bikers, bakers. We all live here and all have a story. And this list is packed with amazing stories. Check it out here.

The Los Angeles Times‘ Christopher Knight has a great piece on why the arts not only need to be a part of President Obama’s economic stimulus package but should in fact have a significant dollar figure attached to them: $62 billion. Yes, that’s with a “b.” 

– Congress needs to pass a cultural jobs bill (LA Times)

Amazon this morning announced the release of the new Kindle e-reader, and from the looks of it, there are big improvements over the original — slimmer design, bigger and better reading screen, longer battery life, even a text-to-speach utility.

Here at Wordstock we love books, and are committed to the long-term future of the book. It delivers a simple, beautiful tactile pleasure to all readers. But we are at heart an organization devoted to the ways we tell and share stories, and realize that more and more people are going to start experiencing words via devices like this one. It’s going to be interesting to see how the publishing world continues to address advances like the Kindle.