I begin today’s blog post with Google news: You may have heard about Google Book Search, which basically provides scans of books online for free, and the full text of certain books and collections for a fee. Some authors feel this violates copyright laws, and filed a class action suit against Google in 2005. And today, the Justice Department granted those authors opposed to Google Book Search a four-month extension to decide whether to opt out of Google Books Search, which some say means the Justice Department is taking the authors’ concerns seriously. New York Times story is here, and some background information on the issue, also from the NYT is here.

In semi-related news, the Internet (including, presumably, Google), has allowed two authors to turn their vacation cottage in Ireland to their full-time home/office (oh to be so lucky). Story, again, from the New York Times, is here.

And in University of Nebraska Press news, yesterday marked the official publication date of our book Quilts in the Modern Age: 1870-1940. This book is two things: a comprehensive history and analysis of American quilts from that era, and also a very beautiful picture book of many quilts that defined the era (some of which are located right here in Lincoln, at the International Quilt Study Center & Museum, with whom we collaborated on this book). An exhibition of these quilts is coming up, so stay tuned for details. But in the meantime, you can view a few sample photos here.