Yesterday Bibliotheca Alexandrina director Ismail Serageldin wrote a short letter explaining that Egyptian youth were protecting the libraries as demonstrations swept through Cairo.

Here’s an excerpt: “The young people organized themselves into groups that directed traffic, protected neighborhoods and guarded public buildings of value such as the Egyptian Museum and the Library of Alexandria.  They are collaborating with the army.  This makeshift arrangement is in place until full public order returns. The library is safe thanks to Egypt’s youth, whether they be the staff of the Library or the representatives of the demonstrators, who are joining us in guarding the building from potential vandals and looters.”

The complete letter follows below. Libraries have suffered during historical conflicts, from the Iraq War to the infamous burning of Egypt’s Library of Alexandria.

Read more

Here are some handpicked titles from our New Books section. Want to include your book? Just read our Facebook Your New or Upcoming Book post. Don’t forget to include your title’s exact release date and a link.

Secrets of a Working Dog: Unleash Your Potential and Create Success by Bella the Boxer, Ellen Galvin, & Patrick Galvin: “This book features tips, tricks and tales for success from America’s smartest working dog.” (November 2010)

The Universe in Miniature in Miniature by Patrick Somerville: “Read about characters, stories, and stray thoughts in this genre-busting book which revolves around the story of a Chicago man who is bequeathed a supernatural helmet that allows him to experience the inner worlds of those around him.” (November 2010)

Speak to Our Desires by Brenda W. Clough: “It’s June 1969 in New York City. The moon is in the second house, Jupiter has aligned with Mars, and private investigator Tim Coates is having his own personal summer of love. A gorgeous blonde girl hires him to find her missing mother. Finally, his life is starting to look like Nero Wolfe’s!” (January 2011)

Author Sean Cummings has started a Facebook group with a practical way to save publishing. Cummings theorized that the industry could be salvaged if everyone made a habit of reading ten minutes before bedtime.

Here’s more information about the Facebook group: “If you’re reading this, we’re asking you to shut off the TV and computer, put away the Blackberry and iPhone, crawl into bed and spend ten minutes a night reading a book – just ten short minutes. Read what you like.”

What do you think? As of this writing, 62 Facebook users have hit the “like” button on the page. The author is also working on an official website.

Outgoing Google CEO Eric Schmidt is shopping a book entitled Empire of the Mind: The Dawn of the Techno-Political Age. Google Ideas director and author Jared Cohen will collaborate on the book.

Here’s more from Crains New York: “The pair collaborated on a recent essay in Foreign Affairs titled ‘The Digital Disruption.’ The book project grew out of the essay, which examines the challenges that technology poses to authoritarian regimes.”

Literary agent Mel Parker represents the project. According to the article, several publishers are bidding for the work. The auction for it will end on Tuesday. Last week, news broke that Schmidt will step down from his role as CEO at Google, serving instead as executive chairman.

Granta editor John Freeman unveiled a Kindle edition of the literary journal in a blog post today.

Here’s an excerpt: “In thirty-one years of publishing, Granta has never come out in a different format. Ever since Bill Buford and Jonathan Levi took over Cambridge’s student literary journal and gave it new life as a paperback magazine it has been just that: a paperback quarterly full of new writing … But there is, now, a different way to get Granta. If you want to read the magazine on a Kindle, your copy can arrive in under a minute.”

The editor also confessed his own reluctance about the new format: “a world where everyone must have a $140 device to read is certainly not quite as democratic as the one we live in now.” What do you think? Full disclosure: This GalleyCat editor has written for Granta‘s website in the past.

Screenplay writing duo Harry Elfont and Deborah Kaplan will adapt the bestselling book, Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus. According to The Wrap, it will be a romantic-comedy.

The screenwriting team may also serve as co-directors for the film. In the past, they have worked together on Can’t Hardly Wait (1998) , Surviving Christmas (2004), and  Made of Honor (2008).

John Gray, Ph.D published the famous relationship book in 1992, and Gray has since released a few follow-ups. His latest work, Venus on Fire, Mars on Ice – Hormonal Balance – The Key to Life, Love, and Energy, explores how food plays a role in maintaining a healthy romance.

Today’s guest on the Morning Media Menu was Evan Ratliff, editor of the brand new long-form nonfiction publication, The Atavist.

During the long interview, Ratliff explained how his boutique publishing house publishes long-form multimedia nonfiction in a time when outlets for long-form reporting are dying out. He also offered advice for publishers and authors looking to explore Amazon’s Singles program.

Follow this link to listen to the interview. Currently, Atavist stories are available through iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch Atavist app; through through Amazon’s new Kindle Singles collection; and on the Nook. Find out more at the publisher’s Twitter page.

Read more

Lucky Panda Press published Manga Dreams this month, a book combining photography, graphic design, digital painting and calligraphy.

Jonathan Anderson and Edwin Low are photographers by trade, but have branched out into other mediums. In the new project, they hope to “capture the imagination of manga,” a popular form of graphic novels in Japan. The book includes a foreword by Yasufumi Nakamori.

The duo have also launched an art exhibition at Hamiltons Gallery in London from January 26th to March 5th with the material. The show will arrive at the Maison Europene de la Photographie in Paris in May 2012. (Via the Telepgraph)

In November, Twitter recommendations from Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) and William Gibson (@GreatDismal) sent a reprinted version of a six-year-old book rocketing up the Amazon UK charts.

eBookNewser has more: “Twitter can have a lot of power when it comes to reviving an old book. Author Sarah Salway learned this when her book  which was originally published in 2004, was republished by the Friday Project this past November. After catching the eyes of some influential Twitter users, this buried book managed to make its way up the Kindle charts.”

What do you think–could Twitter recommendations revive an author’s backlist? Our sibling blog also reminded authors to check out our best book reviewers on Twitter directory to interact with other influential Twitter readers.

Knopf publicity director Paul Bogaards revealed that Haruki Murakami‘s highly anticipated three-volume novel will come out October 25 in a single volume.

Here’s the tweet: “Haruki Murakami’s long-awaited magnum opus, 1Q84, out from Knopf 10/25. In one volume. Booyah! Midnight store openings for this one?”

In an interview last year, translator Jay Rubin shared thoughts about working with the novelist–revealing the impending deadlines for the English translation of Murakami’s three-volume novel. (Via Michael Orthofer)