Kiama Library in Australia received a rare 1858 book, "Antiquities of Athens," 150 years overdue after it was found during home renovations. The calculated late fee, based on original library rules, amounts to A$28,000, but the book will now join the library's local history collection.
Australian rare booksellers express concern over generative AI companies' practice of 'destructive scanning'—buying physical books, scanning them, and then pulping them—to train AI models. A US lawsuit against Anthropic revealed this practice, now believed widespread, with intermediaries like Zoom Books potentially facilitating it, leading to unusual order patterns for sellers.
Australian rare and secondhand booksellers express concern over "destructive scanning" by generative AI companies, following unusual bulk orders from Canadian firm Zoom Books. A US lawsuit revealed Anthropic's practice of buying, slicing, and pulping books for AI training, raising fears for unique physical artefacts.
The State Library of Victoria has acquired a rare first edition of Jane Austen's "Emma" through its Women Writers Fund. The 210-year-old, three-volume set, previously owned by Austen's great-nephew, was purchased from Maggs Bros at Melbourne's Rare Book Fair. The acquisition aims to address the historical gender imbalance in the library's collection.
Six Georgian nationals have been sentenced in France for stealing rare books from prestigious libraries in Paris and Lyon. Five received prison sentences of up to seven years, while one received a suspended sentence. The group posed as readers to photograph and measure valuable editions before returning to replace originals with high-quality copies. Stolen works included those by Pushkin, Lermontov, and Baratynsky.
