Getting real small
Daily newspaper coverage has been under siege recently, and, yes, that includes books sections. In response to a toughened economic climate, papers in Dallas and San Francisco in the last couple of years cut back on coverage of books and literary issues, though in both cases much was restored after readers protested. And now the mighty Los Angeles Times, the primary stand-alone section west of the Mississippi, is following suit.
The Times announced this week that it will switch to producing a section that books shares with editorial opinions, making it a twin destination, with less space of course. The resulting books coverage, which rumor has it will decrease from 12 pages to 8, will still be substantial and dwarf most coverage elsewhere. But it's a sad day nonetheless for Southern Californians who'd rather read than surf.
