FULL DISCLOSURE: I was a classroom teacher for almost twenty years, the last seven of which were spent using a classroom set of Kindle e-readers. My classroom had more than 200 ebooks for the students to choose from, and it was a nightmare trying to make that innovation work. But nightmares no more! Amazon has released an update for its Whispercast feature that will make … [Read more...] about Amazon’s Whispercast Update Meets the Needs of K12 Classrooms
Digital Library News
Library of Congress Releases Digital Audio of 75 Years of Recordings
When the technological push behind the publishing industry first took off, one of the many great promises about this wave of the literary future was in the ability to record and store great works for all time, protecting our literary history in an indestructible archive. Google's ambitious digitization project has started on that path to preservation, but the initial release … [Read more...] about Library of Congress Releases Digital Audio of 75 Years of Recordings
Library staff Parodies Taylor Swift
National Library Week occurred from April 12-18 and the emphasis for many locations was driving new people into their branches and promoting their book collections. In order to reach a younger generation Topeka and Shawnee County Public Library of Kansas produced a perfect Taylor Swift parody, transforming “Shake It Off” into “Check It Out,” an ode to library membership. I … [Read more...] about Library staff Parodies Taylor Swift
Libraries Opening to Self-Published Authors
There is no question that public libraries are in a difficult position. They're charged with providing valuable technology resources, learning opportunities, and of course, books to their communities while working within the most meager of budgets. As if those budgets weren't already spare enough, libraries are constantly under threat of further cuts, manpower and salary … [Read more...] about Libraries Opening to Self-Published Authors
Off the Page: Age-Appropriate eBooks for Readers with Obstacles
Having been a teacher of at-risk high school students, I'm going to go out on a limb and declare a recent innovation by two teachers from New Zealand to be the most game-changing application of publishing in 2015, if not in the entire age of digital publishing. What's so astounding about their project, Off the Page? Have you ever looked at an illiterate twenty-year-old with … [Read more...] about Off the Page: Age-Appropriate eBooks for Readers with Obstacles
Trajectory’s New Publishing Agreements Bring eBooks to Chinese Smartphones
A new agreement announced ahead of this year's London Book Fair just made the world of international publishing a little bit smaller. eBook distributor and discoverability platform Trajectory has inked a deal with the third largest smartphone producer in the world, Xiaomi, to bring publisher content to the company's 150 million customers. This agreement will bring Macmillan, … [Read more...] about Trajectory’s New Publishing Agreements Bring eBooks to Chinese Smartphones
3M Cloud Library Expands Into Australia and the United Kingdom
Residents of Australia and the United Kingdom will now be able to enjoy healthy competition in the digital library space. The 3M Cloud Library will now heavily compete against Overdrive and Softlink, giving libraries a viable alternative. 3M Cloud Library has been an industry leader in advancing technology in the eLending market and is currently available in over 1000 … [Read more...] about 3M Cloud Library Expands Into Australia and the United Kingdom
Cengage Learning, EveryLibrary Partner on Awareness Campaign
It's no secret that libraries need all the help they can get, and a new campaign by two industry powerhouses stands to provide some much needed awareness and bipartisan protection for these valuable community resources. Gale, a division of one of the country's top educational content, technology, and services company Cengage Learning, has partnered with political action group … [Read more...] about Cengage Learning, EveryLibrary Partner on Awareness Campaign
Overdrive now Allows Libraries to Pre-order eBooks Six Months in Advance
The digital collection manager is chiefly responsible for insuring there are enough audiobooks, e-books, music and videos available for their patrons to borrow. In the past, they did not have much flexibility in ordering ebook titles in advance. Basically, whenever they showed up in the Overdrive Marketplace, that was when they could place an order. The process has become more … [Read more...] about Overdrive now Allows Libraries to Pre-order eBooks Six Months in Advance
The Outdated Concept of a “Best Books” List
It doesn't really matter what the list is or what it's measuring, there's bound to be a critic and there's guaranteed to be a sore spot for a book, film, song, or other content that didn't make the cut. That's the sentiment behind a really insightful post on The Passive Voice over a list of the best children's books of all time. The post, which links to an article in The … [Read more...] about The Outdated Concept of a “Best Books” List