Libraries in all over the world are undergoing a digital renaissance as major publishers have firmly committed themselves to the concept of making e-Books available. Today, we look at some of the biggest trends facing libraries in Canada, US and United Kingdom. A recent report by the Library Journal has stated that 95% of all US libraries have an e-book collection. That’s up … [Read more...] about Digital Library Trends for 2015
Digital Library News
National Digital Library to Launch in Russia
Russia has unveiled new plans to launch a National Digital Library in 2015. The Minister of Culture Vladimir Medinsky said that the new initiative will transform local libraries into modern information and cultural hubs, adding that citizens’ access to the service will be via the internet with a single electronic library ticket. “Next year we will launch a national … [Read more...] about National Digital Library to Launch in Russia
San Francisco Public Library is Leading the Charge on Digital
The San Francisco Library system first started to get involved in loaning out digital content 2009. They started very modestly with one vendor and now deal with over nine different companies to ensure their patrons will have the latest audiobooks, digital magazines, e-Books and streaming video. In 2014 the San Francisco Public Library maintained an operating budget of $11.5 … [Read more...] about San Francisco Public Library is Leading the Charge on Digital
10 Public Libraries in US and Canada Surpass 1 Million eBook Downloads
Ten different libraries in Canada and the United States had over one million e-Book checkouts in 2014, a significant increase from the six libraries that achieved the milestone in 2013. Overdrive has the largest presence all over the world, but tends to focus on North America the most. The company is the market leader when it comes to hooking up libraries with the power to … [Read more...] about 10 Public Libraries in US and Canada Surpass 1 Million eBook Downloads
Simon & Schuster Commits to Library e-Book Lending in the UK
Simon & Schuster has fully committed themselves to having their e-Books available to all libraries in Australia, Canada New Zealand USA and finally the United Kingdom. Starting today, 14,000 new and old titles will be available for libraries to purchase and start distributing to their patrons. Each digital title acquired by a UK library for lending is usable for one … [Read more...] about Simon & Schuster Commits to Library e-Book Lending in the UK
UK Libraries to Undergo a Renaissance in 2015
Over 300 libraries have closed in the United Kingdom since 2011 and many more are on the brink. What can be done to stem the tide? Publisher and philanthropist William Sieghart may have an answer. William Sieghart’s Independent Library Report urges “a reinvigoration of the library network”, calling on Westminster to provide funding so local authorities can roll out Wi-Fi to … [Read more...] about UK Libraries to Undergo a Renaissance in 2015
Overdrive to Provide HTML5 Audiobook Support in Early 2015
Overdrive has announced that at the beginning of 2015 they will be implementing a new MP3 audiobook system that will be able to play them in any HTML5 compatible browser. This is tremendously useful for patrons borrowing audio content from the library, because they no longer have to download the audio file or a dedicated app, everything is simply done in the browser. All … [Read more...] about Overdrive to Provide HTML5 Audiobook Support in Early 2015
The Rise of Digital Audio in the Public Library
There was a time not too long ago that the only way to listen to audiobooks was to borrow a CD or tape from your local library. They degraded with use and most often were a victim of theft, due to its high value nature. In the last five years digital audio content has made things so much more accessible and is a rising force in US based libraries. Audiobook publishing is … [Read more...] about The Rise of Digital Audio in the Public Library
France Approves Digital e-Book Lending in Libaries
European libraries have been experimenting with the concept of digital in libraries. The United Kingdom has had the most success, and other countries are starting to make moves to offer similar services. France has just approved a new mandate to implement a digital lending platform, which means in the new future you will be able to borrow audiobooks, eBooks and digital … [Read more...] about France Approves Digital e-Book Lending in Libaries
Dr. Seuss e-Books Available via Overdrive
Overdrive has just unveiled their new Dr. Seuss e-Book collection that is available to Canadian and US libraries. The big selling point is that these titles are available in EPUB3, but none of the content has interactive elements. If you are expecting multimedia enhancements, prepare to be let down, these e-Books all just have fixed layouts. Dr. Seuss titles, published by … [Read more...] about Dr. Seuss e-Books Available via Overdrive