One of the most vital resources any community has–even in polls of area residents, despite the low attendance numbers that post every so often–is the public library. Many see it as a worthwhile use of their tax dollars, even if they themselves don’t attend all too often, because it provides necessary outlets for individuals across a wide variety of needs. From reading material to children’s services to computer labs to instructional courses, the old-fashioned “shhhhhh” library of the past is moving quickly with the 21st century.
One of the struggles libraries have faced is how to meet their patrons’ digital needs in a climate of uncertainty among content providers. From licensing agreements over how many ebook checkouts a single library can use to how to put audio content on patrons’ personal devices, the options have been not only limited, they’ve been somewhat cost prohibitive.
Now, cloudLibrary from bibliotheca has expanded its already popular “pay-per-use” option by incorporating a host of new audiobook titles from publishers like Harper Collins. This model meant not having to purchase “blocks” of titles, as libraries have been required to do in the past with digital content. This pay only as patrons actually checkout materials is a far more cost effective option, as it allows libraries to offer larger catalogs of titles.
“bibliotheca was proud to be the first to market with a pay-per-use eContent model that seamlessly works alongside purchased content” says Thomas Mercer, Director of Digital Products for bibliotheca in a press release. “Our latest agreement with HarperCollins continues our commitment to provide the best content and experiences to our customers.”
Best of all, there’s no differentiation on the shelves for pay-per-use or library-purchased titles, meaning users don’t have to wade through different search results to find a title. Also, libraries don’t have to keep up with how many checkouts, as the books are sorted together.
Mercy Pilkington is a Senior Editor for Good e-Reader. She is also the CEO and founder of a hybrid publishing and consulting company.
