Most of the big names in electronic reading—Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Kobo—like to keep a lid on all information about things like sales figures on devices, numbers of ebooks sold, and more. So when Amazon’s VP of Kindle Content Russ Grandinetti took the main stage at Digital Book World and enlightened the publishing industry crowd about some of that information, everyone paid … [Read more...] about Amazon Divulges Some Critical Numbers at Digital Book World
ebook lending
3M Library Systems Brings Library E-reader to Digital Book World
Tom Mercer of 3M Library Systems Cloud-Based Library was on hand at Digital Book World and gave GoodEReader a detailed look at the innovative device intended for library lending. While the device officially launched at the ALA conference last summer, it is still only available in beta markets but has already gotten some positive feedback. Mercer explained the logic behind … [Read more...] about 3M Library Systems Brings Library E-reader to Digital Book World
Tablet, e-Reader Ownership Almost Doubled in U.S.
The recent 2011 holiday gift-giving season was a lucrative one for the digital device industry, according to a report by Pew Internet & American Life. Between mid-December and January, the number of respondents in a survey reporting tablet or dedicated e-reader ownership jumped from 10% of U.S. households to 19% of those queried for both types of devices, while as many as … [Read more...] about Tablet, e-Reader Ownership Almost Doubled in U.S.
ALA Taking Action on eBook Lending
The American Library Association held its Midwinter conference this week, but the real news to come from that gathering is that the ALA’s key leadership has asked for and gotten a meeting with several major publishers to figure out where eBook lending is going from here. ALA will meet face-to-face with CEOs and executives from Simon&Schuster, Macmillan, and Penguin Group, … [Read more...] about ALA Taking Action on eBook Lending
Cloud-Based Ebook Lending with 3M at ALA
3M’s Library System loves to show up at a packed conference and show off something new and innovative for the world of library ebook lending, such as at last year’s ALA Conference when all the buzz was about the dedicated e-reader designed specifically to be checked out from local public libraries. Today, 3M once again didn’t fail to impress at the ALA Midwinter Conference when … [Read more...] about Cloud-Based Ebook Lending with 3M at ALA
Public Libraries Work to Meet Patron Demand for Ebooks
According to some projections, ebooks are the reason more people are reading. According to some librarians, ebook lending is the reason more people are borrowing books. So why is the model not working out too well? The ongoing drama over the Big Six vs. Amazon has left a lot of libraries and their patrons waiting on the sidelines of the debate in confusion, waiting patiently … [Read more...] about Public Libraries Work to Meet Patron Demand for Ebooks
Surge in Amazon, Library Ebook Lending
The first month for Amazon’s controversial KDP Select program has come to a close and a number of authors will be eagerly awaiting their royalty checks to see how their books fared in the Kindle Owners’ Lending Library. The process was simple: there is a pre-determined amount of funding—in the case of December 2011, that amount was a staggering $500,000—to be shared among all … [Read more...] about Surge in Amazon, Library Ebook Lending
War Between Publishers and Libraries Benefit Small Press Publishers
This time of year lends itself quite well to predictions for the coming year in every arena of business, and publishing is no different. In the ongoing tensions between major publishing houses and public libraries over ebook lending, patrons have lost out on the opportunity to borrow bestselling digital titles but it may prove to be the reason readers turn to some smaller … [Read more...] about War Between Publishers and Libraries Benefit Small Press Publishers
Ebooks Still Viewed Differently Than Print
A survey on the perceptions of patron ebook checkout by librarians, most of who served in academic libraries, has shed some light on the check-out processes of patrons who borrow digital content from their libraries. The new report was instituted by ebrary and had some interesting results. The first newsworthy item involved the borrowing habits themselves. For example, while … [Read more...] about Ebooks Still Viewed Differently Than Print
Google and Bloomsbury’s Public Library Online
Public libraries and the ebook content they provide have made news earlier this week with the discovery that not all U.S.-based public libraries are allowed to purchase the same digital titles for their patrons while using OverDrive’s catalogs of materials. But a step in the right direction toward equal access to content for public library patrons has been made in the UK … [Read more...] about Google and Bloomsbury’s Public Library Online