With so much focus on the plight of libraries, a number of options have been proposed for libraries to reinvent themselves in an effort to keep up with the changing face of book consumption in the digital era. Some library systems have gone so far as to establish 21st century models for libraries, including everything from computer terminals, classroom and meeting spaces, green … [Read more...] about Reimagining the Personal Library
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National Virtual Library of India Planned
The Indian government has taken up an ambitious project of digitizing public libraries to ensure ease of access of books to the people. The National Mission on Libraries – as the scheme has been termed – also entails the creation of the National Virtual Library of India which will act as a comprehensive collection of information generated within the country. The rich repository … [Read more...] about National Virtual Library of India Planned
Amazon’s Data and its Move to Take Over Academic Publishing
When you look at academic and professional publishing, Amazon may actually be an even bigger player than with trade publishing due to the lack of retail sales space compared to that for mainstream books. But Joe Esposito, former CEO of Encyclopedia Britannica and blogger at The Scholarly Kitchen, spoke this morning on an even bigger issue, the "black hole" of Amazon's data. … [Read more...] about Amazon’s Data and its Move to Take Over Academic Publishing
Strong News About Library Use by Pew Internet
One of the really interesting dynamics about public libraries is that, even as patronage appears to be dropping, more and more Americans claim that libraries are vital to the health of a community. Data from a new survey by the Pew Research Center's Internet Project polled over six thousand Americans about their library use, as well as their attitudes about the need for … [Read more...] about Strong News About Library Use by Pew Internet
Outlook Grim for Public Libraries
As if public libraries have ever had the problem of having too much money, news from the Speak Up for Libraries conference painted a dark picture of what the coming year may bring, at least for UK libraries. Concerns of budget cuts from public funding sources, worries over offering a full selection of new and updated titles within the libraries' means, and fears about losing … [Read more...] about Outlook Grim for Public Libraries
Queens Library to Start Lending Nexus 7 Tablets Out
Queens Library in New York will start offering tablet devices for free to its members from next week, or Nov 20 to be precise. The generosity can be attributed to Google donating 17,000 of its new Nexus 7 devices to the New York State Community Action Association to commemorate one year of Hurricane Sandy hitting New York and adjoining areas. Of these, Queens Library will be … [Read more...] about Queens Library to Start Lending Nexus 7 Tablets Out
Derbyshire County Council Libraries Now Offering eAudiobook Service
Derbyshire County Council’s libraries first started offering ebooks back in 2011 and is now starting a new service, that of eaudiobooks which users can download on their device and listen. The service is open to all members of the library that is now offering about a thousand titles to begin with. One of the inherent benefits of the service is that it can be availed of by the … [Read more...] about Derbyshire County Council Libraries Now Offering eAudiobook Service
Kuzya The Cat Now Assistant Librarian of Novorossiysk Library in Russia
With public library budgets around the world being dangerously low, one Russian library has had to resort to feline labor with a cat being appointed as the assistant librarian of a public library. At least, that's how things have shaped up at the Novorossiysk children's library in Russia, no matter how weird it might sound. Kuzya the cat has earned himself the coveted post of … [Read more...] about Kuzya The Cat Now Assistant Librarian of Novorossiysk Library in Russia
Oyster Offering All-You-Can-Read eBooks For $9.95/Month
Oyster is out to win over the reading community with an offer that is hard to resist: a library full of ebooks for just $9.95 a month. No wonder the Oyster offer is being equated to Netflix, which has a similar monthly plan for watching videos. At present, there are 100,000 ebooks at Oyster, with none of them being free titles. Oyster has signed up directly with publishers such … [Read more...] about Oyster Offering All-You-Can-Read eBooks For $9.95/Month
Libraries Websites Key to Book Discovery
OverDrive recently held its annual Digipalooza conference where they polled close to 60,000 librarians on book discovery. The majority of readers, it seems, tend not to visit their local branch as much and instead are visiting the online website. However, many librarians in the US and Canada are finding the websites are woefully out of date. Making it more current is key to … [Read more...] about Libraries Websites Key to Book Discovery