According to the National Literacy Trust, 8.6% of children do not own a book. This is concerning. But what’s disturbing is that children’s access to libraries is shrinking. This can be attributed to terribly constrained book budgets available to local libraries. As a result, children are denied access to a large variety of books that libraries offer. Book ownership is no … [Read more...] about For Children, Libraries Are More Important Than Owning Books
public libraries
Digital Library Lending Has a Long Way to Go
It feels like every new step in the right direction also leads to a host of new problems and closures for public libraries where digital lending is concerned. It's been years since the first debates over protecting the interests of authors and publishers, with solutions--albeit often pathetic ones--proposed so long ago that the system should have sorted itself out by now. With … [Read more...] about Digital Library Lending Has a Long Way to Go
Pew Internet Report Shows Consumers Want More Technology
The Pew Research Center's Internet and Family Life Project has released another report based this time on library usage and how patrons' attitudes towards libraries are shifting, both for the better and otherwise. According to a statement in the report's summary, "The internet has already had a major impact on how people find and access information, and now the rising … [Read more...] about Pew Internet Report Shows Consumers Want More Technology
ebrary Reaching Out into Foreign-Language Markets
ebrary, a ProQuest company, announced today that it is expanding its reach into non-English speaking markets, specifically the Nordic regions, in order to bring ebook content to those areas that could currently be considered not worth it by most major ebook retailers and distributors. Specifically in reaching out to Denmark, Iceland, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, ebrary is … [Read more...] about ebrary Reaching Out into Foreign-Language Markets
3M, ReadersFirst Work to Make a Seamless eLending Experience
3M, one of a handful of companies that is working diligently on the issues swirling around library ebook lending by providing ebook content to partner libraries, announced at the Frankfurt Book Fair this week that it is now aligned with the ReadersFirst movement to make the ebook lending experience suitable for all patrons. ReadersFirst, a movement within the global lending … [Read more...] about 3M, ReadersFirst Work to Make a Seamless eLending Experience
eBook Pricing Report Released by Library
Libraries have been enduring the frustration of being relegated to the back of the line when it comes to working with many major publishers to provide digital editions for their patrons to check out. Everything from artificial check-out limits to outright refusal to provide ebooks to libraries has had many borrowers and librarians struggling to come up with a solution that … [Read more...] about eBook Pricing Report Released by Library
ALA Asks Random House to Remove 300% Price Increase
The American Library Association has been doing all it can to end the strife between the Big Six publishers and the public library systems, meeting with many of these publishers individually and collectively to negotiate the best possible ebook lending terms for all parties involved. However, the current battles over ebook lending have still left many patrons and librarians … [Read more...] about ALA Asks Random House to Remove 300% Price Increase
Bilbary Seeks to Heal the Digital Rift Between Publishers and Libraries
When ebook platform Bilbary launches sometime in March or April, it will have something that can’t be found in one uniform web location: ebook access from all of the Big Six publishers. Currently, the negotiations surrounding Bilbary’s partnership with those and some 2,300 other publishers are for ebook purchasing, although some of those major publishers are already at work on … [Read more...] about Bilbary Seeks to Heal the Digital Rift Between Publishers and Libraries
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
OverDrive Makes Entire Ebook Catalogs Available to Libraries
OverDrive is the leading source of ebook titles for over 15,000 public and school libraries who have adopted ebook-lending strategies for their patrons. This week, OverDrive is meeting with major international and domestic publishers at the Frankfurt Book Fair—arguably the largest publishing industry event of its kind—to unveil its “Want It Now” (WIN) catalog for … [Read more...] about OverDrive Makes Entire Ebook Catalogs Available to Libraries