ALA President, Maureen Sullivan, has posted a Youtube video titled 'Ebooks and You'. It is a short three minute video that doesn't say much other than to point out some ALA resources for librarians about ebooks. It is still worth a look.
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Showing posts with label ebooks. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ebooks. Show all posts
Thursday, January 17, 2013
Monday, April 16, 2012
LG Flexible E-screens
LG has release a new flexible e-ink display. The screen can bend up to 40 degrees, and it will even survive a typical fall. The flexible displays are also thinner and lighter than the more traditional glass displays. It was expected to show up in products in April though none have yet hit the mainstream. If ebook sales have been effected so greatly by the device, what impact could the flexible display screen have on the ebook world? One of the appeals for people using e-readers is that it is easier and lighter to hold than print books - especially if you are reading Game of Thrones.
Thursday, April 12, 2012
The ebook tipping point
There have been several major events happening in the ebook realm that seem to be building to a convergence that will have a major impact on the future of both the publishing world and libraries. Let's look at the players.
THE USER:
Pew Internet released a report on April 4 on the rise of rise of e-reading. There are four points that I think are of particular interest to libraries.
PUBLISHERS:
The Big Six publishers seem to be struggling with the concept of ebooks. They are trying to force the print paradigm upon digital content rather than viewing it as a different beast. They give the impression of a gaggle of Chicken Littles clucking that the sky is falling.
Harper Collins is probably the most famous for instituting the 26 check-out limit on library ebooks. They are attempting to simulate the wearing and replacement of physical book in libraries.
Penguin is now they are taking their dispute with Amazon out on libraries and making it more difficult for library users to borrow Kindle titles through Overdrive. Kindles (with the exception of Kindle Fire) must be connected to the computer and the library title sideloaded. This can be a major hassle to people accustomed to do everything wirelessly. Refer to number 3 above. This is after pulling their books from Overdrive and than adding them back.
Random House has increased their ebooks prices to libraries by 300%. Apparently they have not been reading the news stories about shrinking library budgets.
Simon & Schuster and Macmillan don't even allow libraries to lend their ebooks. It is a shame as they are missing a ton of free publicity. Who better to promote a book than a true bibliophile?
I would like to see some solid studies that show the effect of library lending on the purchase of books. I know that many library users will discover a new author through the library or purchase titles they loved but originally read at the library. However, I am not aware of any official study that supports this assumption. Does anyone know?
AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION:
Over the last few months, the American Library Association has begun discussions with publishers. Among the many goals of ALA were the desire to educate publishers regarding library use of ebooks (no, not everyone with access to the internet is allowed to check out ebooks) and to find a mutually agreeable business model that was flexible for the many different types of libraries and affordable. ALA has also raised issues such as user privacy and digital preservation though not information has been given regarding those discussions.
I recently had the opportunity to ask Molly Rapheal, the president of ALA, some questions regarding this topic. One of my main concerns was the publishers talk of creating 'friction'. They want to simulate the print book check out process by forcing the users to physically be present in the library to check-in and check-out ebooks. The publishers are hoping that readers will be more likely to buy the book rather than go through the trouble of borrowing it. umm..well...of course, but again refer to #3. Molly assured us that ALA is trying to persuade publishers that this was not the best course of action.
AMAZON
Amazon has been a very active player in the ebook field. It could be argued that the release of Kindle is responsible for the surge in popularity of ebooks. One would think that this would excite publishers, but the relationship between Amazon and publishers has been anything but rosy. This is due in main to Amazon trying to sell ebooks at the low price of $9.99. To say the publishers balked at this price would be to understate the situation. Publishers were concerned that they would not be able to sell print books at their full price. (More on this topic in a moment.)
Amazon also became competition. They began allowing and even encourage authors to self-publish through their site. With the advent of ebooks, self-publishing was already starting to grow. With Amazon offering services to facilitate the process, it has become even a more appealing option to many authors who either can't find a publisher to pick them up or are disgruntled with publishers treatment.
OVERDRIVE
With the surgence in the popularity of the Kindle and other ebook readers, public libraries have jumped on the bandwagon. Unfortunately, there is only one main wagon at this point - Overdrive. Overdrive has not been completely successful with their relations with publishers. Many publishers were upset when Overdrive began to offer Kindle versions of their books. The publishers felt it violated terms of their contracts because the library user had to leave the safety of the Overdrive firewall and travel to the Amazon site to complete the library check-out process. Many libraries also had concerns though their concerns focused on the privacy issues of the library user.
APPLE
Into this fray steps Apple. iPad became competitors to the Kindle as some customers wanted a device that does more than just read a book. Who wants to carry multiple devices when you could have one that does it all. This led to Apple adding ebooks to their line-up of offering with iBook. Apple then approached the publishers with the offer of agency pricing or letting the publisher set the prices of ebooks. There were two caveats. Apple wanted a 30% cut, and they also required a signed agreement stating that the publishers could not sell to another vendor at a lower price. This raised the prices of ebooks to around $12.99, and it also caught the attention of...
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
On April 11, the Department of Justice (DOJ) brought a lawsuit again Apple and five of the big publishers for price fixing. The DOJ has already settle with three of the publishers, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster and Hachette. The three publishers must now allow other vendors such as Barnes and Noble and Amazon to set their own prices. Apple along with Pearson and Macmillon have decided to take the suit to court. Initially, the lawsuit should create lower prices for ebooks, however, it has not affected Apple's stock prices. Ebooks are a very small piece of the Apple pie, and investors still feeling fairly confident in Apple's ability to weather the storm. I am very interested in the outcome of the suit and what the resulting repercussions will be.
Libraries will also be impacted by a tipping point. If publishers succeed creating a new business model, then libraries must prove to publishers that libraries are indeed an integral part of publishers' success. (Again, formal studies would be of benefit.) If the publishers collapse, or even if they succeed, it may be time for the libraries to reexamine their own paradigm. Traditionally libraries have purchased titles from a vendor or direct from a publisher based in large part upon reviews or demand for subject matter or titles. With ebooks, this has morphed into a leasing model where libraries purchase the rights to access the content, but they do not own it and cannot resell it. Some libraries are now exploring hosting content themselves and buying direct from authors or even exploring the creation of content. We will determine our own future. Are we ready?
I cannot predict what the future of ebooks will look like, but I do predict that the next few years will be as exciting as the last few. What are your thoughts regarding recent events?
THE USER:
Pew Internet released a report on April 4 on the rise of rise of e-reading. There are four points that I think are of particular interest to libraries.
- The first comes as no surprise. The number of people reading e-books has increased. To measure the impact of holiday gift giving, Pew performed their survey in mid-December 2011 and again in February 2012. In mid-December, the number of people who have read an ebook in the last year was 17%. In February that number increased to 21%.
- E-books readers tend to read more books. They read an average of 24 books over the last 12 months compared to 15 books for print readers.
- Both publishers and libraries need to really take note of the following: ebook readers are frustrated by the lack of available content or the difficulty of getting content. One of the things that appeal to them about e-books is the ease of access. Making access difficult, or impossible in some cases, will not make for happy customers.
- Most interestingly, ebooks readers are more likely to buy content than to borrow. 61% e-book readers would rather buy as opposed to 54% of print readers who would rather buy than borrow. Libraries, are you listening?
PUBLISHERS:
The Big Six publishers seem to be struggling with the concept of ebooks. They are trying to force the print paradigm upon digital content rather than viewing it as a different beast. They give the impression of a gaggle of Chicken Littles clucking that the sky is falling.
Harper Collins is probably the most famous for instituting the 26 check-out limit on library ebooks. They are attempting to simulate the wearing and replacement of physical book in libraries.
Penguin is now they are taking their dispute with Amazon out on libraries and making it more difficult for library users to borrow Kindle titles through Overdrive. Kindles (with the exception of Kindle Fire) must be connected to the computer and the library title sideloaded. This can be a major hassle to people accustomed to do everything wirelessly. Refer to number 3 above. This is after pulling their books from Overdrive and than adding them back.
Random House has increased their ebooks prices to libraries by 300%. Apparently they have not been reading the news stories about shrinking library budgets.
Simon & Schuster and Macmillan don't even allow libraries to lend their ebooks. It is a shame as they are missing a ton of free publicity. Who better to promote a book than a true bibliophile?
I would like to see some solid studies that show the effect of library lending on the purchase of books. I know that many library users will discover a new author through the library or purchase titles they loved but originally read at the library. However, I am not aware of any official study that supports this assumption. Does anyone know?
AMERICAN LIBRARY ASSOCIATION:
Over the last few months, the American Library Association has begun discussions with publishers. Among the many goals of ALA were the desire to educate publishers regarding library use of ebooks (no, not everyone with access to the internet is allowed to check out ebooks) and to find a mutually agreeable business model that was flexible for the many different types of libraries and affordable. ALA has also raised issues such as user privacy and digital preservation though not information has been given regarding those discussions.
I recently had the opportunity to ask Molly Rapheal, the president of ALA, some questions regarding this topic. One of my main concerns was the publishers talk of creating 'friction'. They want to simulate the print book check out process by forcing the users to physically be present in the library to check-in and check-out ebooks. The publishers are hoping that readers will be more likely to buy the book rather than go through the trouble of borrowing it. umm..well...of course, but again refer to #3. Molly assured us that ALA is trying to persuade publishers that this was not the best course of action.
AMAZON
Amazon has been a very active player in the ebook field. It could be argued that the release of Kindle is responsible for the surge in popularity of ebooks. One would think that this would excite publishers, but the relationship between Amazon and publishers has been anything but rosy. This is due in main to Amazon trying to sell ebooks at the low price of $9.99. To say the publishers balked at this price would be to understate the situation. Publishers were concerned that they would not be able to sell print books at their full price. (More on this topic in a moment.)
Amazon also became competition. They began allowing and even encourage authors to self-publish through their site. With the advent of ebooks, self-publishing was already starting to grow. With Amazon offering services to facilitate the process, it has become even a more appealing option to many authors who either can't find a publisher to pick them up or are disgruntled with publishers treatment.
OVERDRIVE
With the surgence in the popularity of the Kindle and other ebook readers, public libraries have jumped on the bandwagon. Unfortunately, there is only one main wagon at this point - Overdrive. Overdrive has not been completely successful with their relations with publishers. Many publishers were upset when Overdrive began to offer Kindle versions of their books. The publishers felt it violated terms of their contracts because the library user had to leave the safety of the Overdrive firewall and travel to the Amazon site to complete the library check-out process. Many libraries also had concerns though their concerns focused on the privacy issues of the library user.
APPLE
Into this fray steps Apple. iPad became competitors to the Kindle as some customers wanted a device that does more than just read a book. Who wants to carry multiple devices when you could have one that does it all. This led to Apple adding ebooks to their line-up of offering with iBook. Apple then approached the publishers with the offer of agency pricing or letting the publisher set the prices of ebooks. There were two caveats. Apple wanted a 30% cut, and they also required a signed agreement stating that the publishers could not sell to another vendor at a lower price. This raised the prices of ebooks to around $12.99, and it also caught the attention of...
DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE
On April 11, the Department of Justice (DOJ) brought a lawsuit again Apple and five of the big publishers for price fixing. The DOJ has already settle with three of the publishers, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster and Hachette. The three publishers must now allow other vendors such as Barnes and Noble and Amazon to set their own prices. Apple along with Pearson and Macmillon have decided to take the suit to court. Initially, the lawsuit should create lower prices for ebooks, however, it has not affected Apple's stock prices. Ebooks are a very small piece of the Apple pie, and investors still feeling fairly confident in Apple's ability to weather the storm. I am very interested in the outcome of the suit and what the resulting repercussions will be.
~~~~~
With the convergence of these different events,the ebook arena seems to be reaching a tipping point. The two industries that could be affected the most are the publishers and the libraries. Publishers should cue into recent history and learn a lesson from Borders. Borders was late to join the ebook game and never seemed really completely embrace it. They are now out of business. Apple and Amazon are increasing the competition that publishers face making the possibility of them collapsing even greater. While the publishers may not be in immediate danger of collapsing, it is a possibility with which we should contend. The publishers will either redefine their business model regarding ebooks, or their future outlook is bleak.Libraries will also be impacted by a tipping point. If publishers succeed creating a new business model, then libraries must prove to publishers that libraries are indeed an integral part of publishers' success. (Again, formal studies would be of benefit.) If the publishers collapse, or even if they succeed, it may be time for the libraries to reexamine their own paradigm. Traditionally libraries have purchased titles from a vendor or direct from a publisher based in large part upon reviews or demand for subject matter or titles. With ebooks, this has morphed into a leasing model where libraries purchase the rights to access the content, but they do not own it and cannot resell it. Some libraries are now exploring hosting content themselves and buying direct from authors or even exploring the creation of content. We will determine our own future. Are we ready?
I cannot predict what the future of ebooks will look like, but I do predict that the next few years will be as exciting as the last few. What are your thoughts regarding recent events?
Monday, November 7, 2011
Dream Library or Avoiding Library Obsolesence Part II
This is the second post in a three part series that imagines what public libraries would be if they were created fresh today and the focus was on the user. The idea for this came from an article in American Libraries titled Avoiding the Path to Obsolescence by Steven Smith and Carmelita Pickett. The article examines the failures of Blockbuster and the success of Netflix (before the glaring snag of trying to split the disc and streaming business) and what libraries can learn from them. Smith and Pickett attributed a part of Netflix's success to being able to start fresh without legacy issues.
What if we could do that with public libraries? What would they look like if we did not have legacy issues and if we focused on the user? The user's wants/needs can be divided into three broad categories: physical needs, access to resources, access to people/staff. The first post focused on physical needs. This post will explore access to resources.
When I first started thinking about this post, I started thinking about all the shining new gadget coming out, and how we could use them in a library. We are suppose to receive iPads at our library to use for collection management, and I feel like a kid who has to wait until Christmas to open a coveted present. I will admit that I lust after shiney new toys. I am repeating a quote from Smith and Pickett. I need the reminder even if no one else does.
Part of the hot debate today in the library world (other than to be or not to be) is print or electronic? At this point in time, users want both. There are users who show a marked preference for one or the other, and there are users that do not care. They just want the information. Despite the format, it must be findable.
If we learn from Netflix's latest gaffe, people want one-stop shopping. Two separate services for two different formats does not work for most people. For the library's resources (including the print catalog), I visualize this as a marriage of Amazon and Google. The search function would be worded in everyday language and it would feature prominently on the webpage or app. It would allow for one-stop shopping for print items, ebooks, audio books, journal articles, etc. Again, think Amazon. Amazon's search box defaults to searching everything, but the user has the option (easily found) to limit by format. And gosh, wouldn't it be nice if some webpages, Youtube videos, and blogs were shown in the search?
This is not all that we can learn from Amazon and Google. The library search algorithm would need to be very generous. One would not have to know the exact name or spelling to find the item. (Did you mean...?) One advantage our super library search engine would have is the option to use controlled vocabulary. Controlled vocabulary can be a very powerful tool in the right hands. In addition, we can learn that users like personalization. The library site could also make recommendations based upon current searches or even checkouts. It could also give the ability to tie it to social networking such as tweeting or Facebooking what you are reading. Now, this does bring in privacy issues, but it is something to think about. All of this, of course, would be friendly for mobile devices. Granted some of this is available already in some library websites, and there are federated search engines, but we are just not quite where we need to be yet.
Let's move from the virtual to the arrangement of print items. Since we are creating the concept of libraries from scratch, Dewey Decimal System does not exist. We can now put all computer books together without having to worry about whether it is software or hardware. We can create an organizational system that makes sense to not just the librarians but to our users also. I cannot claim credit for this radical idea. There are libraries already employing it. Despite saying this, I still believe in a book being located in a very exact place, so that it can easily be found. I find it very frustrating to go to a book store to look for a specific non-fiction title and not even the staff member know exactly where it is on the shelf. I envision the system to be very intuitive and for browsing customers to not need the catalog.
The last category ties together access to information and access to people. That is programming.
What I am saying here is nothing new, and it is nothing radical. Let's use strategic planning with our programs. Pick three areas to focus on throughout a year. In these current economic times it could be finance, education, and employment. For the finance track, programs on couponing, retirement, veterans' benefits, etc could be offered. For education programs on basic computer skills, literacy, and how to find scholarships. Our children's librarian is currently doing a Mad Scientist program for kids in our area. It is so popular that she is having to offer the same class three times a month. Her goal was to increase interest in science for kids that may not have other opportunities. Lastly, for employment we could offer programs on resume writing, job searching, and again, computer classes so that people can build marketable skills. Other program ideas to support this track would be seminars on small businesses. The Pioneer Library System in Oklahoma actually has a dedicated position to work with small businesses. How cool is that?
Most of the ideas listed above are not that radical or that new. It is just being able to implement together without having to work with legacy systems. Since we are not starting from scratch, we must decide what is important to the future of the libraries, and then figure out how we can get there. Do not be afraid to think big. "Don't be afraid to shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you will land among the stars." ~ Les Brown. It is an exciting time to be a librarian.
What if we could do that with public libraries? What would they look like if we did not have legacy issues and if we focused on the user? The user's wants/needs can be divided into three broad categories: physical needs, access to resources, access to people/staff. The first post focused on physical needs. This post will explore access to resources.
When I first started thinking about this post, I started thinking about all the shining new gadget coming out, and how we could use them in a library. We are suppose to receive iPads at our library to use for collection management, and I feel like a kid who has to wait until Christmas to open a coveted present. I will admit that I lust after shiney new toys. I am repeating a quote from Smith and Pickett. I need the reminder even if no one else does.
"But guessing correctly [what next device people will be using to access information], while important, is not really the key. What matters is responding to customer wants and needs in a timely and efficient manner, even at the expense of letting go of past practices and tools no matter how cherished or successful. A baggage-free focus on customer is what gave Netflix its original competitive advantage."So if we stop looking at devices for a bit, what do users want? In a very broad generalization, they want access to information. In this case information is also very broadly defined. It can be a price guide for baseball cards, a journal article for homework, a book/article on how to fix their car, a mystery novel, the latest James Patterson, access to Facebook, and on and on.
Part of the hot debate today in the library world (other than to be or not to be) is print or electronic? At this point in time, users want both. There are users who show a marked preference for one or the other, and there are users that do not care. They just want the information. Despite the format, it must be findable.
If we learn from Netflix's latest gaffe, people want one-stop shopping. Two separate services for two different formats does not work for most people. For the library's resources (including the print catalog), I visualize this as a marriage of Amazon and Google. The search function would be worded in everyday language and it would feature prominently on the webpage or app. It would allow for one-stop shopping for print items, ebooks, audio books, journal articles, etc. Again, think Amazon. Amazon's search box defaults to searching everything, but the user has the option (easily found) to limit by format. And gosh, wouldn't it be nice if some webpages, Youtube videos, and blogs were shown in the search?
This is not all that we can learn from Amazon and Google. The library search algorithm would need to be very generous. One would not have to know the exact name or spelling to find the item. (Did you mean...?) One advantage our super library search engine would have is the option to use controlled vocabulary. Controlled vocabulary can be a very powerful tool in the right hands. In addition, we can learn that users like personalization. The library site could also make recommendations based upon current searches or even checkouts. It could also give the ability to tie it to social networking such as tweeting or Facebooking what you are reading. Now, this does bring in privacy issues, but it is something to think about. All of this, of course, would be friendly for mobile devices. Granted some of this is available already in some library websites, and there are federated search engines, but we are just not quite where we need to be yet.
Let's move from the virtual to the arrangement of print items. Since we are creating the concept of libraries from scratch, Dewey Decimal System does not exist. We can now put all computer books together without having to worry about whether it is software or hardware. We can create an organizational system that makes sense to not just the librarians but to our users also. I cannot claim credit for this radical idea. There are libraries already employing it. Despite saying this, I still believe in a book being located in a very exact place, so that it can easily be found. I find it very frustrating to go to a book store to look for a specific non-fiction title and not even the staff member know exactly where it is on the shelf. I envision the system to be very intuitive and for browsing customers to not need the catalog.
The last category ties together access to information and access to people. That is programming.
What I am saying here is nothing new, and it is nothing radical. Let's use strategic planning with our programs. Pick three areas to focus on throughout a year. In these current economic times it could be finance, education, and employment. For the finance track, programs on couponing, retirement, veterans' benefits, etc could be offered. For education programs on basic computer skills, literacy, and how to find scholarships. Our children's librarian is currently doing a Mad Scientist program for kids in our area. It is so popular that she is having to offer the same class three times a month. Her goal was to increase interest in science for kids that may not have other opportunities. Lastly, for employment we could offer programs on resume writing, job searching, and again, computer classes so that people can build marketable skills. Other program ideas to support this track would be seminars on small businesses. The Pioneer Library System in Oklahoma actually has a dedicated position to work with small businesses. How cool is that?
Most of the ideas listed above are not that radical or that new. It is just being able to implement together without having to work with legacy systems. Since we are not starting from scratch, we must decide what is important to the future of the libraries, and then figure out how we can get there. Do not be afraid to think big. "Don't be afraid to shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you will land among the stars." ~ Les Brown. It is an exciting time to be a librarian.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
eBooks Are Winning the Race!
Amazon announced today that Kindle book sales have surpassed all combined print book sales. That's right people! eBook sales are outpacing print book sales. Good or bad, ebook are here to stay! This is in addition to the recent announcement that Kindle has worked a deal with Overdrive to make Kindle books available for libraries to lend to their customers. Please note that this is not Amazon adapting the Kindles to read the DRM ePub format, but that Overdrive will offer the Kindle format, AZW, in addition to DRM ePub. The good news is that libraries will not have to purchase additional copies. Overdrive will automatically make the Kindle version available for all previously and future titles purchased by the library. The bad news is that the library users now have one more choice to make when they download a book. For our tech savvy users this will not mean much except, perhaps, a minor annoyance. However for our less than tech savvy users this will add to the already confusing process of downloading an ebook ~ one that has to include a computer rather than downloading directly to the device. How much easier it would be just to buy the book from Amazon and have it downloaded directly to your Kindle and be done with it?
Libraries are not just sitting back and waiting for the dust to settle. They are taking an active and needed role in designing the landscape. NISO, National Information Standards Organization, is launching an E-Book Special Interest Group. According to the NISO site, the SIG will address the following issues:
How can NISO actively facilitate cross-community dialogue in this area, building bridges between what are now separate, sometimes disparate groups?
How can NISO work collaboratively to provide education and information to assist with this dialogue?
How can NISO actively foster "incubation teams" to identify specific pain points in the e-books realm that could be remedied through formal standards, recommended practices, dissemination of information (e.g., via white papers, educational workshops, professional forums, Thought Leader meetings, etc.) either through NISO or within another agency or in partnership with one or more organizations?
In addition to the core SIG, NISO will be implementing a monitoring group to provide feedback. They are accepting nominations at via email (nisohq@niso.org). It is but one step of many for libraries to learn adapt to the shifting realm of digital reality.
Libraries are not just sitting back and waiting for the dust to settle. They are taking an active and needed role in designing the landscape. NISO, National Information Standards Organization, is launching an E-Book Special Interest Group. According to the NISO site, the SIG will address the following issues:
In addition to the core SIG, NISO will be implementing a monitoring group to provide feedback. They are accepting nominations at via email (nisohq@niso.org). It is but one step of many for libraries to learn adapt to the shifting realm of digital reality.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Harper Collins harpooning the libraries
News has flooded twitter and the blog-o-sphere regarding Overdrive being forced by the publisher Harper Collins to put an expiration on ebooks. An expiration? How does an item made essentially from binary code all 1's and 0's expire? Harper Collins books will have a cap on the number of times the book can be check-out from the library. After the maximum of checkouts (in this case 26), it will be locked or some such, and the library will have to purchase another copy. This is in reaction (or maybe dawning realization) that the public libraries will not have to purchase replacement copies that they normally would due to lost books or wear and tear.
Several of the blogs that I have read such as Agnostic, Maybe (love the blog btw), suggest that the libraries have power to object by not purchasing the books. In an ideal world, I would agree, and as long as Harper Collins is the only publisher with these restrictions it remains a valid option. However, this type of strong arming by publishers is not new - just ask those in academia. Case in point are the "Big Deal" publishers such as Elsevier. They have a strangle hold on the science journal publications or so they like to brag. They are also extremely pricey as in I could buy a nice new car for one journal title, and I am not talking Ford Fiesta. They also have cancellation clauses in their contracts to where you cannot cancel more than say 1% of the current year subscription cost. Their competitors do the same thing. Not buying is an option, but is it the best service for our users? Perhaps, if we can find alternatives. Did I mention that contributors to scientific journals do not get paid? Talk about a double whammy.
It terms of the glass is half-full, it could always be worse. According to Library Journal, there are still two major publishers that don't allow their ebooks to circulate in libraries - Macmillan and Simon & Schuster. The publishers have a legitimate concern, their bottom line. The library concerns are being a good steward of public monies and making content/information available to our users. It seems like their should be a middle ground, and we need to start a dialogue with the publishers.
HaperCollins library.ebook@harpercollins.com
Macmillan: http://us.macmillan.com/splash/contact.html
Simon and Schuster: http://www.simonandschuster.com/
I think what publishers are missing is that while we may not be replacing titles due to wear, we will still be spending the same amount of money on materials. We will simply purchase additional titles that we may not have been able to purchase before. I would be curious to know how much of library spending is for replacements. At my last library it was a miniscule amount. I do not have access to those budget figures here. Just as libraries need to adapt to changing technologies and investigate how they need to change their services to fit the users' new needs, so does the publisher need to adapt. This may mean a completely new business model. Marketers Test Ads in Ebooks It will be interesting to see what the future holds.
Several of the blogs that I have read such as Agnostic, Maybe (love the blog btw), suggest that the libraries have power to object by not purchasing the books. In an ideal world, I would agree, and as long as Harper Collins is the only publisher with these restrictions it remains a valid option. However, this type of strong arming by publishers is not new - just ask those in academia. Case in point are the "Big Deal" publishers such as Elsevier. They have a strangle hold on the science journal publications or so they like to brag. They are also extremely pricey as in I could buy a nice new car for one journal title, and I am not talking Ford Fiesta. They also have cancellation clauses in their contracts to where you cannot cancel more than say 1% of the current year subscription cost. Their competitors do the same thing. Not buying is an option, but is it the best service for our users? Perhaps, if we can find alternatives. Did I mention that contributors to scientific journals do not get paid? Talk about a double whammy.
It terms of the glass is half-full, it could always be worse. According to Library Journal, there are still two major publishers that don't allow their ebooks to circulate in libraries - Macmillan and Simon & Schuster. The publishers have a legitimate concern, their bottom line. The library concerns are being a good steward of public monies and making content/information available to our users. It seems like their should be a middle ground, and we need to start a dialogue with the publishers.
HaperCollins library.ebook@harpercollins.com
Macmillan: http://us.macmillan.com/splash/contact.html
Simon and Schuster: http://www.simonandschuster.com/
I think what publishers are missing is that while we may not be replacing titles due to wear, we will still be spending the same amount of money on materials. We will simply purchase additional titles that we may not have been able to purchase before. I would be curious to know how much of library spending is for replacements. At my last library it was a miniscule amount. I do not have access to those budget figures here. Just as libraries need to adapt to changing technologies and investigate how they need to change their services to fit the users' new needs, so does the publisher need to adapt. This may mean a completely new business model. Marketers Test Ads in Ebooks It will be interesting to see what the future holds.
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