E-Content

Digital Content Working Group at Annual Conference
By Erika Linke | July 22, 2016
Michael Blackwell, director of the St. Mary’s County (Md.) Libraries, urged the library community to demand simplicity from content providers and platform developers by putting the user at the heart of the experience and by providing genuine integration of e-content. The e-content field is dynamic, and just as some standards and practices are implemented, new … Continue reading Digital Content Working Group at Annual Conference →
Indyreads: Australia’s New
E-Content Platform
By James LaRue | May 16, 2016
Like the United States and Canada, Australia has struggled with ebook prices that are too high, platforms with unpredictable fees, and licenses that are hostile to libraries, users, and authors alike. Inspired by various examples in the US (the Internet Archive, Douglas County [Colo.] Libraries, Califa Group), the good people at New South Wales established … Continue reading Indyreads: Australia’s New
E-Content Platform →
Making Progress with Digital Content
By Toby Greenwalt and Richard Kong | April 14, 2016
Carolyn Anthony, director of Skokie (Ill.) Public Library and cochair of American Library Association’s Digital Content Working Group (DCWG), kicked things off. She shared insights gained during meetings with major publishers in December 2015. For instance, publishers generally continue to show greater willingness to provide better pricing and more flexible licensing terms. Penguin Random House … Continue reading Making Progress with Digital Content →
Internet Policy Task Force Notes Library Copyright Concerns
By Carrie Russell | February 5, 2016
The task force consists of Commerce representatives from the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, the Patent and Trademark Office, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the International Trade Administration. Formed in 2010 to “conduct a comprehensive review of the nexus between privacy policy, copyright, global free flow of information, cybersecurity, and innovation in … Continue reading Internet Policy Task Force Notes Library Copyright Concerns →
The Ebook Glass Is Half Full
By Robert C. Maier | January 29, 2016
The panel was hosted by DCWG cochairs Erika Linke, associate dean of Carnegie Mellon University Libraries, and Carolyn Anthony, director of the Skokie (Ill.) Public Library. The panelists were Mark Kuyper, executive director of the Book Industry Study Group (BISG); Andrew Albanese, senior writer and features editor for Publishers Weekly (PW); and Kelvin Watson, chief … Continue reading The Ebook Glass Is Half Full →

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Penguin Random House Ebooks Now Licensed for Perpetual Access
By Robert C. Maier | January 20, 2016
As in the past, the license is for one circulation at a time per copy. Previously, Penguin had imposed a one-year limit on library licenses, requiring the library to pay again for the title. Prior to the merger of Penguin and Random House in July 2013, the two publishers had entirely different terms for library … Continue reading Penguin Random House Ebooks Now Licensed for Perpetual Access →
The Library Digital Privacy Pledge
By James LaRue | December 29, 2015
Gluejar’s Eric Hellman has been doing some volunteer work for the Library Freedom Project, which has launched a most worthy initiative called the Library Digital Privacy Pledge. The idea is this: If we’re serious about the values expressed in the third article of the American Library Association Code of Ethics (“We protect each library user’s … Continue reading The Library Digital Privacy Pledge →
Have Ebook Readers Given Up on the Library?
By James LaRue | December 11, 2015
On the one hand, some important information from previous studies has been confirmed: “Patrons purchased 50% of the ebooks they read in the past 12 months and received 50% for free.” In other words, we’re still helping people find ebooks, and they buy about half of them. What the library doesn’t buy, of course, does … Continue reading Have Ebook Readers Given Up on the Library? →
ALA, Publishers Talk Ebook Lending Terms for Libraries
By Alan S. Inouye | December 7, 2015
ALA highlighted the valuable role of libraries in the publishing and reading ecosystems and thus why more flexible and favorable terms for library ebook lending are in everyone’s best interest. This visit represents ALA’s ninth such delegation effort over the last several years. Libraries have a prominent role in the discovery of books and authors, … Continue reading ALA, Publishers Talk Ebook Lending Terms for Libraries →
Discovery and Delivery: Keep Calm and Make It Real
By Larra Clark | December 7, 2015
Watson joined Queens three years ago as chief innovation and technology officer under his motto of “keep calm and make it real.” Learning about the progress he and his team have made over that time was exhilarating. Taking lessons from his time at Ingram, Borders, and the US Department of Agriculture, Watson focused on breaking … Continue reading Discovery and Delivery: Keep Calm and Make It Real →
ALA Responds to Penguin Random House Ebook Licensing Announcement
By Alan S. Inouye | December 3, 2015
The new structure will phase out the Penguin model of one-year lending and reduce the price for some previous Random House titles with a $65 cap on all Penguin Random House e-titles starting January 1, 2016. “Libraries will be pleased that the combined Penguin Random House license will ensure perpetual access to e-titles, and all will … Continue reading ALA Responds to Penguin Random House Ebook Licensing Announcement →
5 Examples of the Value of Google Books’ Search Function
By Carrie Russell | December 2, 2015
Well, it’s over. On October 16, the court ruled in favor of Google, affirming a district court decision that upheld that creating a keyword search index for the massive undertaking was a fair use. However, the Authors Guild promises to appeal to the Supreme Court. One thing you might not know is that you—librarians and … Continue reading 5 Examples of the Value of Google Books’ Search Function →

Latest Library Links

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Ryan Whitwam writes: “Microsoft did everything in its power to get users to take advantage of the free update to Windows 10. It even nagged and fooled people in order to get them on board before it was too late. This didn’t exactly go over well with those who wanted to stick with their old, reliable version of Windows. Microsoft is now calling out anyone who is still using Windows 7, especially those in an enterprise setting. It says the operating system is outdated, and even with patches, it’s not secure enough.”

ExtremeTech, Jan. 17
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President Barack Obama appointed seven museum and library professionals to serve on the National Museum and Library Services Board. They were sworn in January 17 by Institute of Museum and Library Services Director Kathryn K. Matthew. The two librarians are Deborah Taylor, coordinator of school and student services at the Enoch Pratt Free Library in Baltimore; and Jonathan L. Zittrain, vice dean for library and information resources at the Harvard Law School Library and cofounder of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society.

Institute of Museum and Library Services, Jan. 17
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Four-year-old Daliyah Marie Arana has been reading on her own since age 2. She has now read more than 1,000 books, some even at college level. So when Daliyah asked her local librarian at one of the Hall County (Ga.) library branches if she could be a librarian for a day, her mother Haleema Arana wanted to help her meet her goal. American Libraries spoke to both Daliyah and Haleema to hear more about the experience, Daliyah’s favorite books, and her dreams for the future.

American Libraries feature, Jan. 17
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David Portman writes: “Fans of the latest Star Wars saga Rogue One will notice that digital archiving forms a prominent part in the new film. This is good news, as we can use it as an example of how we are working every day to ensure the durability and security of our content. More importantly it makes our jobs sound much more glamorous. When asked ‘so what do you do?’ we can start with ‘remember the bit in Rogue One?’ However, we couldn’t help but notice some flaws in the Empire’s digital preservation policy.”

Preservica, Dec. 21
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ALCTS has launched a new mentoring program for its members. The ALCTS Mentoring Program facilitates and encourages professional development of members at any stage in their career and in any of the areas related to the work of the division. Applications are now being accepted for the first cohort of mentors and mentees. The application deadline is March 17, with the mentor and mentee pairing process to be completed by May 12.

ALCTS, Jan. 17
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Barbara A. Alvarez writes: “What is an embedded business librarian? An embedded business librarian is a library professional who is rooted in the business community; a librarian who is part of the business community instead of separate from it, who strives to be an equal partner and have an equal voice. Small business owners, professionals, and job seekers see the embedded business librarian as a peer, colleague, and fellow business community member instead of an outsider who solely represents the library.”

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American Libraries feature, Jan./Feb.
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The ALA Executive Board will be hosting ALA Town Hall: Library Advocacy and Core Values in Uncertain Times for members during the Midwinter Meeting in Atlanta. The event will take place on Sunday, January 22, from 9:30 to 11 a.m. in the GWCC Thomas Murphy Ballroom 3–4, immediately following the Council I meeting. American Libraries will be stream it live at facebook.com/amlibraries. The meeting will be facilitated by Cheryl Gorman, senior fellow at the Harwood Institute for Public Innovation.

AL: The Scoop, Jan. 17

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