Author Archive: Robert C. Maier

DCWG cochair Carolyn Anthony introduces the panel (from left, DCWG cochair Erika Linke; 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 innovation and technology officer, Queens (N.Y.) Library).

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 →

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 →

Simon & Schuster Offers Two-Year Ebook Discount

By Robert C. Maier | November 30, 2015

An updated version of the Big Five Publishers and Library Lending matrix (PDF) is now available. Readers of this blog might want to comment on some questions that come to my mind as I think through the implications of this new approach: How does a library decide whether the one-year or two-year option is right? Why … Continue reading Simon & Schuster Offers Two-Year Ebook Discount →

DCL Ebook Report, August 2015

By Robert C. Maier | August 13, 2015

How does that happen if publishers fix the price libraries pay? It’s time for transparency on library ebook pricing from both publishers and distributors. This blog has maintained a chart comparing the price a library pays OverDrive to the consumer ebook price from Amazon as a ratio. For example, in February libraries paid six times … Continue reading DCL Ebook Report, August 2015 →

DCL Ebook Report, June 2015

By Robert C. Maier | June 4, 2015

In the world according to Amazon, adult coloring books take four of the top 20 spots! Most readers of this blog are probably way ahead of me in the world of adult coloring, but I have to admit that my mind wandered a bit. Just how adult are these coloring books? If your mind is … Continue reading DCL Ebook Report, June 2015 →

DCL Ebook Report, May 2015

By Robert C. Maier | May 6, 2015

The Douglas County Libraries Pricing Comparison for May (PDF file) shows a continuing trend with library ebook prices running at an average of 4.6 times the consumer price. Also worthy of note is the fact that all 30 titles listed are available as ebooks to libraries through both 3M and OverDrive. This month’s comparison is … Continue reading DCL Ebook Report, May 2015 →

DCL Ebook Report, April 2015

By Robert C. Maier | April 15, 2015

The Douglas County (Colo.) Libraries Pricing Comparison for April (PDF file) shows a continuing trend with library ebook prices running at an average of 5.3 times the consumer price. This month’s comparison is based on the Digital Book World top 25 ebook bestsellers as of March 21. But it doesn’t seem to matter which bestseller … Continue reading DCL Ebook Report, April 2015 →

DCL Ebook Report, March 2015

By Robert C. Maier | March 12, 2015

The Douglas County Library ebook price comparisons for March have been released (PDF file). This month’s are based on the New York Times Bestseller Lists. Of 30 titles, all 30 are available as library ebooks from OverDrive and 29 are available through 3M. So availability is not the issue, but cost remains the big concern. … Continue reading DCL Ebook Report, March 2015 →

Latest Library Links

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Michael Kan writes: “Are you still using ‘chocolate,’ ‘naruto,’ or ‘monkey’ for your passwords? You really need to stop. All three are among the most commonly used passwords, putting your accounts at risk of hacking, according to new data from NordPass. The password manager’s sixth annual list of the top 200 most commonly used passwords is pulled from a 2.5TB dataset of stolen logins taken from various sources.” ZDNet offers tips for creating stronger passwords and improved security measures.

PC Mag, Nov. 14; NordPass, Nov. 13; ZDNet, Nov. 14
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John Sharp writes: “Athens and Fairhope are two fast-growing cities in the fastest-growing areas of Alabama, and there is no mistaking their conservative bona fides. But according to early statistics about library card applications, their libraries appear to be bucking a trend embraced by conservative-leaning groups and the Alabama GOP: Their patrons appear to be trusting the libraries. More than 60% of parents at Fairhope Public Library and Athens-Limestone County Public Library have signed off on all-access passes for their children with no restrictions on library usage.”

AL.com, Nov. 17
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Katie Gaddini writes: “Book bans may have mushroomed in the Trump era of reactionary politics, but they have a well-established history in America. One woman in particular, Norma Gabler, redefined the current strategy and logic behind modern book bans. Called ‘education’s public enemy number one,’ by critics in 1980, Gabler led the crusade against the so-called secular trend in school textbooks throughout the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s. Even though Norma and her husband Mel worked together, Norma was the public face of their efforts for decades.”

Time: Made By History, Nov. 13
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Many members know Bill Ladewski as executive director of the Reference and User Services Association, an ALA position he has held since 2019. In early September, Ladewski added another title to his CV: director of Member Relations and Services. In this role, he and his team are charged with providing service and information to the Association’s nearly 50,000 members. Ladewski answered our 11 Questions to reintroduce himself to the ALA community.

AL: The Scoop, Nov. 19
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John Warner writes: “I understand what people mean when they invoke the term ‘institutional neutrality,’ but I don’t know how it’s workable in today’s world. Higher education institutions are built upon a foundation of actual values, values that are, by definition, not neutral. The Kalven report, the Rosetta Stone of institutional neutrality produced by a faculty committee at the University of Chicago in 1967, is not a call to make all work emanating from an institution ‘neutral,’ but is instead a call to make the atmosphere for scholarly inquiry and debate as free as possible.”

Inside Higher Ed, Nov. 15
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Angela Hursh writes: “Ever wondered how your library’s email performance compares to others? Benchmarks help you understand how well your emails perform in key areas and identify opportunities for improvement. They also allow you to compare your email marketing performance, set goals, and stay on top of trends. However, the lack of industry benchmarks for email marketing metrics specific to libraries has been bugging me. Metrics from similar industries don’t fully capture the unique aspects of promoting a library. To help libraries accurately measure their email effectiveness, we’ve created the first-ever library email benchmark report.”

NoveList, Oct. 22
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Rachel Hendrick writes: “Students and library vendors are pushing artificial intelligence (AI) adoption in higher education, but there are very few resources that help librarians and scholars separate the wheat from the chaff. Luckily, we here at Choice love a good assessment rubric. (In fact, we made a PDF of our assessment rubric.) Even the least tech-savvy of us can use a very simple AI literacy framework to think critically about whether an AI application is worth your time.”

Choice 360 LibTech Insights, Nov. 13

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