Over the past year, ALA has taken significant steps to address the ebook lending issues affecting libraries, including the development of a report on ebook business models and the implementation of an aggressive publicity campaign.
On Saturday, January 26 (1–2:30 p.m.,Washington State Convention Center, Room 602-603), members of the ALA Digital Content and Libraries Working Group (DCWG) will discuss ALA initiatives taken thus far—from reports and articles produced to in-person discussions with publishers in visits to New York—and discuss ALA ebook policy strategies for the future.
The session will be moderated by Digital Content and Libraries Working Group member Sari Feldman, executive director of the Cuyahoga County (Ohio) Public Library. DCWG Member Bob Wolven, associate university librarian at Columbia University in New York City, will discuss business models for ebook licensing. Additionally, Alan Inouye, director of ALA’s Office for Information Technology Policy, will describe future directions for ALA leadership on the ebook issue.
The session will also include a leading panel of experts and practitioners from the ebook publishing ecosystem that will shed light on policy priorities for ALA going forward. Panelists include: Skip Dye, vice president of Random House; Matt Tempelis, cloud library business manager at 3M; and Jamie LaRue, director of Douglas (Colo.) County Libraries.
JAZZY WRIGHT is press officer for ALA’s Washington Office.