In late April, the ALA Executive Board and the Budget Analysis and Review Committee met to review the status of the current 2013 ALA budget and to approve a preliminary budget for the 2014 fiscal year that begins September 1, 2013. The continuing impact of the recession on libraries and projected revenues this year and … Continue reading Rethinking, Reinventing
It has been a privilege this year to serve as your president. The experience exceeded my expectations in so many ways. I especially enjoyed representing ALA in the larger world. One of the special joys was working closely with Immediate Past President Molly Raphael and President-Elect Barbara Stripling to ensure continuity across our terms to … Continue reading Representing ALA
The Digital Content and Libraries Working Group continues to explore issues related to the Big Six publishers and library purchasing, licensing, and lending of their ebooks. Even for those of us actively trying to follow developments, there is plenty to be confused about. A few weeks ago I started trying to sort this out and … Continue reading DCWG Big Six Matrix for Ebook License Comparisons
Digital Content: What’s Next, the third supplement on ebooks and digital content from American Libraries, is now available. The supplement, launched May 22, examines both the big picture and the nitty-gritty of libraries and publishing, looking at how libraries are evolving in response to the digital revolution, from taking advantage of opportunities in content creation … Continue reading New Digital Supplement on Ebooks Launches
This summer, Random House is reaching out to libraries with an ebook preview sampler that offers chapters from nine books by new authors. This is wonderful recognition of the vital role that libraries play in building an audience for emerging authors. And yet, I have a couple of bits of constructive criticism. This is a … Continue reading Random House Library Sampler
A recently released email from Steve Jobs to James Murdoch of News Corporation, which owns HarperCollins, shows just how involved the late Apple executive was in developing the agency model and increasing ebook prices. Interpretation of the email varies widely, however. The March 15 New York Times said the Jobs email “reads as if one … Continue reading Steve Jobs, in the E-Library, with the Dollar Sign?
Going to Book Expo America, May 29–June 1 in New York? If so, come join ALA President Maureen Sullivan at two events: On May 30, Maureen will be on the panel “E-books from Libraries: Good for Authors?” at the invitation of the Association of Authors’ Representatives (AAR). Also on this panel are Steve Potash (OverDrive), … Continue reading See ALA at BEA
Librotraficante has had a rollercoaster year. Led by Houston-based author and activist Tony Diaz, the organization (whose name means “book smuggler” in Spanish) formed last year in response to Arizona House Bill 2281 (PDF file), which outlaws teaching courses in Arizona public schools that promote the overthrow of the United States government, foster racial and … Continue reading A Year in the Life of Librotraficante
Libraries of all types are currently undergoing changes that most agree are transformative in nature. But what do we mean when we talk about “transforming” libraries? We mean that we are not just dealing with quantitative change—doing more, for instance—but with qualitative change. This means fundamental change in the very nature of what we do … Continue reading Defining “Transformation”
The May ebook price report from Douglas County (Colo) Libraries draws upon the USA Today 25 bestsellers list, which includes a nice mix of fiction, nonfiction, and children’s titles. Overall, 12 of the 25 titles are available to libraries as ebooks; eight are from OverDrive and 12 are from 3M. With the debut of a … Continue reading DCL May Ebook Price Report: The Devil Is in the Details
One telling image embodies the ridicule he endured. In it, his face and that of his wife Mildred are superimposed on a drawing of two monkeys’ bodies. Movie stills and ephemera from the making of Inherit the Wind (1960) document the celebrity status achieved by his attorney, Clarence Darrow (fictionalized as the thinly veiled Darrow … Continue reading Cultivating a Special Collection
The American Library Association (ALA) welcomed today’s announcement from Hachette Book Group that it will begin offering its full catalog of ebooks immediately for lending in US public and school libraries. ALA President Maureen Sullivan today released the following statement: “I applaud Hachette Book Group’s decision to broaden its offerings to public and school libraries. … Continue reading ALA: Hachette Book Group Marks Real Progress in Library E-Lending
