ebooks Archives | Page 2 of 7 | American Libraries Magazine

Free Reading Zones

By Mirela Roncevic | January 2, 2018

The basic idea is to open books for reading in areas where sponsors have a vested interest in getting exposure. As we’ve learned from the music industry, the fastest way to get people to consume content in a new environment is by making that content freely accessible through sponsorships—think of enjoying music on YouTube or … Continue reading Free Reading Zones →

Digital Media Recommendations for Our Youngest Patrons

By Terra Dankowski | June 25, 2017

Brooke Newberry (early literacy librarian, LaCrosse [Wisc.] Public Library), Stephanie C. Prato (head of children’s services, Simsbury [Conn.] Public Library), and Mary Schreiber (youth collection development specialist, Cuyahoga County [Ohio] Public Library) set out to clarify the revised standards for the under-18 months, 18–24 months, and 2–5 years groups, and provide actionable tips in an … Continue reading Digital Media Recommendations for Our Youngest Patrons →

In the plenary session, Sarah Burnes, Jennifer Brier, Nell Taylor, and Luis Herrera discuss how archives are put together.

DPLAfest: Inclusion, Community, and Outreach

By Carrie Smith | April 25, 2017

In the same rooms where the final planning sessions establishing the DPLA were held five years ago, Executive Director Dan Cohen announced that the archive now held more than 16 million items from 2,350 member institutions and is on track to have hubs in all 50 states. The Open eBooks program, launched in 2016 to provide free access … Continue reading DPLAfest: Inclusion, Community, and Outreach →

SAPL’s digital wallpaper brings the library's collection into the community.

Digital Wallpapers Open Doors

By Caitlin Cowart | March 1, 2017

Libraries are employing unique methods to make their digital collections available to patrons outside of the library. As a part of its Digital Library Community Project, San Antonio Public Library (SAPL) created digital wallpapers—virtual bookshelves that give patrons access to ebooks by simply scanning a QR code with a smartphone—that can be placed throughout the … Continue reading Digital Wallpapers Open Doors →

From left: Alan S. Inouye, director of ALA's Office for Information Technology Policy (OITP); ALA President Julie B. Todaro; Digital Content Working Group Cochair Erika Linke; Carrie Russell, Director of OITP’s Program on Public Access to Information; Digital Content Working Group Cochair Carolyn Anthony; and ALA President-Elect Jim Neal.

Finding Common Ground in New York

By Alan S. Inouye | February 28, 2017

Todaro was joined by ALA President-Elect Jim Neal; Carolyn Anthony and Erika Linke, cochairs of ALA’s Digital Content Working Group; and Carrie Russell and Alan S. Inouye of ALA’s Office for Information Technology Policy. They met with leaders at Penguin Random House, Hachette Book Group, the Book Industry Study Group, Metropolitan New York Library Council, … Continue reading Finding Common Ground in New York →

Hoopla’s catalog includes more than 500,000 items and is accessible by mobile app.

Online Streaming Options

By Carrie Smith | November 1, 2016

Hoopla Hoopla, launched in 2013 by Midwest Tape, provides single-platform access to most major types of digital holdings: audiobooks, ebooks, video, and music. Patrons can access content either by streaming it from the Hoopla website or by using the mobile app, which allows both streaming and temporary downloads for offline access. Items are automatically removed … Continue reading Online Streaming Options →

Mobile Comics Plus: Library Edition from Recorded Books

Reading Remotely

By Patrick Burke | September 1, 2016

Comics move online Independent audiobook and ebook publisher Recorded Books and comics distributor iVerse Media has partnered with IDW Publishing to update its Comics Plus: Library Edition service. Comics Plus: Library Edition supplies libraries with digital graphic novels and comics that can be accessed by patrons from any web-based device. Patrons can check out as … Continue reading Reading Remotely →

Speakers at the Digital Content Working Group panel, from left: Trevor Owens, senior program officer for the national digital platform at the Institute of Museum and Library Services; DCWG cochairs Erika Linke and Carolyn Anthony; Michael Blackwell, director of the St. Mary’s County (Md.) Libraries; and Todd Carpenter, executive director of National Information Standards Organization.

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 →

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 →

Latest Library Links

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Phil Morehart writes: “The AASL National Conference in Louisville, Kentucky, began on November 14 with a bang: a rousing performance by the Central High School drumline and dance team. AASL Executive Director Sylvia Norton followed with news that more than 2,300 library professionals had registered for the biannual conference—record-breaking attendance numbers. Keynote speaker Ellen Oh, children’s book author and president and cofounder of We Need Diverse Books, kept the momentum going as she described a serious issue—the lack of diversity in children’s books.”

AL: The Scoop, Nov. 15
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British author and translator of Chinese literature Julia Lovell has won the $75,000 2019 Cundill History Prize for Maoism: A Global History (Bodley Head, 2019) at a gala at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Juror Charlotte Gray said that “Julia Lovell has drawn on an extraordinary range of sources for the first panoramic study of this formidable, fragmented political movement.” The two runners-up, Mary Fulbrook’s Reckonings: Legacies of Nazi Persecution and the Quest for Justice (Oxford University Press) and Jill Lepore’s These Truths: A History of the United States (Norton), received a Recognition of Excellence Award and $10,000 each.

The Bookseller (UK), Nov. 15
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Christine Ro writes: “As the death toll from the US opioid epidemic continues to rise, public and private institutions are seeking to help in whatever way they can. Libraries are no exception. As trusted, non-partisan organizations, public libraries have a unique role in spreading information. But some have gone further than sharing information about opioids, to play a more active role in public health. Drawing on the recent report by PLA and OCLC, Public Libraries Respond to the Opioid Crisis with Their Communities, here are seven of the ways libraries are combating the opioid crisis.”

Book Riot, Nov. 15
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Katisha Smith writes: “The game of poker combines skill and strategy with a little luck. Since its introduction into US culture, poker has continued to gain popularity. The game has gone from recreational activity at Wild West saloons to spawning professionals who compete in million-dollar tournaments. Whether you are looking to learn the tricks of the trade, wanting to improve your technique, or just need a good story centered around the game itself, we have the 21 best poker books for your learning needs and reading enjoyment.”

Book Riot, Nov. 15
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Rebecca Koenig writes: “Students who take online college courses may not realize it, but they are the beneficiaries of a special bill of rights. Its goal? To ensure students can access books and other academic resources, even if they’re nowhere near a campus. ACRL maintains in its ‘access entitlement principle,’ which functions as a sort of library bill of rights, that all students of an institution of higher education ‘are entitled to the library services and resources of that institution,’ including access to a librarian, regardless of location. But serving distance learners is no simple task.”

EdSurge, Nov. 14
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Diana Dill and Alice Kalinowski write: “Sharing knowledge and information in the workplace significantly affects an organization’s ability to operate effectively and efficiently. Among the various types of workplace learning, tacit knowledge is one of the most difficult to codify and share. Considering that most workers switch jobs and careers multiple times, organizations must think about how tacit knowledge is shared, particularly in cases of employee turnover. Building a community of practice (CoP) can help. CoPs are a vital element of a successful knowledge management strategy and function most effectively when not bound by formal rules and procedures.”

American Libraries feature, Nov./Dec.
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Carrie Smith writes: “Virtual and augmented reality are two of the fastest-growing areas of technology. While popular games like Pokémon Go and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite have introduced augmented reality (AR) to pop culture, the immersive and interactive aspects of virtual and augmented reality can increase engagement with learning as well. Short of creating a full-service virtual reality (VR) lab, libraries can make these technologies available to learners through common devices.”

American Libraries column, Nov./Dec.

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