Librarian by Day » amazon http://librarianbyday.net by Bobbi Newman Tue, 22 May 2012 12:18:25 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 Mea Culpa on Penguin and Libraries and An Alternative to OverDrive http://librarianbyday.net/2012/02/11/mea-culpa-on-penguin-and-libraries-and-an-alternative-to-overdrive/ http://librarianbyday.net/2012/02/11/mea-culpa-on-penguin-and-libraries-and-an-alternative-to-overdrive/#comments Sat, 11 Feb 2012 14:07:35 +0000 Bobbi Newman http://librarianbyday.net/?p=6955 I feel I need to make a clarification on yesterday’s post title How to Talk to Your Patrons About Penguin & Other Publishers Not Loaning eBooks to Libraries - Penguin did NOT stop doing business with libraries. They stopped doing business with OverDrive. As Publisher’s Lunch Points out: As we have reported multiple times, but does not seem to have seeped out into general reports or public consciousness, multiple publishers have told us that Overdrive’s implementation of their Kindle library lending–in which library patrons are sent to a commercial, third-party retailer, in this case Amazon–is in their view a direct violation of Overdrive’s contracts. Remember that in November, Penguin said clearly it “informed suppliers to libraries that it expected them to abide by existing agreements to offer older digital titles to libraries only if those files were held behind the firewalls of the suppliers.” Not the firewalls of retailers. Also in November, Penguin said it had “subsequently been informed by Amazon that it had not been consulted by Overdrive about the terms of Penguin’s agreement with Overdrive,” which, you can reasonably infer, does not allow Kindle lending the way Overdrive was executing it. It just so happens that OverDrive is the [...]]]>

I feel I need to make a clarification on yesterday’s post title How to Talk to Your Patrons About Penguin & Other Publishers Not Loaning eBooks to Libraries - Penguin did NOT stop doing business with libraries. They stopped doing business with OverDrive.

As Publisher’s Lunch Points out:

As we have reported multiple times, but does not seem to have seeped out into general reports or public consciousness, multiple publishers have told us that Overdrive’s implementation of their Kindle library lending–in which library patrons are sent to a commercial, third-party retailer, in this case Amazon–is in their view a direct violation of Overdrive’s contracts. Remember that in November, Penguin said clearly it “informed suppliers to libraries that it expected them to abide by existing agreements to offer older digital titles to libraries only if those files were held behind the firewalls of the suppliers.” Not the firewalls of retailers. Also in November, Penguin said it had “subsequently been informed by Amazon that it had not been consulted by Overdrive about the terms of Penguin’s agreement with Overdrive,” which, you can reasonably infer, does not allow Kindle lending the way Overdrive was executing it.

It just so happens that OverDrive is the dominate business model for public library ebook lending. So what do we do? Yes, I still recommend the scripts I shared yesterday, I think it is important that we are explaining to patrons articulately and succinctly why we don’t have the books they want. There are other publishers on that list who are not doing business with libraries, and publishers who are regularly changing the terms of their business deal with OverDrive and libraries.

The other thing we need is a reasonable alternative to OverDrive, one publishers will work with. So I am suggesting you take a look at Library Renewal.

Library Renewal is a non-profit that is for libraries, by libraries and with libraries. Their mission is to create a sustainable, reasonable platform for e-content delivery for libraries. You can find out more about them on their about page, make a donation to support them either by purchasing cool swag or by making a cash donation.  If you are a library director consider being a partner library.

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How to Talk to Your Patrons About Penguin & Other Publishers Not Loaning eBooks to Libraries http://librarianbyday.net/2012/02/09/how-to-talk-to-your-patrons-about-penguin-other-publishers-not-loaning-ebooks-to-libraries/ http://librarianbyday.net/2012/02/09/how-to-talk-to-your-patrons-about-penguin-other-publishers-not-loaning-ebooks-to-libraries/#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 03:48:08 +0000 Bobbi Newman http://librarianbyday.net/?p=6921 [edited 2/11/2012] I feel I need to clarify that Penguin did not stop doing business with libraries, they stopped doing business with OverDrive, read more here. And how to get them to talk to the Publishers. I’ve had this post in my drafts for a long time. I originally planned to include it in my November post Penguin Pulls eBooks From Public Libraries Dropping it Down to 1 of the Big 6 Publishers Playing Nice With Libraries, but cut it at the last minute.  Thanks to Sarah’s post about Penguin’s decision to end it’s contract with OverDrive. I’m digging it out and polishing it off. In the comments from 9 Reasons Publishers Should Stop Acting Like Libraries Are The Enemy several people asked for a script for patron conversations regarding publishers that don’t loan their ebooks to libraries. Please remember this script is JUST a suggestion, but it is always in the best interest of libraries to remain professional and courteous. Possible scripts for your conversation with your patrons when they ask why the library does not have an ebook from a publisher who has chosen not to lend to libraries: I completely understand your frustration, unfortunately [insert publisher] has chosen not to allow public libraries to [...]]]>

[edited 2/11/2012] I feel I need to clarify that Penguin did not stop doing business with libraries, they stopped doing business with OverDrive, read more here.

And how to get them to talk to the Publishers.

I’ve had this post in my drafts for a long time. I originally planned to include it in my November post Penguin Pulls eBooks From Public Libraries Dropping it Down to 1 of the Big 6 Publishers Playing Nice With Libraries, but cut it at the last minute.  Thanks to Sarah’s post about Penguin’s decision to end it’s contract with OverDrive. I’m digging it out and polishing it off. In the comments from 9 Reasons Publishers Should Stop Acting Like Libraries Are The Enemy several people asked for a script for patron conversations regarding publishers that don’t loan their ebooks to libraries. Please remember this script is JUST a suggestion, but it is always in the best interest of libraries to remain professional and courteous.

Possible scripts for your conversation with your patrons when they ask why the library does not have an ebook from a publisher who has chosen not to lend to libraries:

I completely understand your frustration, unfortunately [insert publisher] has chosen not to allow public libraries to loan their ebooks. If you would like I can provide you with contact information for [insert publisher].

I know, I wish we had [insert title] too!  Unfortunately [insert publisher] has chosen not to allow public libraries to loan their ebooks. If you would like I can provide you with contact information for [insert publisher].

Possible scripts for patrons talking to publishers. 

Hi my name is [insert name] I am a patron of [insert library name]. It has recently come to my attention that [insert publishers] had made the decision not to loan ebooks to public libraries. I am writing/calling to express my concerns. I am a library patron but I am also a book buyer. In the last year I purchased [insert number] print books and/or [insert number] of ebooks and/or [insert number] of audiobooks. I am writing/calling to ask you to reconsider working with public libraries.

There are just suggestions, consider them a starting place. If you have others please share!

pdf of script and contact info.

Contact information for publishers

Macmillan Publishing
75 Varick Street
New York, NY 10013
(212) 226-7521
customerservice@mpsvirginia.com

Simon & Schuster
1230 Avenue of the Americas
New York, NY 10020
(212) 698-7000
http://simonandschuster.com/about/contact_us

Hachette Book Group
466 Lexington Avenue #131
New York, NY 10017
(212) 364-1100
customer.service@hbgusa.com

Penguin Group
375 Hudson Street
New York, NY 10014
(212) 366-2000
ecommerce@us.penguingroup.com

Brilliance Audio
1704 Eaton Drive
Grand Haven, MI 49417
(616) 846-5256
libsales@brillianceaudio.com

HarperCollins Publishers
10 East 53rd Street
New York, NY 10022
Phone: 212-207-7000
feedback2@harpercollins.com

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Amazon Announces Kindle Lending Library for Prime Members http://librarianbyday.net/2011/11/03/amazon-announced-kindle-lending-library-for-prime-members/ http://librarianbyday.net/2011/11/03/amazon-announced-kindle-lending-library-for-prime-members/#comments Thu, 03 Nov 2011 11:13:13 +0000 Bobbi Newman http://librarianbyday.net/?p=6655 If you have been paying attention you knew it was coming. The Kindle Lending Library from Amazon. If you own a Kindle, yes you have to have a device not an app, and a Prime Membership you can now borrow books from Amazon. More Info Kindles start at $79 Prime Membership is $79 a year. You can only borrow one book per calendar month. Right now there are about 5,000 titles. The book currently being borrowed can be read on multiple Kindles. devices, as long as they are registered to the same eligible account, but cannot be read on Kindle reading apps. One book can be borrowed at a time, and there are no due dates. You can borrow a new book as frequently as once a month, directly on your registered Kindle device, and you will be prompted to return the book that you are currently borrowing. If you have already borrowed a book in that calendar month, you are not yet eligible to borrow a new book until the next calendar month. There is no “roll-over” or accrual of unused borrowing eligibility. My 2 cents: Honestly I see this hurting publishers and authors far more than libraries. Sure [...]]]>

If you have been paying attention you knew it was coming. The Kindle Lending Library from Amazon. If you own a Kindle, yes you have to have a device not an app, and a Prime Membership you can now borrow books from Amazon.

More Info

  • Kindles start at $79
  • Prime Membership is $79 a year.
  • You can only borrow one book per calendar month.
  • Right now there are about 5,000 titles.
  • The book currently being borrowed can be read on multiple Kindles.
  • devices, as long as they are registered to the same eligible account, but cannot be read on Kindle reading apps.
  • One book can be borrowed at a time, and there are no due dates. You can borrow a new book as frequently as once a month, directly on your registered Kindle device, and you will be prompted to return the book that you are currently borrowing.
  • If you have already borrowed a book in that calendar month, you are not yet eligible to borrow a new book until the next calendar month. There is no “roll-over” or accrual of unused borrowing eligibility.

My 2 cents: Honestly I see this hurting publishers and authors far more than libraries. Sure for $80 a year getting to borrow a book a months is a good deal, especially bestsellers. But as someone who has worked in libraries and bookstore almost my entire life I know that a significant demographic library borrows buy books too. Those are the people I use using this service, the ones who already bought the bestsellers because they didn’t want to wait for it. Of course now they can’t donate that used copy to the library. But they’ll still visit the library for other reading material and programs.

What do you think?

PS I’ve been checking the price points of books that are available and so far none of them is over $7.99 and nothing from my wishlist is available.Similar Posts:

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How to Extend the Due Date of Your Library eBook on the Kindle http://librarianbyday.net/2011/10/26/how-to-extend-the-due-date-of-your-library-ebook-on-the-kindle/ http://librarianbyday.net/2011/10/26/how-to-extend-the-due-date-of-your-library-ebook-on-the-kindle/#comments Wed, 26 Oct 2011 12:52:41 +0000 Bobbi Newman http://librarianbyday.net/?p=6626 Just a friendly tip from your friendly online librarian. It is pretty easy to “extend” the due date of the library ebook you check out to your kindle, just turn your wireless connection off until you’re done with it. This will allow you to keep reading the book until you’re done. The title won’t expire until you reactivate your wireless connection. Can’t remember to turn your wireless off or just don’t want to keep it off all the time? Consider that handy email notice telling you that you have three days left that you get from Amazon (not your local library), you know the one that includes a link to buy it from Amazon, the signal to turn your wireless off if you aren’t done reading the book. When you’re done, turn your wireless connection back and on the book will “expire” as usual. Help keep this site ad freeSimilar Posts: Why Amazon’s Lending Library is Not a Threat to Public Libraries Why I Love Kindle Desktop for eBooks Some Questions for Overdrive and Amazon about the Kindle Lending Library – Updated]]>

Kindle 3Just a friendly tip from your friendly online librarian. :-)

It is pretty easy to “extend” the due date of the library ebook you check out to your kindle, just turn your wireless connection off until you’re done with it. This will allow you to keep reading the book until you’re done. The title won’t expire until you reactivate your wireless connection.

Can’t remember to turn your wireless off or just don’t want to keep it off all the time? Consider that handy email notice telling you that you have three days left that you get from Amazon (not your local library), you know the one that includes a link to buy it from Amazon, the signal to turn your wireless off if you aren’t done reading the book. When you’re done, turn your wireless connection back and on the book will “expire” as usual.

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eBook Link Round Up from Internet Librarian #il2011 http://librarianbyday.net/2011/10/24/ebook-link-round-up-from-internet-librarian-il2011/ http://librarianbyday.net/2011/10/24/ebook-link-round-up-from-internet-librarian-il2011/#comments Mon, 24 Oct 2011 15:24:56 +0000 Bobbi Newman http://librarianbyday.net/?p=6610 During the two day ebook track in at Internet Librarian there were a lot of references to articles, reports and books, by myself, and others so I thought I would put together a link round up. Content by Cory Docotrow Seriously read this. It’s free to download in the format of your choice and it will help you understand DRM better than anything else. E-book piracy may have unexpected benefits for publishers O’Leary makes the distinction between the instances of e-book piracy (the number of pirated e-book files available for download) and the impact of e-book piracy (the actual effect on the business of publishing). For O’Leary, the two are related, but different. He says that one way to measure impact is to pick a book, wait for it to be pirated, and then compare sales before and after. E-reader ownership doubles in six months The percent of U.S. adults with an e-book reader doubled from 6% to 12% between November 2010 and May 2011 Across the digital divide. Let’s talk about poverty. …every time a discussion of ebooks turns, seemingly inevitably, to “Print is dead, traditional publishing is dead, all smart authors should be bailing to the brave new [...]]]>

During the two day ebook track in at Internet Librarian there were a lot of references to articles, reports and books, by myself, and others so I thought I would put together a link round up.

Content by Cory Docotrow Seriously read this. It’s free to download in the format of your choice and it will help you understand DRM better than anything else.

E-book piracy may have unexpected benefits for publishers

O’Leary makes the distinction between the instances of e-book piracy (the number of pirated e-book files available for download) and the impact of e-book piracy (the actual effect on the business of publishing). For O’Leary, the two are related, but different. He says that one way to measure impact is to pick a book, wait for it to be pirated, and then compare sales before and after.

E-reader ownership doubles in six months

The percent of U.S. adults with an e-book reader doubled from 6% to 12% between November 2010 and May 2011

Across the digital divide. Let’s talk about poverty.

…every time a discussion of ebooks turns, seemingly inevitably, to “Print is dead, traditional publishing is dead, all smart authors should be bailing to the brave new electronic frontier,” what I hear, however unintentionally, is “Poor people don’t deserve to read.”

Theft vs Piracy

Book piracy: Less DRM, more data

Q: What’s the current impact of piracy on the book publishing industry?

A: Brian O’Leary: We don’t know. Some people will tell you that it’s the biggest problem facing publishing or that ebook piracy will kill publishing. None of those perspectives are informed by solid data

Heavy illegal downloaders buy more music

A new British independent poll conducted by Ipsos Mori concluded that the people who do the most illegal downloading also buy the most music. This is in line with many other studies elsewhere and is easy to understand: people who are music superfans do more of everything to do with music: they see more live shows, listen to more radio, buy more CDs, buy more botlegs of live shows, buy more t-shirts, talk about music more, do more downloading — all of it.

Mindset over matter: Timo Boezeman on the digital transition of a centuries-old analog industry.

Q: What is the largest hurdle publishers must overcome in the transition to digital?

A: Timo Boezeman: The largest hurdle in the transition is the mindset. Publishing is one of the oldest industries around and now has to deal with a transition from analog to digital at a speed that is at least twice as fast as the music industry faced.

Digital Underclass: What Happens When the Libraries Die?

Libraries will need to be replaced with digital equivalents as publishing moves towards eBooks. As a result, will a new “Digital Underclass” be created from the base of technology have-nots?

eBooks, Privacy, and the Library - Gary Price’s thought-provoking post from a couple of weeks ago.

Pew Research Center Announces New Research Initiative to Study the Changing Role of Public Libraries and Library Users in the Digital Age

IFLA Committee on Copyright and other Legal Matters (CLM)

Sarah’s video rant

If you’re looking for write ups of the sessions you can find them over at the LibConf blog

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Public Library eBooks on the Amazon Kindle – We Got Screwed http://librarianbyday.net/2011/09/28/public-library-ebooks-on-the-amazon-kindle-we-got-screwed/ http://librarianbyday.net/2011/09/28/public-library-ebooks-on-the-amazon-kindle-we-got-screwed/#comments Wed, 28 Sep 2011 18:33:02 +0000 Bobbi Newman http://librarianbyday.net/?p=6558 Don’t get me wrong, as a consumer I was celebrating as much as the next guy (or gal) last week about library ebooks (from OverDrive) FINALLY being available on the ever popular Amazon Kindle. I love my Kindle, I’ve written about it. The few textbooks and pdfs I’ve put on it make me love it more. But…. But as a librarian and an ebook activist (if I do say so myself) I have to say we got the short end of that stick my friends. I have been working an expansion of my May blog post for Library Renewal where I raised some concerns : new concerns have started to creep in as I think through the long term implications for this deal. Amazon is getting access to a LOT of information about libraries, even if it is anonymized, and it is making me wonder if we should have done a better job negotiating our deal. I applaud OverDrive for working with Amazon to get ebooks on the Kindle (and Kindle apps); however, I can’t help feel they should have worked a harder deal for the information we will need to ensure that libraries have a future in the ebook business. Let’s [...]]]>

Kindle 3Don’t get me wrong, as a consumer I was celebrating as much as the next guy (or gal) last week about library ebooks (from OverDrive) FINALLY being available on the ever popular Amazon Kindle. I love my Kindle, I’ve written about it. The few textbooks and pdfs I’ve put on it make me love it more. But….

But as a librarian and an ebook activist (if I do say so myself) I have to say we got the short end of that stick my friends. I have been working an expansion of my May blog post for Library Renewal where I raised some concerns :

new concerns have started to creep in as I think through the long term implications for this deal. Amazon is getting access to a LOT of information about libraries, even if it is anonymized, and it is making me wonder if we should have done a better job negotiating our deal. I applaud OverDrive for working with Amazon to get ebooks on the Kindle (and Kindle apps); however, I can’t help feel they should have worked a harder deal for the information we will need to ensure that libraries have a future in the ebook business.

Let’s look at few examples.

Amazon will know exactly how many Kindle owners are library borrowers. This is huge information as we advance in the evolution of ebooks. Libraries should have access to these numbers. Amazon won’t even confirm the exact number of Kindles they’ve sold. Yes OverDrive should be able to tell us numbers and percentages for how many of our borrowers are Kindle owners. But what I would really like to know is how many Kindle owners also borrow from their public library.

Amazon will know exactly what percentage of library checkouts lead to purchase. We know that borrowing books from a library doesn’t hurt sales, and in fact it improves them. There has been research. But now Amazon will have the cold hard numbers that show what percentage of people borrow a book from the library then buy it from Amazon. They might even know if you borrowed an ebook then bought a print copy. This is so important as we (and Amazon) move forward in negotiating our place in the ebook world.

Amazon is going to have access to a LOT of stats about library user habits, both borrowing and buying. These are just two examples.  This is very valuable information as we advance with the development of ebooks, and the role libraries play. This is information libraries need and should have. While I am thrilled personally that I’ll be able to use library ebooks on my Kindle, and professionally that I’ll no longer have to tell Kindle owners that they can’t borrow ebooks from the library because Amazon doesn’t allow it, I can’t help be concerned that in the end we have made a very uneven trade.

But Gary Price over at InfoDocket has put together such a great list of questions and concerns I’m not going to reinvent the wheel. Gary raises some great points so go read the whole thing. Really. Here are a few points I want to highlight

  • Is Amazon collecting download information? ​
  • Is Amazon saving library download info permanently?
  • If not, how long will they keep it? Is there a retention policy?​
  • Can you provide any info about privacy as it relates to OverDrive/Amazon?
  • Will the library books you borrow be used by Amazon to provide recommendations of books for you to purchase?
  • Is there a link to scrub all of your personal “library” data from Amazon.com’s servers with a single click?
  • Do OverDrive and Amazon.com have any suggestions about how to make the entire process clearer to users?​​
  • How would they respond to the issue that, since the service is being marketed by libraries, users might incorrectly think library privacy policies may still apply?​

To top it off today Amazon made some pretty big announcements today: including 3 new black & white ereaders, their first tablet and their very own browser. In the last year or so Amazon has also announced it’s own Android App Store, Streaming video for Prime Members and a cloud based music library. Add to that their ownership of Audible and wireless delivery of audiobooks directly to your Kindle and Amazon is sitting pretty on a huge mountain of electronic delivery options. Some might argue that so is Apple, but Amazon tops Apple in two ways first their price points, you can’t argue with cheaper. Second is their amazing customer service.  Sure Apple might have good service, but you wont know that until you shell out the big bucks for one of their products fist. But I was getting amazing service from Amazon before Kindle was a twinkle in Jeff’s eye. Good service makes for loyal customers.

How long do you think it will be before Amazon starts their own lending library? Oh wait they already have. You can rent textbooks right now. I guess the question is how long do you think before they start applying what they’ve learned from that model to fiction and popular nonfiction?

Ok so back to libraries and how we got screwed with the library ebooks on the Kindle. We stood around like beggar orphans asking for more instead of making demands. The public library systems in America (and elsewhere) spend a great deal of money each year on books. Money that goes to publishers and authors and instead of standing up as a unified body we’ve taken the pitiful ebooks scraps we’ve been given. I’m not even going to get in to the ebooks as a whole, let’s just talk about the Amazon deal. All of those questions on my list and Gary’s, we should have answers to those. We should at the very least given access to any and all that stats we want or need. We should be getting a referral fee every time a patron buys a book after discovering it in library catalog or something off the one click page that shows up later.

I want to be angry about the bad deal we’re getting, but I’m not even sure who’s screwing us and I don’t know who to be angry with. I could be angry with Amazon, but they are business in business to make money. I could be angry with ALA because they have totally blown it on the books issues, but they are a nonprofit that gets a new president every year and is mostly run by volunteers, and I’m not totally sure they can speak for all the libraries.  I could be angry with OverDrive, but they are business too and I think they did their best to do right by us. I could be angry with the government and political system that have allowed a valuable institution such as public library system to be bullied and dominated by profit hungry businesses, but I wouldn’t even know where to start with that whole ball of mess. I could be angry with the consumer who doesn’t seem to care about privacy and is willing to spend money and sacrifice so much for just a little convenience, but I don’t know how to make them see or, more importantly, care.  I could be angry with me, because it doesn’t matter how many blog posts I write or how many presentations I give I feel like I’m standing alone shouting into the dark about how we’re getting the shaft and I don’t know what to do to make a difference, a real difference. I just don’t know.

But I know we got screwed.

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How to Check Out (and Return!) Library eBooks from OverDrive on Your Amazon Kindle http://librarianbyday.net/2011/09/22/how-to-check-out-and-return-library-ebooks-from-overdrive-on-your-amazon-kindle/ http://librarianbyday.net/2011/09/22/how-to-check-out-and-return-library-ebooks-from-overdrive-on-your-amazon-kindle/#comments Thu, 22 Sep 2011 22:10:41 +0000 Bobbi Newman http://librarianbyday.net/?p=6548 Or any Kindle application including the Cloud Reader. Having gone through this process myself I can say it is almost like magic, especially compared to the pain and suffering that is Adobe Digital Editions. Enjoy! How to find library ebooks for your Kindle at the High Planes Library District* This slideshow from the Wake County Public Libraries shows how to return a book early if you’re done or decide you don’t like it. How to Return a Kindle eBook early View more presentations from Wake County Public Libraries *most tutorials are specific to the library that made them, your website and options will vary. Similar Posts: Will Libraries be Able to Loan the Nook and eBooks from Barnes & Noble? Amazon Announces Kindle Lending Library for Prime Members Public Library eBooks on the Amazon Kindle – We Got Screwed]]>

Or any Kindle application including the Cloud Reader. Having gone through this process myself I can say it is almost like magic, especially compared to the pain and suffering that is Adobe Digital Editions. Enjoy!

How to find library ebooks for your Kindle at the High Planes Library District*

This slideshow from the Wake County Public Libraries shows how to return a book early if you’re done or decide you don’t like it.

How to Return a Kindle eBook early

View more presentations from Wake County Public Libraries

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More Thoughts on the Kindle Lending Library at Library Renewal http://librarianbyday.net/2011/05/13/more-thoughts-on-the-kindle-lending-library-at-library-renewal/ http://librarianbyday.net/2011/05/13/more-thoughts-on-the-kindle-lending-library-at-library-renewal/#comments Fri, 13 May 2011 11:31:06 +0000 Bobbi Newman http://librarianbyday.net/?p=6272 I’ve shared some additional thoughts about the news of the forthcoming Kindle Lending Library, as Amazon likes to call, or as we librarians like to call it, Kindle owners will finally be able to use library ebooks, it in a post at Library Renewal. Library eBooks Coming Soon to Amazon Kindle! But At What Cost? Similar Posts: Some Questions for Overdrive and Amazon about the Kindle Lending Library – Updated Why Amazon’s Lending Library is Not a Threat to Public Libraries Friends, Romans, Countrymen Lend Me Your Ebooks: Resources for Loaning & Borrowing Nook & Kindle Items]]>

I’ve shared some additional thoughts about the news of the forthcoming Kindle Lending Library, as Amazon likes to call, or as we librarians like to call it, Kindle owners will finally be able to use library ebooks, it in a post at Library Renewal.

Library eBooks Coming Soon to Amazon Kindle! But At What Cost?

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Top Ten Links 2.3 – All About Ebooks http://librarianbyday.net/2011/01/23/top-ten-links-2-3-all-about-ebooks/ http://librarianbyday.net/2011/01/23/top-ten-links-2-3-all-about-ebooks/#comments Sun, 23 Jan 2011 14:22:02 +0000 Bobbi Newman http://librarianbyday.net/?p=5414 My personally selected top ten from the links I shared on Twitter 1.16.2011 through 1.22.2011.  In no particular order About Top Ten Links – I share a lot on Twitter over the course of a week. I know not everyone is on Twitter or on Twitter every moment, so last year I decided I would pull the top ten, the best of the best, the most important things I shared on Twitter and post them on the blog. Its a good review for me and hopefully helpful to you. 1. Reviewing the impact of #Kindle not supporting or supporting library books #ebooks via @msauers an interesting look at the possible cost impact of Amazon allowing library ebooks on the Kindle. I don’t agree with all the numbers and assumptions but it is interesting and thought provoking. 2. Like It, Keep It: eBooks Now Available for Purchase - From the New York Public Library If you enjoy an eBook or audiobook and want to add it to your collection, you can purchase select titles using LibraryBin’s Buy It Now service, a new offering from NYPL and our eBook vendor, OverDrive. Just go to the LibraryBin website and choose your title. When you check out, [...]]]>

Pandigital and Kindle 3My personally selected top ten from the links I shared on Twitter 1.16.2011 through 1.22.2011.  In no particular order

About Top Ten Links – I share a lot on Twitter over the course of a week. I know not everyone is on Twitter or on Twitter every moment, so last year I decided I would pull the top ten, the best of the best, the most important things I shared on Twitter and post them on the blog. Its a good review for me and hopefully helpful to you.

1. Reviewing the impact of #Kindle not supporting or supporting library books #ebooks via @msauers an interesting look at the possible cost impact of Amazon allowing library ebooks on the Kindle. I don’t agree with all the numbers and assumptions but it is interesting and thought provoking.

2. Like It, Keep It: eBooks Now Available for Purchase - From the New York Public Library

If you enjoy an eBook or audiobook and want to add it to your collection, you can purchase select titles using LibraryBin’s Buy It Now service, a new offering from NYPL and our eBook vendor, OverDrive. Just go to the LibraryBin website and choose your title. When you check out, you can select NYPL as the library you want to receive a portion of the proceeds from your purchase. With these funds, the Library will be able to add more eBooks and audiobooks to our collections.

Prices start at 89 cents and hot titles are 25% off:
Test-drive LibraryBin now

NYPL eBooks now work on the iPad, iPhone, iPod Touch

3. Are people really ready for eBooks? My attempt to give away 100 of them – The Ubiquitous Librarian, Brian Matthews details what it took to give away 100 digital copies of the campus wide read.

4 . Getting started with #ebooks a beginners guide Nice graphic though as someone pointed out it is missing the Kindle for Mac app.

5. Lend Me Your E-book (Part 1) | Publishing Perspective and Lend Me Your E-books (Part 2) | Publishing Perspectives #ebook – great break down of ebook lending issues by distributor.

6. Does eBook Piracy Help Sales? via @ALA_TechSource

Does piracy help sales? Magellan Media founder Brian O’Leary thinks it can. In an interview with Forbes.com, O’Leary discusses how piracy may have helped lift sales for O’Reilly Mediaand Thomas Nelson titles.

He said: “Data that we collected for the titles O’Reilly put out showed a net lift in sales for books that had been pirated. So, it actually spurred, not hurt, sales. But we were only looking at O’Reilly and Thomas Nelson. The results are not emblematic of publishing overall. It could be more conservative, it could be less conservative. We just don’t have enough data. I’ve tried to get other publishers to join in, but it really hasn’t been a successful mission. Even at a low- or no-cost offer, publishers seem reluctant to collect the data required to reveal the true impact of book piracy.”

7. How to Remove DRM from Your Kindle Ebooks – from Lifehacker. Though since my Kindle books work on my Kindle, Android phone, Laptop and Netbook I don’t way I would want to.

8. E-books Are Not Horseless Carriages – I completely agree with what say Andy Burkhardt says

We gravitate to what we know and what we’re used to. An e-book is not a book on electronic paper. It is a completely new medium that will have myriad unanticipated effects, both positive and negative. I’m guessing “electronic paper” and “e-ink” are both going to sound a lot like “horseless carriage” in 20 years. Also the way we consume, share, and interact with e-books is going to be different than paper books. We are inventing the future right now through our action and inaction. We should be mindful of the past, but not so wrapped up in it that we aren’t able to see the future.

9. Ebooks and Libraries: A Stream of Concerns (from Meredith Farkas) via @TheLiB – a long post from Meredith about ebook issues.

10.  “The e-book thing isn’t happening, it has happened.”via @LibraryStuff- I was in the audience at Mid Winter when Brewster Kahle said this. I didn’t agree with everything he said but I definitely think libraries are behind the curve on ebook issuesSimilar Posts:

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New ebook reader to watch – the Cooler http://librarianbyday.net/2009/06/30/new-ebook-reader-to-watch-the-cooler/ http://librarianbyday.net/2009/06/30/new-ebook-reader-to-watch-the-cooler/#comments Tue, 30 Jun 2009 16:17:09 +0000 Bobbi Newman http://librarianbyday.net/?p=1516 I love the idea of an ebook reader, but I have problems with Amazon’s Kindle, foremost being price and inability to load my own content on without sending it through Amazon. I’ve been playing with the Sony Reader the last week or so but I don’t love it either. Since I want to love ebook readers I’m on the look out for anything that might improve them. The Cooler is an interesting venture in the market.  It’s sleeker and well, prettier, it comes in 8 colours including ruby red, vivid violet and hot pink, you can view jpg, pdf, txt, and mp3 files right to it yourself.  Its not without its problems, only one navigation buttons and books in the cooler store are more expensive than Amazon Kindle Books, although the selection seemed good.  Overall its compares to Sony’s version than Amazon’s. More Reviews: Cool-er eBook Reader Review Hands on: Cool-er eBook reader review Cool-er ebook reader: is this the iPod for books? Similar Posts: Wired Magazine Reviews 10 eReaders Why Amazon’s Lending Library is Not a Threat to Public Libraries Why I Chose Kindle]]>

I love the idea of an ebook reader, but I have problems with Amazon’s Kindle, foremost being price and inability to load my own content on without sending it through Amazon. I’ve been playing with the Sony Reader the last week or so but I don’t love it either. Since I want to love ebook readers I’m on the look out for anything that might improve them. The Cooler is an interesting venture in the market.  It’s sleeker and well, prettier, it comes in 8 colours including ruby red, vivid violet and hot pink, you can view jpg, pdf, txt, and mp3 files right to it yourself.  Its not without its problems, only one navigation buttons and books in the cooler store are more expensive than Amazon Kindle Books, although the selection seemed good.  Overall its compares to Sony’s version than Amazon’s.

More Reviews:

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