Now that Annual is behind us, I wanted to take a minute to thank all of you for your work on the task force these past eight months. With a broad charge and a short time frame, this group was able to focus on some key elements all of which will continue to receive attention within ALA and in the “next generation.”
ALA President, Molly Raphael, said,” The EQUACC committee has not been disbanded; it completed its work, in the timeframe specified in the Council resolution and reported in New Orleans. Task Forces are designed to perform certain tasks within a specified timeframe. We’re working on a plan to move forward on the TF recommendations (informed by the Council discussion in NOLA), which we’ll have ready on August 1, and will share with Council, as indicated we would during the EQUACC discussion. I will be working on appointing a standing working group on digital content which we hope to have in place in early September.”
I believe that there will be EQUACC representation on the group that will be formed. It is our work that laid the foundation for a new (or renewed) focus for the Association on the wide range of issues related to digital access. It is clear that the ALA leadership understands the urgency of the issues and intends to commit to seeing them through. This commitment is in no small way due to the discussions, blog posts, programs, and other work of the task force.
I also want to thank OITP for assigning Marijke and Carrie to the TF. They herded this diverse group and helped us make it happen. At times the ALA process is unwieldy, but they were key to keeping it and us on task.
I appreciate all your hard work.
Linda Crowe, Co-chair
[Read the final recommendations made to Council at Annual here (pdf)]
EQUACC is meeting tomorrow evening at the ALA Annual conference in New Orleans. This is your last minute chance to provide feedback or comments for the meeting. What messages are you sending out in a bottle from your library island? What resources, tools, information, etc. can EQUACC (or the OITP ebook task force) send back?
The International Coalition of Library Consortia and the Association of Research Libraries have joined in their opposition to a statement by the International Association of Scientific Technical and Medical Publishers which argues that interlibrary loan and document delivery in the digital environment should be severely limited…especially in the case of service to an individual. Library Journal has the scoop here.
OverDrive issued this press release today (June 15, 2011):
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OverDrive to Announce Solutions for Libraries to Meet Explosive Demand for eBooks
OverDrive WIN to simplify eBook lending and expand collections to create win-win-win for libraries, publishers, and readers
Cleveland, June 15, 2011 – As a result of unprecedented demand for eBooks, library directors, advocacy groups, and readers challenged leading eBook supplier OverDrive to find equitable and sustainable solutions to balance the interests of libraries and publishers. Key priorities for librarians include streamlined steps for customers to discover and borrow eBooks on a variety of platforms and devices, strong publisher support for library eBook lending programs, and additional options for digital book collections to meet the swell in demand.
Following a series of meetings with the Ohio Metro Library Directors, OverDrive will address these challenges by announcing a series of platform enhancements at the American Library Association (ALA) Annual Conference (booth #3326) in New Orleans, June 24-27, 2011.
Titled ‘OverDrive WIN,’ this update to the leading eBook and audiobook service for libraries will:
• Eliminate the need for librarians and readers to deal with various eBook file formats
• Reduce library staff time for collection development and help-desk support
• Offer support for Kindle Library Lending coming later this year, in addition to every major operating system, reading device, and mobile platform
• Add hundreds of thousands of in-copyright eBook and digital audiobook records with free “eBook Samples” for immediate access on reading devices and platforms
• Enable patron driven acquisition, an opt-in program that will allow readers to immediately borrow a title, recommend to a library, or ‘Want It Now’ from online booksellers
• Provide new ‘always available’ eBook collections for simultaneous access of romance, self-help, young adult, children, and other fiction materials
• Launch ‘Open eBook’ titles, free of DRM
“Like so many libraries around the globe, the nine Ohio metropolitan libraries have experienced unprecedented demand for eBooks, so it was essential for us to meet with OverDrive to discuss the future of eBook lending and to conceive new models that would benefit libraries and publishers,” said Pat Losinski, director of the Columbus Metropolitan Library and spokesperson for the Ohio Metro Library Directors group. “We entered this discussion with four main goals, and the solutions presented check every box for moving libraries forward in the eBook space,” he continued.
“Thanks to the collaboration of leading publishers and our library partners in Ohio and on the OverDrive Library Advisory Council, we’ve been able to develop go-forward solutions that can help meet the explosive demand for eBooks from public libraries,” said Steve Potash, president and CEO of OverDrive.
“Complete publisher eBook catalogs on ‘Virtual Branch’ websites—featuring all front, mid, and backlist titles in virtually every subject—will provide readers with the chance to discover and immediately sample tens of thousands of bestselling and popular eBook titles from their local library,” said Dan Stasiewski, OverDrive’s lead library advocate. “This, along with more simultaneous access collections and a patron driven acquisition model, will reinforce the library as the first stop for discovering and enjoying books, both online and off,” he added.
OverDrive will provide additional information on ‘OverDrive WIN’ platform enhancements on the OverDrive Digital Library Blog as they are launched. Information will also be posted on Facebook and Twitter.
About OverDrive
OverDrive is a leading multichannel digital distributor of eBooks, audiobooks, music, and video. We deliver secure management, DRM protection, and download fulfillment services for hundreds of publishers and thousands of libraries, schools, and retailers, serving millions of end users. OverDrive has been named to the EContent 100 as a company that matters most in the digital content industry. Founded in 1986, OverDrive is based in Cleveland, OH. www.overdrive.com
Contact:
David Burleigh
OverDrive, Inc.
216-573-6886 x218
dburleigh@overdrive.com
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Hathi Trust is a digital library by libraries for libraries, with a vast collection. It’s a collaborative project to build, curate, and preserve useful collections, and provide the best access available. Read much more here.
The Internet Archive is known for its mission of preserving the Internet. Now they have built a facility that can store 10 million print books as well.
A future digital library for America could be many things, and a new article lists some possible directions the Digital Public Library of America could take. Here’s your chance to submit your proposal for the project, but hurry—you only have until June 15.
A pricing war among the big guns of the book industry is causing pain at the checkout screen, but sprouting new opportunities for writers and readers, says an article in PC World. Lots of detail and statistics in this piece.