American Libraries: What's In Store for eBooks

American Libraries has interviewed four experts in the eBook area, speculating on the future of eBooks (and print) in retail and in libraries:  Andrew Albanese, James LaRue, Michael Shatzkin, and Maja Thomas.

We at RF would have liked to see somebody from DPLA, ALA's DCWG, Library Simplified--or perhaps RF itself :-) --included on the panel. Someone active in libraries today, with a stake in the game, would have been a good addition. Still, the article is wide-ranging, thoughtful, and well worth a look. Covering the potential and problems raised by Indie publishing, the importance of libraries in the market, and the need for innovation, the panelists hit on vital points:  http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/2016/01/04/whats-store-ebooks/

RF wishes to thank Mr. Albanese for these words:  

"It would be a mistake to accept the current restrictions on library eBook lending as the way things have to be. For example, I don’t see any reason why a library should not be able to buy ebooks like they buy print books, and at the same prices. To me, there is virtually no difference between a print book and a copy of a digital book that is locked down and can be read by only one user at a time. And I have yet to hear a compelling argument otherwise."

"Amazon and Netflix are redefining consumer expectations for accessing digital content, and libraries cannot allow themselves to settle on a plateau of mediocrity. I understand the fear and caution that came with the early days of digital. But publishers and libraries are invested in the same things. Together, they should form a bulwark against companies whose innovation in the short term comes with a price in the long term."

Despite recent gains in access to content, today's library eBook experience is still inadequate to support robust reading. The wait for content, coupled with that same content's inexpensiveness to consumers, provides only the mediocrity Albanese fears. Why wait for a title from the library when it can be had so cheaply, instantly, elsewhere? While carefully choosing titles of local interest by local authors is a laudable goal, will our readers flock to get the latest Indie, library curated eContent? It's time for a change to multiple pricing models on the content most readers want, subscriptions with simultaneous user access for libraries, and a technologically simplified reading experience. In 2016, we hope more libraries will join ReadersFirst in saying so.  You have nothing to lose but your readers.

Michael Blackwell, St Mary's County Library

A Study on Digital Content in Public Libraries

ReadersFirst Members and all pubic librarians will likely be interested in the results of a Joint ALA/Book Industry Study Group,  Digital Content in Public Libraries: What Do Patrons Think?

"The results of this survey are available in an exhaustive, 85-page PDF report, compiled by Jim Milliot of Publishers Weekly, or as an executive summary (free to BISG and ALA members; email info@bisg.org for your discount code)."

Well worth a look.  Check it out!

Penguin Random House's New Price Model . . . is it really good for us?

On December 3rd, Penguin Random House announced January 1 2016 implementation of perpetual access for library eBook titles: Publisher’s Weekly notes “Currently, Penguin e-books are licensed to libraries with a one-year expiration date, and priced close to consumer prices. Going forward, all Penguin Random House e-books will be sold under the same perpetual access license terms—which means no cap on the number of loans—although, with higher prices ranging from just under $20 per title to a newly set maximum of $65. The $65 cap, however, is a reduction from the current Random House cap in the U.S. of $85 per title ($95 in Canada). Penguin Random House sales to libraries will continue to be handled exclusively by library wholesalers” (http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/68838-penguin-random-house-unifies-e-book-terms-for-libraries.html).

ALA President Sari Feldman has responded “Libraries will be pleased that the combined Penguin Random House license will ensure perpetual access to e-titles, and all will be glad the previous ceiling of $85 per title has been reduced,” said ALA President Sari Feldman. “But I also know many of my colleagues will miss the flexibility of paying near-consumer prices for e-copies they may not wish to maintain indefinitely, and some will be unable to afford to provide access to the ebooks their communities seek” (http://americanlibrariesmagazine.org/blogs/e-content/ala-responds-penguin-random-house-ebook-licensing-announcement/)

ReadersFirst suggests Ms. Feldman is on target but suggests something further. Thanks, Sari, for being a cogent voice for libraries! For SOME titles, perpetual access is nice. But in a library environment in which yesterday’s must-have 50 Shades is today’s must weed, and in which access and not ownership is all that matters, perpetual access isn’t the only consideration. Penguin Random, how about keeping a low cost/limited circ option on ALL your titles PLUS the new option? Offering options isn't too complex for us. We can figure it out. Yes, we’ll pay more for some perpetual access titles, but still keep buying other titles which we may not want perpetually at a more favorable rate.  You’ll make money. Likely you'll even sell more books that readers have tasted through libraries. We’ll give access to more titles at the same budget to our readers. And for us, it’s always Readers First.

Michael Blackwell, St Mary’s County Library, for RF  

Getting a handle on self-published eBooks

EBooks have had a profound effect on libraries in many ways, not only the need to provide support to patrons but also in publishing trends and how we track/acquire titles. Self-publishing is nothing new, but the ease with which eBooks are put out (compared to print) has caused this market to boom.  For librarians, the sheer amount of titles is a bit of a nightmare, challenging how we acquire and promote content. Libraries are still coming to grips with the ramifications. Shelf space is no limitation if we are linking to titles "in the cloud." (Many available for simultaneous access and no DRM!) But how do we know what’s "good"?  Is any of it good? Are there local authors we might want to promote in any case? For what, if anything, should we consider preserving/archiving access?

LJ and BiblioBoard have released Self-e Select (cute name, eh?) to try to help discover good self-published content.  Here's what they have to say:  Libraries have struggled for years to find an efficient and easy way to make ebooks available from local authors. SELF-e is the solution to this problem. Some of the top library systems in the country are using it in innovative ways to serve their communities and help local writers get recognition. We provide a turn-key technology for simple author submissions, plus promotional materials and marketing support to help you take full advantage of the service.

Look here for more info on a trial, who is using Self-e, and how it might help libraries:  http://self-e.libraryjournal.com/libraries/

ReadersFirst is not at this time endorsing Self-e, but we like the effort to expand access to simultaneously accessible content and to discover new authors.  Libraries need to be relevant in an increasingly digital world, as well as discover and promote local content, and this tool might help.  Check it out and post back what you think!

Michael Blackwell for ReadersFirst

A Trend for Libraries to Keep In Mind

As many in the library world have predicted for some time, that Swiss Army Knife of devices, the mobile phone, will displace the dedicated eReader. It's a trend to keep in mind as we promote reading of library eBooks. See this article in WSJ for a discussion.

Michael Blackwell for ReadersFirst

OverDrive Adopts a ReadersFirst Suggestion

When OverDrive released the update to their app last Fall, ReadersFirst liked moving away from the need for Adobe authorization for ePub titles but had reservations about the need for readers to provide a personal email to authorize the app. Our Working Group entered discussions with OverDrive, suggesting the possible use of readers’ library card numbers instead of emails. We are pleased to see that OverDrive has adopted our suggestion. At ALA, they explained library card numbers would be an option in their new and forthcoming platform. It is a win for library eBook Readers and for libraries. We appreciate OverDrive's responsiveness.

Use of the library card number to authorize apps or otherwise use eBooks offers many benefits:

·         It offers a small measure of privacy and anonymity in a world in which both are increasingly scarce, fitting in with libraries’ concern for patron rights.

·         No functionality is lost: Readers may still provide an email for necessary transactions, such as obtaining holds, with less concern about how their email addresses and personal reading habits are being used or tracked

·         It foregrounds the library as the provider of all content and offers fewer accounts for library users to remember

ReadersFirst calls upon all vendors to provide the option of authorization through library card number, especially via API working across systems. The technological hurdles, if any, can be cleared today using readily available means. A future in which readers could visit their libraries’ catalogs or apps, enter a library card number once, and enjoy access to all eContent across all platforms on all devices without once leaving the virtual "home" library is attractive in its simplicity and respect for readers’ time and privacy.

Michael Blackwell for the ReadersFirst Working Group

End of the Books for The Nook?

Nate Hoffelder has posted for The Digital Reader.com that Barnes & Noble is closing the International Book Store.  He continues by speculating what might happen.  Will B&N sell their eBook platform? Will they simply eliminate the Nook and its online store completely? Would Nook find a buyer--possibly Microsoft or Kobo?

Thanks for the news, Nate! 

ReadersFirst has no stake in the fate of the Nook (or any other individual device), but would like to remind library readers that their Nook devices will continue to work with most library provided eBooks, even if B&N stops all support. If the plug gets pulled, libraries will still be there for you.  Ask at your public library for help.

Michael Blackwell for ReadersFirst  

Library Simplified: Let's Just Read

"What if libraries could offer their books only through locations outsourced to for-profit vendors? And what if patrons had to go to different locations to find the collections purchased from each vendor?

Then, before reading, what if users had to navigate a complex registration process that could take well over an hour and create user accounts with the for-profit providers, who then try to sell them books while they browse for something to borrow?"

These provocative questions begin "Click, Click, Read," an article in American Libraries. James English and Micah May discuss Library Simplified, a library-owned delivery channel that promises to streamline how readers get eBooks from their libraries. If readers could get content from their libraries directly from their library from different eBook vendors in three clicks or less, they argue, the library eBook experience would be enhanced.

The article is very much worth a read. Check it out here.

ReadersFirst looks forward to the growth of Library Simplified and encourages all libraries to consider improving their readers' eBook experience by use of it.

Note:  Micah May and James English are members of the ReadersFirst Working Group but did not write or encourage this post. 

Michael Blackwell for the Readers First Working Group  

Canadian Libraries For Fair eBook Pricing

Toronto Public Library has launched an ebook advocacy campaign in collaboration with the Canadian Library Association, the Canadian Urban Libraries Council, and the Ontario Library Association. Many large public libraries in Canada have been working hard on these efforts and support the campaign. Here is the link to the press release where we announce that the Canadian Public Libraries for Fair Ebook Pricing is a coalition to raise public awareness of the high prices and other terms that the Big Five publishers impose on public libraries: http://torontopubliclibrary.typepad.com/news_releases/2015/06/fair-ebook-prices-are-long-overdue-.html

We want as many people as possible to visit fairpricingforlibraries.org to learn about this issue and spread the word on social media.

As background, like everyone else, we have been advocating for public library access to eBooks since 2010. Now we have great access to content, so we have turned our attention to high prices and unreasonable terms and conditions. We are advocating that the current pricing models are not sustainable. Public libraries need a range of pricing options and terms to allow libraries of all sizes to develop diverse collections of varying size, range and focus.

We have been in communication with ALA’s Digital Content Working Group to keep them informed of what we are doing, sharing information and collaborating.

All the best,

Vickery Bowles

City Librarian, Toronto Public Library

Rakuten/Overdrive Deal

A ReadersFirst Response to the Rakuten/OverDrive Deal

On behalf of our more than 300 signatory libraries that offer eBooks, the ReadersFirst working group is monitoring news related to the $410 million sale of Overdrive to Rakuten.

The official announcement and a letter from Overdrive CEO Steve Potash have been posted here on Infodocket by Gary Price.

Steve Potash’s letter states: “I am very excited about the new technologies, content, and innovations we expect to bring to our library partners and your readers as a result of this transaction.” He adds, “This change in ownership will not affect our commitment to . . . supporting all popular devices and apps,  . . .  open industry standards, deep library integration, and other industry best practices [and] . . . reader privacy, library branding and control of lending policies, and local curation of your digital collections.”

We have a stake as a group, as well as individually, in the acquisition of OverDrive by Rakuten, and we are concerned about potential negative outcomes to service for our users. We appreciate Mr. Potash’s comments and hope that Overdrive is able to maintain his commitments. The promises of increased content (“work closely with Kobo . . . to add eBooks from their vast supply network of international publishers and content providers”) and greater service for our Canadian library partners are certainly welcome.

 ReadersFirst would appreciate the following commitments from OverDrive on behalf of our member libraries:

• That OverDrive will put the needs of library eBook readers first as they respond to changes in the eBook marketplace: licensing all available content to libraries rather than offering titles for individual purchase only, working with libraries to improve their users’ eContent experience, and advocating for libraries to receive as fair a deal as possible from content providers.
• That OverDrive will continue to recognize our need to present the library as the primary providers of eContent, as they have through the provision of APIs
• That our readers will maintain access to eBooks in all formats for all devices.

While Kindle Fire users have other format options, countless users of Kindle eInk devices in the United States rely upon libraries for content.  If our users lose that access, Overdrive will have lost a competitive advantage in the United States. ReadersFirst working group members have observed speculation that Kindle users could be affected by Rakuten’s acquisition of OverDrive, such as Joseph Esposito’s comment on The Scholarly Kitchen: “OverDrive has an arrangement with Amazon in place. Look for that to disappear as soon as the contract’s term is up.”

ReadersFirst looks forward to the opportunities that Rakuten’s relationship with Kobo represents. We support improved access to library content on Kobo devices through apps, referred to by Steve Potash in PCWorld’s article about the acquisition. In addition, many of our partner libraries would like to lend devices to patrons pre-loaded with eBooks, but current license restrictions impede this practice. ReadersFirst and its partner libraries see potential for this relationship to result in easier access for less experienced users to legitimately purchased library content. We encourage OverDrive to leverage this new relationship to improve library eBook service by helping us to facilitate the lending of pre-loaded eBook readers.

Change in the eBook market is inevitable, and we at ReadersFirst know that market forces will be at work as we strive to provide our users with seamless access to a wide variety of content at fair rates. We look forward to the ways that the sale of OverDrive, which has built itself upon our libraries’ readers, will improve our readers’ choices and access.