Description
Publishers, libraries, and content providers are navigating an e-book market that is trying to find it’s footing. Issues like sales, ownership, access, preservation, sharing, acquiring, and weeding are not universally defined. Questions around fair use and copyright are unsettled. All parties need to negotiate ways to sustain themselves economically and provide for their customers without sacrificing core values. This session will have publishers, librarians, and an e-book content provider conversing about e-books. We will also share thoughts on how to move this conversation forward. Publishers have developed a variety of models for providing access to e-books. Some offer DRM free e-books while others have many restrictions on their products. Some e-books can only be used a limited number of times, while other publishers fully transfer ownership to the library with the sale. Each of these models have advantages and drawbacks. Many libraries have promoted various ideas on what they want from e-books. Some libraries are looking into publishing. Others are joining together to advocate for standards. While all of these efforts have merits, there is not a clear single path forward. E-book content providers provide a platform for e-books from multiple publishers to be utilized by people through a wide variety of libraries. This service requires them to have a good understanding of the interests of both publishers and libraries. Publishers, libraries, and content providers need to engage each other in more conversations about e-books. While there are times when our interests compete there is also common ground. Clear expressions of priorities should be made in order to reduce misunderstandings and fears.
Start Date
18-3-2015 2:30 PM
End Date
18-3-2015 3:30 PM
Let’s Talk About E-Books: A Conversation Between Publishers and Librarians
Publishers, libraries, and content providers are navigating an e-book market that is trying to find it’s footing. Issues like sales, ownership, access, preservation, sharing, acquiring, and weeding are not universally defined. Questions around fair use and copyright are unsettled. All parties need to negotiate ways to sustain themselves economically and provide for their customers without sacrificing core values. This session will have publishers, librarians, and an e-book content provider conversing about e-books. We will also share thoughts on how to move this conversation forward. Publishers have developed a variety of models for providing access to e-books. Some offer DRM free e-books while others have many restrictions on their products. Some e-books can only be used a limited number of times, while other publishers fully transfer ownership to the library with the sale. Each of these models have advantages and drawbacks. Many libraries have promoted various ideas on what they want from e-books. Some libraries are looking into publishing. Others are joining together to advocate for standards. While all of these efforts have merits, there is not a clear single path forward. E-book content providers provide a platform for e-books from multiple publishers to be utilized by people through a wide variety of libraries. This service requires them to have a good understanding of the interests of both publishers and libraries. Publishers, libraries, and content providers need to engage each other in more conversations about e-books. While there are times when our interests compete there is also common ground. Clear expressions of priorities should be made in order to reduce misunderstandings and fears.