Thinking bigger about ebooks

Posted on by Jazzy Wright — No Comments ↓

Connecticut State Library

In an American Libraries article published today, Alan S. Inouye, director of the American Library Association’s Office for Information Technology Policy, reported on his participation in the Connecticut State Library’s Ebook Symposium, a one-day event where library and publishing experts explored the current state of ebook affairs and the future of ebook lending for libraries, publishers, and readers.

As a presenter at the statewide ebook conference, Inouye discussed the large number of challenges faced by libraries working to meet patron demands for ebooks, including concerns related to fair pricing, equitable access to ebook titles, digital preservation, privacy, digital rights management and accommodations for readers with limited vision.

Inouye writes:

My presentation provided a national view of library ebook challenges through the lens, naturally, of ALA’s work during the past several years. While we saw good progress in 2013 (having come from the depths of despair in 2012), the present state of library ebook lending is nonetheless not good. I talked about high prices as the paramount problem, though there are many other ones, including lack of availability to libraries of the full range of ebook titles and lack of full access by library consortia. Additionally, we also have concerns relating to archiving and preservation, privacy, accommodations for people with disabilities, among others.

It is essential that we think bigger. The publishing model itself is evolving from a simple linear progression of author to reader to a complex set of relationships in which nearly any entity could relate to another directly. For example, authors can work with libraries directly, or publishers can take on distribution or retailing operations. The library community needs to be creative and innovative in contemplating the models that will work best for us and our users.

Also on hand to comprise the publisher panel were Skip Dye, vice president of library and academic sales at Random House and Adam Silverman, director of digital business development at HarperCollins. This session produced the most heat for the symposium, as a couple of Connecticut librarians pointedly criticized high prices for library ebooks. Through subsequent informal discussion, I got the sense that this dissatisfaction resonated with the other attendees.

Read the full article

Tagged with: , , , ,
Posted in e-books, OITP, Public Libraries

School librarians supported in ConnectEDucators program

Posted on by Emily Sheketoff — No Comments ↓

A new program written into President Obama’s 2015 budget request includes professional development funding for school librarians, teachers and leaders who provide high-speed internet access to students. The Obama Administration requested that $200 million dollars be allocated to ConnectEDucators, a new initiative that will ensure that school professionals are well-prepared to use high-speed internet resources in a way that improves classroom instruction and student learning. The ConnectEDucators program is an extension of the Administration’s ConnectED initiative.

Roberto Rodriguez, special assistant to the President for Education Policy and the Domestic Policy Council, confirmed today that the Administration considers school libraries a vital component to student achievement. Rodriguez said that school librarians would qualify for professional development funds available from the ConnectEDucators program.

On a related note, President Obama’s budget requests funding support for school librarians through the Department of Education’s Race to the Top program. The Equity and Opportunity Program tasks the states and school districts in high poverty areas with providing ways to keep the best educators in their schools, and this would include school librarians.

Tagged with: , , , , ,
Posted in Digital Literacy, Funding, School Libraries

It may not be the Academy Award but there’s still time…

Posted on by Carrie Russell — No Comments ↓
Photo by mikebaudio via flickr.

Photo by mikebaudio via flickr.

The American Library Association’s Office for Information Technology Policy is accepting nominations for two prestigious awards. The first is the L. Ray Patterson Award: In Support of Users’ Rights. The Patterson Copyright Award recognizes contributions of an individual or group that pursues and supports the Constitutional purpose of the U.S. Copyright Law, fair use and the public domain. Professor Patterson was a copyright scholar and historian who argued that the statutory copyright monopoly had grown well out of proportion, to the extent that the purpose of the copyright law—to advance learning—was hindered.

Patterson co-authored (with Stanley W. Lindberg) The Nature of Copyright: A Law of Users’ Rights and was particularly interested in libraries and their role in advancing users rights. He served as expert counsel to Representative Bob Kastenmaier throughout the drafting of the Copyright Law of 1976. Previous winners of the Patterson Award include Kenneth D. Crews, Peter Jaszi, and Fred von Lohmann. The Patterson Award is a crystal vase trophy.

The second award is the Robert Oakley Memorial Scholarship Fund, sponsored in collaboration with the Library Copyright Alliance (LCA). This award is granted to an early-to-mid-career librarian who is pursuing copyright scholarship and public policy. Professor Oakley was a member of the LCA representing the American Association of Law Librarians, and a long-time member of the International Library Federation of Libraries Associations and Institutions (IFLA), advocating for libraries at the World Intellectual Property Organization and UNESCO.

Oakley was a recognized leader in law librarianship and library management who also maintained a profound commitment to public policy and the rights of library users and was a mentor to many librarians interested in copyright policy. The $1,000 scholarship award may be used for travel necessary to conduct, attend conferences, release from library duties or other reasonable and appropriate research expenses.

The deadline for nominations has been extended to March 31, 2014. For more information on nomination details, see the links above. If you have additional questions, contact Carrie Russell, OITP Director of the Program on Public Access to Information, at crussell@alawash.org.

Tagged with: , , , , , , ,
Posted in Copyright, OITP

15 Museums, Libraries Nominated National Medals

Posted on by Jazzy Wright — No Comments ↓

The Institute of Museum and Library Services recently nominated 15 exemplary libraries for National Medals for their service to their communities. In its 20th year, the National Medal is the nation’s highest honor conferred on libraries and museums, and celebrates institutions that make a difference for individuals, families, and communities.

This year’s honorees will come from a variety of library and museum institutions, including public libraries, cultural library centers and multiple county library systems.

The Institute of Museum and Library Services is encouraging those who have visited finalist libraries and museums to share their story on their Facebook page: www.facebook.com/USIMLS.

National Medal nominees include:

  • Pima County Public Library (Tucson, Ariz.)
  • Los Angeles Public Library (Los Angeles, Calif.)
  • Sacramento Public Library (Sacramento, Calif.)
  • Hartford Public Library (Hartford, Conn.)
  • Otis Library (Norwich, Conn.)
  • Athens-Clarke County Library (Athens, Ga.)
  • Chicago Public Library (Chicago, Ill.)
  • Booth Library (Eastern Illinois University) (Charleston, Ill.)
  • Cecil County Public Library (Elkton, Md.)
  • Yiddish Book Center (Amherst, Mass.)
  • Mid-Continent Public Library (Independence, Mo.)
  • Las Vegas-Clark County Library District (Las Vegas, Nev.)
  • Octavia Fellin Public Library (Gallup, N.M.)
  • Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, New York Public Library (New York, N.Y.)
  • Bertha Voyer Memorial Library (Honey Grove, Texas)
Tagged with: ,
Posted in Grants, OGR, Public Libraries

Federal library funding cut in proposed budget

Posted on by Emily Sheketoff — No Comments ↓

Today, President Barack Obama released his budget request for the 2015 fiscal year. The proposed budget for the Library Services and Technology Act falls $2 million short from the $180.9 million enacted by the U.S. Congress for the 2014 fiscal year. The big hit came to the state program, with slight increases to the set aside for Native Americans and Hawaiians and the National Leadership grants.

Statutory Authority FY 2010 FY 2011 FY 2012 FY 2013 FY 2014 Request FY 2014 Enacted FY 2015 Request
Grants to States 172,561 160,032 156,365 150,000 150,000 154,848 152,501
Native Am/Haw. Libraries 4,000 3,960 3,869 3,667 3,869 3,861 3,869
Nat. Leadership / Libraries 12,437 12,225 11,946 11,377 13,200 12,200 12,232
Laura Bush 21st Century 24,525 12,818 12,524 10,000 10,000 10,000 10,000
Subtotal, LSTA 213,523 189,035 184,704 175,044 177,069 180,909 178,602

(View the full chart on the budget cuts from IMLS.)

On a conference call with stakeholders, Institute of Museum and Library Services Director Susan Hildreth discussed the Laura Bush 21st Century grants programs, saying that her agency is working on a National Continuing Education Platform so library employees can continue their education around new services and technologies.

On a disappointing note, the President did not include any resources for school libraries.

Please be on the lookout for an action alert from the Washington Office regarding several “Dear Appropriator” letters that your legislators can sign in support of these programs.

Tagged with: , , , ,
Posted in Funding, OGR, Public Libraries, School Libraries

Categories

Authors for Library Ebooks

Meta