Where print books still beat ebooks?

Apparently at the public library. Washington Post reported on Saturday on the growing lines (e-lines?) for ebooks in libraries, where the supply is far from meeting the demand.

"Want to take out the new John Grisham? Get in line. As of Friday morning, 288 people were ahead of you in the Fairfax County Public Library system, waiting for one of 43 copies. You’d be the 268th person waiting for “The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo,” with 47 copies. And the Steve Jobs biography? Forget it. The publisher, Simon & Schuster, doesn’t make any of its digital titles available to libraries."

Another problem is that publishers still don't make many books available to libraries. Why? The article explains that "wary of piracy and the devastation it has caused the music and film industries, Penguin recently put its new e-book titles off-limits. Like Simon & Schuster, Macmillan doesn’t make its e-book content available to libraries. And last year, HarperCollins announced that it would require libraries to renew licenses for e-books after 26 checkouts, outraging some librarians."

I guess this balance of power will change eventually, but at least for now, the print book is still the king of the public library!

To read more of this interesting article, click here -As demand for e-books soars, libraries struggle to stock their virtual shelves.

To read more news and updates on ebook lending please visit our ebook lending webpage.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Plant a tree for every book you read!

Why HarperCollins decision to limit their ebook lending will not help their ebook sales

HarperCollins announced last week that new titles licensed from library ebook vendors will be able to circulate only 26 times before the license expires. This is the first time a publisher is restricting the use of e-books in libraries - so far, as the NYT explained yesterday, libraries that have paid for the privilege of making a publisher’s e-books available for borrowing have typically been granted the right to lend an e-book an unlimited number of times. What it means for many libraries.

HarperCollins explained in a statement they " believe this change balances the value libraries get from our titles with the need to protect our authors and ensure a presence in public libraries and the communities they serve for years to come."

HarperCollins clearly wants to limit sure ebook lending so it won't jeopardize its ebook sales, but are they taking the right step? At least from a business point of view, I believe the answer is No.

HarperCollins are definitely right that it's much easier to borrow an ebook than a paper book - you don't even have to go to the library. Many times you can just go to your library's website and get the requested ebook in a minute or two without leaving your chair for a second. This convenience is observed by HarperCollins as a threat to their ebook business - if it's so easy, wouldn't a growing number of people choose to do it instead of buying the ebook?

The answer is probably Yes, but the problem of HaperCollins is that they can't stop it by limiting the number of times libraries can loan their ebooks.

Why? Because libraries are not the only ones lending ebooks. With both the Nook and the Kindle providing the option to borrow and lend ebooks for two weeks, we see a growing number of websites that provide convenient platform for readers to exchange ebooks. Today you have websites such as BookLending.com, Books for My Kindle, Books for My Nook and eBookFling.com (not operating yet), where you can borrow and lend ebooks easily and for free.

Now, I'm not sure if HarperCollins' restrictions will apply also to individual lending, but even if this is the case, with a growing number of exchange platforms and users, these restrictions will become meaningless. You can stop tens of thousands of libraries, but you can't stop millions of ebook readers that would like to borrow and lend books to each other.

The bottom line is that HarperCollins not only made libraries rightfully angry, but to my opinion also made a poor decision from a business point of view. If they want to increase their ebook sales, they need to look for real creative marketing ideas and forget about limiting the lending options of their ebooks.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Save Our Libraries Day in the UK against coalition plans to close 450 libraries

Last Saturday was Save Our Libraries Day in the UK with more than 100 protest events where librarians, writers, and readers stormed local branches to protest the government’s possible plans to close 400 libraries.

The events, as The Bookseller reported, included read-ins, storytelling events, workshops and gigs.

The 400 libraries might be closed due to budget cuts, and these are bad news not only to book lovers, but for everyone who appreciate valuable public services and spaces such as libraries. As a son of a librarian I'm really sorry to hear these news and I hope this protests will be heard on Downing Street and help saving these libraries from closing down.

A crowd of around 100 gathered at Holyrood, Edinburgh to read sections of their favorite books. See the Guardian's video below:



Here's also a cartoon protest against spending cuts (Photograph: Ros Asquith):



We keep our fingers crossed, hoping this fight will succeed and will let you know once we'll have more updates about it.

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

Celebrating the National Library Week: An interview with a librarian (and my mother)

This week (April 11-17) we're celebrating the National Library Week, an annual celebration of the contributions of our nation's libraries and librarians.

I wrote here many times how much love libraries and definitely a big part of it is due to the fact that my mother is a librarian. I interviewed her two years ago in celebration of this occasion, and I thought it would be appropriate to repost it in honor of this week and all of the librarians around the globe, including my mother who is doing it with a lot of love for the last 29 years!

Hi mom - how many years do you work as a librarian?

29 Years [updated to 2010, r.g.]

How much have libraries changed during these 29 years? when did you enjoy it more - now or back then?

The work of a librarian today is more technocratic because of the greater availability of information and also because computers takes a bigger part of the librarian's work. Personally, I enjoyed more the kind of work we did back then in the old days..

What do you think is the most important part in the work of librarians?

Good contact with the people who come to the library, which I think encourages reading, knowledge - you have to stay up to date with the latest books, and of course to read, read and read.

What do you like most and what do you like less in your work?

like to read books and recommend those that I liked. I don't like to lending DVDs and see that they get more and more popular at the expense of books.

What's more fun - working with grown ups or children?

Both - with the nice ones in both groups :-)

Do children really read more because of the Harry Potter series?

I don't feel that the series made a significant change. It also looks to me that kids are much less enthusiastic about the last book comparing with the first one.

How libraries fit in the 21st century digital world?

We will see more computerization of libraries that will influence many processes - registration, ordering books, the online connection between libraries that allows to 'import' a book from another library when you don't have it in your own, etc.

We already see more and more libraries with their own websites and online catalogs, which for example enable readers to check out at home what new books arrived to the library.

When you look 29 years backwards, if you could have choose again what would you like to do back then, would it be to work as a librarian?

Probably yes.

And finally, what do you think of Eco-Libris?
I think it's a great combination between the world of books and ecology, which emphasize the value of conservation of trees, which are disappearing from our globe at an alarming rate.

Thanks mom! and greetings to all the librarians that will celebrate the National Library Week.

And one last recommendation - check out the the most amazing libraries in America on Huffington Post. It's indeed amazing!

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Eco-Libris: Promoting sustainable reading!

National Library Week: An interview with a librarian (and my mother)

Next Sunday (April 13) begins the National Library Week, a national observance sponsored by the American Library Association (ALA) and libraries. As the ALA site says "it is a time to celebrate the contributions of our nation's libraries and librarians and to promote library use and support."

I love libraries and I thought that in celebration of the National Libary Week it would be great to interview a librarian for this blog. I didn't think twice and called my mom. Yep, my mother, Nava Godelnik, is a librarian in Israel for the last 27 years. Luckily, she agreed to answer my questions :-)

Hi mom - how many years do you work as a librarian?

27 Years

How much have libraries changed during these 27 years? when did you enjoy it more - now or back then?

The work of a librarian today is more technocratic because of the greater availability of information and also because computers takes a bigger part of the librarian's work. Personally, I enjoyed more the kind of work we did back then in the old days..

What do you think is the most important part in the work of librarians?

Good contact with the people who come to the library, which I think encourages reading, knowledge - you have to stay up to date with the latest books, and of course to read, read and read.

What do you like most and what do you like less in your work?

like to read books and recommend those that I liked. I don't like to lending DVDs and see that they get more and more popular at the expense of books.

What's more fun - working with grown ups or children?

Both - with the nice ones in both groups :-)

Do children really read more because of the Harry Potter series?

I don't feel that the series made a significant change. It also looks to me that kids are much less enthusiastic about the last book comparing with the first one.

How libraries fit in the 21st century digital world?

We will see more computerization of libraries that will influence many processes - registration, ordering books, the online connection between libraries that allows to 'import' a book from another library when you don't have it in your own, etc. We already see more and more libraries with their own websites and online catalogs, which for example enable readers to check out at home what new books arrived to the library.

When you look 27 years backwards, if you could have choose again what would you like to do back then, would it be to work as a librarian?

Probably yes.

And finally, what do you think of Eco-Libris?

I think it's a great combination between the world of books and ecology, which emphasize the value of conservation of trees, which are disappearing from our globe at an alarming rate.

Thanks mom! and greetings to all the librarians that will celebrate the National Library Week next week (April 13-19). For more information on this week, please check ALA website (and especially this fact sheet).

Yours,
Raz @ Eco-Libris

Plant trees with Eco-Libris!

reading and planting this summer in the UK

We read an interesting story on thisischeshire.co.uk and Hippyshopper (a great website - very recommended!) about The Big Wild Read - a program that encourages children in the UK to go the libraries and read books through the summer holidays.

The program is running this summer for the ninth time and is aimed at 4-11 year olds kids all over the UK. According to the article "Children are challenged to read six or more books, spurred on by a range of free incentives and activities."

Not only that, but the program is also a call to action for children to make a positive difference to the environment, and trees are been planted for every book the children read, via a partnership with the Woodland Trust's Tree for All campaign. Their target, according to the program's website, is to plant 20,000 new trees this summer.

What a great program - gives children incentives to read, gives them the opportunity to take the books from the library, and also gives them an important lesson on the need to go green by planting trees for the books they read.

Now, with Jamie Oliver taking care of their healthy school dinners and programs like this, it seems that children in the UK are greener and healthier than ever.

More information on the Big Wild Read can be found here.

Raz

The picture above is from the Big Wild Read website.