Friday, March 23, 2012

eBook Issues and Challenges Debrief

Chad Mairn, Chief Technology Officer, Novare Lib Services
  • ebooks are not new but the devices have recently swelled in popularity
  • libraries are about community, not books
  • 3rd party ebook vendors are expensive: lots of *stuff* involved...licensing, drm etc...worrisome that these vendors might move to direct to peeps model (like netflicks)
  • Douglas County Library has a home-grown system...shows big players that libs *can* do this on their own
  • over 50% of peeps purchase books due to being introduced to authors at the library
  • big training piece: um, yeah! Role of library staff to train users how to get the ebooks on their devices
  • libs need to understand econtent privacy issues, and how to explain to users
  • will tweet link to document about privacy...check it out
  • new advances: colour e-ink
  • libraries need to advocate for open access
  • most authors not motivated by money (esp text book authors)
Ken Roberts (Chief Lib: Hamilton PL)
  • desire for a discovery layer, to integrate material from a variety of sources in to the lib's opac: people just want the info
  • we don't organize hard copy material by publisher, so why should we organize e-stuff by publisher?! (don't have all the Simon and Schuster books together on the shelf!)
  • libs need to understand publishers needs (why they provide certain models)...libs need to present our evidence much better, and so do the vendors
  • check out mediasurfer...allows peeps to check out ipads and other devices (they are wiped / cleaned when returned)...nifty
  • need to think about what the ebook will become: graphic novels / apps / and more...need to plan for that
  • information is beautiful WOW! super cool! visual interpretations of data / info...appeals to visual learners (show it to G!)...and share with others (link on FB)...very nifty
Buffy Hamilton, Creekview High School
  • The Unquiet Librarian
  • k-12 perspective
  • (fabulous southern accent!)
  • experience with school kids: ereaders removed stumbling block of "wow that book is HUGE I could never read that!"
  • school administrators want to see data-driven results ...evidence-based is pervasive!
  • easy management of content is needed
  • there is no "one size fits all" solution
Matt Barnes, VP Marketing at eBrary
  • "questions I hear a lot"
  • ebooks at the intersection of people, business and tech
  • people: the human factor...how ebooks are used
  • money: the business factor...how ebooks are being bought/solc
  • progress: the tech factor

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