The End of Library Ownership?

Library Futures is hosting a discussion of a The End of Ownership:

Monday, February 22 @ 4PM ET

Do we own the digital goods we buy? In The End of Ownership: Personal Property in the Digital Economy, legal scholars Jason Schultz and Aaron Perzanowski explore the meaning of ownership in the age of the end user license agreement.

The tour de force has been called “a lively must read” and “excellent, enraging, eye-opening” by Ars Technica and Cory Doctorow.

Digital ownership is particularly important for libraries. As library services increasingly move online, significant collections have become inaccessible, unaffordable, or worse, subject to limitations striking at the ability for a library to loan books to patrons.

In this discussion, learn about the unique challenges facing libraries in the digital space, how to unlock a library’s “superpower,” and how you can join us in the ongoing fight for the right to lend.

The authors will be joined by Kyle K. Courtney (Harvard University and Fair Use Week founder) and Meredith Rose (Senior Policy Council, Public Knowledge)

It’s free and should be interesting. Register here.

Myth Busting: Controlled Digital Lending

The Internet Archive and Library Futures have announced a joint webinar:

“[T]his webinar will address the most commonly repeated myths about controlled digital lending, countering misinformation and disinformation about the library practice now in use by hundreds of libraries to provide digital book lending to millions of students, scholars and library patrons.

Especially at a time when countless school, public and college libraries are closed, understanding the realities about libraries and digital lending has never been more important.

Attendees will hear from authors, librarians, copyright specialists, and policy experts as they respond to the common misconceptions about libraries, digital book lending, copyright and controlled digital lending.”

Register here.

Mythbusting Panelists include:

• Kyle K. Courtney, Harvard Library

• Sandra Enimil, Yale University Library

• Dave Hansen, Duke University Libraries

• Jill Hurst-Wahl, Professor of Practice

• Andrea Mills, Internet Archive

• Jennie Rose Halperin, Library Futures

• Brianna Scholfield, Authors Alliance

• Michelle Wu, Professor of Law

• Tucker Taylor, Circulation Librarian

Now that’s an impressive panel. RF encourages attendance. [Disclosure: RF is a coalition partner with Library Futures.]

The DPLA Exchange Expands Offerings

Micah May, Director of Ebooks Services for the Digital Public Library of American, has announced an increase in ebooks and digital audiobook offerings and the number of publishers offering its three flexible licensing models. RF notes with interest the expansion in offerings for the Big 5 and hopes some of the might adopt the flexible offerings, which greatly improve libraries’ ability to offer content efficiently. Notable for its absence among the Big 5 is Penguin Random House. RF looks forward to a day when PRH might also work with DPLA and hopes it might be soon.

“I am pleased to share that you now can find more than half a million ebooks and audiobooks from over 1,000 publishers on the newly redesigned DPLA Exchange, the only library-owned ebook and audiobook marketplace.

Our offering includes titles from publishers like Hachette, Harper Collins, Macmillan, and Simon and Schuster as well as hundreds of mid-sized and independent publishers.

Notably, ebooks from many of these publishers, including Workman, Abrams, and dozens of independent publishers like Dreamspinner Press, JMS, Funstory, and Arcadia, are available with up to three flexible licensing options that are unique to the DPLA Exchange: 40 lends with up to 10 concurrent; unlimited one-at-a-time; or 5 concurrent loans at ¼ the price. We believe that these flexible licensing models really set the DPLA Exchange apart from other providers, and allow libraries to truly maximize access for their patrons.

Earlier this year, we launched audiobooks on the DPLA Exchange, and that offering has already grown to more than 25,000 titles. We recently added MacMillan Audio, MacMillan Young Listeners, and Behind the Wheel.

In addition, the DPLA Exchange offers seamless integration with DPLA’s Open Bookshelf collection of 10,000 (and growing!) free, high-quality ebooks curated by our Curation Corps of volunteer librarians from across the country.

You can find out more about the DPLA Exchange here or start browsing titles. Please feel free to get in touch with any questions. In the meantime, I hope you’ll join us tomorrow, January 27th, at 3 pm ET for a free webinar, Simply E and Digital Resource Solutions for the Second Wave, presented with EveryLibrary Institute. You can find more information and register here. “

Library Futures Launches

Library Futures, a new non-profit, has launched, championing “the right to equitable access to knowledge” and seeking “to empower libraries to take control of their digital futures.” {Disclosure: the ReadersFirst Working Group is listed as a supporting organization on their website.]

Here is a press release dated 1/25/2021:

Library Futures Institute, a new 501(c)(3) that will empower libraries to take control of their digital futures and fight for the right to equitable access to knowledge, launched this week with a social media campaign celebrating a technology-positive vision for libraries.

Focused on six core principles that champion the rights of libraries to lend materials in a digital environment, Library Futures will enable libraries to fulfill their mission, providing non-discriminatory open access to culture for the public good. Through advocacy, grant making, education, and community, the organization will respond to 21st century needs, operate at the speed of change, and level the playing field between publishers and the public.  

In coalition with organizations including Authors Alliance, Boston Public Library, Creative Commons, EveryLibrary, Fight for the Future, Internet Archive, Public Knowledge, Readers First, SPARC, and the Special Libraries Association, this public interest alliance seeks to enable collective action while building power through an innovative advocacy organization. “We need Library Futures now more than ever to organize the voices of librarians to fight for the role of libraries as a public resource for information in the digital age,” says Chris Lewis, President and CEO of Public Knowledge. 

“I am very excited to be a part of Library Futures. This organization is poised to make real change at issues I care about deeply - issues that are challenging libraries today - access and equity,” says Kyle K. Courtney, Copyright Advisor and Program Manager at the Harvard Library Office for Scholarly Communication and Chair of the Library Futures Board. “Digital library books—when loaned correctly—can be a pivotal tool libraries use to preserve great works, provide patrons with access to books, and defend patron privacy. I hope the community will join us in standing up for the future of libraries.”

“I am honored to be leading this organization, which will take on major issues in libraries and help usher in a more inclusive digital future for teachers, learners, and researchers from every walk of life,” says Jennie Rose Halperin, Executive Director.

The campaign can be reshared from the Library Futures social media accounts: Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, and inquiries regarding press, coalition partners, donations, or volunteer opportunities can be directed to jennie@libraryfutures.net.

Please visit the Library Futures website at https://libraryfutures.net, sign up for the mailing list, and stay tuned for future developments and opportunities.

RF notes substantial overlap in mission with Library Futures and looks forward to joint action for the good of libraries.

CORE Consortial EBook Interest Group Meeting

Forwarding a message from Group Member Steve Spohn.

 With apologies for cross posting, I wanted to invite you all to the upcoming meeting of the Ebooks Interest Group in our new home in ALA’s new Core Division.  All who are interested in the intersection between libraries and ebooks are welcome.  ALA membership is not required though we certainly welcome new members as well!

February 2

1 to 2 pm ET / 12 - 1 pm CT / 11 - 12 pm MT / 10 - 11 am PT

 At the meeting, we’ll have updates on your favorite ebook projects, a sneak peek at something new and a discussion about our focus in the coming years.

P.S.  Everyone is welcome and encouraged to join us in this interest group.  You just need a free ALA Connect account to get setup if you aren’t already an ALA member:

https://connect.ala.org/core/communities/community-home?CommunityKey=c2a719fe-4059-402c-8b08-10f3b81ebb68

Register here:

https://ala-events.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJwpcu6rrzkpHtxJzcj-MVyPBAW9KGNmInYJ

 All my best,

Steve

Co-convener, Core Ebooks Interest Group

Alan Inouye's ALA Public Policy and Advocacy Developments 1/18/21

Thanks to Alan Inouye, ALA Senior Director, Public Policy & Government Relations, for sharing:

Upcoming Sessions at 2021 ALA Virtual Midwinter Meeting & Exhibits (registration closes on Tuesday, 1/19):

A special conversation with ALA President and Senator Jack Reed [Saturday, 3:40 - 4:00 p.m., central]

https://www.eventscribe.net/2021/ALA-Midwinter/fsPopup.asp?Mode=presInfo&PresentationID=835698&query=jack%20reed

ALA Closing Session Speaker: Dr. Jill Biden [Monday, 11:15 a.m. to Noon, central]

https://www.eventscribe.net/2021/ALA-Midwinter/fsPopup.asp?Mode=presInfo&PresentationID=802554&query=biden

Navigating Advocacy in a Virtual World [on-demand]

https://www.eventscribe.net/2021/ALA-Midwinter/fsPopup.asp?Mode=presInfo&PresentationID=806258&query=advocacy

New Directions from State and Federal Policy Makers. Maximize your Influence!  [on-demand]

https://www.eventscribe.net/2021/ALA-Midwinter/fsPopup.asp?Mode=presInfo&PresentationID=806260

Libraries Build Business Lunch & Learn: Project Update [on-demand]

https://www.eventscribe.net/2021/ALA-Midwinter/fsPopup.asp?Mode=presInfo&PresentationID=806256

Rep. Andy Levin on tour at Clinton-Macomb Public Library (Michigan)

https://twitter.com/RepAndyLevin/status/1349075926966013954

https://twitter.com/RepAndyLevin/status/1349033144767315971

$5 million increase for IMLS in FY21 budget

https://twitter.com/LibraryPolicy/status/1341502162552172544

ALA joined AFSCME, AFT, NEA, SEIU, and other public interest groups in a letter to the incoming Biden-Harris Administration to urge federal aid to state and local governmental entities be included in Covid-19 relief and recovery bills.

https://twitter.com/AlanSInouye/status/1351105840934227968

https://www.afscme.org/blog/as-biden-harris-take-over-afscme-renews-calls-for-federal-aid-for-public-services?utm_content=bufferdf77f&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

OMB expanded eligibility for discounted fees for FOIA requests from "teachers or students" to "faculty, staff, or students"--thus including librarians. ALA filed comments with AALL and ARL.

https://twitter.com/AlanSInouye/status/1346029849488588804

"Food, Shelter, and the Public Library" by Sari Feldman, in Publishers Weekly

https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/libraries/article/85277-food-shelter-and-the-public-library.html

Op-ed on the formerly incarcerated and how libraries help them re-enter society, by Alan Inouye and Emily Mooney (R Street Institute)

https://twitter.com/LibraryPolicy/status/1344089628140318726

https://alansinouye.medium.com/how-libraries-enable-reentry-post-incarceration-and-tend-to-public-health-needs-ce312289108b

DPLA Presents "SimplyE and Digital Resource Solutions for the Second Wave"

Or Friends at the Digital Public Library of America have posted news of a webinar

Date: Wednesday, January 27, at 3 pm ET

We are teaming up with EveryLibrary Institute to present this free webinar about how SimplyE can help libraries maximize access to ebooks. The webinar will include insights from our partners at Alameda County Library and Brooklyn Public Library about how they are using SimplyE to improve the patron experience. Please register here.

Join to learn more about “The One App to Rule Them All.”

Maryland Joins New York and Rhode Island in Digital Legislation

HB518 has dropped in the Maryland Legislative Session, joining previous bills from New York and Rhode Island “Requiring a publisher who offers to license an electronic book to the public to also offer to license the book to public libraries in the State on reasonable terms that would enable public libraries to provide library users with access to the electronic book; requiring the license terms authorizing public libraries to provide access to electronic books to include certain limitations and measures.”

The New York and Rhode Island bills were not acted on last year because of the onslaught of the COVID virus. They may be resurfaced this year. The Maryland bill is new this year.

None of these bills are “anti-publisher.” We in libraries don’t wish to do down the starving artist, emerging from the virtual garret with the next Great American Novel. We don’t want publishers to go out of business.

The bills are pro-reader. We just want residents to have access without undue restriction. It’s not like we in libraries have the money to provide so much digital access that we cost publishers that much business. Plus, we help the public discover (and ultimately buy) titles.

In any case, as we at RF always say, “it shouldn’t require a credit card to be an informed resident.”

So far, no organized opposition seems to be materializing. We’ll keep you posted on developments.

Similar Federal legislation would be helpful. We can hope it might emerge someday.

2020 RF Cheers and Jeers!

In the spirit of the season—Ho, ho, ho!—Readers First is not jeering this year. This is a break from tradition—typically we like to voice the snark that many librarians might harbor but are simply too nice to say. Feature writes who want a source that will slag publisher and vendor come our way, knowing we will lay it on with a trowel. Instead, this year we cheer all publishers and vendors who have offered special terms and even free access on content during the COVID-19 pandemic, helping beleaguered readers (and librarians) have better access to a time when many physical collections were inaccessible. There are too many to thank individually but a listed (somewhat outdated, alas) may be found posted by the U of South Dakota library, Vendor Love in a Time of COVID. Not included in this list is Amazon, which we at RF hope will ink a deal with DPLA (as reported earlier on RF) to bring previously exclusive content to library readers. Amazon earned an RF jeer last year—we’re withholding the raspberry this year pending the outcome of those negotiations.

If you are not on the list at this link and want a mention, please post below!

Cheers, too, to all librarians and library organizations that expanded digital content offerings, created virtual programming, advocated for funding, and advocated with vendors to help their readers. The pandemic has revealed weaknesses in places, but it has also shown how nimble, able to transform, and dedicated librarians are to providing content and services under even the most trying circumstances.

Here’s to a brighter 2021 for all!

IA asks, What if you could wander the library stacks…online?

Wendy Hanamura of the Internet Archive has posted about the new (still in Beta) Open Library Explorer, created by the IA’s Drini Cami.

“Open Library Explorer is able to harness the Dewey Decimal or Library of Congress classification systems to recreate virtually the experience of browsing the bookshelves at a physical library. Open Library Explorer enables readers to scan bookshelves left to right by subject, up and down for subclassifications. Switch a filter and suddenly the bookshelves are full of juvenile books. Type in “subject: biography” and you see nothing but biographies arranged by subject matter.”

“For music, movies, or books, Spotify, Netflix and Amazon use complicated recommendation algorithms to suggest what you should encounter next. But those algorithms are driven by the media you have already consumed. They put you into a “filter bubble” where you only see books similar to those you’ve already read. Cami and his team devised the Open Library Explorer as an alternative to recommendation engines. With the Open Library Explorer, you are free to dive deeper and deeper into the stacks. Where you go is driven by you, not by an algorithm.”

Visit the link above to learn more and try it out. It’s fun , and you’ll most likely “leave the library having discovered something new—usually a variety of new things!”