One would think that teens are lapping up e-books as fast as they can get them, however, a new report finds that is not the case. One obstacle noted by teens was too many restrictions in accessing the material. A trade survey conducted by R.R. Bowker is disputed by others in the industry, who claim that sales of YA digital books are flying through the roof. Read this lengthy discussion of the digital habits of teens on Publisher’s Weekly.
Shira S.
How does this sound? A program to allow libraries to pay per use for e-book downloads. Freading is a new product from Library Ideas of Fairfax, VA. Over 50 libraries are on board and as many as 40 publishers. No mention of specific costs.
Shira S.
EarlyWord points out an 
interesting article in the Washington Post about the difficulties libraries have in obtaining e-books.Some facilities do not have funds to keep up with the need and some publishers are not fully cooperating with the libraries. The article highlights the friction between slashed library budgets and the growing pressure to keep up with digital media. It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Shira S.
Publishers of print books have been struggling for control in the new world of publishing. Borders has gone by the wayside in the aftermath of the shift to digital publishing and presently publishers maintain control over pricing for e-books. However, attempts to increase revenue through adding extra features has not been very successful. As John Makinson, CEO of Penguin Books, explains consumer reaction to paying for added features, “‘Well, that’s marvelous but that’s not something I’m going to pay for….’”
(left: Random House offices, NYC)
A different aspect of the publishing battles being waged in the industry is apparent in Amazon’s Prime loyalty program for Kindle customers which allows users to choose a free book every month. Several of the larger publishers have flatly refused to join. Worries about piracy, intellectual property, and revenue are only some of the complex issues troubling publishing houses.
For now, book publishers have fared better than the music business regarding the thorny issues of ownership and compensation. It remains to be seen for just how long they can keep doing so.
Shira S.
Now that e-books are becoming more convenient and more popular, many publishers are concerned that paper books will be ignored this coming holiday season. To increase their value, old-fashioned print books are getting a makeover with new and beautiful covers. ” If e-books are about ease and expedience, the publishers reason, then print books need to be about physical beauty and the pleasures of owning, not just reading. ” Read the rest of this NYT article here.
Laura
Not surprisingly, results from a new industry survey show that buyers are spending more on e-books and less on traditional books. Multifunctional devices are gaining in popularity over computers, too. This article features two bar graphs demonstrating the latest trends.
Shira S.
A new study shows that members of reading groups are using more e-books. The Amazon Kindle is leading the way, with the Barnes and Noble Nook coming in second.
(One could draw the opposite conclusion, too, and state that most readers still prefer traditional books.)
Shira S.
Lately much has been written about 
the various aspects of the gains of e-books on the traditional print market and how publishing and consuming books will continue to change. We are riding the wave of this new technology in a manner similar to that of the past when the VCR, cell phone, PC, etc., all took center stage. Here are a few blog posts and articles looking at some aspects of our current fascination with e-books and its impact on old-fashioned books and even the Internet. See ReadWriteWeb blog for an interesting assortment of ideas relating to these themes. Likewise Michael Hyatt has a few points to add to the debate. I’m including this group of links regarding environmental effects of e-books, too.If you have another angle to add, go ahead.
Shira S.
Everyone knows that e-books save space, but in Tokyo some people are scanning their books in order to remove them completely! Japanese apartments are generally very small (approx. 400 sq. ft.) and a new business has developed scanning book collections in order to create more living space.
Shira S.
I’m going to be in so much trouble here—with librarians, with library users, with my coworkers—well, just about everyone I have talked to in the last six months. In my household, we are now the sheepish owners of a Kindle with Global 3G and wifi (as well as a Kobo, and ipad).
How did this happen, you might ask? How did this librarian who loved her Kobo so much give into the hype, and purchase the least library compatible device out there??? Continue reading
