Califa Commits $325,000 in Funding for Library eBook Project; Deal Close With Smashwords

The pubic library eBook self-distribution movement is gaining more momentum: The Digital Shift reports that California's Califa Group library consortium has increased the funding for its library eBook ownership program, similar to the Douglas County, CO program, from $30,000 to $325,000, thanks in part to a partnership with the Kansas State Library and an increased grant from the California State Library. The consortium is very close to striking a deal with Smashwords that would get 10,000 of the distributor's top titles into Califa's network for about $3/title. California's Contra Costa County Library will be the pilot site for the project.

Here are some additional details:

• Boopsie will provide mobile apps for the new program. 
• Califa will install an Adobe Content Server (configured by Quipu Group) to provide DRM protection for the eBooks. Califa paid $10K for the Content Server plus $1,500 in annual maintenance. 
• Califa is using VuFind, the same open-source web-based library resource portal that Douglas County is using, to make its eBook collection available to patrons. 
• Smashwords will make its self-publishing service available to library patrons through Califa's VuFind portal. 

Bibliotheca to export Douglas County, Colorado library eBook model worldwide

No Shelf Required reports that Bibliotheca, a Switzerland-based vendor of self-service print book circulation kiosks and security equipment for libraries, is turning the in-house eBook system developed by the Douglas County, CO public library and its partners into a commercial product. Bibliotheca will provide services for aggregating eBook purchases from participating libraries in order to maximize discounts from publishers, and provide a secure DRM environment for publishers. (It's not clear whether they're simply going to resell Adobe's Content Server, find a comparable DRM platform from another vendor, or develop their own DRM solution.)

Bibliotheca will base its eBook operation near Denver, and it will be run by Monique Sendze, who's currently the Associate Director of Information Technology at Douglas County Libraries. The company plans to introduce its platform in early 2013, and will initially focus on North American libraries before expanding worldwide.