eBook "windowing" might only hurt publishers

In the ALA's E-content blog, Christopher Harris writes about some publishers' plans to withhold the availability of eBooks to libraries for months after the print release date ("windowing") in order to avoid cannibalization of eBook sales. He refers to a column written by O'Reilly Media's Joe Wikert, in which Wikert said that windowing might work for bestsellers, but not otherwise. Harris argues that most serious readers are so overwhelmed by the choices already available, and often have such a big backlog of already-purchased eBooks, that delaying availability of most titles will only cause readers to substitute other titles--and they might never get around to reading the windowed eBooks. As Harris writes, "...if a publisher wants to delay my access to a book, what they really better be hoping is that I will still want it when they finally say it is okay for me to have it."

British government investigating eBook lending

The Bookseller reports that the U.K.'s Department for Culture, Media and Sport is close to announcing an independent review of library eBook lending. It's clear that publishers and libraries are still fairly far apart--they say they want the same thing, but publishers want to protect their revenues, and libraries want to make eBooks available to their patrons. The goal of the review is to "break the deadlock" and come up with an acceptable compromise that will get eBooks into libraries.

ALA releases "tip sheet" on DRM

The American Library Association's Digital Content Working Group has released a "tip sheet" on DRM. This is intended to be the first in a series of "tip sheets" on topics of interest to the library community. The  "tip sheet" explains DRM in layman's terms, but overall, it takes a fairly anti-DRM approach to the topic.

ALA releases final version of Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study 2011-12

The American Library Association has released the final version of its Public Library Funding & Technology Access Study 2011-12. Here's a summary of selected findings:

* For FY2011-12, the average total operating expenditures funding for U.S. public libraries dropped by 2.4%, the third year in a row where available funding declined. Survey respondents anticipate that funding in FY2012-13 will drop by another 5.3%.

* Collections expenditures dropped an average of 1.64% in FY 2011-12, and libraries expect them to drop another 4.61% in FY2012-13. However, the numbers vary considerably by library location: Urban libraries' collection expenditures rose 3.2% in FY2011-12, and suburban libraries' collection expenditures also increased by 12.6%. By comparison, rural libraries' collection expenditures declined 37%.

* 76.3% of public libraries now offer eBooks to their patrons in their facilities, and 76.1% offer eBooks to patrons remotely (for example, over the Web.)

* 39.1% of public libraries make eReaders such as Kindles or Nooks available to their patrons for reading eBooks.

* 14.2% of public libraries have optimized their websites for use on mobile devices.

* 7.2% of public libraries have developed smartphone apps for access to library services and content.

Are library eBook vendors trying to "cut out the middlemen" -- librarians?

The American Library Association's American Libraries blog has a post by Christopher Harris titled "Does OverDrive Really Care About Libraries?". Harris writes about an email that he received from OverDrive as part of its ISTE conference promotions; here's a quote from his article:

"Instead of speaking as a library partner—a company dedicated to helping provide digital books through libraries—OverDrive seems to be presenting itself to the school technology world as a library replacement. 'Lend your students eBooks from a publisher-supported digital library powered by OverDrive,' the ad states. Never mind, this seems to suggest, lending from a school library that includes ebooks; tap into an OverDrive library replacement that your school can buy after laying off the school librarian."

Harris' primary concern is that eBook vendors, faced with declining school and public library budgets, may start selling their collections as a replacement for, rather than an addition to, physical libraries. However, there's scant evidence that library eBook consolidators are bypassing libraries (at least as of yet.)