Tag Archives: ebooks

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Infographics for You to Use: Books and eBooks

Want to use infographics in your space, but don’t have the time to create your own from scratch?  Well, thanks to A Media Specialist’s Guide to the Internet, we have infographics of all kinds – this week, five infographics on books!  Click on the links to see the full infographics.

SS1 40 Years of E-Books
 Books vs eBooks Books vs eBooks
 SS2 Bye-Bye Textbooks!
 The History of Science Fiction The History of Science Fiction
 Book challenges 2014 Book Challenges

More Infographics for You to Use: Libraries and Librarians, Reading and its Benefits, Information Literacy, Copyright, Attribution, and Plagiarism, Digital Citizens, Writing and Grammar, Press and Visuals, and Fun Ones!

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Rakuten Buys Overdrive!

ReadYou may have seen this news by now, but what is unclear is what does this really mean?

Lets consider the scale and reach of Rakuten Inc., one of the world’s largest Internet services companies. Rakuten has been on a buying spree in recent years to reduce reliance on its home market in Japan and push into the U.S. and other countries.

  • In October 2014 it bought U.S. discount store Ebates.com for about $1 billion.
  • Rakuten bought Kobo Inc, a Canadian eBook company in 2011 for $315 million, in “phase 1” of its eBook business as it allows consumers to buy eBooks.
  • Chat and calling app Viber is another of Rakuten’s most prominent acquisitions; bought for $900 million in 2014.
  • And now, of most interest to Minnesota libraries, Rakuten is purchasing  OverDrive from Insight Venture Partners for $410 million and as part of “phase 2” of its eBook business. The acquisition of OverDrive, which currently offers eBook rental services to U.S. libraries and schools, is expected to be completed in April.
  • Since 2012, Rakuten (http://global.rakuten.com) has been ranked among the world’s “Top 20 Most Innovative Companies” in Forbes magazine.
  • Going forward, Kobo and OverDrive will work together to enhance their abilities to deliver world-class digital content and reading technology services.
  •  Rakuten is also an investor in Pinterest and ride sharing service Lyft. There are many, many more companies Rakuten has acquired recently. Read the full post here.

It is unclear at this time what this acquisition will mean to Minnesota libraries and in some cases, schools too. Will current Overdrive contract terms stay the same? Stay tuned for the constantly evolving world of eBooks!

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/lw8nkjr, licensed under CC BY 2.0

 

Academic, Check this out:, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

10 Big Deal Library Issues of 2014

Number 10I love this time of year, when our online publishing friends take a shot at what they deem as a big deal in the past year. In the ongoing flood of information, I find it enormously helpful to have someone else take stock, and flag important items and developments. A lot happens in one year!

In a list of 10 items furnished by Publishers Weekly (PW), it is not surprising that eBooks has a firm hold, and it is helpful to review the progress that has been made in that arena.

Which item am I most excited about? I am particularly energized and hopeful about the role of libraries in the self-publishing community (item 8). What about you, which of the listed items renews your hope and gets you excited?

Review the PW list of ten here!

Patricia-

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/q9kqffb, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

 

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Sony’s new product to sell used eBooks

booksDo you realize that when you click the BUY button on Amazon, Apple, Kobo, or Google, and you think you are buying an eBook, you are in fact simply licensing the book! Yep…it is true. This lack of clear ownership remains one of the murkiest problems in the eBook industry, one I have always resented!

I am thrilled by the news that Sony is addressing this problem with a new product. In fact, while defining clear ownership, they hope to also allow us to sell our used eBooks. Once sold, the book will actually disappear from the original owners account! Now we are talking….I am all about buying used when I can!

I admit, the technical details left me a bit mired, but read the full blog post to see what you think. Sounds like we can expect Sony to take this product to trade shows in Spring 2015! Read the full post at Sony Developing New DRM to Make Used eBooks Viable.

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/ojj9olm, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

 

Academic, General, Public, School Media Specialist, Special

Has OverDrive Gone Too Far?

Wait, where am I again?Once again, OverDrive is changing the rules, and the ReadersFirst Coalition of libraries are protesting! According to OverDrive, the improvements to the OverDrive app are in direct response to what libraries have been asking for, an easier user experience. While the good news is that the app would no longer require users to register for an Adobe ID (to navigate the DRM), new users would have to register with OverDrive for an account. Let me repeat….the twist  going forward for new OverDrive app users, including library patrons, will be a registration step with OverDrive. This shifts the eBook relationship that has been between the library and the patron, over to OverDrive! The devil is in the details, so read the full blog post for more important information.

What do you think…..who owns the customer relationship, libraries, or the vendors they pay for content?

Image credit: http://tinyurl.com/mm5huga, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 2.0