Looking ahead to the American Libraries Association annual conference in Las Vegas later this month, Andrew Albanese takes stock of efforts by ALA’s Digital Content Working Group to influence the future direction of reading.
“Formed three years ago when the library e-book market was in disarray, the group has done yeoman’s work in communicating with publishers, and even yielding some progress on the issue of e-book lending,” notes Albanese, Publishers Weekly senior writer.
“As anyone with an e-reader knows,” he continues, “the rules of reading are changing right in front of our eyes—you can’t give your e-books away, or lend like them you could physical books; you need to update your hardware and software to keep access; and you have to abide by license terms.”
In this digitally-driven environment, Albanese tells CCC’s Chris Kenneally, “Our entire reading future is essentially in the hands of a few major corporations. And right now, the ALA is essentially the only other group with seat at the table.”
Listen here.
