The Open E-book Forum, an international association of publishers and digital publishing vendors focused on developing e-book standards, has a new executive director and also announced plans for a weeklong event to promote e-books to the general public.
Nicholas Bogaty, former director of the now-folded online rights marketplace Rightsworld.com, has been named executive director of the OEBF. OverDrive's Steve Potash is president of OEBF.
OverDrive's Pamela Turner said OEBF will sponsor Open an E-Book Week, beginning April 22, that will feature a permanent Web site (www.openanebook.com) offering a wide variety of information and e-book content for the general public.
Turner said the site will provide FAQs for libraries, consumers, disabled readers, youth groups and teachers. "The site will function as a virtual trade show for e-books," Turner said. OEBF also expects to offer an e-book bestseller list. Turner said the site will also list a variety of downloadable content, "some free, some for a fee; some unprotected content and some with DRM." Content will be updated regularly and will include full-length books, short fiction, manuals and business documents, in addition to links to online library resources.
