New Report: “Ebooks in 2014: Access And Licensing At Canadian Public Libraries” Published by the Canadian Urban Libraries Council

Ebooks in 2014:  Access And Licensing At  Canadian Public Libraries was published online today by the Canadian Urban Libraries Council (CULC).
From the CULC Web Site:

This new paper chronicles all that has happened from 2011 to 2014 and where public libraries currently sit in terms of access to eBook content and leading technology. It is the most up-to-date document of it’s kind in Canada for public library perspectives.
The CULC/CBUC Task Force continues to explore ways to effectively work with eBook and eContent for Canadian public library access, in collaboration with Canadian publishers and the library vendor community. The CULC/CBUC Task Force includes members from Hamilton, Ottawa, Toronto and Vancouver public libraries.

The report was written for the CULC Econtent Task Force by Christina De Castell, Director, Resources & Technology, Vancouver Public Library.
Ebooks in 2014:  Access And Licensing At  Canadian Public Libraries includes sections about:

• Licensing and Pricing Models
• eBook Distribution Products in Canada
• Device Considerations
• Issues and Barriers
• Library Market
• Publishing & Book Sales

From De Castell’s Conclusion:

In 2014, the number of distribution and lending systems is expanding and the borrowing rate is slowing, as eBooks stabilize as another format for library lending and a regular part of the consumer marketplace. For public libraries, conversations are beginning to shift from ensuring that we can provide access to digital formats to addressing the specific concerns of accessibility, privacy, interlibrary loan and self-published content. At the same time, the loss of bookstores for in-person discovery continues, and libraries have the opportunity to share with publishers how we can contribute to helping readers discover new books and authors, creating a vibrant book industry and reading culture in Canada

Direct to Full Text Report (18 pages; PDF).
See Also: Expanding Ebooks: Purchasing And Lending At Canadian Public Libraries (26 pages; PDF)
A 2011 CULC report also written by Christina De Castell.
See Also: Additional Library/Ebook Material from CULC
See Also: Elending Landscape Report 2014
Published by the Australian Library and Information Association
Released online about one week ago.

Filed under: Companies (Publishers/Vendors), Journal Articles, Libraries, News, Public Libraries, Publishing