If you are anything like me, you have probably had enough of all the headaches and problems associated with libraries purchasing and checking out ebooks. It seems that the publishers either try to put too many limits on ebooks or there are too many decides and enough applications and programs to read ebooks to drive librarians crazy and if it’s driving us nuts what is it doing to our patrons? For what it’s worth, here are some ideas about how to solve the ebook problem once and for all.

1. Publishers could offer a library only ebook version that could be read on all platforms and that would cost more than a patron would pay. Each ebook would also be able to be read an unlimited amount of times by a specified number of patrons at once. For example, if the ebook costs $10 for a non-library to purchase, it would cost $30-$100 for a library to purchase depending upon the number of licenses acquired. Back in the days when we had video stores, they paid more for each video than a retail customer would because it was being purchased for rentals. Why can’t ebook publishers offer the same service to libraries?

2. There needs to be a device like overdrive available for academic libraries, or maybe even overdrive could release a version for academic libraries.

3. Ebook collections now available only in places such as ebrary and netlibrary which cannot currently be read on devices such as the kindle and the book need to be modified so that they can be read on portable devices. Not necessarily on the kindle and nook specifically but on portable devices or on an application that is downloadable to PCS, Macs and the ipad.

4. Ebook publishers need to license their ebooks for libraries in large batches such as 20, 50, 100 etc. Thus making it easier for libraries to buy a copy of an ebook and then have it available for a large number of patrons or students in the case of academic libraries. For example, say a college library has a book that is on a required reading list for a class. They should be able to purchase an ebook copy and have it available on all of the computers in the library at a reasonable cost and without hassle. In fact, many database providers that also sell ebooks already do this such as Gale and Ebsco. Why can’t Amazon, Barnes and Noble and any of the other ebook providers do this too?

5. Publishers need to stop being greedy and realize that working together with libraries can only benefit them in the long run.

What other ideas do you have about how to solve the ebooks in libraries problems that currently exist?

Do you think that the only free ebooks you can get are those whose copyright has expired? Well I just discovered a pretty large collection of them including textbooks. Yes, that’s textbooks. This site finances their licensing with ads. Check it out at bookboon books.
I was quite impressed and this has me wondering, is this the future of college textbooks? What about if all of them were available in this way instead of students paying such large fees for their books?

What do you think?

Ebooks are all the rage. Between the kindle, new ipad, iphone applications, the Nook, the Sony Reader and all of the other gadets for reading ebooks, there is no doubt that ebooks will continue to be popular. However, how do you get ebooks that you can read without spending a fortune to do it? Even though the individual prices for ebooks are inexpensive, by the time you by lots of them you can end up broke. There is a huge list of 100 places where you can find ebooks at Online College. While you won’t find any of the new releases or other extremely popular titles there, you will find an impressive list of other ebook titles for your enjoyment and for free.

Does your library have technology ebooks? If so, do your patrons use them. My library just recently acquired the Safari Technology Collection. and I have to say that I am quite impressed. They have most of the dummies series, the missing manual series, the hacks series and hundreds of other ebooks on business, computers and technology. We have had access to other ebooks via ebrary and netlibrary mostly on business, fiction, science, philosophy and politics and while our students are starting to use them, when you think about it, it makes more sense to offer technology related ebooks since well you are reading them on a computer. To reaffirm this, we had one of our computer instructors who has never had a librarian present in his classes request a presentation as soon as he found out about the computer and technology ebooks. Any thoughts?

Are you planning to purchase an ebook reader in the near future for either yourself or your library? If so, which kind are you going to get? Have you made up your mind yet? I was planning to purchase a kindle until I heard about the new Sony reader. This cool gadget supposedly can read ebooks you download from library collections of ebooks such as ebrary and net library. At $100 cheaper than the Kindle as well, it is starting to look much more appealing. What do you think? Will it be a kindle in every backpack? or a sony reader?