Surprise! Surprise! Apple has a large exhibit at BookExpo America NYC

Image credit: http://alturl.com/qf5bh

BookExpo America is in NYC next week, May 23-24.

BEA is the largest book publishing venue of the year in the USA for those that didn't know. Apple has a prime location on the exhibit floor near Disney, Scholastic and Random House. Media sources say Apple doesn't appear to have any devices or software upgrade announcements this week. What's interesting is, Apple doesn't usually attend these book publishing conferences and they didn't attend last year. What is remarkable is the high volume of eBook and eTextbook sales this past 12 month. [See Wall St. Journal stats near bottom of blog.]

CEO Steve Jobs said Apple has downloaded 100 million eBooks from April 2010 to February 2011. [April 3, 2010 was launch date of original iPad, in case you are new to eReaders and tablets]. Bloomberg cited Goldman Sachs Report in February that states;

Amazon had 58% of the eBook sales

Barnes and Noble 27%

Apple 9%

Border/Kobo 7%

For more information please see the blog below covering The Economics of Digital Content, dated May 17, 2011. http://alturl.com/zpmhr

Image credit: http://alturl.com/rkaey

Also attention-getting is the digital book conference at BEA, The International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF) and what they are presenting. They had a 1 hour conference on EPUB3, May 12, online. You can still register and view the Webinar until Dec. 12, 2011. [See link below.] "Learn how the standard impacts the major device manufacturers and the larger eBook ecosystem."  Webinar: EPUB 3, an Insider’s Look. How Will Your eBook Operations be Affected? http://alturl.com/ud8dz

This is the abstract from IDPF’s schedule on BEA's conference page: "IDPF Digital Book 2011 will be a one-and-a-half day educational conference that gives attendees the opportunity to network with global leaders in digital publishing business and technology. Learn about the latest trends in the digital publishing industry through expert panels and in-depth demonstrations and case studies. Included are workshops on the EPUB standard including the new EPUB 3 revision, eBook production, workflow, and best practices."

IDPF Announces Speakers for Digital Book 2011, May 23-24th NYC

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42795908

Another informative blog by the Official BEA Librarian Blogger you should browse:

http://alturl.com/pepce

Image credit: http://alturl.com/vddog

What does all this mean?

Let’s look at these recent stats and I think we will all come to the same conclusion! The eBook and eTextbook market is exploding!

Wall St. Journal, April 11, 2011
The market for digital books was $966 billion last year and is expected to triple by 2015, according to Forrester Research.”

Wall St. Journal- Feb, 25, 2011
“In 2012, e-Textbook sales are expected to more than double to $308 million from $138 million last year according to MBS Service Co.”


Image Credit: http://alturl.com/znha2



We are looking forward to seeing some exiting news from the many blogs and tweets from those attending these conferences next week. This is such an exciting time to be involved in the eReader, tablet, eBook, and eTextbook evolution in a library setting.



Wi-Fi, e-Readers, and Libraries "sometimes" Don't Mix Very Well! What's the problem?

We purchased 15 Kindle3's Wi-Fi only units and sent them all back last month.

Why?

Image Credit http://alturl.com/ajff2

After opening and processing over half of our new K3's in March, I decided to purchase and download a book to one of the new K3's. It took so long to sign into our "peer to peer" network via Wi-Fi using the arrow keys and still had to go to 'Shop the Kindle Store’. I thought I had stepped back in another era.

This was a very frustrating process. Why? You have to use the 5 Way Controller and arrow keys to navigate on the Kindle screen and slowly inch your way around with the ‘little hand’ to sign in and ‘check’ a user agreement for the college. Our iPads have the ‘pinch’ method of enlarging the screen that makes signing into our college Wi-Fi much easier.

This lengthy process finally landed me in the “Shop the Kindle” URL, but certainly not the screen we were accustomed to with the original K1-3G Kindles. Again using the 5 Way Controller and arrow keys to locate a book was just too complicated and time consuming on the non-3G units.

It appears we would have to purchase and load each book this way. Really? If you buy the item on your PC/laptop, after you sign-in and connect to the college Wi-Fi, the item should download automatically. Or you can use the USB cable to download books after purchasing them on your PC/laptop. I would go just batty, quickly if this was the on-going process. We could suggest to our boss that we drive all the Wi-Fi Kindle3's over to Denny's or McDonald's every time we needed to purchase or download an item. Now that would be a fun field trip! [Just kidding!]


After a few calls to Amazon Kindle about this issue, they told us that using ‘peer to peer' computers for staff /student sign-on via Wi-Fi was going to be difficult trying to purchase items. Really? We would have to use the USB cable to download items after purchasing them on our stand alone PC/Laptop. Sounds like the Sony Saga to me.

What a headache! The Amazon rep.  also suggested that IT could add a separate router for Wi-Fi connection for the digital e-readers. But when it comes down to it, it's just makes more sense to pay the $50 one time and use the 3G technology for the life of the unit. What a concept! Really!!!

The Director of LLRC was very understanding and agreed to send these units back and purchase fifteen K3's with 3G. He agreed it was better to have all our Kindles as 3G models for efficient service for our patrons.

When the new K3's with 3G arrived last week, I was almost as elated as when we received our 1st shipment in May 2008 of thirty-four K1's. First thing I did was turn on the wireless and order a book just to be sure we were at last out of the "Time Warp". Needless to say, it’s well worth the extra $50 per unit to have this ease of use. We have been very spoiled with using 3G technology since 2008, we just don’t want to go backwards in technology and we shouldn’t have to.

Students, faculty and staff have certainly enjoyed our K1’s, K2’s and Kindle DX’s, and now our new K3’s. We also have several iPads, Nooks and Sony’s for check-out. Our major loans are with the Kindle units for textbooks and required class reading assignments.

Next blog? Vook! How vook might impact our library in the future and also we will share other research about EBSCO Host, NetLibrary and Overdrive.  How can we utilize this with our present equipment?

May 10th, we are also looking forward to our field trip and presentation at our Regent V CCLA meeting at Broward College in South Florida for CCLA/LINCC covering e-Readers, e-Textbooks and the practical ways we have implemented these new technologies in our library.

July 14th, at the SEFLIN Bridges to Technology Conference 2011, our Palm Beach State Library staff from the Lake Worth campus will sit on a panel to discuss these very issues.  This SEFLIN Conference is to be held at the Kovens Conference Center in Miami. The presenters will focus on technology and the new roles for libraries as librarians become e-brarians, using technology to assist customers.

New iPad2---Available March 11

Everyone has been waiting for it!

The announcement of the new iPad2!

Image credit: http://www.apple.com/ipad/features/

Tech Specs
http://www.apple.com/ipad/specs/

iPads in Classrooms

Apple iPad Learning Labs

http://www.apple.com/education/ipad/

"An Apple iPad Learning Lab streamlines the management of classroom sets of iPad devices. Each lab includes 10 iPad devices and a sturdy and secure mobile cart. The cart can store, charge, and sync up to 30 iPad devices and has room for a MacBook computer. The cart rolls easily around campus, so multiple classes can benefit, and it can be locked to secure the devices when they’re not in use. Purchase a predesigned Apple iPad Learning Lab or let us help you build your own iPad mobile lab."



Some important information from the Apple website:
iPad2's will be available at Apple Retail Stores
or online March 11.  Units start at $499.

Ok, so you might wonder what our library is going to do next....

we just purchased 15 Kindle3's-Wi-Fi only units and sent them all back this week.  Why? Answer in next blog post.

HarperCollins Puts 26 Loan Cap on Ebook Circulations

To a Mountain in Tibet

By Colin Thubron

On Sale: 3/1/2011

Formats: E-Book

 Image credit:  http://alturl.com/e89gd

http://www.libraryjournal.com/lj/home/889452-264/harpercollins_caps_loans_on_ebook.html.csp

Quote from article in weblink above by Josh Hadro Feb 25, 2011 Mention of the new terms was first made in a letter from OverDrive CEO Steve Potash to customers yesterday. He wrote [emphasis in original]:

[W]e have been required to accept and accommodate new terms for eBook lending as established by certain publishers. Next week, OverDrive will communicate a licensing change from a publisher that, while still operating under the one-copy/one-user model, will include a checkout limit for each eBook licensed. Under this publisher's requirement, for every new eBook licensed, the library (and the OverDrive platform) will make the eBook available to one customer at a time until the total number of permitted checkouts is reached.

As noted in the letter, the terms will not be specific to OverDrive, and will likewise apply to "all eBook vendors or distributors offering this publisher's titles for library lending." The new terms will not be retroactive, and will apply only to new titles. More details on the new terms are set to be announced next week.
If a lending period is two weeks, the 26 circulation limit is likely to equal roughly one year of use for a popular title. For a three-week lending period, that stretches to a year and a half.

For librarians—many of whom are already frustrated with ebooks lending policies and user interface issues—further license restrictions seem to come at a particularly bad time, given strained budgets nationwide. It may also disproportionately affect libraries that set shorter loan periods for ebook circulation.
[end of quote]

One issue that stands out is the shorter loan periods mentioned above.  Our reserve items are usually 2 hours for textbooks.

With a 26 loan cap, that could expire in less than one week at our Reserve desk.

E-textbook
Imge credit: http://alturl.com/yk75k
By Kenneth C. Davis
On Sale: 3/15/2011
Formats: Trade PB
E-Book

E-reader Boom:

The Palm Beach Post Front Page Article Today

E-reader Boom:

"Best of Times, Worst of Times"



Elegant New Skiff Reader 11.5-inch http://alturl.com/isa9r

The Post Times article linked below covers information about new E-readers showcased in Las Vegas at the Consumer Electronics Show and the closing of Boca Raton's Barnes & Noble store.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/money/e-reader-boom-might-prove-bookstores-long-term-1168717.html

Media Reviews of the

Consumer

Electronics Show:

http://www.cesweb.org/news/coverage.asp Links to media reviews
http://alturl.com/gt36r Includes Tablets and iPad success
http://alturl.com/8gm85 Covers 8 trends to watch including tablets
http://alturl.com/agadq Includes  e-readers and tablets
http://alturl.com/xpjib   Kindle vs. Nook vs. iPad vs. Galaxy Tab:

This is going to be one exciting year in

technology and libraries-2011!

One Book-One College Kick Off Event Jan. 12th

This book is also available on our digital e-readers!  



One Book One College Kick Off event: 

January 12, 2011  (11:30am – 1:30pm) 

LLRC Gallery 2^nd floor. 

 Complimentary copies of books will be given to the students whose classes participate in the Read Together activities. 

The kick-off event will be Wednesday, Jan. 12. 

Please join other students, faculty and staff as we read together.

Here are some quotes from Amazon's book reviews: 

The book tells about a man who has just found out he was dying so he speaks of

 "seizing every moment" ...because... "time is all you have...

and you may find one day that you have less than you think".

The Last Lecture is about living, not about dying. 

 It's full of warmth, humor, and can be very inspiring to all who choose

to make this a "Spring Thing" to do this semester:]

http://alturl.com/cn84c

The culminating week will be National Library Week

April 10 - 16, 2011

Digital e-readers as Gifts?

Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe

Not a great way to choose your

new digital e-reader!

Digital e-readers can be a very difficult purchase for so many.  I was on the phone with my sister-in law Sunday for an hour or more; plus texting back and forth this past month with questions and answers. 

Her concerns were; buying a unit she hadn't held before, which size, 7" or 9.7" Kindle, iPad or the new color Nook, and cost vs. size. Wow, its really not easy.   Each digital reader has its own pros and cons.

We discussed this purchase

 like buying or car. 

1-What would you use it for? Textbooks, novels, newspapers, magazines, blogs, games, email?

2-Who else might use it?
3-Would you use it for school, pleasure, work? All three?
4-Is 3G important or is Wi-Fi ok?
5-Cost?

Once you answer these questions for yourself; call, email or text your friends that already own a digital

e-reader.  Ask them how they like it and what they use it for.  Make a "Pros and Cons" list on paper and you'll get your answer.

We have archived several posts on this blog with links to other sources on many digital e-readers as they have arrived on the show room floor or online.

Good luck with your new purchase! 

Happy New Year 2011

http://www.multyshades.com/2010/12/30-superb-happy-new-year-2011-wallpapers-feel-the-joy/