Comments on: The Ebook Crisis

By: Brooklyn Librarian

Brooklyn Librarian — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 00:06:42 +0000

I think the “netflix of books”‘ model will be bad for libraries, but I don’t think it will work too well for anyone trying to pull it off. Lending services will have to compete with each other for rights the same way netflix, hulu, and amazon compete.

That is one of the reasons why I’m creating a DRM-free ebook lending social network. Learn how it works at ourbookshelf.com

By: Joneser

Joneser — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 21:30:56 +0000

Borders’s BIG mistake was to “outsource” its online business to amazon, unlike Barnes & Noble.

By: Jean Costello

Jean Costello — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 13:36:12 +0000

Joe Esposito's article referenced a BusinessWeek summary of Borders' collapse, The End of Borders and the Future of Books. I couldn't help thinking of libraries when I read the opening paragraphs: "When there’s a massive transition in an industry, the strong players make it through to the other side [...] What gets caught up in the change are the weaker players. For the past decade and a half, Borders seems to have been in the business of making mistakes."

By: Jean Costello

Jean Costello — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 13:17:59 +0000

Publishing veteran Joe Esposito published an interesting piece today, What We Should Learn from the Collapse of Borders. His points include the rise of digital content, Amazon's dominance and how rapidly a legacy ecosystem can crumble.

By: Heather

Heather — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 19:51:55 +0000

Penguin was NOT “the only one of the “big six” publishers to allow unrestricted ebook lending through libraries.” As the article you link to states, Random House still allows such lending, and it is now the only “big six” publisher who does. Please correct your facts.

[AL: Facts corrected!]

By: spencer

spencer — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 14:58:17 +0000

I’ve given up. I will ride this handbasket all the way down, but I will not try very hard to reverse the fall.