May 18, 2013

Penguin Lifts Library Ebook Purchase Embargo

Penguin Lifts Library Ebook Purchase Embargo

Penguin Group today announced that it will be changing the terms on its library ebook lending program, and on Tuesday, April 2, will begin allowing libraries to purchase and lend ebook titles the day that hardcover editions are released, according to The Associated Press. Previously, Penguin had placed a six month embargo on new ebooks, [...]

Quiet: Speaking Out on Introversion | Links of the week

Quiet: Speaking Out on Introversion | Links of the week

An interesting convergence on the web has more than a few people talking about quiet contemplation.

Hot Topic at Midwinter: Library Maker Spaces, Ideas for Cheap, Hands-On Fun

Hot Topic at Midwinter: Library Maker Spaces, Ideas for Cheap, Hands-On Fun

From ebooks to digital literacy, there was plenty to debate at the Midwinter meeting of the American Library Association. But the unconference on January 25 revealed clear consensus on one topic: maker spaces. They’re red hot.

The DPLA and School Libraries: Partners Focused on Digital-Era Learners

If we build it well, a Digital Public Library of America (DPLA) can help school libraries meet the information needs of students even as local budgets shrink. The DPLA can provide important resources to the partnership between library-based and classroom-based teachers, especially during this period of rapid change in education, in libraries, in technology, and in the world of information generally.

As Tablets Supplant Ereaders, New Challenges Arise for Publishers

As Tablets Supplant Ereaders, New Challenges Arise for Publishers

Sixty percent of publishing executives believe that tablets have become “the ideal reading platform,” and 45 percent believe that dedicated e-readers will soon be irrelevant, according to a recent online, by-invitation survey conducted by global research and advisory firm Forrester.

‘I Love My Librarian’ Awards Honor Ten Librarians

‘I Love My Librarian’ Awards Honor Three School Librarians

Four academic librarians create a spirit of community in their libraries were among 10 recipients of the 2012 I Love My Librarian awards.

National Federation of the Blind to Take Protest to Amazon, Denouncing School Kindle Use as Discriminatory to Blind Students

National Federation of the Blind to Take Protest to Amazon, Denouncing School Kindle Use as Discriminatory to Blind Students

Due to their longstanding frustration with Amazon’s failure to make Kindle ereaders accessible to people who are blind, officials from the National Federation of the Blind will be protesting outside Amazon’s Seattle headquarters on December 12.

Discovery Game for Libraries Kickstarted by Booklamp.org

Discovery Game for Libraries Kickstarted by Booklamp.org

The developers behind the Book Genome Project and Booklamp.org have launched a Kickstarter campaign for “The Game of Books,” a new digital card and role-playing game designed to reward young adults for reading. Funding raised by the campaign would be used to design, produce, and distribute 4,000 Game of Books starter kits to U.S. libraries. Founded in 2003, the Book Genome Project works with publishers to solve challenges in book discovery by using computer analysis of the language, theme, and characters in books.

Turn Wikipedia Articles into Ebooks | Screencast Tutorial

Wikipedia users can now create ebooks using articles from the English edition of the crowd-sourced reference. Library consultant Linda Braun shows how it’s done.

Taking the Sting from Group Projects | Peer to Peer Review

I hated group projects when I was a library-school student. Oh, did I hate them! Slackers going unpunished, poor communication, floundering, missed deadlines causing panic, what’s not to hate? Now that I’m teaching library school, I assign group projects anyway. A terrible hypocrite am I. The logistics are compelling enough. SLIS’s introductory library-technology course seats [...]