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Mr. Michael Blackwell

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Michael Blackwell

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Article Published in Computers in Libraries

Posted By Michael Blackwell Jul 07, 2025 12:27 PM
Found In Egroup: Core Ebooks Interest Group \ view thread
Hi all, The ReadersFirst Working Group has published an article in Computers in Libraries. We are happy that a long follow-up study to the Monash University/our 2018 study of the ebook book market in Canada and the USA was published in July of 2025. It's rather detailed, so to summarize: among best-selling ...

LIbrary Futures Podcast on Ebooks in Libraries

Posted By Michael Blackwell Jun 05, 2025 12:39 PM
Found In Egroup: Core Ebooks Interest Group \ view thread
Hello, Ebook Aficionados, Laura Crosset and Mary Needham from Library Futures are creating a podcast in three parts that will air over the next three weeks. It promises to be lively and provocative. If you have any interest in how library digital content is provided, acquired, read, and-all-to ...

Ebooks Interest Group Agenda updated (again)

Posted By Michael Blackwell Jun 02, 2025 12:52 PM
Found In Egroup: Core Ebooks Interest Group \ view thread
"Ebook Friday" Agenda June 27, 2025: Location: Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 103 B C 9:00: Introduction, Ground Rules 9:05 - 9:30: Andrew Albanese: his new site, trends in the digital market, thoughts on advocacy going forward (keynote) 9:45 to 19:45: Conversation: Where are we? Do we agree ...

New Jersey's Ebook Bill Introduced

Posted By Michael Blackwell Jun 02, 2025 11:07 AM
Found In Egroup: Core Ebooks Interest Group \ view thread
Sen. Andrew Zwicker of New Jersey has introduced a bill that, if passed, would not only stand alone as an important step towards fair library digital content terms but would also "trigger" the new Connecticut law. Thank you, Sen. Zwicker! Andrew Albanese has provided a discussion on Words&Money, including ...

eBooks, Collection Development Policies & AI

Posted By Michael Blackwell Jun 02, 2025 10:38 AM
Found In Egroup: Core Ebooks Interest Group \ view thread
Hi all, Sharing a post on the ReadersFirst site from Carmi Parker discussing a hot topic. What are your libraries doing about ebooks generated from AI "Content Farms"? Do you have a policy All best, Michael eBooks, Collection Development Policies & AI May 30, 2025 As we know from Library ...

RE: ALA Annual CEIG Meeting

Posted By Michael Blackwell May 20, 2025 08:54 AM
Found In Egroup: Core Ebooks Interest Group \ view thread
Thanks for the info! I enjoyed talking with the Ocean State folks at last week's Eastern Ebook Summit Meeting. Would you please consider sharing your data at some point? We can arrange to post it on the RF site and to share here. I appreciate seeing use trends from all over. Michael

RE: ALA Annual CEIG Meeting

Posted By Michael Blackwell May 20, 2025 08:28 AM
Found In Egroup: Core Ebooks Interest Group \ view thread
Hello, Library Digital Content Aficionados, Carmi Parker has updated the ReadersFirst Publishers Price Watch, commenting as follows: As we have time, Readers First updates its Publisher Price Watch, a project where we select 20 popular books from each of the top trade publishers and compare their ...

RE: ALA Annual CEIG Meeting

Posted By Michael Blackwell May 16, 2025 01:24 PM
Found In Egroup: Core Ebooks Interest Group \ view thread
Hey all, Big news! Make that HUGE news! I am just back from the Eastern Ebook Summit, where I had the pleasure of sitting with Connecticut librarians as their legislature passed a bill for fair library digital content terms. They were very grateful to Maryland for leading the way and said they wouldn't ...

ALA Annual CEIG Meeting

Posted By Michael Blackwell May 05, 2025 11:29 AM
Found In Egroup: Core Ebooks Interest Group \ view thread
Hi everyone, We have a room for our annual meeting: June 27 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM EDT Ebooks Interest Group Meeting Location: Pennsylvania Convention Center, Room 103 B C Here is an agenda. Please note it might change, but we're getting close to a final version. 9:00: Introduction, ...

Words & Money: Check it out

Posted By Michael Blackwell Apr 23, 2025 12:21 PM
Found In Egroup: Core Ebooks Interest Group \ view thread
Hi all, Andrew Albanese, longtime informed commentator on the library landscape for Publishers Weekly, with Erin Cox, has started a site dedicated to exploring the intersection of publishing and libraries. Called Words & Money, the site already has a wealth of content. Readers will find detailed ...

Come to Ebook Friday on June 27th

Posted By Michael Blackwell Apr 07, 2025 09:38 AM
Found In Egroup: Core Ebooks Interest Group \ view thread
Hi all, I'm pleased to report that the Annual Meeting of the Core Ebooks Interest Group will be at ALA Annual on June 27 from 9 am to Noon (room to be determined). AKA "Ebook Friday," the session is always informative. We will hear updates about state legislative action and new research in ...

An Open Request to OverDrive: two ways to reduce library costs

Posted By Michael Blackwell Apr 07, 2025 09:05 AM
Found In Egroup: Core Ebooks Interest Group \ view thread
Hi all, Carmi Parker has written a post for ReadersFirst that I think important to share. https://www.readersfirst.org/news/2025/4/3/two-overdrive-features-that-would-reduce-library-costs The piece reflects findings from many libraries in the RF Working Group. OverDrive is of course ...

RE: IndieLib 2025 is on

Posted By Michael Blackwell Feb 13, 2025 12:27 PM
Found In Egroup: Core Ebooks Interest Group \ view thread
Oh, to avoid the small fee (less than $45), use this code: librarianfree Hope to see you there! Michael

IndieLib 2025 is on

Posted By Michael Blackwell Feb 13, 2025 12:20 PM
Found In Egroup: Core Ebooks Interest Group \ view thread
Hi all, While the program isn't final yet, IndieLib 2025 is scheduled for April 16 in Manhattan at the Engelberg Center on Innovation Law and Policy at New York University (139 MacDougal St. Room 408, New York, NY 10012), and you can attend without paying the (very small) conference fee. Here's a ...

RE: Library Future's Take on Hoopla's Content Problem

Posted By Michael Blackwell Feb 05, 2025 08:26 AM
Found In Egroup: Core Ebooks Interest Group \ view thread
Here's a link to the article I mentioned: https://www.404media.co/ai-generated-slop-is-already-in-your-public-library-3/ (Disclosure--I am quoted in it.) Here's a message about the article from Library Future's CEO Jennie Rose Halperin. LF has created media interest in the issue. "It's pretty well-done ...

RE: Library Future's Take on Hoopla's Content Problem

Posted By Michael Blackwell Jan 10, 2025 12:13 PM
Found In Egroup: Core Ebooks Interest Group \ view thread
Hi Heather, Lots of individual action is happening. Many libraries have spoken with their Hoopla reps. I wish I could say that this is producing company action. One thing that came from the call is that Library Futures began talking with a media outlet about a story. I'm expecting a story. Perhaps ...

A look at preservation (or likely lack thereof) in the digital age, news update, and still looking for a chair

Posted By Michael Blackwell Dec 31, 2024 02:48 PM
Found In Egroup: Core Ebooks Interest Group \ view thread
Hello ebook aficionados, Happy New Year! Sorry for any xpostings on this one, but Tony Ageh, Michael Bayler, Chris Durlacher and Julian Turner have taken a detailed look at the difficulties library face in preservation under currently prevailing conditions. RF has often lamented that books ...

Looking for a Core Ebooks Interest Group Chair and End of Perpetual Access Audio?

Posted By Michael Blackwell Dec 16, 2024 12:47 PM
Found In Egroup: Core Ebooks Interest Group \ view thread
Hi all, In January, I'll write the half-year update on the activities of this group. So far, that has been to submit a proposal for ALA for a Friday program and plan for that event and then sharing news via emails. As part of the update, I am requested to provide the name of the next ...

Submit Your "Banned Book of the Week"

Posted By Michael Blackwell Dec 04, 2024 03:19 PM
Found In Egroup: IFRT Members Community (Open) \ view thread
Hi all, The Digital Public Library of America sponsors the Banned Books Club. Through the Palace app (library card not needed for this function), people including teens can read thousands of challenged/banned books. They invite librarians to submit reviews of their favorite challenged books to ...

What Banned Book Would You Highlight and Yay, NJ

Posted By Michael Blackwell Oct 30, 2024 01:49 PM
Found In Egroup: Core Ebooks Interest Group \ view thread
Hi, Ebook Aficionados, DPLA invites submission for Banned Books to which you'd like to bring special attention. These titles might be a little lesser known than the most frequently banned ones, but very much worthy of attention. You can submit selections here. In other news, the Banned Books Club ...