ALA News Release

Washington, D.C. - Over the past year, the American Library Association (ALA) has taken significant steps to address the e-book library lending issue affecting libraries, including the development of an e-book business models report and the implementation of an aggressive publicity campaign, among other tactics.

On Saturday, Jan. 26, 2013, members of the ALA Digital Content Working Group (DCWG) will discuss ALA initiatives to advocate for fair e-book library lending policies during a session at the 2013 ALA Midwinter Meeting in Seattle. The session, titled “E-books and Libraries: Where Do We Stand and Where Are We Going?,” will be held in the Washington State Convention Center Room 602-603 from 1:00-2:30p.m.

The session will be moderated by Digital Content Working Group member Sari Feldman, executive director of the Cuyahoga County Public Library. Member, Bob Wolven, associate university librarian at Columbia University, will discuss e-book licensing business models. Additionally, Alan Inouye, director of the ALA Office for Information Technology Policy, will discuss future directions for ALA leadership on the e-book issue.

Additionally, the session will include a leading panel of experts and practitioners from the e-book publishing ecosystem that will illuminate policy priorities for ALA going forward. Panelists include: Skip Dye, vice president, Random House; Matt Tempelis, cloud library business manager, 3M; and Jamie LaRue, director, Douglas County (Colo.) Libraries.